I work at a kitchen store and thanks for this. A lot of people don't really get that "ceramic pans" and a lot of nonstick pans have a certain lifespan. If you want something that will last forever, cast iron, enameled cast iron, stainless steel... all good options.
Can you recommend a good enameled skillet / fry pan? I looked at both the le Creuset, and the crock pot artisan line. When I read the reviews nearly every single low rated review complained about how eggs stick terribly
@@chelseet11 Honestly enameled cast iron isn't "nonstick". Food will still stick to it. I do think food sticks less to an enameled cast iron surface than to stainless steel. That said, eggs are one of the stickiest things to cook with. Eggs like to stick to everything. It's part of what makes them a good binder. If you wanted, you could get one 8 or 10-inch nonstick pan for when you fry your eggs or make an omelet. Just know you'll likely have to replace it in 2-5 years. That said, even with a pan that isn't nonstick, you can put an inch of water in them and heat them on the stove. Whatever is stuck on them will come off easily. Or use some Barkeeper's Friend for cookware. So far, though, I honestly find just a good scrub with soap and water does the trick most of the time.
@@chelseet11 Obviously, I think @Julia Kwiatkowski is most qualified to recommend you pans, but do you not cook with some sort of oil in the pan while preheating? I love Le Creuset and have never had an issue with them, but no matter then pan I *always* use either butter or olive oil to start. Not only does it prevent everything from sticking (including eggs!), but it lets me know when the pan is the right temp for food to go in 👍
@@chelseet11Enameled cast iron can chip, their glaze can develop fine cracks, and usually contain lead in the glazes (yes, including the expensive brand that you mentioned). After much research I’ve opted to augment my collection of stainless steel with a few carbon steel and cast iron pans to replace the “green” ceramic pans that wore out more quickly than expected. A good seasoning and a few months of use have made them pretty remarkably non-stick, with a minimal amount of extra maintenance (still less than the time spent soaking & scrubbing stainless steel).
truth! I've had a stainless steel for 10 years and its still going strong. in the past 6 years I acquired 5 second hand cast iron cookware pieces and my cast iron is seasoned well so nothing sticks
I've recently moved to stainless steel pans. Was getting tired of "temporary" pans, and didn't want to bother with seasoning. Yes, you do need to scrub a bit more, but if you manage your temperature while cooking and soak the pan in water before cleaning, it's not a big deal at all.
After working in the food industry, I have gotten into the habit of soaking before cleaning *anyways*. Heck, I even do it when using Teflon, even though I know I shouldn't.
Stainless steel pans are great for making sauce and browning. Carbon steel pans are a great non-stick option. They last forever if you maintain them and they get more non-stick with time.
@@bojassem12 I love my De Buyer Carbon steel pan, it is my go to pan for literally everything, and it is honestly easier to clean than stainless, and using salt and oil to remove mess is easier on my hands than soap, but by putting on some cheap oil after taking food out, you really prevent any scraps or starches left behind from burning and sticking to begin with.
amen. get your temps up on stainless steel and just let err rip. it's nice to not have to baby it, you can blast the heat and you can scour it as hard as you like afterwards.
Chefs tip for stainless steel: If you keep the hob on at the end of cooking (medium high temp) and put in half an inch of water and some washing up liquid, use a silicon spatula and just lightly stir - it comes off straight away no scrubbing needed
or add a few tablespoons of baking soda instead, with the water, leave it there to "process" and the chemical reaction with the fat/burnt stuff will make it flake away easy - either in a few minutes or after the meal. :) ...but I'll try your trick! 2 tricks is better than one!
My thoughts exactly. It's a bit unfortunate that he talks about how the Ceramic differs from other ceramic products. Yet he makes these mistakes with silicon and silicone. What was supposed to be a informative video, lost a lot of it's power and credibility because of this.
Ceramic is silicon based, and when fired creates a fused glass surface. Knowing this (yes, it is the simple ceramists' explanation), the "ceramic" or coated pans never made sense to me. They are often foreign-produced replacements for the devils that are traditional teflon coated aluminum pans. The abomination persists. 😒
I love that you included the "replacing" as a part of the sustainability argument. It's so often left out. Reducing is always always always the best way to be eco-friendly. People often forget that.
@brandovlogs I get what you mean, but I think that these are more meant for whole humankind and not just consumers. Why do corporations need to replace all office furniture every couple of years for example.
Honestly cast iron is far better bc those shits can literally survive everything and they when you get a good coating on it it’s just naturally nonstick
@@honeyspice8989 Honestly nothing is really perfect for cookware materials. Cast iron, stainless steel, copper, and aluminum can leech out metals into food (some just leach out while others chemically react with acidic ingredients for example). The seasoning itself are also basically just polymers and/or carbonized oil. Depending on the type of oil you use, the effect can be similar with “plastic”, in a sense that they are non reactive but stay essentially forever if trapped in your body (builds up and can hinder certain function). The oil fumes that is released when the dry polymerization/carbonization happen are also dangerous. Glass is chemically inert but is fragile and can crack when there is rapid shift in temp, clay are porous and easily colonized by pathogens, enamel porcelain part can crack and leech out the inner metal part, etc. At this point it’s a matter of which “poison” you prefer.
Enamel, cast iron and steel pans have always been my go-to. I inherited a shit ton of cast iron La Cruset pans from my grandma and even though they’re much older than me they’re still incredible. With care, they’ll last forever
Same! I inherited my great grandparent's cast iron (a flat skillet and a deeper pan) that I still use on almost a daily basis. A little TLC and they last for ages!
Just be sure you dont use any metal utensils to stir or flip. I chipped a chunk out of my old fry pan that’s a color no longer being made. It’s just like turquoise blue I got in the 70’s.
I also inherited an original full set of pans, oval casserole and frying pans in the original orange - my father bought them back from Paris in 1970 for mum and they still look as good as new after all these years - I have recently changed the brown knobs on the lids to the stainless steel ones and regularly clean with bicarbonate of soda to keep looking great!
I think a point that always needs to be mentioned about cast iron is that they are heavy and this can be important for people who suffer from disabilities or the elderly. Which may mean for lots of people a steel pan is the way to go.
Im in my late twenties and my cast iron wok pan is heavy as fuck. Im used to lifting a pan and scrubbing food down on my plate, but thats a nope with these
My grandmother-in-law has a cast-iron pan that was handed down by her mother that’s actually very light. Maybe it’s not true cast-iron, but it still works very well a century later.
@@MxMattieRose Old cast iron tends to be lighter than the modern cast iron equivalents. They used a finer sand when casting and milled the pans so they were thinner and weighed less while still retaining heat. Modern cast iron can perform just as well, but is heavier and takes a little more effort to get that non-stick quality.
I switched to stainless and cast iron a few years ago after I moved and realized my nonstick pans were scratched to heck. Once you learn the tricks of working with both, they are actually easier to live with and I don't have to worry about them getting too hot and giving off terrible fumes. There are a lot of little tricks out there to prevent sticking in regular pans. Cast iron is my go-to 90% of the time these days and is the pan that pretty much lives on top of my stove.
In the entire history of teflon, there are very few people that have been affected by Teflon flu (fume fever), mostly factory workers. There have been only 2 or 3 people in the general public and those cases were from extreme overheating of the pan. Those people apparently fully recovered after two or three days. On the other hand, birds are apparently highly sensitive to the fumes - according to veterinarians.
I could have written this. I've seriously had more beautifully nonstick moments with my cast iron then I ever had with the "nonstick" pans. And my cast iron gets better overtime
When I was in my teens, I inherited a few cast iron skillets from my grandmother, since I was the only family member to have such an interest in cooking. (I'm a baker now) These pans were bought back in the 60's, when my grandmother moved out of her parents place. I used them when I cooked at home and in the few years there, I saw several of my mother's nonstick pans go in the garbage. When I left, I brought the cast iron with me. It was all I had to cook with so it was all I used, and they're still going strong. I've since picked up a few more cast iron pieces new and used. I find them easy to care for. The secret is to let them warm up gently on the stove to the working heat before putting the oil and food in. This polymerizes any miniscule remaining oil in the surface from the last cooking and cleaning without soap, which adds a fresh layer of seasoning without having to do it after cooking like others do. If I need to use soap, which is rare, I'll use a paper towel to wipe some oil onto the surface, just enough to make it darken but not enough to look wet. I'm not gentle with my pans, I soak, scrape with metal, and cook acidic stuff in them and have never had to purposely season them, eggs always cook fine.
Yes, cast iron pans and enameled cast iron are extremely good, easy to clean and care for, basically indestructible, and basically non-stick when properly seasoned.
@@CephBacon I would adore finding a cast iron piece so old that it's gate marked, but almost everything of mine is from the 60's or new. I do have one made in Canada though, and I believe there's no other cast iron makers left here.
If you don't want to scrub the stainless steel pans, do what I've done for years by _deglazing your pans_ - even if you aren't planning on making a gravy, keeping the heat on low and adding a bit of water loosens everything up so there is minimal, if any, scrubbing to be done. Can also be done with pots: add water, put a lid on, raise the heat so it gets to at least a simmer, then turn it off - the residual heat trapped will work with the liquid to loosen food residue on the sides as well. If you forgot to do it promptly and it's already cooled down, adding some water and turning the heat back on will do the same thing. I hate having to do dishes, so this is one of my go-to tricks for minimizing the clean-up.
I have also found putting the lid on if you can't get to it right away helps. The lid traps moisture ensuring the cruft on the sides doesn't dry completely when the liquid in the pan doesn't cover everything.
Deglazing is the most important piece to making cleanup easier. One thing I found out by accident is that deglazing is most efficient on a rather hot pan. If the food on the bottom of the pan is just starting to smoke, it seems to come off of my carbon steel and stainless pans easier when I hit it with very cold water. There is a limit to this method: don't get the stuck-on food very hot for very long or it becomes harder to remove!
Engineer here who did years of preceramic polymer research, with compounds similar to those used to manufacture ceramic coatings. Currently working with a company that's main product line is Teflon based. Suffice to say, I feel I have some confidence and could help with the understanding of this. So, Teflon coatings obviously are sub optimal. They do perform well is the short term, but the tendency of Teflon to breakdown as it wears is a deal breaker. Okay, so turn how about engineered ceramics? A properly pyrolyzed engineered ceramic should be almost pure silica carbide or silica oxycarbide. Both of these compounds are almost completely stable and inert. If your cookware has a properly ppyrolyzed coating it should be safe even as it gets scratched or otherwise damaged. But, in our testing, for our specific compounds, we saw loss of organic completely compounds for up to 12 hours in the oven. In the formulation these organic compounds are what are potentially hazardous. I do not know what exact formulation each company uses, but it looks to be a PDMS which is different from the silanes I specialized in, but hopefully my experience can be helpful. There are 3 potential hazards to ceramic non stick ware. 1) These are not pure SiC or SiOC, and the filler materials used can potentially be hazardous, and break down at lower temperatures 2) If the pan is not properly cured they may still contain carbon compounds, and these can be very nasty. 3) if the pan materials are not food safe. This was mentioned is the video. So, what to do you do if you want ceramic cookware? My #1 advice would be to be willing to spend more. The biggest hazards come from not properly cured ceramic and hazardous base metals, both of which could often be used as a source of savings/QC issues. For the concern about material fillers, find something that you can confirm if ptfe and pfoa free. Hope this helps. Fwiw I cook mostly on cast iron since I like the even heat, with stainless everything else.
To explain in simple terms. As Teflon degrades, the Teflon residue is a hazard. A properly cured ceramic won't be harmful. But ceramic pans are more sensitive to things like scratching and dishwashing.
Ceramic cookware just doesn’t make any sense. Only a few dishes need to be cooked in a nonstick surface, and even fewer will need better performance than carbon steel or enameled cast iron provides. Given that these applications still exist, just keep one or two non stick dishes, and replace them every 2-3 years. That’s it, nonstick should just be treated as a special use case pan, and not as a daily driver. There are better pans for everyday cooking. Everything I see someone searing a steak or burgers on nonstick or ceramic I physically cringe.
I use cast iron, enameled cast iron, stainless, pure ceramic, and glass. Rarely do I end up scrubbing. Either I've deglazed as part of the recipe, or I let the cookware soak in hot water [no soap] for an hour or so before washing by hand. Each type of cookware has its own way of working with minimal sticking, so I choose which to use based on the recipe ingredients.
I have recently learned that most problems with food sticking in pans is caused by 1) too low a heat setting or not waiting long enough for the pan to come up to temp, and 2) disturbing the food before the pan releases it (about 90 seconds or so). For what it's worth.
The heat setting is pretty complex. It's not only the heat source temp but also the overall temp of the pan and food you are going to add. If you would lower the heat enough, it is going to stick
@@oleksandrtarasov2633 Which makes such pans almost unusable to all but the most experienced of chefs with delicate proteins, such as scallops, or delicate preparations such as a French omelette.
In 1983 I worked in a factory that made engine seals out of PTFE. The PTFE powders we worked with were fairly non-toxic (and there was a rumor that anyone who worked in the mold room had about a half pound of Teflon in their lungs!). However, when the billets were sintered (baked) in the ovens they gave off highly toxic fumes that caused fluon fever that could put you in the hospital. Same thing if you didn’t wash your hands well and smoked a cigarette. The stuff was indestructible once cooked.
The whole argument of the video is that they are greenwashing a composite of silicone coatings under the old and friendly tag “ceramic”. These are not functionally the same as old ceramic cookware
I got a cast iron pan as a gift in college and I have used it for nearly everything that can fit in it. Only exceptions are soups or steaming, which both go with my stainless steel pot. If I could, I would probably switch to a carbon steel pan, instead of cast iron, but I haven't had enough of a reason to change yet.
@@lilikoimahalo I don't know what brands offer it but the benefits are "has similar non stick capabilities of cast iron but lower weight and faster to heat up, but also lower heat retention than cast iron. Also means it has none of the synthesized chemical costings of modern non stick, and can repair the costing, unlike ceramics costings. But this leaves them vulnerable to acidic food and long, wet cooks (soup, stew, tomatos)." For my style of cooking, it's the perfect balances for a pan.
I bought a carbon steel, one of the top 3 (aka expensive). And I bought a smaller one from the Amish, Lehmann's. I've seasoned the fancy one twice now, full blown 4 hours, w/proper wiping on/wiping off, reheating, etc. But it's just not holding it. I'll do it a third time, but heating it 3x, not twice. I've used cast iron for decades so seasoning not new to me. Never had such a hard time as with this fancy one. But the less expensive one from the Amish - a dream. Slick, shiny, it's perfect, and a whole lot lighter. So 'fancy' will not be better, necessarily.
It's always been wild up me that, after teflon happened, people are gravitating towards these candy colored pans made of things no one understands because the companies say "yeah trust me bro, s'not dangerous".
@@jpholcomb2942 Do you mean its made of literal clay fired in an oven (pans like that do exist!) or do you mean its another aluminum pan coated in some mysterious non-teflon material that is marketed as ceramic?
doesn't mean clay, it's a material class, carbide used for machining and rare earth magnets are both sintered ceramics. The false dichotomy he presents is really frustrating, especially with the extrema namedrop. Pigments like titanium oxide are a potential danger, but it's not as simple as "clay good, enamel bad"
Lol, I love how Future Proof crashes my misbeliefs about products to the ground on a weekly basis. 😂 No, but really, thank you for doing the research and educating me so I don't have to! 🙇
But the "evidence" he presented as all based on speculation, rumor and accusations and not objective evidence. How can you form an opinion with so little actual information?
@@LeviHildebrandYT for the record, those with severe nickel allergy should not eat foods cooked in metal. The more acidic foods cause even more of the metals to leach into the food. I use Visions cookware, a vintage glass cookware suitable for the stovetop. Yes it’s breakable and not as easy to clean, but it’s the safest cookware imo
My wife and I received a set of All-Clad stainless steel pots and pans as wedding gifts over 20 years ago and we've been using them every day since. They're still fantastic. Honestly, they'll probably outlive us. Absolutlely worth the occasional soak in the sink.
If you don't want to wait for the soak, heat water in the dirty pan and and scrape off the crud with a wooden spatula. It's really easy and effective. A flexible steel diner-style spatula would probably work even better, but you run the risk of scratching the pan. The worst part about cleaning All-Clad is when grease hardens around the rivets, and forgetting not to put them on hot burner grates if they're empty. I've learned not to worry about my pans no longer being pristine.
Yep, they're absolutely worth it! I got the 7" or 8" ??? frying pan in the 90's and it's been my daily driver since. Perfect condition, does everything I need.
I inherited my parents set of Townecraft SS pans recently. They are about 40 years old and still in excellent condition. They are overpriced in my opinion (over 1000.00$ back then) but they have held up for 4 decades of constant use. I have a few nonstick saute pans that I use for eggs and not much else. 🤔🤓🍻
Honestly, after inheriting my grandma's enamelware cook set, I've never looked back. Granted, I know there's quirks about cleaning and using it (like no metal, or rapid temperature changes), I really dig that it's just porcelain enamel over cast iron.
Just double check that there wasn't lead in the clay used to make the enamel! That's the only reason I've stayed away from thrift store enamel (I found some that are lovely) I just don't have a way of checking it for lead. :/
When II was an engineering student at Virginia Tech in the late 1970's I had a graduate teaching assistant who was a refugee from Dupont. He told me a story about working on chemistry to make Teflon appear to discolor less. At the time most teflon pans had a white coating, which started to brown as it was cooked on before the coatings wore off, usually in about a year or so under normal use. Enter Silverstone, its somewhat metallic looking replacement. It still wore off, but didn't degrade as visibly. I stick to the tried and true cast iron these days.
Carbon steel is the most underrated pan material I’ve come across. Lighter and easier maintenance than castiron and more nonstick than any teflon pan I’ve ever owned. Virtually indestructible and oven-safe as well. EDIT: A lot of folks are telling me that teflon is infallibly non-stick, which I have never found to be the case. I don’t want to mislead people, but used well, carbon steel amazes me for its versatility.
