The best pots & pans materials

Cafe Society
21

There is no ‘one best’. I use stainless-clad aluminum, general non-stick, cast iron, and enameled cast iron dependent on what is being cooked and how I’m cooking it. I’m a cheap bastard for the most part, and look for the best price/performance ratio for my cookware. I find that restaurant supply stores are the best option for this. I’m of the opinion that my pots and pans don’t have to necessarily look good, but they must work well. I personally haven’t worked much with anodized aluminum, but I’ve heard good things.

What I do look for:

  • riveted metal handles. I like to move from stovetop to oven. Some of the non-metal handles claim to be oven-safe to a certain temperature. None of the metal handles should have a problem at any temperature.

  • tight fitting lids. Bonus points for lids that can be used for more than one pot. Glass lids - not so much. Tried them and came to the conclusion that seeing inside the pot (when you could see through steam and condensation) didn’t add anything to the cook.

  • heft. Heavier pans tend to hold heat better when you add cold food to them. When you are cooking frozen french fries in an enameled cast iron dutch oven, the oil temperature will rebound to a good frying temp much more quickly than in a flimsy dollar-store dutch oven.

For other thoughts on the subject: A Guide to the Best Materials for Pots and Pans

22

So, I also got a Lodge cast iron skillet. I seasoned it several times with a thin layer of flaxseed oil.

I cooked an egg. Most of the egg didn’t stick but a thin layer of egg white stuck.

Washed lightly and reseasoned it. I used some soap and a steel wool on what might have been rust. I was going to reseason it right after.

So I seasoned it and I seared a steak. I let the skillet on the stove on high for less than 5 minutes and the steak cooked for 2 minutes. Chunks of seasoning pealed off, exposing the bare iron and I could see what I think was bits of rust within minutes.

I seem to have done something wrong.

23

I’m assuming the skillet wasn’t pre-seasoned, though I would still season a pre-seasoned skillet. I’m also assuming you are following Lodge’s instructions (or other, more detailed, instructions, but I find Lodge instructions just fine).

If it was new, there should be no rust, though make sure to dry the skillet after each use and cleaning. Do not let it air dry. In addition to seasoning, it helps if the first half-dozen or so cooks are fatty foods, like bacon. Really let the layer of fat and oil build on itself. When you hit it with soap and steel wool, you got rid of all the previous seasonings. Avoid fish until the seasoning really sets.