@@nighthawkcm8872 I said....I said..... biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch
So nice to hear the story behind each item. My most prized pan is my Mom's skillet. When she passed away 14 years ago, my dad told all the kids (4 of us) to take whatever cookware we wanted. I was the last one to make it over to the house, but, inexplicably, no one took the 10 inch cast iron skillet and glass lid that she cooked most of our meals in. Eggs and bacon on Sunday mornings, seared/country-fried steak (usually round steak because we didn't have much money), fried chicken - the best I've ever had. That no-name cast iron skillet with the glass lid lives on in my kitchen, and I'll pass it to one of my kids. That's the beauty of great cookware. And memories.
I have my dad's cast iron skillet that he inherited from his dad. I don't cook in it super often but it's such a sentimental touchpoint for me. And then for Christmas a couple years ago my uncle actually bought a 12 inch lodge and sanded it down to a smooth surface and then seasoned it for me. Love how cookware comes with stories.
I actually really enjoy these types of videos where he just talks about his gear especially as I start to (try to) accumulate some nicer cookware. Especially interested in a video on all the chefs knives (I currently have a 10 dollar ikea knife lmao) thanks for sharing your knowledge kenji!
I thought my kitchen was overflowing with cookware until seeing this video. I made up my set from various brands and have what suits me well. Stainless steel bought 30+ years ago is still holding up well. The cast iron came from my parents and grandparents. Hammer Stahl cookware is now Heritage Steel. I have their 8 qt saute pan and love using it. Thinking of getting three braziers between 15-25 qts because I cook in bulk and either home can it or put in the freezer.
Best pots and pans review! This one comes with true user review after long term use. Reviews on new pots and pans can’t compare to this one! Enjoyed this video! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
@@eldarulanov2582 I am the exact opposite. I just can't accept that any stain on my cookware is permanent. I want every piece to look new forever. Or, as long as I am alive. I love my cast iron, but am not a collector of vintage. I love how my cast iron (modern day Lodge) has saved me from spending so many hours scrubbing pans.
For anyone that hasn't heard much about carbon steel pans.... I LOVE my matfer bourgeat pans. They are BY FAR the best pans I've ever had and honestly give me a more enjoyable cooking experience. I don't think carbon steel pans are popular/known about in the states. I am so glad I found them.
I know. I love my carbon steel pans too. I just about died when he put $400 worth of Aus-Ion carbon steel pans - 2 were UNUSED- in the give away box. My 10” Aus-Ion pan is my most treasured pan I own! (headslap) I’ve got a slick-as-glass seasoning on mine. Give it away? What were you thinking?
@@DeadInTheFace I can remember what I have bought in the past year, maybe. After that it gets fuzzy. But I am old enough to know it isn't important to recall exactly when I have bought everything. I will probably better remember what I have bought this year because it is one of the worst years of my life. And new cookware is always the rare happy memories.
Thank you for motivating me to throw out my useless, annoying grill pan. I have hated it since the first time I used it, and yet I've kept it for 20+ years. Well, that's over.
I used a reversible grill pan a friend bought years ago, and never liked the grill side. Friend didn't like it either. A few years ago, came across a small grill pan and old Wagner bean pot I restored. Both free. Two things I learned: 1. Grill pans are not for me because they are a pain to clean. Not worth it to put lines on my food. 2. Restoring old cast iron is not for me. Pot still looks beautiful but I never use it. Keep telling myself it needs a lid. But I know how much work I put into it, so will probably never use it. I have a couple dozen modern Lodge cast iron I use and love that I use almost exclusively. I don't yet have enameled cast iron, but have an Instant Pot for the times I would probably use enameled.
The ring around the bottom of the National cast iron pan is called a heat ring (sometimes also called smoke ring). You find those on a lot of the older cast iron pans. They helped the pan sit evenly in the eye of the stove, and both Griswold and Wagner (and every other manufacturer from a certain timeframe) made pans with different styles (outside like this one and inset where they were slightly recessed from the edge, some had notches at different points too) heat rings at various times. Out of all those pans, the National is probably the oldest! They were one of Wagner's budget brands, probably made in the 1920's. The budget vintage brands are some great users to this day, since they were cast lighter and with thinner walls they don't have as much heft as a modern pan of the same size. I'm so glad he made this video, I've been wanting to see his cast iron forever!
@@hhjhj393 For most people, I think you're right. For Kenji, who develops recipes as a living, if I recall correctly, having a lot of cookware isn't as crazy as it would be for you or I.
Yes!! I think so many people are intimidated by these types of pans because they don’t know how to season them, and there’s SO much conflicting info online!
@@katl8825 I think he explains it pretty well in the video, which is the same way deBuyer say to do with their carbon steel pans. Just fry stuff with oil like you would do in a stainless steel pan, wash it with soap like you would do with stainless steel, but then heat it up after until it smokes a little to dry and then put vegetable oil of some sort over it rub with paper towel and store away. Repeat, you get seasoning. All these videos about putting it in the oven and shit, sure you can do that if you want something more uniform, but it really has no practical use. Also, soap really doesn't matter, soap doesn't destroy polymerized oils which is what your seasoning is made of.