Some points I'd like to add. I regularly use a carbon steel (CS) wok, which is far and away the best material for woks, and I can see how it's also a great and long-lasting material for a skillet: 1. It's true that extra care is needed to prevent rusting, but it's hardly any. Just rinse and dry shortly after (I usually scrub with a bamboo brush and skip soap, but soap shouldn't significantly impact well seasoned CS), put over medium heat for a few minutes to ensure dryness, and then spread a thin layer of neutral cooking oil on the surface after each use. DO NOT WASH IN A DISHWASHER. Rust may become more of an issue in high humidity climates, but regular use and care should keep it at Bay. Rust is also easily removable using a steel wool. 2. Expensive CS has very marginal returns, and most cooks recommend you buy a relatively cheap one at a restaurant supply store. There's no need to save up for the most expensive skillet! 3. CS does have some downsides. Regardless of what you hear, CS is not as non-stick as Teflon (but is close!), acidic foods will strip the seasoning and impart a metallic taste (especially if you simmer for more than a few minutes), and doesn't retain as much heat for searing as cast iron. Teflon, stainless steel, and cast iron are better choices for these respective applications. Also, some people think that CS doesn't look as good as some other cookware but I disagree. 4. CS excels at temperature responsiveness, a key reason why it's the best material for a wok. It's also safe to heat at any temperature. CS heats quicker than stainless steel and cast iron due to its temperature responsiveness. I hope this info is valuable if you made it to the end of my comment. I saw some points that I slightly disagreed with and had to bite!
….. I think it’s odd. I have on old carbon steel wok passed on to me by my great aunt and it honesty works better than most non-stick pans. I never was into those pans because I see them fail every thanksgiving. 🤷🏻♀️
Yeah, we got one recently, and we had to coax it a little at first to get that good surface going, but it's quickly turning into everybody's favorite pot
I have had the same set of stainless cookware for 20 years. Cast iron can last almost indefinitely too. There is a learning curve for both but it's worth it. As for scrubbing, that another learning curve that isn't that hard, depending on what you did (I recently, like last week, burned sugar and milk solids in one of my stainless & didn't tend to it quickly). My problem was that it was a holiday & I didn't tend to it quickly. We have 2 Teflon pans only because my husband refuses to make eggs in anything else. Fortunately, that's not often.
Put some water in the pan and heat it to simmering for a while. Sooner or later, the carmelized sugar and charred milk should come free fairly easily. Or pretend that you are making a gravy and add some vinegar and wine to the simmering water.
Just a note about PTFE coated pans, they can release fumes which are toxic to birds. If you have pet birds please NEVER cook with teflon. It may be fine for years and years, but it only takes that one time for the pan to get too hot, and as a veterinarian I've seen too many sad cases of birds dying. My saddest case was a parrot the owner had for over 40 years and just never knew these pans are toxic to birds. It also makes me think, since canaries have classically been used in mines to detect dangerous carbon monoxide levels as bird lung are much more sensitive than our own lungs, about what kind of unknown damage cooking with teflon could be doing to us. Of course the company will tell you Teflon is safe, but all I'm saying is after seeing first hand the damage done to a birds lungs I will never bring it into my home. Do with that what you will.
Also to add too this, Teflon is used in hair straighteners and on the coils/heating elements off hair dryers and fan or convention heaters. The best heater is guess, is a oil filled radiator heater. If a heater element gets hot enough to burn you when touched, it's spewing Teflon VOCs out.
you can as long as it's missing the list of like 3 diff compounds. PTFE PFOA stuff like that. i was a bird owner for many years. it's easy to find the list of baddies. ALSO, FISHTANKS. the water absorbs compounds from the air. *so anything bad for birds is bad for fishtanks and bowls,* including scented candles and all that garbage fake chemical stuff, air fresheners, scented dryer sheets (if machines are nearby), really strong cleaners... i read some really sad stories of people losing beloved pets because they didn't realize neurotically lighting candles every day or cooking with cheapo teflon, or doing any of that other stuff, was killing them. :,(
I had a 100% ceramic pot that I used for years, it was amazing, until it broke from poring in some water that wasn't hot enough compared to the pot (pure ceramic is sensitive to fast temperature changes) I replaced it with a cast iron pot, which is essentially the same amount of non stick as a 100% ceramic pot, but much tougher. Just make sure to use some fats in your cooking, and it'll last forever. Btw, neither of them are as non stick as teflon, but are both generally better than stainless steel.
The Always Pan annoys me because a lot of the marketing and the general design is very much aimed at new cooks, and giving a new cook a pan that’ll break down over time and make cooking a chore is a sure fire way to make them hate cooking. I’d love to see a stainless steel, enameled cast iron, or even a carbon steel cookware set with marketing this good.
I bought the knockoff of Always pan they sell at Aldi it’s only 25.00 and not $100 and it works just as well it just doesn’t have the basket and added items with it.
@@AKayfabeI kinda wish there was a pan that had the all the attachments like the always pan. But made out of stainless though. Bc personally I love the design of the attachments but stainless is far far easier to clean. Cast iron is worse to clean than stainless. I do like the bright colors of the pans. (I do use stainless & cast iron pans regularly)
People always note carbon steel as last resort, but you can get high quality carbon steel pans from debuyer, season em better and have basically the best pan you can have aside copper silver.
@@elizabethepp9507 , yes, de Buyer, from le Val-d'Ajol, in France. They make great carbon steel pans, while Cristel and Le Creusot make great cast iron cookware.
Tip: if you want food not to stick when frying, after adding the oil add ONE drop of water (you can literally just drop it off a wet hand). Wait until the water starts to crackle and pop in the oil and you know the oil is at optimal temperature for cooking.
I recently learned a trick. Preheat the ceramic pan with low heat, add oil and let it heat for a bit, then start cooking. This trick is a game changer, my always pan was the pain in the ass when I first stated using it, it is now my favorite pan to use after learning this trick.
Here is another. Heat the stainless pan to med. Drop of water will bounce and is ready. Pour in the oil and for some reason at that temp it stops a lot of sticking. You may get a little but not like scrambled eggs stuck to the bottom stuff.
@@donaldkasper8346 Maybe the thin ones? I use the stainless with the disk on the bottom. I also heat my cast iron to med first too. I learned it from one of Alton browns shows and it works great with eggs and omelets. you may get a little sticking but not the soak and scrap kind of sticking.
You have to be careful looking at ceramic cookware, some of them still seem to use PFAS unless they explicitly say they don't. Sometimes they'll market that they don't use PTFE or PFOA, but just omit whether they use PFAS
It's like the story about BPA? Manufacturers market things as "BPA free" but they use other very similar materials, that have same first letters just the third one changes. And they are all equally harmful. It seems.
Cave Johnson: there's no need to "be careful looking at ceramic [nonstick] cookware" - we need to not use ANY of them. Period. They are made for planned obsolescence and profit at the expense of the health of the user.
I use Le Creuset which is enameled cast iron. I have to season it about every 6 months, but by doing that, it becomes non stick. The only downsides are that they are heavy for some people, you have to learn how to use it, and they are expensive, but they have a lifetime guarantee. Mine is about 8 years old.
There's an Ukrainian manufacturer, Biol. I just saw the prices on the brand you mentioned, quite high. If by chance you have access to Biol, might want to consider it. Sorry, I really don't mean it as an ad, I just know about it, the quality I heard is great and the price is relatively low too.
If you can physically handle and afford cast-iron enameled pots and pans, try them. I use Le Creuset, but there are others that cost less. There are some great stainless steel pans, but I don’t recommend it for gas cooktops unless they are well-clad.
@@ablueslenz I use a Staub I got off eBay for a steal! If you’re willing to go in open to whatever color (and let’s be real almost all Staub and Le Creuset are gorgeous) then you can get them easily for a fraction of the price! They don’t chip as easily as cheaper brands and really last a long time so are worth it quality wise.
My favourite Le Creuset pot was taken off the side of the road! I found it, it's a MASSIVE pot, easily able to hold a stew suitable for 12 people, and I didn't even know they made things that big. We scrubbed it with steel wool, charcoal, bleach, hypersaline water, and oil just to catch every possible impurity from it being off the roadside, and then seasoned it for a few coats. It's AMAZING! My favourite pot. Has lasted forever, cost me nothing but some time and cleaning chemicals, and makes excellent food.
@@MaximC There are many really good manufacturers in europe. The video mostly just stands for America. (For example RIESS Email from Austria is a great quality one, and still much cheaper than the mentioned ones)
Just to clarify, silicon and silicone are different. Ceramic cookware should not be subject to sudden changes in temperature. So if one ensures this, these ceramic pans can be maintained for longer. And I would also suggest one to do their research before buying one to make sure there are no unwanted chemicals in them.
@@____Ann____ freshly made wet sol-gen is very safe, but once it is dry, it becomes a spongy kind of brittle glass (silica). I would be a bit concerned of micro sized _sharp_ fragments breaking off. Sand (on Earth) has very blunt particles, so it is quite safe, but other forms of silica can be highly deadly with sharp edges.
@@____Ann____ you actually need small amounts of silicon for your bones, it is used as a catalyst. The human body can only absorb silicon in the form of silicic acid, which is naturally occurring in water which has touched silicate minerals (or sand). Elemental silicon only exists in chunks, because the surface becomes glass (SiO2, silica) from contacting oxygen or water. There is no elemental silicon at play, unless you literally chew microchip wafers. (They are quite crunchy, but you really should not do that!) Eating silicone (rubber or oil) is "mostly" safe, but it can really mess up your gut long term. So there should not be any in regular food, but molecular amounts are quite safe.
So one important thing to consider when it comes to changes in temperature is the type of stove you're cooking with, primarily electric stove tops heat up very very fast, and need extra care to heat things up steadily.
As someone who spent the better part of a month researching the best material, then the best brands, of cookware, I appreciate this video. I've been telling my friends for years to stop buying those "ceramic" pots.
Some of the high end ceramic over steel were fantastic. Scanpan™ which isn't made anymore, cooked like cast iron, non stick like teflon, and don't scratch with metal utensils. My 30 year old well used set still looks new.
People buy em because theyre cheap to replace. Not because theyre good. And not all stainless steel is good. You want the good stainless steel cookware, well it isnt cheap for multi ply stainless steel. And most people dont have multiple hundreds to fork out for decent cookware. So stfu.
There is nothing wrong with the not so ceramic, ceramic pans. This guy thinks it's fishy just because he doesn't know or understand the secret sauce. From what I gather, it's some innovative method to fuse some glass with metal. If you have no issues using glass, this should be fine. I only don't know how much you like the price tag.
Pro tip with cleaning your stainless steel pans. Let it cool, add a good amount of water, bring it to a boil, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom. It works the same as deglazing. You can also use a little vinegar while cleaning to clean off some tarnishing and discoloration. Food shouldn't stick too bad, if it's sticking, it's either way too hot or not ready to flip.
Why let it cool down first? When I made something, that left residue, I just pour in a minor amount of room temp water in it and it becomes a sauce or sauce-like thing. Of course I help it dissolve with a bamboo spatula and then I have a cleanish pan which only needs a good rinse.
I always wash mine right after I use it and it gets the egg off my cooking teacher taught me that way back in high school always clean frying pans when they are still warm. Unless it’s cast iron of course.
One thing about buying second hand cast iron is you really need to lead test it before use. Unfortunately as iron has a higher melting point than lead, cast iron pans have often been used to melt lead items. If a pan you buy was EVER used to melt lead you are infusing your food with lead as you cook. So definitely take the time and effort to test if you are going to buy used cast iron.
I read a story in a discover magazine years ago about somebody who had melted old dental fillings to get the gold out of it, unfortunately, the gold was mixed with mercury and , mercury vapors are highly toxic for the nervous system and the lungs. He was beyond saving, his lungs were finished. I suppose that somebody could melt lead to make fishing weights for example, or some crafters or hobbyists.
A year out I'm entertained how the big shady companies started calling their stuff ceramic but reading the packaging shows it's just Teflon coating over crap ceramics. The worst of both worlds.
The always pan is a giant piece of ____ I got one last July and by February of this year is was basically out of commission. It's the worst kind of marketing scam. I'm glad someone also got me a cast iron from the thrift store because that is an actual pan for always. America's Test Kitchen has a decent video comparing this pan to others; basically jack of all trades and master of none. Lol it tells you not to use metal to clean it but the pan comes with a metal steaming basket. I love future proof and am happy to participate in pan research.
Same here. I got mine as a gift and was so disappointed when it became essentially unusable after a certain point. It's such a beautiful color and was a great gift, but it didn't hold up
I grew up with cast iron pans, and still use them for the last ~18 years of adulthood. You don't really even need to season them that often and you have the added benefit of baking in them compared to almost all other options. The main downfall to them is if you have a glass cooktop, you will probably crack it. The next worst thing, in my opinion, is if you accidentally drop it on yourself or when cleaning it in the sink, you will probably smash several bones or dishes.
I've used one for over a decade with my glass cooktop... no problems. Just remember to set it down carefully on one corner before laying it down. CI has the added benefit that iron is actually a supplement we need in our diet. EDIT: Important to note that your cast iron pan/skillet needs a flat bottom to work with cooktops... most don't do this, make sure it's absolutely flat, it will be listed as OK for cooktop.
TH-cam video makers love to make seasoning a pan a little bit of magic that requires watching their video and much study and much care. It doesn't. Don't overheat them (I mean REALLY overheat). To clean after use, warm the pan up until almost smoking and then put under running water and scrape out any food with your spatula. There will be a lot of steam so use an oven mitt. Put a little soap on a scrub pad on the back of a sponge and wipe the pan a bit. Don't scrub too much but don't worry about it. Maybe lightly wipe the pan with some oil once in a while and put it on your still warm burner that has been turned off. Once in a blue moon, I'll lightly oil an oven full of my pans and place them in upside down so the oil doesn't pool. Turn stove on to maybe 250F for an hour and then just leave them until you think of them again. But just don't worry so much. They are cast iron for God's sake.
My choice for cooking is cast iron or stainless steel. I have some aluminum cooking sheets and pans; I also use Pyrex pie pans and baking pans. I have chosen to avoid "non-stick" pans. I have also replaced plastic storage and micro-wave containers for glass containers. I think that these options are healthier.
I like to cook big batches and then have leftovers a couple of times later in the week. I use stainless steel pots with lids and put them straight into the fridge without messing with tupperware or whatever, which saves a lot of time transferring food and washing extra containers. I'd never do that with a non-stick pan, I'd be afraid of what chemicals leech into the food and compromising the non-stick coating.
Thank you SO much for the shout out to Xtrema at the end of the video because I have been looking for WEEKS to find more natural alternatives to cookware. Their products look amazing and I'll be purchasing for my new apartment!
I inherited my grandmother’s Revereware set - 60+ years old, used heavily, and still in great condition. The Teflon pots and pans I had in college were lucky to last 2 years
I have my Grandmothers WEAREVER Cast Aluminum cookware that was sold Door to door in Huge sets Back just before the Depression and later. And I also have most of my mother's set (Mom is 105) too. You can still buy the wooden handles to the sets too. THey are still my go to pots and are now approaching 100 years old and doing fine. People have been cooking on all sorts of cookware for THOUSANDS of years. Too much emphasis is being placed on what cookware you have - they ALL generally work.
I loved my Revereware. I think my sister ended up with most of it after my ex got a whole new set and then left with it when we split. But I’d already given the Revereware to my sis, so I was SOL! I had a housemate leave a Revereware pan on the stove so long that it boiled dry and literally got red hot! I took it off the heat, let it cool down, and after the outside layer of the copper bottom flaked off, it was fine. I always said I should do an ad for the brand! 😂
When I got married in the 80s, the ladies in one of my mother's clubs wanted to give me a set of cookware. It was a hard decision because there was such an array of glamourous cookware available. I picked Revereware because ALL the best cooks I knew used that brand. I have also been really pleased with the vintage Faberware I've found in thrift stores.@@DawnDavidson
If you are worried about Stainless steel and cleaning it, Bar Keeper's Friend is gonna be your best friend for it. You may need to turn it into a paste for some particularly deep stains, but there's nothing that it can't tackle.
When I set up my own home for the first time I brought a complete set of stainless steel saucepans the final cost was nearly £100. many of my family and friends thought I’d gone mad and frequently pointed out cheaper ‘attractive’ cookware. The same saucepans are still in daily use and despite being over 30years old there is hardly a mark on them, I often wonder how many of my friends still have the same cookware and at the end of the who has spent the most money on ‘only saucepans’ I’m willing to bet it’s not me.
I had a $10 cheap stainless steel sauce pot from big lots that lasted 15 years until I literally set it on fire accidentally so yeah worth it. For frying pans I would rather use cast iron, my all clads suck. Really sticky and I have one my husband just ruined, can’t even scour it clean.
@@sonialinsey8083 I had an oil fire in a stainless steel pot, I recovered by cleaning the hard burned stuff with a brass brush on an angle grinder... unless you brought the steel to red hot forging or melting temperature, there is literally nothing that can not be cleaned off a stainless steel pot.
I inherited the stainless steel pots from my dead mother. They don't look as good(although just because i'm lazy and don't want to scrub the build up stuff xD) and i burned so much stuff in there over the span of 20 years now and they still work like a charm even though they are now 50+ Years old. And at least the inside is super easy to clean~. They may be old looking, but i take them over any of these thin-wanded or "non-stick" stuff these days ..
There's definitely something to the old saying, "buy quality, buy once.' I got an $80 knife set when I left for college when that was about twice the price of "entry level" kits. I still have them and they still work great going on 20 years. Some of the handles are a little dinged up but the blades are in great shape and can go several years between sharpenings.
I use exclusively cast iron unless I'm doing a soup or something tomato-based, I use a stainless pot for that. I VERY seldom have to "wash" the cast iron and I only have to re-season maybe once a year, sometimes a year and a half. When I do, I go ham and just do everything because it's not difficult but it does take time. I bake 1hr at 550 and then 1hr cool down, repeat idk, 3, 4, 5? times. The blacker the pan the better and I don't bother stripping beforehand. Just knock off any major surface defects that you don't want underneath your new layer of seasoning and you're good to go.
When frying eggs in stainless steel, the trick to them not sticking is hot pan, cold butter. Also using a lid means you won't have to turn the eggs. If you're cooking anything like a sauce and it starts sticking, simply move the pan off the heat for a minute. Scrape with a spatula and the stuck food will come away. We also have a Ninja Foodi and the first thing I did was order a stainless steel inner pot for it to replace the rubbish non-stick one. So glad I did.
