I would like some recommendations for a good, heavy duty stainless steel frying pan that does NOT have a “non-stick” (Teflon, Silverstone, etc.) cooking surface. I saw some nice ones at Sears - can’t remember the brand - but they only came in big sets. I just want to buy a 12 inch frying pan.
We have a big 12" Revere ware Skillet that we swear by.
Stainless steel and Alunimum bottomed. Easy to Clean. Great for omelets.
I would highly recommend the All-Clad Stainless Steel line which is a layered pan with an aluminum core and stainless steel inner and outer surface. These pans are awesome for cooking.
Give me a break. There’s a whole ton of stuff that you flat out can’t make in a nonstick frying pan, and I’m guessing the OP is wanting to make some of those.
That said, I’d go with All-Clad (if you want to spend the bucks) or a plain ol’ black cast iron pan (if you want to save some money). Yes, the cast iron isn’t stainless, but it does most of the same stuff in it and it’s about 1/10th the price. You can’t throw it in the dishwasher, but a seasoned cast iron isn’t hard to clean. The only drawback is the heaviness, and you don’t want to make acidic things in it.
All-Clad 12" Stainless frying pan is about $100 at www.cookwarenmore.com.
I have a set of Cuisinart that I’m happy with. Tip: When the beautiful shine starts to go all dingy on you, make something with tomato sauce. It perks it right up.
Better text for this link would be “If you haven’t ever cooked with stainless steel, be careful.” There’s a reason you see stainless steel so often on cooking shows; it’s useful. But it isn’t useful for everything. If someone has never cooked on stainless steel before, they should really read up on it, lest they get into the trouble described in the linked thread.
Myself, I own non-stick, stainless steel, and cast iron cookware. They’ve all got their uses.
Sitram Profiserie fry pan. Aluminum clad bottom. Different sizes, from $29:
http://www.jbprince.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1872
I don’t see the advantage to fully-clad for a frying pan – it’s the cooking area you’d want to heat as evenly as possible, and not necessarily the sides of the pan.
It’s true, though: you can’t leave your eggs frying in no fat at high heat and expect them to slide off a steel pan. Now cast-iron – that’s another story. Once you get those babies seasoned up, they can be quite slick and still appropriate for cooking meats. If you’re concerned about an excess of iron in your diet, though, it could be a concern – I don’t use them frequently for just that reason.
Most of our best pans are Wear-Ever® stainless with aluminum clad bottoms. Mrs. Nott bought them about 30 years ago, before we were married. They have even heat, and they are easy to clean because of the smooth finish.
No matter how hard you try, non-stick pans get dinged up, and the pan outlasts the nonstick. There’s no point in buying a serious pan with non-stick, with one exception. That’s cast iron, which is inherently non-stick.
Not entirely true, in my experience. Unless you’re cooking really flat things, the food does hit the sides of the pan and thin sides will cause burning. Case in point: my nonstick pan, a $30 Farberware because I know the nonstick will wear off in a couple years. It’s got a heavy botton, but the sides are thin. If I make more than a couple scrambled eggs, it’s enough liquid that the heat from the sides - which is considerably hotter than the botton - causes the egde of the eggs to overheat and get crunchy.
Not a huge deal, I know it will happen and can compensate for it. But it is an annoyance, and it does prove to me that spending the cash on decent frying pans is worth it. I can deal with scrambled eggs; if I was making something a bit more delicate or something that I wanted to come out perfect, I’d be pissed.
I love my All-Clad pans. The only drawback of sorts is the rivets or whatever that attach the handle can be a little tough to clean. But I’ve found a regular old nylon nail brush is perfect for the job. I think they’re worth the investment, because I’m pretty sure I’ll be handing them down to my kids as part of my estate. Also, they don’t warp at all.
That said, I still use a Revereware 12 inch skillet, until I can afford to buy an All-Clad one. It has a copper bottom that wraps up the sides a bit, and is perfectly adequate for most searing, sauteing, and braising. It has warped, which can be irritating, but it is still usable.
I only use my nonstick pan for eggs (if I made crepes, I would use it for that, too). It’s vital for that application. But I don’t like nonstick for other things because I don’t want to risk heating it high enough to sear (teflon fumes - no thanks), and it doesn’t make a nice *fond * anyway.
Oh yeah, that’s the other thing - if you’re searing meat in stainless, you have to leave it alone for a couple minutes - if you try to move it around right after putting it in a hot pan, it’ll stick like crazy.
I use cast iron mostly for steaks, pancakes, fried chicken, and baked beans. I would use it more, but I’m often naughty and leave the dishes till the next morning, and that doesn’t work too well with cast iron.
I bought All-Clad on Cook’s Illustrated’s reccommendations. I’ve only had it for four months or so but I am in luuuurve with it. I write my frying pan’s name with a heart over the i. I doodle in my notebook: Zsofia All-Clad. Mr. and Mrs. Stainless All-Clad. Zsofia Lastname All-Clad. I’m gonna have it’s little metal babies!
I am also in luurve with my Lodge cast iron frying pan and my Le Creuset dutch oven. It may have to be a nontraditional marriage arrangement. We can always arrange a schedule for who has to sleep in the sink.
Ditto.
Non-stick: eggs; cream-based sauces; pancakes; sometimes fish
Stainless: items that would scratch non-stick, like clams and mussels; items for browning when using acidic ingredients (such as lemon or tomatoes)
Cast-iron: best for browning
I get all my fry pans from a local restaurant supply store. The maker is Farberware. They aren’t as pretty as the shiny All-Clad stuff, but they’re heavy duty and inexpensive and work fabulously.