Another cooking item that is safe that wasn't mentioned is enamel-coated cookware. Dutch ovens, such as Le Creuset and Staub, are well-known enamel coated cast irons, but there are also enamel-coated steel pots and pans, such as RIESS. these are much lighter, do not scratch easily, and do not contain harmful chemicals. However, food can also stick to these pans like all of the others. Such enamelware has been used since the 1500s. Enamelware can be used on gas, electric and induction cooktops. CO2-neutral, heat resistant up to 450 degrees, odor neutral, easy to clean and antibacterial, recyclable in scrap metal.
@@chelseet11 I have an old Le Creuset frying pan set , European specs about 40 yrs old. Grey satin interior. I don't use it bc from day 1 everything sticks to it. Might be okay to cook a steak but anything else no. So now for my eggs, its stainless steel only. Cleaning is very easy, While it's hot, I put in a little water and wash it when it cools down. I do have some Turkish copper pans I keep forgetting about and if I remember will use them.
@@chelseet11 use a flat bottomed carbon steel wok. Takes very little oil, extremely reactive to temp changes so it's very easy to "save" something if your temp is off at first, and it's fantastically nonstick once seasoned properly.
i inherited a bunch of steel pans from my grandmother that were ridiculously expensive back in the day, they're literally made from surgical grade stainless steel. they're absolute beasts. however, i still love my cast irons the most!
A handy tip with stainless steel pans: If you get burned in stuff just cook some water in the pan after cooking and it will make cleaning it a breeze because the „boiling bubbles“ will loosen everything up. Pls upvote (or pin) this. It really saved me in so many situations.
When I switched to induction cooking, I switched from aluminum and Teflon (and chemical non-sticks) to cast iron for most meal prep. I still use tempered glass in the oven sometimes. The benefits of hefty cast iron are even heating, stick resistance when properly seasoned, and even added iron to one’s diet as it is imparted to foods cooked in cast iron. Oh, and it can last for generations. I inherited one of my iron skillets from my grandmother…which makes my skillet more than 100 years old.
I went the opposite way, when I got induction, I was worried I was going to break my expensive new cooktop by dropping the cast iron pan on it, so I replaced it with stainless steel. I do like the iron supplement benefits of cast iron, but I just find stainless all round easier to use & less stressful without that weight & fear of dropping on the stove
And if you don't care about colors, you can sometimes find amazing bargains at thrift stores and estate sales. My family has two Le Creuset enameled cast iron pans, one with a matching enameled iron lid, that (judging from the color of the enamel) I suspect were made in the '70s. Bright red-orange and pea soup green, but they still cook great. I suspect that as long as we keep taking decent care of them they'll last another 50+ years.
I am a fan of the lodge enameled dutch ovens because they are very durable, but not so expensive that you feel bad about cosmetic scuffs, burnt on oil or other insignificant damage from regularly using it. I don't think I would use a more expensive one because I would be too inclined to baby it to protect the anesthetics. I wouldn't want to fear experimentation for risk of damaging a fancy french one, but even with mild damage, wear and scratches, it barely loses enough performance to even notice (especially because seasoning builds up to repair cracks). I payed like $70 on sale from $100 and I have gotten my money's worth several times over, and it is still going strong, ready for decades of service as a reliable workhorse!
My local supermarket chain HEB carries a line of enameled cast iron called Cocinaware. It's almost identical to Le Creuset but you can get a Dutch oven for about $30. If you're ever in Texas check it out.
@@Meskarune I exclusively use enameled cast iron I haven't noticed any problems at all. I prefer the Cocinaware from HEB because the handle on the lid doesn't get as hot as the metal verisons
Suggestion: It might be good to interview or invite an expert to explain scientific terms like "sol-gel process". I think most researchers especially in academia would be happy to participate.
The sol-gel process itself is just a way of making nice, even ceramic coatings (or ceramic objects) from a liquid mixture, in which all the floating molecules are made to link together as the mixture 'dries out' to form a gel, then the gel is fired to solidify it into proper ceramic material. The details aren't extremely important. The real question at hand is the specific chemicals used to coat the pans, which... are probably proprietary. There are several chemicals that can be used to do sol-gel coating and many materials (and mixtures thereof) that can be in the final product.
@@Ithirahad sol-gel process is able to affect the way the chemicals react and the way the molecules form their structure at the nano or micro scale. process parameters affect the final structure and thus affects the material properties.
I’m thinking about writing up a comment to clarify the process since it seems like nobody else has… maybe I’m not the most qualified since I’m just a PhD student, but I use this process in my work and my potential collaborator is the guy who invented the process. It’s not too difficult, so I might just write it up even if no one sees it
Stainless steel for me. I've worked as a cleaning lady, and there is something very satisfying with a metal that you can polish to perfection. Does it take a little more work? Yes, but year after year my steel pan still looks brand new when I'm done with it. The same could not be said for my old non-stick pans. I'm tempted to get a cast iron pan but the weight of it is kind of intimidating. I'd worry about dropping it and idk destroy the floor (or my foot).
@@treasurewuji8740 Oh, you can go MUCH harder on a steel pan than on teflon. You can clean it with whatever you want, it depends more on what is effective against your stains than any consideration towards the pan.
We use a lot of ceramic coated cast iron, which I love. I do feel like the one piece you were missing in your video was Accessibility. Not everyone has the ability to lift a heavy pan, or they may be apt to drop it (eliminating full ceramic), or they may not be able to scrub a pan. The various non stick type pans enable these people to have more independence and the ability to reliably feed themselves.
@@MaximC Just because it is called the same it doesn't mean it's the same thing, lmao. Tooth enamel is a completely different substance, your teeth aren't made of glass.
One alternative you might have mentioned that is almost as good as cast iron and needs to be treated the same (seasoning, etc.) but is a little more forgiving than cast iron is the Carbon steel pans.
Preseasoned carbon steel pans are especially delightful for people like me who didn't learn seasoning from their parents. With them, one can first just enjoy the cooking with them, and only then to reseason.
@@lynoure seasoning cast iron seems to be as confusing as learning how to make sour dough starter, but they're both super simple, and there are tons of how-to videos on TH-cam alone. Idk why we complicate the most simple things, but my mother is still like that, and yes I have resentment for being like that now, though I am teaching myself/changing my ways. 😂
@@lynoure seasoning is literally just burning/heating up oil on the pan. it's one of the simplest things you can learn to do. 1) Coat pan in oil. 2) Put pan on heat. 3) Wait till it smokes, take it off heat. 4) Wipe it down. 5) Repeat if you want.
I used to buy ceramic and teflon pans all the time. As soon as the coating wore off i would toss them and get a new one. I finally pulled the trigger and bought a Aus-ion wrought iron skillet from a company that makes them in Australia. Took some time to get the hang of it but now a couple months in its fully seasoned and the pan has turned obsidian black and I'd say it almsot as non-stick as teflon at this point. I would highly recomend this to anyone who cooks alot because a wrought iron pan will literally last forever and in my opinion the food tastes better cooked in it. If i could only use one pan for the rest of my life it would be that one.
I have a set of antique cast iron pans. It really isn't that hard to keep them clean, and you can TOTALLY use soap, so don't worry. I scrub them out with salt when the surface seems crusty, and they are SMOOTH AS @$%#. I know that one of them is over 100 years old. The modern ones aren't made the same, and are bumpy and sucky inside.
Love the salt scrub method! Yeah unfortunately not all cast iron is made equally, but for the most part they're still miles ahead of many other cookware 🙌
Yup. The vintage pans were made differently. They're lighter (thinner) and they ground the interior to make it smoother. (You can actually do the same process to modern pans, but it's best left to a professional lol). Lodge is getting better about not having such bumpy insides, and a good stainless steel spatula will help smooth it out over the course of a few years. If you're not totally and completely opposed to plastic, Lodge makes a phenomenal plastic pan scraper that I think actually works better than using salt.
The bumps help a factory applied 1 coat preseasoning stick, and it saves a lot of machining from the manufacturing process, but I also am not a fan of it, so I sanded my modern lodge pan surfaces flat and have been really happy with the results
@@Ben-Perlin Can I ask what tool or process you used to smooth? I have a modern "Cracker Barrel" pan at the cottage I never use due to the "sucks-bumps", but if I could grind it smooth, it would be used.
@@megleland6320 I've seen lots of people just use regular handheld sanders. Only the bottom needs to be smooth. But don't go crazy smooth, since the seasoning still needs something to hold on to. I've a nickel plated cast iron pan and seasoning won't stick to it for the life of it.
I use ceramic coated pots because as a bird owner, it is clear how dangerous PTFE/PFOAs are (and any bird owner will tell you this). When you cook with Teflon, a healthy adult bird in that house can die within minutes. I have been using the same ceramic pots for about 3 years now regularly. I think it's notable as my birds are not affected by it, and they are very sensitive animals. Can't have candles, air fresheners, aerosol cans, most hair dryers and so own they are so sensitive! Not saying its healthy for you, just saying it probably isn't *that* bad lol
I just saw someone talk about the harms of candles, especially scented ones. They’re causing cancer too, but billions of them are still be sold and used. It’s crazy how harmful things are being sold in the market and they won’t go away unless its harm goes viral and mainstream
Look at cigarettes. Companies add known carcinogens to the cigarette blends and we all know they’re lethal. These aren’t even the tobacco. They’re added!!!
We need the governments to put a warning on the pans. The US is not invested in the health of its citizens so it does not regulate safely. People who do not understand cookware are most susceptible to this issue. Learn to season stainless and cast iron. My MIL has Le Cruiset and that finish also wore down, scratched and it had temperature limits she did not know of, she went to professional cooking school. Restaurants are potentially serving you this food. Look at what they use, what stands the test of time and safety. We have many mental, physical health issues. Consider toxicity tests, pan companies should be required to give free tests. Great video, have a relative who was gifted a set of unsafe cookware, none of them were aware.
So glad this channel popped up on my YT home page. Gonna binge on it like mad. We've gone through our fair share of teflon and "ceramic" pans but nothing is as beloved as much as our garage sale cast iron pans and skillets.
Buy a carbon steal or a cast iron if you want a "forever" pan. They are truly the only pans/skillets that will last your child's lifetime. Enamel coated cast iron is a amazing option if you're looking for something a bit more stylish! Granted they are a little more initial work to get them eggs to slide but once you have a solid layer of seasoning you don't have to worry about anything sticking!
I've been using the same well-seasoned anodized aluminum and iron cookware for 4 decades. No need for teflon or new-fangled ceramic. Plus, I'm not afraid to use a bit of oil or butter.
I have nonstick, carbon steel, stainless steel and cast iron pans. There are trade offs with all of them but to me the most versatile is stainless steel. It sears and can be thrown in the dishwasher. I don’t worry about the seasoning of the SS pan since what makes it work for me is the temperature of the pan, sufficient oil, and knowing basic cooking techniques.
Cookware made from clay can contain lead. There are testing kits available to check for this. The most non-stick durable product I know of is carbon steel. It is similar in some ways to cast iron except that it is lighter and the surface is smoother so there is less tendency for food like eggs to stick. A bonus is that high quality carbon steel pans can be found for well under $100.
Thank you! I was hoping someone would mention that clay (and colored glass) have the potential to have toxic metals. There's uranium in some antique glass and pottery, for instance (it glows under UV light and is pretty cool...but I wouldn't want to eat from it!). The pigments in glazes on clay can also have toxic metals. A lot of the old Correlle dishes have designs painted with pigments that contain toxic metals. Once you scrape through the clear glaze, the toxins can leach out into your food. Pottery that is natural (uncolored) clay with a clear glaze is usually one of the safer options. It's always good to research the company, and test for lead if you can!
i make cookware from natural clay, most toxins are in the glaze, but cheap glazes are with lead, i will never in my life use lead based glazes. fun fact, old plates (30 yrs ago and more), cups etc who was with red colour have uranium in the glaze :D
I am an ancient history teacher and I use my trusty old Spanish claypot for almost everything. As long as the recipe doesn’t involve sudden changes in temperature (causing heat shock to the pot), I will use it and it is incredibly easy to clean. Curries are annoying though because the smell will linger until I soak it with baking powder.
@@jackyichan4759 As a reenactor I can attest to the delights of ceramic pots. They also clean really well if they have interior glaze. Try a glazed tagine and you'll see.
Claypots are indeed great. Food is somehow tastier and keeps heat so well you usually gotta turn the fire off some time before finishing it. Done stews that were still kinda boiling almost half an hour after the fire was turned off
I use a stainless-steel pan for everything except eggs and pancakes. For those I have a T-Fal pan, which allows metal utensils, doesn't feel greasy, and has a heat-indicator spot, although who knows what chemicals it contains. I don't use cast iron because it's so heavy.
We only cook in cast iron. Mostly because it has lasted forever (belonged to my wife's grandpa) Got sick of buying disposable pans. Once again a great video!
Cast iron is the best since you can use it for more than just cooking a steak. You can make breads or desserts in it as well. Much more multi-functional in use than typical skillets.
From stove top to oven - not a problem. Can't beat that. I have a question someone may have the answer to regarding seasoning. A year or so back I got a thrift store deep skillet. No knowing what it had been used for, I stripped it down and baked the living daylights out of it, then tried to season it. Tried all the tricks I'd heard about, like oil it and bake it at 450 for a couple of hours, fry potatoes ---- nothing worked, it all came off when frying something like steak. Then, a few months back, I was making some hot sauce and browned the peppers in the pan. Ended up with a beautiful season that has lasted. Does anyone have a clue why that worked when nothing else did?
@@Stevefor1776Wild guess: the ph of the pepper juice broke down something on the surface that was preventing the season from bonding? Or maybe it was always going to take you that many tries to get it to work and the peppers just got lucky. I might try peppers for the hell of it. I'm having a hell of a time with my grandmother's Dutch oven. Ps what kind of peppers? Maybe that will turn out to be important. 😂
@@phantomkate6 Thanks for the response! They were jalapeños (about a dozen) and 3 Fresnos. Worked on 'em till they were good and brown on all sides, about 20 minutes. The only other thing I can think of is that with my attempts at seasoning, I did the typical minimal oil coat, both for the oven version and stove top. Even with the potatoes I didn't use a lot of oil. With the peppers I probably had about a depth of 3/16 inch. At any rate, I'll try it again when I stumble across another "find".
I used to work as a materials scientist making ceramic coatings for stone countertops. The core ingredients (look up methyltrimethoxysilane, or organofunctional silanes) are thought to be safe on countertops because the molecules in the coating crosslink with the stone surface and each other. That being said, heat can break covalent bonds between molecules. I have not done extensive research into the cooking aspect of these molecules. I would imagine that some of these molecules may break off and end up in your food due to heat + mechanical disturbances from a spatula/cooking utensil. The coating molecules are likely still inert at this point and will not "react" with and bind to your body/digestive system. That being said, the human body and digestive system are complex, and just because these molecules don't "react" and permanently bind to a part of your body/digestive system. It is unlikely, but there may be some receptor on the surface of your cell that these molecules transiently/temporarily bind to (Think like a hormone receptor or something). Whether the temporary binding causes any positive/negative effects on our health is way out of the scope of my knowledge and probably requires lots of testing. I would not expect to see long-term negative effects though. These molecules likely just pass right through you and any negative effects would probably be seen immediately. If you are that scared, don't use it. As they say, the dosage is the difference between medicine and poison. The amount you would be exposed to is not likely to be poisonous. I also don't think anyone died/got cancer from using a non-stick pan. The articles I have seen are all at the large, manufacturing scale.
Yup, with you on this, and as a quantum/material physicist, who studied the interface between ceramics and metals for 13 years, I can tell you, 1) you’ll ALWAYS get some metal percolating across the ceramic layer and into your food, with heat, 2) you will get bonds breaking down in your ceramic, and the underlying elements leaching into your food. The ultimately safe cookware is steel, cast iron coated with ceramic, or old fashioned ceramic pots. The mixer aluminum cookware coated with ceramic just won’t cut it. Ok, I’m going to copy-paste a apart of this comment, and leave it in the comments section.
I totally agree. My brain made it through half the video thinking, 'what the heck?! I didn't know that!' until the graphic came up saying it was a silicon matrix, not a silicone oil. Big difference. I'm not concerned about some glass nanoparticles or even the amount of aluminum you get through the microporous ceramic substrate (a large percentage of restaurants exclusively use aluminum for *almost* everything). The issue I have with these products is that they're billed as a healthy alternative to teflon when, in fact, well-cared-for teflon which isn't overheated isn't all that horrible. In fact, it's a uniform non-porous coating which is just about the most chemically inert substance known to man.
Decades ago my mother switched to glass cookware. It took her a while to using the glass pans (which is a little different / tricky compared to other materials and surfaces) but she was convinced that the purity / neutrality was worth the extra bother.
I remember growing up with the vision cookware. Only the cool kids mom's had that sniz. I kind of wonder where the ubiquity went and why it stopped being a thing.
@@mattd1188it scratches and breaks, sometimes pretty violently, losing your dinner because heat stress made your cookware shattered tends to stop people repurchasing.
My mother had one of those pans. One day we were eating dinner and it just exploded in the kitchen. Near as I can figure, after she took the food out she set the pan down on a surface that was insulated on one side and conducted well on the other, which caused it to warp. It took about ten minutes.
Cast iron stands up to me, and that’s saying a lot. This video was really helpful since I’m shopping for cookware at the moment and you covered my biggest concerns. I didn’t know about Xtrema- definitely adding it to the list!
I purchased my first cast iron pan in 1967. It was made in Japan, 7" and the inside is machined both bottom and sides. It is well seasoned and I love it. It is better now than when I bought it 55 years ago. It is the perfect size to make a 3 egg omelet.
I was under the spell of the Always Pan and asked my husband if we could get it and he was like absolutely not 💀 so I got enameled cast iron instead and I'm so glad cause they have the durability of regular cast iron but no seasoning❤️
@@mlem6951 The seasoning isn't difficult. No dishwasher and no sink soaking. Light wash, towel dry, wipe the inside and outside of the pan with a food grade oil, but not olive oil because it can get a rancid feel. Pop in a warmed oven before storing for next use. Over a short time, you will only have to re-season the interior of the pan to maintain the slick coating.
The fun part is, silicon is pretty fine to consume in some compounds. You can also get silica supplements, so that's not the issue. Particle size could be, once the particles are small enough to get phagocytized. Ceramic materials usually are very insoluble at physiological pH values. The base coat can be analyzed with various methods if you are really interested. Find a lab that can do SEM-EDX, IMS or XRD analyses.
When considering buying a product in this day and age I always like to check out what professionals are using when possible. In this case, I worked in hospitality and you won't ever see crap like this in a professional kitchen so I have what they have, 100% stainless steel pans (with the exception of one that was gifted) Don't burn your food, remember oil won't kill you, and soak it with water and white vinegar after and it will be good as new 🙂
That surprised me when I had jobs in kitchens; you see all these beautiful fancy pots and pans at homes, yet in the places were they do it day in day out, they have simple banged-up cookware almost permanently stained black on the place that touches the fire
@@lrizzard they're not cast iron, they're stainless so they look shiny and chrome. But I don't believe you're meant to use soap on cast iron. However on stainless steel like I have, you can definitely use soap and I also use a coconut fibre scrubber 🙂
@@bellasmith8821 you can use soap on cast iron. It can't remove proper seasoning, only the stuff that wasn't set properly. What matters most is that you dry out COMPLETELY, and then heat it a bit to make sure you get all the water off.
The key to keeping cast iron around for a lifetime is seasoning it using high heat in an oven for 10 minutes or so. I also rub a bit of coconut oil from time to time. I love it. Just got a ceramic cast iron Dutch oven. Can't wait to use it. Thanks for this information. Keep up the good work ❤❤❤!
About 15 years ago, my mom bought a ceramic pan. The nonstick lasted for about a year before it just didn't work at all, and it was never quite as nonstick as a teflon pan.
You could also mention the outdoor trifecta of aluminium, stainless steel, and titanium. Alu is light and cheap but doesn't like open flames, stainless is cheap and is better at transmitting heat, but it is heavy, and titanium is very expensive, but light and basically indestructible. Non-stick is generally not the best idea outdoors unless you specifically want to fry something liquid and you don't have access to a water source to scrub your cookware afterwards. Like with Gore-Tex, you can get by without PTFEs unless you are in very specific situations. With the blackouts in Ukraine I'm learning to cook with outdoor equipment indoors, just in case natural gas infrastructure gets affected. I did buy a small non-stick pan recently for this purpose, as water may become scarce at the same time, yet I'll still have access to my wood and silicone utensils.
Actually, stainless steel is a poor conductor of heat. Aluminum is far better, and copper is even better still. That's why high end stainless steel cookware always has aluminum or aluminum+copper cores. The stainless steel is there to provide a safe cooking surface, and to make them easier to clean and usable on induction cooktops. I think you're thinking of cast iron or carbon steel, which actually aren't that great conductors either, but they make up for it in the way they can store and emit lot of heat.
@@jc3drums916 From what I understand, it is easier to cook on stainless _because_ it is a poorer heat conductor and has bigger thermal mass. In thin aluminium cookware food burns far more easily if you don't precisely control the heat, which can be a problem if your stove is not specifically made for cooking and is more meant to boil water with, such as a Jetboil. Stainless transmits heat slower and more evenly, which is desirable. For outdoor use I have a couple of aluminium pots with radiators on the bottom for preparing sublimated foods, boiling grains and noodles, or making hot drinks (which is the usual plan if I go on a long trip somewhere with abundant water sources, like the Carpathian mountains), a small stainless cookset for using with open flame and actually making food from raw ingridients on shorter trips or picnics, and a bigger aluminium non-stick coated set with a pan for emergency use or car camping with a big group of people. Maybe I'll eventually buy something from titanium as a bit of an investment. Indoors, yeah it makes more sense to use heavier or less durable materials like carbon steel or copper.
instead of quibbling about the heat transfer thing (aluminum is actually much faster to heat up and transfer heat than steel) i'll say stay safe and slava ukraini!
Cast iron and enameled cast iron are the best. I have a Lodge pans set, and their enameled Dutch oven, and I love them. I can cook nearly anything in my cast iron, and as a cool bonus, it actually helps my anemia not be so bad! No weird chemicals to worry about, and some of the pans I have are older than I am, and will be passed on to my own children, so it’s definitely a Buy It For Life product!
Since moving out of my parent's house 7 years ago, I have only had electric ranges. This means that my cooking experience has certainly had something left to desire. This said, with cast iron, once the pan heats up the changes in the heating coil are less noticeable. I have only used my 10in cast iron pan because of this for the entire time I have been living alone. I season it every now and again. I really like butter, so I usually have some lubricant when I cook. I'm hoping to have this pan my whole life. Would be the best $20 purchase I could have made. Even now I think it was totally worth it to get it new.
Great video. You could have mentioned carbon steel also. Another useful trick for cleaning pans, get a hard plastic scrubber with a good handle. So much better than trying to use a sponge or brush.
When food sticks to one of my stainless pans, I rinse the pan with hot water and then squirt a little castille soap (dish soap is fine, too) followed by a liberal sprinkling of baking soda. I create a paste and let it sit for twenty minutes or so and then wash it. If food sticks to my cast iron I do the same thing except I omit soap and heat the cleaned skillet on the stove to dry it.
Loved it, thanks! What about the old-timey porcelain enameled steel pots and pans? They work wonderfully for the acidic dishes, and aren't at all difficult to clean.
I'm surprised you didn't mention enamel cookware. As far as I've heard, the enamel coating is pretty much straight up glass and harmless. There's also porcelain ceramic, but I don't know as much about it. Personally, I use cast iron, it takes minimal effort, and you can abuse the shit out of it and it's almost better for it. Seasoning isn't that difficult or as fragile as some say. (Soap is fine.)
@@Artofcarissa Never had any of my pots chip in over 25 year. But then they are high quality Staub and LeCreuset. But even the rather cheap Ikea (Made in France) enameld Cast Iron I used for a long, long time strting when I moved to my first flat never chipped or had any issue.
My De Buyer Mineral B heavy carbon steel pan with the enameled handle is my favorite pan hands down. It is as heavy, robust, and tough as as any cast iron pan, but the smooth surface still builds up a seasoning like cast iron, but if you do a quick seasoning before cooking sticky food (heat a bit of oil to the smoke point and wipe it out to make a fresh surface layer),, then you can add your cooking oil and even fry or scamble eggs with minimal sticking. Just add oil after removing food and some salt abrasive and you can wipe out any mess before rinsing, heating dry, and putting it away. But as long as any mess is in oil there is no need to clean it in any rush, and it is near impossible to fuck it up in a way you can't repair. Even chips in the enameled handle can be seasoned in the oven, but the pan is so overbuilt it will never wear out and like cast iron the surface self repairs, but unlike cast iron, the small pores prevent any rust or corrosion under seasoning that can call for more intense restoration. So it is pretty idiot proof, you can literally just add seasoning with a paper towel on the stove, or easier, by frying some vegetables with a millimeter of oil and some stirring. It is the one pan I would pick if I was only allowed to use one for the rest of my life because it does everything that cast iron does, and with spot seasoning and enough oil it can do 90% of what Teflon pans can (all but the most delicate dishes), but it only gets better with time and practice, while requiring absolutely no babying whatsoever. It is so rugged that stainless steel pans seem silly (more sticking, but a lousy sear). Even acidic food is doable, if seasoned and a bit of iron accepted. The mild benefits of stainless to those few dishes like salmon in lemon was not enough to stop me donating my old stainless pan. It was like $85 for the 11 inch which sounds high, but it is harder to produce than a similar cast iron, but it won't scratch your glass stove, and will never need replacing like a Teflon pan will.
all of our items are cast iron, enamelled cast iron and solid earthenware ceramic, and the biggest initial adjustment was actually losing the convenience of quick heating/engaging the seasoning ritual! but it does build a kind of bond caring extra for your cookware and when you adjust your schedule/timing for it, you never really look back because the results, reliability and durability are definitely unmatched!
I love using mine. I set the temperature on low(ish) and let it heat up while I do something other. When I’m finished cooking, I usually scrape any stuck on bits with a fish spatula, scoop them out, and add a bit of oil. If whatever I made was particularly gross, I use a wetted towel to wipe the pan out, keep it hot enough to dry, and then add oil while it’s still hot. If I’ve left leftovers in it for an extended period of time 🤢 then I’ll bring the pan to the sink and wash it, heat it, oil it. Super simple. I don’t know how people struggle with this
Great video providing mostly excellent info. My only issue is stainless steel leaching nickel or chromium. Nickel doesn’t melt until 1400*C and chromium is 1900*C. I’m pretty sure the gas cooktop I use doesn’t get close to that. For most metals to ‘leach’ they need to be close to melting, still solid, but ‘softer’. Then it will start to leach. (I used to work in a foundry). At the ~200*C max we generally use for cooking, stainless isn’t going to leach. I have recently moved to stainless, after a decade with Circulon cookware. I was totally happy with the Circulon, but felt I wanted to change it up a tad. Keep up the great videos, I also love my cast iron cookware.
Been using cast iron almost exclusively for 20 years. Paid $11 for 3 frying pans that got me started. Eventually got rid of all my other cookware for cast iron versions. The best way to season cast iron is USE IT EVERY DAY. Over time it becomes utterly non-stick because oil bonds to the surface in a chemical process that also slowly smooths the surfaces making it slick. Diligent attention to seasoning cast iron is necessary only in the first six months of daily use, but after the bonding builds, you can wash with soap, cook tomatoes, and all the other silly taboos people say about cast iron. Just don't put in a dishwasher. Scrubbing occasional food residue can be done with wire brush, kosher salt, or scrunched up plastic produce bags. The only fussy things are heating the pan for 5 minutes before cooking or its cooking surface is uneven and it is not lightweight cookware; it is HEAVY.
My issue with cast iron isn't the seasoning or cleaning but the fact that it's heavy af. If I can't move a pan with one hand, I'm probably never going to want to cook with it.
Get a high carbon steel pan instead. Functionally it's the same as cast iron, but it's a whole lot lighter. If you season it properly food doesn't stick to it, like cast iron, and also like cast iron it will rust if you don't dry it after you clean it.
Cast iron FTW. A big skillet (I bought 10 years ago) a small skillet (from the 1920's, inherited from my grandmother) a pizza pan (because...pizza!! and naan, and tortillas, and pancakes) and an enameled cast iron dutch oven. All American made Lodge, except for the vintage piece. We bought a GreenPan a few years ago, but it's already stopped being nonstick. We won't be keeping it. We have stainless steel skillet too for things that are high-acid, also a few stainless steel pots for cooking things that you'd normally make in a pot.
As an archeologists already pointed out, the reason we know so much about ancient cultures e.g. the Yayoi and Jomon periods in Japan is because of their pottery aka ceramic cookware.
I feel like plate steel or carbon steel is missing from the list (you can't list everything but i feel like you cannot leave this one out). It's what woks are usually made out of and big in French cuisine, very good balance between quickly heating up, heating retention (though not as good as the much heavier cast iron but still very good) and great browning of food (Maillard reaction). De Buyer and Demeyere are to brands known well to professional chef's.
Another option that's easy to clean are CorningWare glass pans. It may feel strange at first to cook with glass but it heats up well, can handle extreme temperature differences and is super versatile. They're also much lighter than cast iron (which is great too) so for anyone w/disabilities or issues handling cast iron, it could be a good alternative. In a similar vain, carbon steel has similar properties to cast iron and are about half the weight to handle so those can be a good option as well.
My glass sticks like crazy and if you happen to burn anything you’ll be screwed forever my opinion, I don’t know what kind of glass you’re using I still cook with it because I trust it and I don’t want to die of cancer however to me sometimes it’s almost worse than stainless steel when it comes to cleaning, so props to for whatever you’re doing!
I've definitely burnt a few things for sure haha. When I do, covering the pan with a bit of baking soda and warm water and then using the backside of a sponge lifts it right up. To prevent it I still always use a bit of fat or liquid depending on what I'm making and use med heat. The few times I turn it up high I have burnt things Immediately. @@ladyfame1430
I used to have the old glass CorningWare but got rid of it after a freak accident occurred after cooking I put it on what I thought was a dry surface but there was a little water and I could hear a strange crackling and it literally exploded frightened the heck out of me, fortunately I was far enough away (sure God was watching over me) that the shrapnel did not hit me but scary and what a pain to clean up!
If you are going to look to get it used at a thrift store or such, make sure you give it the "sound test". If the cast iron has a crack in it (might be hidden under crud) it'll make sort of like a "buzzing" sound (think the noise that snares make on a snare drum). If there is no crack, it'll make a ringing sound (kind of like a cowbell). There are a few videos on youtube where people show what a cracked pan sounds like. You don't want to buy a cracked pan.
@@LeviHildebrandYT There is actually a bit of a market for vintage cast iron pans, but there are plenty in circulation as they are cheaper to produce than any similar quality pans, they can be passed down indefinitely, and some people make a hobby of restoring the most abused and damaged pieces, sometimes as a service and sometimes to sell with the restoration process being a point of pride in the listings
@@KellyS_77 If I'm not mistaken, only high quality cast iron alloy will produce that certain kind of sound. Low quality alloys will produce a much different sound.
I find ceramic cookware is amazing at first, but starts to lose its non stick properties within only a few months. Just get carbon steel or cast iron if you want non stick. They both get better with use instead of worse, and the only thing they might leach into your food is iron.
I work at a kitchen store and thanks for this. A lot of people don't really get that "ceramic pans" and a lot of nonstick pans have a certain lifespan. If you want something that will last forever, cast iron, enameled cast iron, stainless steel... all good options.
Can you recommend a good enameled skillet / fry pan? I looked at both the le Creuset, and the crock pot artisan line. When I read the reviews nearly every single low rated review complained about how eggs stick terribly
@@chelseet11 Honestly enameled cast iron isn't "nonstick". Food will still stick to it. I do think food sticks less to an enameled cast iron surface than to stainless steel. That said, eggs are one of the stickiest things to cook with. Eggs like to stick to everything. It's part of what makes them a good binder. If you wanted, you could get one 8 or 10-inch nonstick pan for when you fry your eggs or make an omelet. Just know you'll likely have to replace it in 2-5 years.
That said, even with a pan that isn't nonstick, you can put an inch of water in them and heat them on the stove. Whatever is stuck on them will come off easily. Or use some Barkeeper's Friend for cookware. So far, though, I honestly find just a good scrub with soap and water does the trick most of the time.
@@chelseet11 Obviously, I think @Julia Kwiatkowski is most qualified to recommend you pans, but do you not cook with some sort of oil in the pan while preheating? I love Le Creuset and have never had an issue with them, but no matter then pan I *always* use either butter or olive oil to start. Not only does it prevent everything from sticking (including eggs!), but it lets me know when the pan is the right temp for food to go in 👍
@@chelseet11Enameled cast iron can chip, their glaze can develop fine cracks, and usually contain lead in the glazes (yes, including the expensive brand that you mentioned). After much research I’ve opted to augment my collection of stainless steel with a few carbon steel and cast iron pans to replace the “green” ceramic pans that wore out more quickly than expected. A good seasoning and a few months of use have made them pretty remarkably non-stick, with a minimal amount of extra maintenance (still less than the time spent soaking & scrubbing stainless steel).
truth! I've had a stainless steel for 10 years and its still going strong. in the past 6 years I acquired 5 second hand cast iron cookware pieces and my cast iron is seasoned well so nothing sticks
I've recently moved to stainless steel pans. Was getting tired of "temporary" pans, and didn't want to bother with seasoning. Yes, you do need to scrub a bit more, but if you manage your temperature while cooking and soak the pan in water before cleaning, it's not a big deal at all.
100% agree, they're seen as more of a nuisance than they really are tbh. No more temporary pans for us!!!
After working in the food industry, I have gotten into the habit of soaking before cleaning *anyways*. Heck, I even do it when using Teflon, even though I know I shouldn't.
Stainless steel pans are great for making sauce and browning. Carbon steel pans are a great non-stick option. They last forever if you maintain them and they get more non-stick with time.
@@bojassem12 I love my De Buyer Carbon steel pan, it is my go to pan for literally everything, and it is honestly easier to clean than stainless, and using salt and oil to remove mess is easier on my hands than soap, but by putting on some cheap oil after taking food out, you really prevent any scraps or starches left behind from burning and sticking to begin with.
amen. get your temps up on stainless steel and just let err rip. it's nice to not have to baby it, you can blast the heat and you can scour it as hard as you like afterwards.
Chefs tip for stainless steel: If you keep the hob on at the end of cooking (medium high temp) and put in half an inch of water and some washing up liquid, use a silicon spatula and just lightly stir - it comes off straight away no scrubbing needed
Silicone. Not silicon.
or add a few tablespoons of baking soda instead, with the water, leave it there to "process" and the chemical reaction with the fat/burnt stuff will make it flake away easy - either in a few minutes or after the meal. :) ...but I'll try your trick! 2 tricks is better than one!
deglazing my dirt :D
If you splash in some wine vinegar while is still hot, you can just scrape it clean with spatula most times.
Use enough oil and don't burn your food and you don't need to "Scrub" clean your cookware
Just a point of note: silicon is not the same as silicone. It seems to be being used interchangeably in this video.
My thoughts exactly. It's a bit unfortunate that he talks about how the Ceramic differs from other ceramic products. Yet he makes these mistakes with silicon and silicone. What was supposed to be a informative video, lost a lot of it's power and credibility because of this.
100%
Ceramic is silicon based, and when fired creates a fused glass surface. Knowing this (yes, it is the simple ceramists' explanation), the "ceramic" or coated pans never made sense to me. They are often foreign-produced replacements for the devils that are traditional teflon coated aluminum pans. The abomination persists. 😒
Then what's a silly cone?
Yeah but, the point remains I guess
I love that you included the "replacing" as a part of the sustainability argument. It's so often left out. Reducing is always always always the best way to be eco-friendly. People often forget that.
the five R's everyone should remember
Refuse
Reduce
Reuse
Repurpose
Recycle
@brandovlogs I get what you mean, but I think that these are more meant for whole humankind and not just consumers. Why do corporations need to replace all office furniture every couple of years for example.
Honestly cast iron is far better bc those shits can literally survive everything and they when you get a good coating on it it’s just naturally nonstick
@@honeyspice8989 Honestly nothing is really perfect for cookware materials. Cast iron, stainless steel, copper, and aluminum can leech out metals into food (some just leach out while others chemically react with acidic ingredients for example). The seasoning itself are also basically just polymers and/or carbonized oil. Depending on the type of oil you use, the effect can be similar with “plastic”, in a sense that they are non reactive but stay essentially forever if trapped in your body (builds up and can hinder certain function). The oil fumes that is released when the dry polymerization/carbonization happen are also dangerous.
Glass is chemically inert but is fragile and can crack when there is rapid shift in temp, clay are porous and easily colonized by pathogens, enamel porcelain part can crack and leech out the inner metal part, etc. At this point it’s a matter of which “poison” you prefer.
🙄
Enamel, cast iron and steel pans have always been my go-to. I inherited a shit ton of cast iron La Cruset pans from my grandma and even though they’re much older than me they’re still incredible. With care, they’ll last forever
Same! I inherited my great grandparent's cast iron (a flat skillet and a deeper pan) that I still use on almost a daily basis. A little TLC and they last for ages!
Just be sure you dont use any metal utensils to stir or flip. I chipped a chunk out of my old fry pan that’s a color no longer being made. It’s just like turquoise blue I got in the 70’s.
I also inherited an original full set of pans, oval casserole and frying pans in the original orange - my father bought them back from Paris in 1970 for mum and they still look as good as new after all these years - I have recently changed the brown knobs on the lids to the stainless steel ones and regularly clean with bicarbonate of soda to keep looking great!
enamel is garbage, because thermal shock or just life can make the ceramic start to crack and "peel" off without warning.
... I also find they clean reeeally easy ... (the creusets and sorts)
I think a point that always needs to be mentioned about cast iron is that they are heavy and this can be important for people who suffer from disabilities or the elderly. Which may mean for lots of people a steel pan is the way to go.
Im in my late twenties and my cast iron wok pan is heavy as fuck. Im used to lifting a pan and scrubbing food down on my plate, but thats a nope with these
aye, they are a beast... wish they mentioned Carbon Steel in the video. The lighter weighted cousin of Cast Iron, and just as awesome.
Which is not a point considering that good enamel pans are often even heavier.
My grandmother-in-law has a cast-iron pan that was handed down by her mother that’s actually very light.
Maybe it’s not true cast-iron, but it still works very well a century later.
@@MxMattieRose Old cast iron tends to be lighter than the modern cast iron equivalents. They used a finer sand when casting and milled the pans so they were thinner and weighed less while still retaining heat. Modern cast iron can perform just as well, but is heavier and takes a little more effort to get that non-stick quality.
I switched to stainless and cast iron a few years ago after I moved and realized my nonstick pans were scratched to heck. Once you learn the tricks of working with both, they are actually easier to live with and I don't have to worry about them getting too hot and giving off terrible fumes. There are a lot of little tricks out there to prevent sticking in regular pans. Cast iron is my go-to 90% of the time these days and is the pan that pretty much lives on top of my stove.
In the entire history of teflon, there are very few people that have been affected by Teflon flu (fume fever), mostly factory workers. There have been only 2 or 3 people in the general public and those cases were from extreme overheating of the pan. Those people apparently fully recovered after two or three days.
On the other hand, birds are apparently highly sensitive to the fumes - according to veterinarians.
I could have written this. I've seriously had more beautifully nonstick moments with my cast iron then I ever had with the "nonstick" pans. And my cast iron gets better overtime
Same here. Seasoning cast irons really isn't as big of a deal as people make it out to be and you have a skillet that will last you a lifetime.
Still have gramma's, my dad's and mine - all to hand down to my kiddo!
Yes. This. 😉
When I was in my teens, I inherited a few cast iron skillets from my grandmother, since I was the only family member to have such an interest in cooking. (I'm a baker now) These pans were bought back in the 60's, when my grandmother moved out of her parents place. I used them when I cooked at home and in the few years there, I saw several of my mother's nonstick pans go in the garbage. When I left, I brought the cast iron with me. It was all I had to cook with so it was all I used, and they're still going strong. I've since picked up a few more cast iron pieces new and used.
I find them easy to care for. The secret is to let them warm up gently on the stove to the working heat before putting the oil and food in. This polymerizes any miniscule remaining oil in the surface from the last cooking and cleaning without soap, which adds a fresh layer of seasoning without having to do it after cooking like others do. If I need to use soap, which is rare, I'll use a paper towel to wipe some oil onto the surface, just enough to make it darken but not enough to look wet. I'm not gentle with my pans, I soak, scrape with metal, and cook acidic stuff in them and have never had to purposely season them, eggs always cook fine.
Thank you for sharing this information.
Yes, cast iron pans and enameled cast iron are extremely good, easy to clean and care for, basically indestructible, and basically non-stick when properly seasoned.
@@mischahecter896 No problem! The best seasoning is from using it often, so I've heard.
I've been using my great grandfather's cast iron skillet from 1900 and have been nothing but happy with it
@@CephBacon I would adore finding a cast iron piece so old that it's gate marked, but almost everything of mine is from the 60's or new. I do have one made in Canada though, and I believe there's no other cast iron makers left here.
If you don't want to scrub the stainless steel pans, do what I've done for years by _deglazing your pans_ - even if you aren't planning on making a gravy, keeping the heat on low and adding a bit of water loosens everything up so there is minimal, if any, scrubbing to be done. Can also be done with pots: add water, put a lid on, raise the heat so it gets to at least a simmer, then turn it off - the residual heat trapped will work with the liquid to loosen food residue on the sides as well. If you forgot to do it promptly and it's already cooled down, adding some water and turning the heat back on will do the same thing.
I hate having to do dishes, so this is one of my go-to tricks for minimizing the clean-up.
I have also found putting the lid on if you can't get to it right away helps. The lid traps moisture ensuring the cruft on the sides doesn't dry completely when the liquid in the pan doesn't cover everything.
What a great idea, never thought of that, thanks!
Thanks for the tip!!!
Deglazing is the most important piece to making cleanup easier. One thing I found out by accident is that deglazing is most efficient on a rather hot pan. If the food on the bottom of the pan is just starting to smoke, it seems to come off of my carbon steel and stainless pans easier when I hit it with very cold water. There is a limit to this method: don't get the stuck-on food very hot for very long or it becomes harder to remove!
Yep, be a better cook… don’t wait to clean items when they are cold
Engineer here who did years of preceramic polymer research, with compounds similar to those used to manufacture ceramic coatings. Currently working with a company that's main product line is Teflon based. Suffice to say, I feel I have some confidence and could help with the understanding of this. So, Teflon coatings obviously are sub optimal. They do perform well is the short term, but the tendency of Teflon to breakdown as it wears is a deal breaker. Okay, so turn how about engineered ceramics? A properly pyrolyzed engineered ceramic should be almost pure silica carbide or silica oxycarbide. Both of these compounds are almost completely stable and inert. If your cookware has a properly ppyrolyzed coating it should be safe even as it gets scratched or otherwise damaged. But, in our testing, for our specific compounds, we saw loss of organic completely compounds for up to 12 hours in the oven. In the formulation these organic compounds are what are potentially hazardous. I do not know what exact formulation each company uses, but it looks to be a PDMS which is different from the silanes I specialized in, but hopefully my experience can be helpful.
There are 3 potential hazards to ceramic non stick ware.
1) These are not pure SiC or SiOC, and the filler materials used can potentially be hazardous, and break down at lower temperatures
2) If the pan is not properly cured they may still contain carbon compounds, and these can be very nasty.
3) if the pan materials are not food safe. This was mentioned is the video.
So, what to do you do if you want ceramic cookware? My #1 advice would be to be willing to spend more. The biggest hazards come from not properly cured ceramic and hazardous base metals, both of which could often be used as a source of savings/QC issues. For the concern about material fillers, find something that you can confirm if ptfe and pfoa free.
Hope this helps. Fwiw I cook mostly on cast iron since I like the even heat, with stainless everything else.
Thank you very much for this perspective!!
ELI5 please
Thank you so much for your take!
To explain in simple terms. As Teflon degrades, the Teflon residue is a hazard. A properly cured ceramic won't be harmful. But ceramic pans are more sensitive to things like scratching and dishwashing.
Ceramic cookware just doesn’t make any sense. Only a few dishes need to be cooked in a nonstick surface, and even fewer will need better performance than carbon steel or enameled cast iron provides. Given that these applications still exist, just keep one or two non stick dishes, and replace them every 2-3 years. That’s it, nonstick should just be treated as a special use case pan, and not as a daily driver. There are better pans for everyday cooking.
Everything I see someone searing a steak or burgers on nonstick or ceramic I physically cringe.
I use cast iron, enameled cast iron, stainless, pure ceramic, and glass. Rarely do I end up scrubbing. Either I've deglazed as part of the recipe, or I let the cookware soak in hot water [no soap] for an hour or so before washing by hand. Each type of cookware has its own way of working with minimal sticking, so I choose which to use based on the recipe ingredients.
I have recently learned that most problems with food sticking in pans is caused by 1) too low a heat setting or not waiting long enough for the pan to come up to temp, and 2) disturbing the food before the pan releases it (about 90 seconds or so). For what it's worth.
THe old saying was HOT PAN, COLD OIL, Food Won't stick
Brad...it's worth everything!!! That's it!!!!!
The heat setting is pretty complex. It's not only the heat source temp but also the overall temp of the pan and food you are going to add. If you would lower the heat enough, it is going to stick
Ya, patience is key.
@@oleksandrtarasov2633 Which makes such pans almost unusable to all but the most experienced of chefs with delicate proteins, such as scallops, or delicate preparations such as a French omelette.
In 1983 I worked in a factory that made engine seals out of PTFE. The PTFE powders we worked with were fairly non-toxic (and there was a rumor that anyone who worked in the mold room had about a half pound of Teflon in their lungs!). However, when the billets were sintered (baked) in the ovens they gave off highly toxic fumes that caused fluon fever that could put you in the hospital. Same thing if you didn’t wash your hands well and smoked a cigarette. The stuff was indestructible once cooked.
Have you see the dark waters film?
until you 'cook' it again. Leaving a teflon pan on the burner can kill your whole family.
Weve used ptfe since 1990 minimum on water supplies in the uk
As an archaeologist, I’d like to point out that ceramic cookware is literally one of the oldest technologies out there 😂
Very true. If we still cooked with actual ceramic that'd be great. Everything now is a hybrid with carcinogens for additives
Did you forget to point out that some ceramic products had lead-based paint?
So is drinking from a creek but i wouldnt recommend it these days
I think the video covers that point. When companies say “ceramic” nowadays they don’t actually mean ceramic.
The whole argument of the video is that they are greenwashing a composite of silicone coatings under the old and friendly tag “ceramic”. These are not functionally the same as old ceramic cookware
I got a cast iron pan as a gift in college and I have used it for nearly everything that can fit in it. Only exceptions are soups or steaming, which both go with my stainless steel pot. If I could, I would probably switch to a carbon steel pan, instead of cast iron, but I haven't had enough of a reason to change yet.
What brands sell carbon steel and why is it better?
@@lilikoimahalo I don't know what brands offer it but the benefits are "has similar non stick capabilities of cast iron but lower weight and faster to heat up, but also lower heat retention than cast iron. Also means it has none of the synthesized chemical costings of modern non stick, and can repair the costing, unlike ceramics costings. But this leaves them vulnerable to acidic food and long, wet cooks (soup, stew, tomatos)."
For my style of cooking, it's the perfect balances for a pan.
I bought a carbon steel, one of the top 3 (aka expensive). And I bought a smaller one from the Amish, Lehmann's. I've seasoned the fancy one twice now, full blown 4 hours, w/proper wiping on/wiping off, reheating, etc. But it's just not holding it. I'll do it a third time, but heating it 3x, not twice. I've used cast iron for decades so seasoning not new to me. Never had such a hard time as with this fancy one. But the less expensive one from the Amish - a dream. Slick, shiny, it's perfect, and a whole lot lighter. So 'fancy' will not be better, necessarily.
It's always been wild up me that, after teflon happened, people are gravitating towards these candy colored pans made of things no one understands because the companies say "yeah trust me bro, s'not dangerous".
Can probably blame la creuset on the popularity of colourful/"ceramic" lol
I have no idea what that means. It's ceramic...
@@jpholcomb2942 Do you mean its made of literal clay fired in an oven (pans like that do exist!) or do you mean its another aluminum pan coated in some mysterious non-teflon material that is marketed as ceramic?
It’s not just ceramic cookware. Not a single non-stick pan after Teflon tells you exactly what their coatings are actually made of.
doesn't mean clay, it's a material class, carbide used for machining and rare earth magnets are both sintered ceramics. The false dichotomy he presents is really frustrating, especially with the extrema namedrop. Pigments like titanium oxide are a potential danger, but it's not as simple as "clay good, enamel bad"
Lol, I love how Future Proof crashes my misbeliefs about products to the ground on a weekly basis. 😂 No, but really, thank you for doing the research and educating me so I don't have to! 🙇
That's what we're here for! Hahahaha thanks for joining us 😀
I agree. This kind of channels are really useful.
But the "evidence" he presented as all based on speculation, rumor and accusations and not objective evidence. How can you form an opinion with so little actual information?
@@LeviHildebrandYT for the record, those with severe nickel allergy should not eat foods cooked in metal. The more acidic foods cause even more of the metals to leach into the food. I use Visions cookware, a vintage glass cookware suitable for the stovetop. Yes it’s breakable and not as easy to clean, but it’s the safest cookware imo
My wife and I received a set of All-Clad stainless steel pots and pans as wedding gifts over 20 years ago and we've been using them every day since. They're still fantastic. Honestly, they'll probably outlive us. Absolutlely worth the occasional soak in the sink.
If you don't want to wait for the soak, heat water in the dirty pan and and scrape off the crud with a wooden spatula. It's really easy and effective. A flexible steel diner-style spatula would probably work even better, but you run the risk of scratching the pan.
The worst part about cleaning All-Clad is when grease hardens around the rivets, and forgetting not to put them on hot burner grates if they're empty. I've learned not to worry about my pans no longer being pristine.
Yep, they're absolutely worth it! I got the 7" or 8" ??? frying pan in the 90's and it's been my daily driver since. Perfect condition, does everything I need.
Bar cleaner's friend is a powder cleaner that gets stainless steel like new. Give it a try on those burned-in stains
I inherited my parents set of Townecraft SS pans recently. They are about 40 years old and still in excellent condition. They are overpriced in my opinion (over 1000.00$ back then) but they have held up for 4 decades of constant use. I have a few nonstick saute pans that I use for eggs and not much else. 🤔🤓🍻
@@alsaunders7805 if you calculate the cost per year they are cheap.
Honestly, after inheriting my grandma's enamelware cook set, I've never looked back. Granted, I know there's quirks about cleaning and using it (like no metal, or rapid temperature changes), I really dig that it's just porcelain enamel over cast iron.
Cast iron
Just double check that there wasn't lead in the clay used to make the enamel! That's the only reason I've stayed away from thrift store enamel (I found some that are lovely) I just don't have a way of checking it for lead. :/
@@elizabethepp9507 you can buy kit to test for lead in antique cookware. Even the outside paint of real ceramic container can contain lead
When II was an engineering student at Virginia Tech in the late 1970's I had a graduate teaching assistant who was a refugee from Dupont. He told me a story about working on chemistry to make Teflon appear to discolor less. At the time most teflon pans had a white coating, which started to brown as it was cooked on before the coatings wore off, usually in about a year or so under normal use. Enter Silverstone, its somewhat metallic looking replacement. It still wore off, but didn't degrade as visibly. I stick to the tried and true cast iron these days.
Carbon steel is the most underrated pan material I’ve come across. Lighter and easier maintenance than castiron and more nonstick than any teflon pan I’ve ever owned. Virtually indestructible and oven-safe as well.
EDIT: A lot of folks are telling me that teflon is infallibly non-stick, which I have never found to be the case. I don’t want to mislead people, but used well, carbon steel amazes me for its versatility.
I came here to mention the same thing, I have a carbon steel skillet I've been using for years and love it!
They are great but you have to take some care of them or else they can get pretty rusty.
saving up to afford one!
does take some time for a perfect seasoned surface but I can make a lovely omelette in my 12" carbon steel pan
Some points I'd like to add. I regularly use a carbon steel (CS) wok, which is far and away the best material for woks, and I can see how it's also a great and long-lasting material for a skillet:
1. It's true that extra care is needed to prevent rusting, but it's hardly any. Just rinse and dry shortly after (I usually scrub with a bamboo brush and skip soap, but soap shouldn't significantly impact well seasoned CS), put over medium heat for a few minutes to ensure dryness, and then spread a thin layer of neutral cooking oil on the surface after each use. DO NOT WASH IN A DISHWASHER. Rust may become more of an issue in high humidity climates, but regular use and care should keep it at Bay. Rust is also easily removable using a steel wool.
2. Expensive CS has very marginal returns, and most cooks recommend you buy a relatively cheap one at a restaurant supply store. There's no need to save up for the most expensive skillet!
3. CS does have some downsides. Regardless of what you hear, CS is not as non-stick as Teflon (but is close!), acidic foods will strip the seasoning and impart a metallic taste (especially if you simmer for more than a few minutes), and doesn't retain as much heat for searing as cast iron. Teflon, stainless steel, and cast iron are better choices for these respective applications. Also, some people think that CS doesn't look as good as some other cookware but I disagree.
4. CS excels at temperature responsiveness, a key reason why it's the best material for a wok. It's also safe to heat at any temperature. CS heats quicker than stainless steel and cast iron due to its temperature responsiveness.
I hope this info is valuable if you made it to the end of my comment. I saw some points that I slightly disagreed with and had to bite!
….. I think it’s odd. I have on old carbon steel wok passed on to me by my great aunt and it honesty works better than most non-stick pans. I never was into those pans because I see them fail every thanksgiving. 🤷🏻♀️
Hahahahah nothing like seeing people MAD over their food sticking to their nonstick pans 😁
A seasoned and well loved wok is worth it’s weight in gold ❤️ glad you have one in your life :D
Yeah, we got one recently, and we had to coax it a little at first to get that good surface going, but it's quickly turning into everybody's favorite pot
I've had my cheap steel wok over 20 years, and it's still lightweight and easy to clean.
but you have to season that thing
I have had the same set of stainless cookware for 20 years. Cast iron can last almost indefinitely too. There is a learning curve for both but it's worth it. As for scrubbing, that another learning curve that isn't that hard, depending on what you did (I recently, like last week, burned sugar and milk solids in one of my stainless & didn't tend to it quickly). My problem was that it was a holiday & I didn't tend to it quickly. We have 2 Teflon pans only because my husband refuses to make eggs in anything else. Fortunately, that's not often.
Put some water in the pan and heat it to simmering for a while. Sooner or later, the carmelized sugar and charred milk should come free fairly easily. Or pretend that you are making a gravy and add some vinegar and wine to the simmering water.
Just a note about PTFE coated pans, they can release fumes which are toxic to birds. If you have pet birds please NEVER cook with teflon. It may be fine for years and years, but it only takes that one time for the pan to get too hot, and as a veterinarian I've seen too many sad cases of birds dying. My saddest case was a parrot the owner had for over 40 years and just never knew these pans are toxic to birds.
It also makes me think, since canaries have classically been used in mines to detect dangerous carbon monoxide levels as bird lung are much more sensitive than our own lungs, about what kind of unknown damage cooking with teflon could be doing to us. Of course the company will tell you Teflon is safe, but all I'm saying is after seeing first hand the damage done to a birds lungs I will never bring it into my home. Do with that what you will.
Thing is, C8 *is* toxic to us, it just happens 3M/DuPont never cared and tried to cover it.
Also to add too this, Teflon is used in hair straighteners and on the coils/heating elements off hair dryers and fan or convention heaters.
The best heater is guess, is a oil filled radiator heater. If a heater element gets hot enough to burn you when touched, it's spewing Teflon VOCs out.
I have a parakeet and didn't know that. Thankfully, I switched to stainless steel pans & cast iron just before I got my bird.
you can as long as it's missing the list of like 3 diff compounds. PTFE PFOA stuff like that. i was a bird owner for many years. it's easy to find the list of baddies. ALSO, FISHTANKS. the water absorbs compounds from the air.
*so anything bad for birds is bad for fishtanks and bowls,* including scented candles and all that garbage fake chemical stuff, air fresheners, scented dryer sheets (if machines are nearby), really strong cleaners...
i read some really sad stories of people losing beloved pets because they didn't realize neurotically lighting candles every day or cooking with cheapo teflon, or doing any of that other stuff, was killing them. :,(
Lieing = profit’s
I had a 100% ceramic pot that I used for years, it was amazing, until it broke from poring in some water that wasn't hot enough compared to the pot (pure ceramic is sensitive to fast temperature changes) I replaced it with a cast iron pot, which is essentially the same amount of non stick as a 100% ceramic pot, but much tougher. Just make sure to use some fats in your cooking, and it'll last forever.
Btw, neither of them are as non stick as teflon, but are both generally better than stainless steel.
Was the brand of 100 percent ceramic you had Xtrema?
@@gabbs-7064 Yeah I think so.
What do you specifically mean when you say “both are generally better than stainless steel”?
The Always Pan annoys me because a lot of the marketing and the general design is very much aimed at new cooks, and giving a new cook a pan that’ll break down over time and make cooking a chore is a sure fire way to make them hate cooking. I’d love to see a stainless steel, enameled cast iron, or even a carbon steel cookware set with marketing this good.
I bought the knockoff of Always pan they sell at Aldi
it’s only 25.00 and not $100
and it works just as well it just doesn’t have the basket and added items with it.
@@AKayfabeI kinda wish there was a pan that had the all the attachments like the always pan. But made out of stainless though.
Bc personally I love the design of the attachments but stainless is far far easier to clean. Cast iron is worse to clean than stainless.
I do like the bright colors of the pans.
(I do use stainless & cast iron pans regularly)
People always note carbon steel as last resort, but you can get high quality carbon steel pans from debuyer, season em better and have basically the best pan you can have aside copper silver.
@@MedievalSolutionsdebuyer?
@@elizabethepp9507 , yes, de Buyer, from le Val-d'Ajol, in France. They make great carbon steel pans, while Cristel and Le Creusot make great cast iron cookware.
Tip: if you want food not to stick when frying, after adding the oil add ONE drop of water (you can literally just drop it off a wet hand). Wait until the water starts to crackle and pop in the oil and you know the oil is at optimal temperature for cooking.
I recently learned a trick. Preheat the ceramic pan with low heat, add oil and let it heat for a bit, then start cooking. This trick is a game changer, my always pan was the pain in the ass when I first stated using it, it is now my favorite pan to use after learning this trick.
Hey don't be giving away my secret technique!!
Here is another. Heat the stainless pan to med. Drop of water will bounce and is ready. Pour in the oil and for some reason at that temp it stops a lot of sticking. You may get a little but not like scrambled eggs stuck to the bottom stuff.
@@dw3403 Yeah but I thought heating pans empty warped them. For triply bases might do something like warp or destabilize them.
@@donaldkasper8346
Maybe the thin ones? I use the stainless with the disk on the bottom. I also heat my cast iron to med first too.
I learned it from one of Alton browns shows and it works great with eggs and omelets. you may get a little sticking but not the soak and scrap kind of sticking.
You have to be careful looking at ceramic cookware, some of them still seem to use PFAS unless they explicitly say they don't. Sometimes they'll market that they don't use PTFE or PFOA, but just omit whether they use PFAS
Goood to know! Thanks for sharing 💪
It's like the story about BPA? Manufacturers market things as "BPA free" but they use other very similar materials, that have same first letters just the third one changes.
And they are all equally harmful. It seems.
Why does every product in the west produce is toxic? In Asia ceramic cooks the best pot of rice ever
@@stellviahohenheim
Low quality things are cheaper to produce... I guess that's the main reason. Which sucks.
Cave Johnson: there's no need to "be careful looking at ceramic [nonstick] cookware" - we need to not use ANY of them. Period. They are made for planned obsolescence and profit at the expense of the health of the user.
I use Le Creuset which is enameled cast iron. I have to season it about every 6 months, but by doing that, it becomes non stick. The only downsides are that they are heavy for some people, you have to learn how to use it, and they are expensive, but they have a lifetime guarantee. Mine is about 8 years old.
There's an Ukrainian manufacturer, Biol. I just saw the prices on the brand you mentioned, quite high. If by chance you have access to Biol, might want to consider it.
Sorry, I really don't mean it as an ad, I just know about it, the quality I heard is great and the price is relatively low too.
If you can physically handle and afford cast-iron enameled pots and pans, try them. I use Le Creuset, but there are others that cost less. There are some great stainless steel pans, but I don’t recommend it for gas cooktops unless they are well-clad.
@@ablueslenz I use a Staub I got off eBay for a steal! If you’re willing to go in open to whatever color (and let’s be real almost all Staub and Le Creuset are gorgeous) then you can get them easily for a fraction of the price! They don’t chip as easily as cheaper brands and really last a long time so are worth it quality wise.
My favourite Le Creuset pot was taken off the side of the road! I found it, it's a MASSIVE pot, easily able to hold a stew suitable for 12 people, and I didn't even know they made things that big. We scrubbed it with steel wool, charcoal, bleach, hypersaline water, and oil just to catch every possible impurity from it being off the roadside, and then seasoned it for a few coats. It's AMAZING! My favourite pot. Has lasted forever, cost me nothing but some time and cleaning chemicals, and makes excellent food.
@@MaximC There are many really good manufacturers in europe. The video mostly just stands for America. (For example RIESS Email from Austria is a great quality one, and still much cheaper than the mentioned ones)
Just to clarify, silicon and silicone are different. Ceramic cookware should not be subject to sudden changes in temperature. So if one ensures this, these ceramic pans can be maintained for longer. And I would also suggest one to do their research before buying one to make sure there are no unwanted chemicals in them.
Right, in this video it seems like silicon is as bad as pfos but I wouldn't be afraid to eat some silicon. Wouldn't eat silicone though.
@@____Ann____ freshly made wet sol-gen is very safe, but once it is dry, it becomes a spongy kind of brittle glass (silica).
I would be a bit concerned of micro sized _sharp_ fragments breaking off.
Sand (on Earth) has very blunt particles, so it is quite safe, but other forms of silica can be highly deadly with sharp edges.
@@____Ann____ you actually need small amounts of silicon for your bones, it is used as a catalyst. The human body can only absorb silicon in the form of silicic acid, which is naturally occurring in water which has touched silicate minerals (or sand). Elemental silicon only exists in chunks, because the surface becomes glass (SiO2, silica) from contacting oxygen or water. There is no elemental silicon at play, unless you literally chew microchip wafers. (They are quite crunchy, but you really should not do that!)
Eating silicone (rubber or oil) is "mostly" safe, but it can really mess up your gut long term. So there should not be any in regular food, but molecular amounts are quite safe.
So one important thing to consider when it comes to changes in temperature is the type of stove you're cooking with, primarily electric stove tops heat up very very fast, and need extra care to heat things up steadily.
@@Madhatter1781 , gas heats a pan much more quickly than electric.
Thank you so much man ❤! I appreciate the research, visuals, and comedic value that was incorporated in to making this educational and help video!!!
As someone who spent the better part of a month researching the best material, then the best brands, of cookware, I appreciate this video. I've been telling my friends for years to stop buying those "ceramic" pots.
What did you end up getting?
@@atrophyheart2 i want to know too
Some of the high end ceramic over steel were fantastic. Scanpan™ which isn't made anymore, cooked like cast iron, non stick like teflon, and don't scratch with metal utensils.
My 30 year old well used set still looks new.
People buy em because theyre cheap to replace. Not because theyre good. And not all stainless steel is good. You want the good stainless steel cookware, well it isnt cheap for multi ply stainless steel. And most people dont have multiple hundreds to fork out for decent cookware. So stfu.
There is nothing wrong with the not so ceramic, ceramic pans. This guy thinks it's fishy just because he doesn't know or understand the secret sauce. From what I gather, it's some innovative method to fuse some glass with metal. If you have no issues using glass, this should be fine. I only don't know how much you like the price tag.
Pro tip with cleaning your stainless steel pans. Let it cool, add a good amount of water, bring it to a boil, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom.
It works the same as deglazing. You can also use a little vinegar while cleaning to clean off some tarnishing and discoloration.
Food shouldn't stick too bad, if it's sticking, it's either way too hot or not ready to flip.
Why let it cool down first? When I made something, that left residue, I just pour in a minor amount of room temp water in it and it becomes a sauce or sauce-like thing. Of course I help it dissolve with a bamboo spatula and then I have a cleanish pan which only needs a good rinse.
I always wash mine right after I use it and it gets the egg off my cooking teacher taught me that way back in high school always clean frying pans when they are still warm. Unless it’s cast iron of course.
One thing about buying second hand cast iron is you really need to lead test it before use. Unfortunately as iron has a higher melting point than lead, cast iron pans have often been used to melt lead items. If a pan you buy was EVER used to melt lead you are infusing your food with lead as you cook. So definitely take the time and effort to test if you are going to buy used cast iron.
Define "often"...
Interesting. Hoed you test for lead?
Thanks, I never knew this.
Who the hell is melting lead in a frying pan?
I read a story in a discover magazine years ago about somebody who had melted old dental fillings to get the gold out of it, unfortunately, the gold was mixed with mercury and , mercury vapors are highly toxic for the nervous system and the lungs. He was beyond saving, his lungs were finished. I suppose that somebody could melt lead to make fishing weights for example, or some crafters or hobbyists.
A year out I'm entertained how the big shady companies started calling their stuff ceramic but reading the packaging shows it's just Teflon coating over crap ceramics. The worst of both worlds.
The always pan is a giant piece of ____ I got one last July and by February of this year is was basically out of commission. It's the worst kind of marketing scam. I'm glad someone also got me a cast iron from the thrift store because that is an actual pan for always. America's Test Kitchen has a decent video comparing this pan to others; basically jack of all trades and master of none. Lol it tells you not to use metal to clean it but the pan comes with a metal steaming basket. I love future proof and am happy to participate in pan research.
The fucking irony of an always pan being borderline disposable is palpable.
Same here. I got mine as a gift and was so disappointed when it became essentially unusable after a certain point. It's such a beautiful color and was a great gift, but it didn't hold up
It looks so awkward and bulky to me
I grew up with cast iron pans, and still use them for the last ~18 years of adulthood. You don't really even need to season them that often and you have the added benefit of baking in them compared to almost all other options.
The main downfall to them is if you have a glass cooktop, you will probably crack it. The next worst thing, in my opinion, is if you accidentally drop it on yourself or when cleaning it in the sink, you will probably smash several bones or dishes.
They're great for baking bread.
I've used one for over a decade with my glass cooktop... no problems. Just remember to set it down carefully on one corner before laying it down. CI has the added benefit that iron is actually a supplement we need in our diet. EDIT: Important to note that your cast iron pan/skillet needs a flat bottom to work with cooktops... most don't do this, make sure it's absolutely flat, it will be listed as OK for cooktop.
If you are worried about weight, switch to carbon steel.
Ive never had issues with cracking on glass but I am a staunch “pre-heater” Pan goes on the 2-3 heat zone for 2-3 minutes
TH-cam video makers love to make seasoning a pan a little bit of magic that requires watching their video and much study and much care. It doesn't. Don't overheat them (I mean REALLY overheat). To clean after use, warm the pan up until almost smoking and then put under running water and scrape out any food with your spatula. There will be a lot of steam so use an oven mitt. Put a little soap on a scrub pad on the back of a sponge and wipe the pan a bit. Don't scrub too much but don't worry about it. Maybe lightly wipe the pan with some oil once in a while and put it on your still warm burner that has been turned off. Once in a blue moon, I'll lightly oil an oven full of my pans and place them in upside down so the oil doesn't pool. Turn stove on to maybe 250F for an hour and then just leave them until you think of them again. But just don't worry so much. They are cast iron for God's sake.
My choice for cooking is cast iron or stainless steel. I have some aluminum cooking sheets and pans; I also use Pyrex pie pans and baking pans. I have chosen to avoid "non-stick" pans. I have also replaced plastic storage and micro-wave containers for glass containers. I think that these options are healthier.
SMART
I like to cook big batches and then have leftovers a couple of times later in the week. I use stainless steel pots with lids and put them straight into the fridge without messing with tupperware or whatever, which saves a lot of time transferring food and washing extra containers. I'd never do that with a non-stick pan, I'd be afraid of what chemicals leech into the food and compromising the non-stick coating.
Thank you SO much for the shout out to Xtrema at the end of the video because I have been looking for WEEKS to find more natural alternatives to cookware. Their products look amazing and I'll be purchasing for my new apartment!
I inherited my grandmother’s Revereware set - 60+ years old, used heavily, and still in great condition. The Teflon pots and pans I had in college were lucky to last 2 years
I have my Grandmothers WEAREVER Cast Aluminum cookware that was sold Door to door in Huge sets Back just before the Depression and later. And I also have most of my mother's set (Mom is 105) too. You can still buy the wooden handles to the sets too. THey are still my go to pots and are now approaching 100 years old and doing fine. People have been cooking on all sorts of cookware for THOUSANDS of years. Too much emphasis is being placed on what cookware you have - they ALL generally work.
I loved my Revereware. I think my sister ended up with most of it after my ex got a whole new set and then left with it when we split. But I’d already given the Revereware to my sis, so I was SOL! I had a housemate leave a Revereware pan on the stove so long that it boiled dry and literally got red hot! I took it off the heat, let it cool down, and after the outside layer of the copper bottom flaked off, it was fine. I always said I should do an ad for the brand! 😂
When I got married in the 80s, the ladies in one of my mother's clubs wanted to give me a set of cookware. It was a hard decision because there was such an array of glamourous cookware available. I picked Revereware because ALL the best cooks I knew used that brand. I have also been really pleased with the vintage Faberware I've found in thrift stores.@@DawnDavidson
Teflon has care issues.
Have my moms and grandmothers Revere ware pans as well as my own. Love em and I am 68. SS with a copper bottom is hard to beat
If you are worried about Stainless steel and cleaning it, Bar Keeper's Friend is gonna be your best friend for it. You may need to turn it into a paste for some particularly deep stains, but there's nothing that it can't tackle.
plus that stainless steel will give you a nice fond...something Teflon doesn't
The liquid BKF is a life saver
@Sue Sue Very Good reminder, thank you.
When I set up my own home for the first time I brought a complete set of stainless steel saucepans the final cost was nearly £100. many of my family and friends thought I’d gone mad and frequently pointed out cheaper ‘attractive’ cookware. The same saucepans are still in daily use and despite being over 30years old there is hardly a mark on them, I often wonder how many of my friends still have the same cookware and at the end of the who has spent the most money on ‘only saucepans’ I’m willing to bet it’s not me.
I had a $10 cheap stainless steel sauce pot from big lots that lasted 15 years until I literally set it on fire accidentally so yeah worth it. For frying pans I would rather use cast iron, my all clads suck. Really sticky and I have one my husband just ruined, can’t even scour it clean.
@@sonialinsey8083 I had an oil fire in a stainless steel pot, I recovered by cleaning the hard burned stuff with a brass brush on an angle grinder...
unless you brought the steel to red hot forging or melting temperature, there is literally nothing that can not be cleaned off a stainless steel pot.
I inherited the stainless steel pots from my dead mother. They don't look as good(although just because i'm lazy and don't want to scrub the build up stuff xD) and i burned so much stuff in there over the span of 20 years now and they still work like a charm even though they are now 50+ Years old. And at least the inside is super easy to clean~.
They may be old looking, but i take them over any of these thin-wanded or "non-stick" stuff these days ..
There's definitely something to the old saying, "buy quality, buy once.' I got an $80 knife set when I left for college when that was about twice the price of "entry level" kits. I still have them and they still work great going on 20 years. Some of the handles are a little dinged up but the blades are in great shape and can go several years between sharpenings.
I use exclusively cast iron unless I'm doing a soup or something tomato-based, I use a stainless pot for that. I VERY seldom have to "wash" the cast iron and I only have to re-season maybe once a year, sometimes a year and a half. When I do, I go ham and just do everything because it's not difficult but it does take time. I bake 1hr at 550 and then 1hr cool down, repeat idk, 3, 4, 5? times. The blacker the pan the better and I don't bother stripping beforehand. Just knock off any major surface defects that you don't want underneath your new layer of seasoning and you're good to go.
Yeah, then you get to go and spray clean your oven.
When frying eggs in stainless steel, the trick to them not sticking is hot pan, cold butter. Also using a lid means you won't have to turn the eggs. If you're cooking anything like a sauce and it starts sticking, simply move the pan off the heat for a minute. Scrape with a spatula and the stuck food will come away.
We also have a Ninja Foodi and the first thing I did was order a stainless steel inner pot for it to replace the rubbish non-stick one. So glad I did.
how the does stuck food come away if you remove the pan? if it is really stuck it wont work
Another cooking item that is safe that wasn't mentioned is enamel-coated cookware. Dutch ovens, such as Le Creuset and Staub, are well-known enamel coated cast irons, but there are also enamel-coated steel pots and pans, such as RIESS. these are much lighter, do not scratch easily, and do not contain harmful chemicals. However, food can also stick to these pans like all of the others. Such enamelware has been used since the 1500s. Enamelware can be used on gas, electric and induction cooktops. CO2-neutral, heat resistant up to 450 degrees, odor neutral, easy to clean and antibacterial, recyclable in scrap metal.
I have a staub. I’m sad le creseut uses lead.
Can you recommend a skillet/fry pan like these for eggs? I can’t find any with good reviews
@@chelseet11 I have an old Le Creuset frying pan set , European specs about 40 yrs old. Grey satin interior. I don't use it bc from day 1 everything sticks to it. Might be okay to cook a steak but anything else no.
So now for my eggs, its stainless steel only. Cleaning is very easy, While it's hot, I put in a little water and wash it when it cools down. I do have some Turkish copper pans I keep forgetting about and if I remember will use them.
@@chelseet11 use a flat bottomed carbon steel wok. Takes very little oil, extremely reactive to temp changes so it's very easy to "save" something if your temp is off at first, and it's fantastically nonstick once seasoned properly.
Also extraordinarily expensive
I love cast iron but a lot of people just go with polished stainless steel it's also an excellent option
So true!
i inherited a bunch of steel pans from my grandmother that were ridiculously expensive back in the day, they're literally made from surgical grade stainless steel. they're absolute beasts. however, i still love my cast irons the most!
A handy tip with stainless steel pans: If you get burned in stuff just cook some water in the pan after cooking and it will make cleaning it a breeze because the „boiling bubbles“ will loosen everything up.
Pls upvote (or pin) this. It really saved me in so many situations.
When I switched to induction cooking, I switched from aluminum and Teflon (and chemical non-sticks) to cast iron for most meal prep. I still use tempered glass in the oven sometimes. The benefits of hefty cast iron are even heating, stick resistance when properly seasoned, and even added iron to one’s diet as it is imparted to foods cooked in cast iron. Oh, and it can last for generations. I inherited one of my iron skillets from my grandmother…which makes my skillet more than 100 years old.
I went the opposite way, when I got induction, I was worried I was going to break my expensive new cooktop by dropping the cast iron pan on it, so I replaced it with stainless steel. I do like the iron supplement benefits of cast iron, but I just find stainless all round easier to use & less stressful without that weight & fear of dropping on the stove
I'm surprised you didn't mention enameled cast iron. Sure it might be expensive but it's extremely durable relatively non-stick and toxin free.
And if you don't care about colors, you can sometimes find amazing bargains at thrift stores and estate sales. My family has two Le Creuset enameled cast iron pans, one with a matching enameled iron lid, that (judging from the color of the enamel) I suspect were made in the '70s. Bright red-orange and pea soup green, but they still cook great. I suspect that as long as we keep taking decent care of them they'll last another 50+ years.
I am a fan of the lodge enameled dutch ovens because they are very durable, but not so expensive that you feel bad about cosmetic scuffs, burnt on oil or other insignificant damage from regularly using it.
I don't think I would use a more expensive one because I would be too inclined to baby it to protect the anesthetics. I wouldn't want to fear experimentation for risk of damaging a fancy french one, but even with mild damage, wear and scratches, it barely loses enough performance to even notice (especially because seasoning builds up to repair cracks).
I payed like $70 on sale from $100 and I have gotten my money's worth several times over, and it is still going strong, ready for decades of service as a reliable workhorse!
My enameled pans have always ended up chipping and they aren't nonstick. Everything would stick.
My local supermarket chain HEB carries a line of enameled cast iron called Cocinaware. It's almost identical to Le Creuset but you can get a Dutch oven for about $30. If you're ever in Texas check it out.
@@Meskarune I exclusively use enameled cast iron I haven't noticed any problems at all. I prefer the Cocinaware from HEB because the handle on the lid doesn't get as hot as the metal verisons
Suggestion: It might be good to interview or invite an expert to explain scientific terms like "sol-gel process". I think most researchers especially in academia would be happy to participate.
you still wouldn't be able to understand it LOL
The sol-gel process itself is just a way of making nice, even ceramic coatings (or ceramic objects) from a liquid mixture, in which all the floating molecules are made to link together as the mixture 'dries out' to form a gel, then the gel is fired to solidify it into proper ceramic material. The details aren't extremely important. The real question at hand is the specific chemicals used to coat the pans, which... are probably proprietary. There are several chemicals that can be used to do sol-gel coating and many materials (and mixtures thereof) that can be in the final product.
@@Ithirahad sol-gel process is able to affect the way the chemicals react and the way the molecules form their structure at the nano or micro scale. process parameters affect the final structure and thus affects the material properties.
I’m thinking about writing up a comment to clarify the process since it seems like nobody else has… maybe I’m not the most qualified since I’m just a PhD student, but I use this process in my work and my potential collaborator is the guy who invented the process. It’s not too difficult, so I might just write it up even if no one sees it
Stainless steel for me. I've worked as a cleaning lady, and there is something very satisfying with a metal that you can polish to perfection. Does it take a little more work? Yes, but year after year my steel pan still looks brand new when I'm done with it. The same could not be said for my old non-stick pans.
I'm tempted to get a cast iron pan but the weight of it is kind of intimidating. I'd worry about dropping it and idk destroy the floor (or my foot).
Please teach me how you clean it. I don’t want to scratch them
@@treasurewuji8740 Oh, you can go MUCH harder on a steel pan than on teflon. You can clean it with whatever you want, it depends more on what is effective against your stains than any consideration towards the pan.
We use a lot of ceramic coated cast iron, which I love. I do feel like the one piece you were missing in your video was Accessibility. Not everyone has the ability to lift a heavy pan, or they may be apt to drop it (eliminating full ceramic), or they may not be able to scrub a pan. The various non stick type pans enable these people to have more independence and the ability to reliably feed themselves.
Oh, and I’ve been able to find great deals on le creuset on market Place and mercari.
Do you mean enameled cast iron? That is different.
its likely enamel coated? thats glass!
@@julsduran-buchsbaum8230
Enamel is ceramic. It's also the outside later of our teeth.
@@MaximC Just because it is called the same it doesn't mean it's the same thing, lmao. Tooth enamel is a completely different substance, your teeth aren't made of glass.
One alternative you might have mentioned that is almost as good as cast iron and needs to be treated the same (seasoning, etc.) but is a little more forgiving than cast iron is the Carbon steel pans.
Yup, my wok is carbon steel and I like it! I'd like to have more carbon steel pan types.
Preseasoned carbon steel pans are especially delightful for people like me who didn't learn seasoning from their parents. With them, one can first just enjoy the cooking with them, and only then to reseason.
@@lynoure seasoning cast iron seems to be as confusing as learning how to make sour dough starter, but they're both super simple, and there are tons of how-to videos on TH-cam alone. Idk why we complicate the most simple things, but my mother is still like that, and yes I have resentment for being like that now, though I am teaching myself/changing my ways. 😂
@@lynoure seasoning is literally just burning/heating up oil on the pan. it's one of the simplest things you can learn to do.
1) Coat pan in oil.
2) Put pan on heat.
3) Wait till it smokes, take it off heat.
4) Wipe it down.
5) Repeat if you want.
@@CRneu It's simple when YOU do it, you mean.
I started using cast iron a couple years ago. It’s so much easier to maintain than I expected.
I used to buy ceramic and teflon pans all the time. As soon as the coating wore off i would toss them and get a new one. I finally pulled the trigger and bought a Aus-ion wrought iron skillet from a company that makes them in Australia. Took some time to get the hang of it but now a couple months in its fully seasoned and the pan has turned obsidian black and I'd say it almsot as non-stick as teflon at this point. I would highly recomend this to anyone who cooks alot because a wrought iron pan will literally last forever and in my opinion the food tastes better cooked in it. If i could only use one pan for the rest of my life it would be that one.
I have a set of antique cast iron pans. It really isn't that hard to keep them clean, and you can TOTALLY use soap, so don't worry. I scrub them out with salt when the surface seems crusty, and they are SMOOTH AS @$%#. I know that one of them is over 100 years old. The modern ones aren't made the same, and are bumpy and sucky inside.
Love the salt scrub method! Yeah unfortunately not all cast iron is made equally, but for the most part they're still miles ahead of many other cookware 🙌
Yup. The vintage pans were made differently. They're lighter (thinner) and they ground the interior to make it smoother. (You can actually do the same process to modern pans, but it's best left to a professional lol).
Lodge is getting better about not having such bumpy insides, and a good stainless steel spatula will help smooth it out over the course of a few years.
If you're not totally and completely opposed to plastic, Lodge makes a phenomenal plastic pan scraper that I think actually works better than using salt.
The bumps help a factory applied 1 coat preseasoning stick, and it saves a lot of machining from the manufacturing process, but I also am not a fan of it, so I sanded my modern lodge pan surfaces flat and have been really happy with the results
@@Ben-Perlin Can I ask what tool or process you used to smooth? I have a modern "Cracker Barrel" pan at the cottage I never use due to the "sucks-bumps", but if I could grind it smooth, it would be used.
@@megleland6320 I've seen lots of people just use regular handheld sanders. Only the bottom needs to be smooth. But don't go crazy smooth, since the seasoning still needs something to hold on to. I've a nickel plated cast iron pan and seasoning won't stick to it for the life of it.
I use ceramic coated pots because as a bird owner, it is clear how dangerous PTFE/PFOAs are (and any bird owner will tell you this). When you cook with Teflon, a healthy adult bird in that house can die within minutes. I have been using the same ceramic pots for about 3 years now regularly. I think it's notable as my birds are not affected by it, and they are very sensitive animals. Can't have candles, air fresheners, aerosol cans, most hair dryers and so own they are so sensitive! Not saying its healthy for you, just saying it probably isn't *that* bad lol
Hair dryers? I’m curious what’s hazardous with hair dryers?
@@littlebanshee may be it is "hair dyes" and not hair dryers!!
I just saw someone talk about the harms of candles, especially scented ones. They’re causing cancer too, but billions of them are still be sold and used. It’s crazy how harmful things are being sold in the market and they won’t go away unless its harm goes viral and mainstream
If you actually do research on the "harms of candles" you'll find the the harm is nonexistent according to all recent studies that have been done.
Look at cigarettes. Companies add known carcinogens to the cigarette blends and we all know they’re lethal.
These aren’t even the tobacco. They’re added!!!
Where’s the scientific source?
Cigarettes are still sold too, duh.
@@chickenlover657 Exactly. Wherever the government makes huge tax revenues, they will gladly allow dangerous products to be made.
We need the governments to put a warning on the pans. The US is not invested in the health of its citizens so it does not regulate safely. People who do not understand cookware are most susceptible to this issue. Learn to season stainless and cast iron. My MIL has Le Cruiset and that finish also wore down, scratched and it had temperature limits she did not know of, she went to professional cooking school. Restaurants are potentially serving you this food. Look at what they use, what stands the test of time and safety. We have many mental, physical health issues. Consider toxicity tests, pan companies should be required to give free tests. Great video, have a relative who was gifted a set of unsafe cookware, none of them were aware.
So glad this channel popped up on my YT home page. Gonna binge on it like mad. We've gone through our fair share of teflon and "ceramic" pans but nothing is as beloved as much as our garage sale cast iron pans and skillets.
Buy a carbon steal or a cast iron if you want a "forever" pan. They are truly the only pans/skillets that will last your child's lifetime. Enamel coated cast iron is a amazing option if you're looking for something a bit more stylish! Granted they are a little more initial work to get them eggs to slide but once you have a solid layer of seasoning you don't have to worry about anything sticking!
You shall not steal carbon.
@@seriouscat2231 Carbon thieves leave evidence: Carbon footprints ;)
I've been using the same well-seasoned anodized aluminum and iron cookware for 4 decades. No need for teflon or new-fangled ceramic. Plus, I'm not afraid to use a bit of oil or butter.
There's nothing like cooking on a well-seasoned pan 🤩🤩
I mostly use cast iron, but I inherited a cast aluminum Dutch oven from my late grandma, and it's awesome.
Thank you, I was considering ceramic, but have decided to go with Stainless steel now to go with my cast iron frypans.
I have nonstick, carbon steel, stainless steel and cast iron pans. There are trade offs with all of them but to me the most versatile is stainless steel. It sears and can be thrown in the dishwasher. I don’t worry about the seasoning of the SS pan since what makes it work for me is the temperature of the pan, sufficient oil, and knowing basic cooking techniques.
Cookware made from clay can contain lead. There are testing kits available to check for this. The most non-stick durable product I know of is carbon steel. It is similar in some ways to cast iron except that it is lighter and the surface is smoother so there is less tendency for food like eggs to stick. A bonus is that high quality carbon steel pans can be found for well under $100.
I make eggs every day in my cast iron it rarely sticks.
Thank you! I was hoping someone would mention that clay (and colored glass) have the potential to have toxic metals. There's uranium in some antique glass and pottery, for instance (it glows under UV light and is pretty cool...but I wouldn't want to eat from it!).
The pigments in glazes on clay can also have toxic metals. A lot of the old Correlle dishes have designs painted with pigments that contain toxic metals. Once you scrape through the clear glaze, the toxins can leach out into your food. Pottery that is natural (uncolored) clay with a clear glaze is usually one of the safer options. It's always good to research the company, and test for lead if you can!
🤐@@LeeRoland
i make cookware from natural clay, most toxins are in the glaze, but cheap glazes are with lead, i will never in my life use lead based glazes. fun fact, old plates (30 yrs ago and more), cups etc who was with red colour have uranium in the glaze :D
@@Farsiratorius Natural clay can also contain "some ammounts" of lead. What's with you people. Do you think we import lead or aluminium from Mars?
I am an ancient history teacher and I use my trusty old Spanish claypot for almost everything. As long as the recipe doesn’t involve sudden changes in temperature (causing heat shock to the pot), I will use it and it is incredibly easy to clean. Curries are annoying though because the smell will linger until I soak it with baking powder.
The solution to curries is to have a dedicated curry pot.
That’s very fascinating! I’ve heard of clay cookware before from various cultures and the concept seems cool to me
@@jackyichan4759 As a reenactor I can attest to the delights of ceramic pots. They also clean really well if they have interior glaze. Try a glazed tagine and you'll see.
Ah! Thank u for the baking powder tip!
Claypots are indeed great.
Food is somehow tastier and keeps heat so well you usually gotta turn the fire off some time before finishing it.
Done stews that were still kinda boiling almost half an hour after the fire was turned off
I use a stainless-steel pan for everything except eggs and pancakes. For those I have a T-Fal pan, which allows metal utensils, doesn't feel greasy, and has a heat-indicator spot, although who knows what chemicals it contains. I don't use cast iron because it's so heavy.
We only cook in cast iron. Mostly because it has lasted forever (belonged to my wife's grandpa) Got sick of buying disposable pans. Once again a great video!
They're so durable we'd recommend them a million times over - thanks for being a part of the team!!
I've also found that cast iron cooks in a unique way that adds flavors I've only been able to get from cast iron.
Cast iron is the best since you can use it for more than just cooking a steak. You can make breads or desserts in it as well. Much more multi-functional in use than typical skillets.
I converted to cast iron about 10 years ago. No regrets. It's amazing.
I use cast iron for almost everything. Started as a teenager. I've never regretted not having toxic cookware.
From stove top to oven - not a problem. Can't beat that.
I have a question someone may have the answer to regarding seasoning. A year or so back I got a thrift store deep skillet. No knowing what it had been used for, I stripped it down and baked the living daylights out of it, then tried to season it. Tried all the tricks I'd heard about, like oil it and bake it at 450 for a couple of hours, fry potatoes ---- nothing worked, it all came off when frying something like steak. Then, a few months back, I was making some hot sauce and browned the peppers in the pan. Ended up with a beautiful season that has lasted. Does anyone have a clue why that worked when nothing else did?
@@Stevefor1776Wild guess: the ph of the pepper juice broke down something on the surface that was preventing the season from bonding?
Or maybe it was always going to take you that many tries to get it to work and the peppers just got lucky.
I might try peppers for the hell of it. I'm having a hell of a time with my grandmother's Dutch oven.
Ps what kind of peppers? Maybe that will turn out to be important. 😂
@@phantomkate6 Thanks for the response! They were jalapeños (about a dozen) and 3 Fresnos. Worked on 'em till they were good and brown on all sides, about 20 minutes.
The only other thing I can think of is that with my attempts at seasoning, I did the typical minimal oil coat, both for the oven version and stove top. Even with the potatoes I didn't use a lot of oil. With the peppers I probably had about a depth of 3/16 inch. At any rate, I'll try it again when I stumble across another "find".
I used to work as a materials scientist making ceramic coatings for stone countertops. The core ingredients (look up methyltrimethoxysilane, or organofunctional silanes) are thought to be safe on countertops because the molecules in the coating crosslink with the stone surface and each other. That being said, heat can break covalent bonds between molecules. I have not done extensive research into the cooking aspect of these molecules. I would imagine that some of these molecules may break off and end up in your food due to heat + mechanical disturbances from a spatula/cooking utensil. The coating molecules are likely still inert at this point and will not "react" with and bind to your body/digestive system. That being said, the human body and digestive system are complex, and just because these molecules don't "react" and permanently bind to a part of your body/digestive system. It is unlikely, but there may be some receptor on the surface of your cell that these molecules transiently/temporarily bind to (Think like a hormone receptor or something). Whether the temporary binding causes any positive/negative effects on our health is way out of the scope of my knowledge and probably requires lots of testing.
I would not expect to see long-term negative effects though. These molecules likely just pass right through you and any negative effects would probably be seen immediately. If you are that scared, don't use it. As they say, the dosage is the difference between medicine and poison. The amount you would be exposed to is not likely to be poisonous. I also don't think anyone died/got cancer from using a non-stick pan. The articles I have seen are all at the large, manufacturing scale.
Yup, with you on this, and as a quantum/material physicist, who studied the interface between ceramics and metals for 13 years, I can tell you, 1) you’ll ALWAYS get some metal percolating across the ceramic layer and into your food, with heat, 2) you will get bonds breaking down in your ceramic, and the underlying elements leaching into your food.
The ultimately safe cookware is steel, cast iron coated with ceramic, or old fashioned ceramic pots. The mixer aluminum cookware coated with ceramic just won’t cut it.
Ok, I’m going to copy-paste a apart of this comment, and leave it in the comments section.
I totally agree. My brain made it through half the video thinking, 'what the heck?! I didn't know that!' until the graphic came up saying it was a silicon matrix, not a silicone oil. Big difference. I'm not concerned about some glass nanoparticles or even the amount of aluminum you get through the microporous ceramic substrate (a large percentage of restaurants exclusively use aluminum for *almost* everything). The issue I have with these products is that they're billed as a healthy alternative to teflon when, in fact, well-cared-for teflon which isn't overheated isn't all that horrible. In fact, it's a uniform non-porous coating which is just about the most chemically inert substance known to man.
The pancake at 4:00 was criminally undercooked
Decades ago my mother switched to glass cookware. It took her a while to using the glass pans (which is a little different / tricky compared to other materials and surfaces) but she was convinced that the purity / neutrality was worth the extra bother.
I remember growing up with the vision cookware. Only the cool kids mom's had that sniz. I kind of wonder where the ubiquity went and why it stopped being a thing.
@@mattd1188it scratches and breaks, sometimes pretty violently, losing your dinner because heat stress made your cookware shattered tends to stop people repurchasing.
@@percyvile ah, I see. I mean, all of that makes sense.
Yep, heat stress, bumping it with something hard or dropping it tends to cause it to break. @@percyvile
My mother had one of those pans. One day we were eating dinner and it just exploded in the kitchen. Near as I can figure, after she took the food out she set the pan down on a surface that was insulated on one side and conducted well on the other, which caused it to warp. It took about ten minutes.
Cast iron stands up to me, and that’s saying a lot.
This video was really helpful since I’m shopping for cookware at the moment and you covered my biggest concerns.
I didn’t know about Xtrema- definitely adding it to the list!
I have my GRANDMA's cast iron
I purchased my first cast iron pan in 1967. It was made in Japan, 7" and the inside is machined both bottom and sides. It is well seasoned and I love it. It is better now than when I bought it 55 years ago. It is the perfect size to make a 3 egg omelet.
Who makes a 3 egg anything? That's like for bachelors. I need something for 10 people.
I was under the spell of the Always Pan and asked my husband if we could get it and he was like absolutely not 💀 so I got enameled cast iron instead and I'm so glad cause they have the durability of regular cast iron but no seasoning❤️
I didin't know this, thanks. I always was scared of cast iron because of the seasoning~. Will definitly look for an enameled one.
@Mlem yeah! They're great and they can still be nonstick if you just preheat the pan and add a little oil👍🏼
@@mlem6951 The seasoning isn't difficult. No dishwasher and no sink soaking. Light wash, towel dry, wipe the inside and outside of the pan with a food grade oil, but not olive oil because it can get a rancid feel. Pop in a warmed oven before storing for next use. Over a short time, you will only have to re-season the interior of the pan to maintain the slick coating.
Is enamel cast iron non stick or kind of?
@@mlem6951 cast iron is amazing, makes the best steaks and grilled chicken
The fun part is, silicon is pretty fine to consume in some compounds. You can also get silica supplements, so that's not the issue. Particle size could be, once the particles are small enough to get phagocytized. Ceramic materials usually are very insoluble at physiological pH values.
The base coat can be analyzed with various methods if you are really interested. Find a lab that can do SEM-EDX, IMS or XRD analyses.
When considering buying a product in this day and age I always like to check out what professionals are using when possible.
In this case, I worked in hospitality and you won't ever see crap like this in a professional kitchen so I have what they have, 100% stainless steel pans (with the exception of one that was gifted)
Don't burn your food, remember oil won't kill you, and soak it with water and white vinegar after and it will be good as new 🙂
based
thats interesting, so you dont use soap on cast iron?
That surprised me when I had jobs in kitchens; you see all these beautiful fancy pots and pans at homes, yet in the places were they do it day in day out, they have simple banged-up cookware almost permanently stained black on the place that touches the fire
@@lrizzard they're not cast iron, they're stainless so they look shiny and chrome. But I don't believe you're meant to use soap on cast iron.
However on stainless steel like I have, you can definitely use soap and I also use a coconut fibre scrubber 🙂
@@bellasmith8821 you can use soap on cast iron. It can't remove proper seasoning, only the stuff that wasn't set properly. What matters most is that you dry out COMPLETELY, and then heat it a bit to make sure you get all the water off.
The key to keeping cast iron around for a lifetime is seasoning it using high heat in an oven for 10 minutes or so. I also rub a bit of coconut oil from time to time. I love it. Just got a ceramic cast iron Dutch oven. Can't wait to use it. Thanks for this information. Keep up the good work ❤❤❤!
"The silicone oil is released every time you cook"
Just buy cast iron cookware
Biiiig fans of cast iron over here 🖐
@@LeviHildebrandYT it is the superior one after all
You mean I am not supposed to use silicone personal lubricant to previous food sticking‽ 🤣
About 15 years ago, my mom bought a ceramic pan. The nonstick lasted for about a year before it just didn't work at all, and it was never quite as nonstick as a teflon pan.
You could also mention the outdoor trifecta of aluminium, stainless steel, and titanium. Alu is light and cheap but doesn't like open flames, stainless is cheap and is better at transmitting heat, but it is heavy, and titanium is very expensive, but light and basically indestructible. Non-stick is generally not the best idea outdoors unless you specifically want to fry something liquid and you don't have access to a water source to scrub your cookware afterwards. Like with Gore-Tex, you can get by without PTFEs unless you are in very specific situations.
With the blackouts in Ukraine I'm learning to cook with outdoor equipment indoors, just in case natural gas infrastructure gets affected. I did buy a small non-stick pan recently for this purpose, as water may become scarce at the same time, yet I'll still have access to my wood and silicone utensils.
Good reminder. Always based on the comfort of running water and endless electricity from outlets a closer look into alternatives would be great.
Actually, stainless steel is a poor conductor of heat. Aluminum is far better, and copper is even better still. That's why high end stainless steel cookware always has aluminum or aluminum+copper cores. The stainless steel is there to provide a safe cooking surface, and to make them easier to clean and usable on induction cooktops. I think you're thinking of cast iron or carbon steel, which actually aren't that great conductors either, but they make up for it in the way they can store and emit lot of heat.
@@jc3drums916 From what I understand, it is easier to cook on stainless _because_ it is a poorer heat conductor and has bigger thermal mass. In thin aluminium cookware food burns far more easily if you don't precisely control the heat, which can be a problem if your stove is not specifically made for cooking and is more meant to boil water with, such as a Jetboil. Stainless transmits heat slower and more evenly, which is desirable. For outdoor use I have a couple of aluminium pots with radiators on the bottom for preparing sublimated foods, boiling grains and noodles, or making hot drinks (which is the usual plan if I go on a long trip somewhere with abundant water sources, like the Carpathian mountains), a small stainless cookset for using with open flame and actually making food from raw ingridients on shorter trips or picnics, and a bigger aluminium non-stick coated set with a pan for emergency use or car camping with a big group of people. Maybe I'll eventually buy something from titanium as a bit of an investment. Indoors, yeah it makes more sense to use heavier or less durable materials like carbon steel or copper.
instead of quibbling about the heat transfer thing (aluminum is actually much faster to heat up and transfer heat than steel) i'll say stay safe and slava ukraini!
See BEAU if the Fifth Column on TH-cam. He has some great survivalist hacks. I hope you have WATER PURICATION TABLETS.
Cast iron and enameled cast iron are the best. I have a Lodge pans set, and their enameled Dutch oven, and I love them. I can cook nearly anything in my cast iron, and as a cool bonus, it actually helps my anemia not be so bad! No weird chemicals to worry about, and some of the pans I have are older than I am, and will be passed on to my own children, so it’s definitely a Buy It For Life product!
Since moving out of my parent's house 7 years ago, I have only had electric ranges. This means that my cooking experience has certainly had something left to desire. This said, with cast iron, once the pan heats up the changes in the heating coil are less noticeable. I have only used my 10in cast iron pan because of this for the entire time I have been living alone. I season it every now and again. I really like butter, so I usually have some lubricant when I cook. I'm hoping to have this pan my whole life. Would be the best $20 purchase I could have made. Even now I think it was totally worth it to get it new.
Great video. You could have mentioned carbon steel also. Another useful trick for cleaning pans, get a hard plastic scrubber with a good handle. So much better than trying to use a sponge or brush.
Carbon steel has become my favorite for anything but sauces that are acidic.
When food sticks to one of my stainless pans, I rinse the pan with hot water and then squirt a little castille soap (dish soap is fine, too) followed by a liberal sprinkling of baking soda. I create a paste and let it sit for twenty minutes or so and then wash it. If food sticks to my cast iron I do the same thing except I omit soap and heat the cleaned skillet on the stove to dry it.
This is why I stick to cast iron, stone, glass, and stainless steel cookware. We know what these materials are, what they do, and how long they last.
Loved it, thanks! What about the old-timey porcelain enameled steel pots and pans? They work wonderfully for the acidic dishes, and aren't at all difficult to clean.
I'm surprised you didn't mention enamel cookware. As far as I've heard, the enamel coating is pretty much straight up glass and harmless. There's also porcelain ceramic, but I don't know as much about it. Personally, I use cast iron, it takes minimal effort, and you can abuse the shit out of it and it's almost better for it. Seasoning isn't that difficult or as fragile as some say. (Soap is fine.)
Enamel is just going to chip down the line so it’s not the best choice for me
@@Artofcarissa Never had any of my pots chip in over 25 year. But then they are high quality Staub and LeCreuset. But even the rather cheap Ikea (Made in France) enameld Cast Iron I used for a long, long time strting when I moved to my first flat never chipped or had any issue.
@@Artofcarissayou have to spend top dollar, but they last and the companies have a great customer service department
I was looking if someone mentioned this. Yes, thank you. Personally I'm going to replace my old nonstick pan with enamel coated cast iron.
In fact, that "ceramic" moniker may well be just another name of low end enamel cookware
My De Buyer Mineral B heavy carbon steel pan with the enameled handle is my favorite pan hands down. It is as heavy, robust, and tough as as any cast iron pan, but the smooth surface still builds up a seasoning like cast iron, but if you do a quick seasoning before cooking sticky food (heat a bit of oil to the smoke point and wipe it out to make a fresh surface layer),, then you can add your cooking oil and even fry or scamble eggs with minimal sticking. Just add oil after removing food and some salt abrasive and you can wipe out any mess before rinsing, heating dry, and putting it away. But as long as any mess is in oil there is no need to clean it in any rush, and it is near impossible to fuck it up in a way you can't repair.
Even chips in the enameled handle can be seasoned in the oven, but the pan is so overbuilt it will never wear out and like cast iron the surface self repairs, but unlike cast iron, the small pores prevent any rust or corrosion under seasoning that can call for more intense restoration. So it is pretty idiot proof, you can literally just add seasoning with a paper towel on the stove, or easier, by frying some vegetables with a millimeter of oil and some stirring.
It is the one pan I would pick if I was only allowed to use one for the rest of my life because it does everything that cast iron does, and with spot seasoning and enough oil it can do 90% of what Teflon pans can (all but the most delicate dishes), but it only gets better with time and practice, while requiring absolutely no babying whatsoever.
It is so rugged that stainless steel pans seem silly (more sticking, but a lousy sear). Even acidic food is doable, if seasoned and a bit of iron accepted. The mild benefits of stainless to those few dishes like salmon in lemon was not enough to stop me donating my old stainless pan.
It was like $85 for the 11 inch which sounds high, but it is harder to produce than a similar cast iron, but it won't scratch your glass stove, and will never need replacing like a Teflon pan will.
all of our items are cast iron, enamelled cast iron and solid earthenware ceramic, and the biggest initial adjustment was actually losing the convenience of quick heating/engaging the seasoning ritual! but it does build a kind of bond caring extra for your cookware and when you adjust your schedule/timing for it, you never really look back because the results, reliability and durability are definitely unmatched!
I love using mine. I set the temperature on low(ish) and let it heat up while I do something other. When I’m finished cooking, I usually scrape any stuck on bits with a fish spatula, scoop them out, and add a bit of oil. If whatever I made was particularly gross, I use a wetted towel to wipe the pan out, keep it hot enough to dry, and then add oil while it’s still hot. If I’ve left leftovers in it for an extended period of time 🤢 then I’ll bring the pan to the sink and wash it, heat it, oil it. Super simple. I don’t know how people struggle with this
@@ashleym.9682my cast iron is all rusted on the bottom, I guess I got lazy at some point but I tried to be so good about it 😢
Great video providing mostly excellent info. My only issue is stainless steel leaching nickel or chromium. Nickel doesn’t melt until 1400*C and chromium is 1900*C. I’m pretty sure the gas cooktop I use doesn’t get close to that. For most metals to ‘leach’ they need to be close to melting, still solid, but ‘softer’. Then it will start to leach. (I used to work in a foundry). At the ~200*C max we generally use for cooking, stainless isn’t going to leach.
I have recently moved to stainless, after a decade with Circulon cookware. I was totally happy with the Circulon, but felt I wanted to change it up a tad.
Keep up the great videos, I also love my cast iron cookware.
Been using cast iron almost exclusively for 20 years. Paid $11 for 3 frying pans that got me started. Eventually got rid of all my other cookware for cast iron versions. The best way to season cast iron is USE IT EVERY DAY. Over time it becomes utterly non-stick because oil bonds to the surface in a chemical process that also slowly smooths the surfaces making it slick. Diligent attention to seasoning cast iron is necessary only in the first six months of daily use, but after the bonding builds, you can wash with soap, cook tomatoes, and all the other silly taboos people say about cast iron. Just don't put in a dishwasher. Scrubbing occasional food residue can be done with wire brush, kosher salt, or scrunched up plastic produce bags. The only fussy things are heating the pan for 5 minutes before cooking or its cooking surface is uneven and it is not lightweight cookware; it is HEAVY.
My issue with cast iron isn't the seasoning or cleaning but the fact that it's heavy af. If I can't move a pan with one hand, I'm probably never going to want to cook with it.
Get a high carbon steel pan instead. Functionally it's the same as cast iron, but it's a whole lot lighter. If you season it properly food doesn't stick to it, like cast iron, and also like cast iron it will rust if you don't dry it after you clean it.
Me too. Im very short with tiny hands and wrists. Even the lightweight carbon steel hurt my hands and wrists. People just don't understand it.
Cast iron FTW. A big skillet (I bought 10 years ago) a small skillet (from the 1920's, inherited from my grandmother) a pizza pan (because...pizza!! and naan, and tortillas, and pancakes) and an enameled cast iron dutch oven. All American made Lodge, except for the vintage piece. We bought a GreenPan a few years ago, but it's already stopped being nonstick. We won't be keeping it.
We have stainless steel skillet too for things that are high-acid, also a few stainless steel pots for cooking things that you'd normally make in a pot.
That's such a good setup! A good mix of cast iron and steel will never do ya dirty ✨🤗
As an archeologists already pointed out, the reason we know so much about ancient cultures e.g. the Yayoi and Jomon periods in Japan is because of their pottery aka ceramic cookware.
I feel like plate steel or carbon steel is missing from the list (you can't list everything but i feel like you cannot leave this one out). It's what woks are usually made out of and big in French cuisine, very good balance between quickly heating up, heating retention (though not as good as the much heavier cast iron but still very good) and great browning of food (Maillard reaction). De Buyer and Demeyere are to brands known well to professional chef's.
Another option that's easy to clean are CorningWare glass pans. It may feel strange at first to cook with glass but it heats up well, can handle extreme temperature differences and is super versatile. They're also much lighter than cast iron (which is great too) so for anyone w/disabilities or issues handling cast iron, it could be a good alternative. In a similar vain, carbon steel has similar properties to cast iron and are about half the weight to handle so those can be a good option as well.
That's what I used to have but unfortunately I've now got an induction cooktop and I can't use them anymore :(
My glass sticks like crazy and if you happen to burn anything you’ll be screwed forever my opinion, I don’t know what kind of glass you’re using I still cook with it because I trust it and I don’t want to die of cancer however to me sometimes it’s almost worse than stainless steel when it comes to cleaning, so props to for whatever you’re doing!
I've definitely burnt a few things for sure haha. When I do, covering the pan with a bit of baking soda and warm water and then using the backside of a sponge lifts it right up. To prevent it I still always use a bit of fat or liquid depending on what I'm making and use med heat. The few times I turn it up high I have burnt things Immediately. @@ladyfame1430
@@ladyfame1430Tried Bar Keeper's Friend (oxalic acid)? I nearly got rid of my stainless pan and now it looks almost new. No hard scrubbing, either!
I used to have the old glass CorningWare but got rid of it after a freak accident occurred after cooking I put it on what I thought was a dry surface but there was a little water and I could hear a strange crackling and it literally exploded frightened the heck out of me, fortunately I was far enough away (sure God was watching over me) that the shrapnel did not hit me but scary and what a pain to clean up!
Been wanting a cast iron skillet for a while. Going to get one right now.
A good investment for sure, and sometimes you can find them second hand! Not always though, people hold onto those things for life 😅
If you are going to look to get it used at a thrift store or such, make sure you give it the "sound test". If the cast iron has a crack in it (might be hidden under crud) it'll make sort of like a "buzzing" sound (think the noise that snares make on a snare drum). If there is no crack, it'll make a ringing sound (kind of like a cowbell). There are a few videos on youtube where people show what a cracked pan sounds like.
You don't want to buy a cracked pan.
@@LeviHildebrandYT There is actually a bit of a market for vintage cast iron pans, but there are plenty in circulation as they are cheaper to produce than any similar quality pans, they can be passed down indefinitely, and some people make a hobby of restoring the most abused and damaged pieces, sometimes as a service and sometimes to sell with the restoration process being a point of pride in the listings
@@KellyS_77
If I'm not mistaken, only high quality cast iron alloy will produce that certain kind of sound. Low quality alloys will produce a much different sound.
You should look into carbon steel, way less heavy and has almost all the benefits of cast iron
Excellent video ! Very informative! Thanks for doing all the hard work and research to make this video
I find ceramic cookware is amazing at first, but starts to lose its non stick properties within only a few months. Just get carbon steel or cast iron if you want non stick. They both get better with use instead of worse, and the only thing they might leach into your food is iron.
As a a chronic iron deficient, I find this extremely interesting lol