I can't appreciate you enough for this video. When I started learning how to cook various meals in various methods, (for hobby of course tho) it always gave me headache to choose which items or which tools would be best or proper to buy, especially after buying stuff that disappointed me a lot. I was lately thinking of adding several new pans, and I am so happy to find a video that wasnt supported by some companies. You gave me a chance to study tips of experienced cook. 🙂 Thank you!
I work in the metal finishing industry. We run pots and pads from all the manufactures. It's fun to see the spec that each manufacture demands. Chances are, if it's more expensive, more went into it. Now i'm not an expert user of all the brands, but i really like the tramontina stuff for the price.
Truly great video showing the affection a craftsman has for his tools, the inner workings of the mind of a chef, and the heart of a father, husband, and friend. Surprisingly little sentimentality shown in the winnowing of these pans otherwise, but then again I'm a hoarder.
This is some real premium content right here, and so useful. I have long hated grill pans, and glad to see you share the sentiment. The first chapter of The Food Lab was one of my favorites, so I can't wait for the knives and other kitchen videos!
"Grill pans are useless for anything other than cosmetic." Well, yeah! That's why we use them! You and I both know that customers often anticipate grill marks, even if they don't necessarily mean anything. Keep making insults toward my grill pan and I'll have a reason to come on down there to Cali. ;) Seriously, though, you helped me in my early sous vide journey and I thank you. I'd probably still be a cook watching BWB (no shade intended) without your help. Instead I'm a chef, and I love everything I create. This last Thanksgiving I made five types of deviled eggs - smoked salmon with dill, bread&butter pickle, pumpkin pie (I thought it was weird and so did my family, but it totally works), crispy sage&bacon and spicy kimchi. Thank you for making being a chef accessible.
My mom looked over while I was watching this vid. Her first reaction: “Oh my god, that’s so many pans, why would someone ever need this many” Her second reaction: “This guy knows what he’s doing, all of these pans are in beautiful condition.” Her third reaction: “Can you send me his channel? I want to subscribe” 😂 +1 fan
That whisper when you start talking about your wife scratching your nonstick is absolute hilarious. Everybody in a relationship can relate to that lowered volume of voice! Hahaha
It's like me talking about the time my husband surprised me by doing all the dishes... including scrubbing my antique cast iron. He was so proud of himself for scrubbing it until it looked like new. 😭😭😭
Wow! Thank you, Kenji - I've been popping my popcorn in a heavy-bottom pot and I always have to take out the popcorn right away and clean out the kernel shells every time or else the carry over heat burns it all to a black crisp. Definitely going to get me an aluminum whirl-popper for my birthday lol. Loved learning so much from this video - TYSM for your generousity 💌.
I have an antique 4 qt cast iron dutch oven that is my pride and joy. It was my grandmother's. From bread to chili to pot roast, it makes everything taste wonderful.
After watching this video last weekend I bought the Falk 9” fry pan. Received it today & put it to use immediately...wow, what a Beautiful piece of of equipment. I am a cookware junkie and have been collecting pots & pans for over 50 years and still have them as most are high end brands i.e., Staub, Le Creuset, All-Clad etc., but I think my new fetish is going to be Falk! I will admit it’s on the heavy side, my 9” pan weighs 4.3 lbs! Guess I can stop lifting my dumb bells😉 Thanks Kenji for your helpful recommendations...they are greatly appreciated.
I nominate this video for the most interesting "My cookware" video I have ever seen. Truthfully, I usually only like cast iron enough to watch other's videos to the end. But you had my complete attention, even though I have no desire to acquire more cookware. It was just fascinating to watch, on a "I completely understand how difficult it is to finally sort and part with cookware." level. I don't have anywhere close to the quantity you have but a voice in my head tells me it's time to purge. Naturally, I subscribed after glancing at other videos you have posted that I look forward to watching,
I saw the title and knew this was going to be the best video ever! I wish every chef did that, both at his house and restaurant. Decompose every gadget, show everything
Really didn’t expect this vid to be so entertaining but with all the info you were giving and knowledge about the brands made it so compelling to watch
Terrific video. Do one on kitchen junk drawer for assorted oyster knives, shears, bottle openers and wine corks. Looking forward to one on knives. Baking pans/casserole pans? So freeing to pare this stuff down.
I find this super relaxing...I also love how matter of fact Kenji is about his likes and dislikes about his pans. I'm super glad we agree on the wok being the work horse of the kitchen :-)
Mr. Kenji, those Aus-ion Pans you showcased, those are made by a company called Solidteknics, i recently bought one because i wanted to try carbon steel pans. The pan is made out of wrought iron but functions exactly the same as carbon. The satin or rough finish makes it slightly faster to season, it gets smooth with seasoning. Really good pan and looks cool
Please do a vid on how you organize your kitchen. I recently bought a similar drawer knife block after noticing yours. I’d love any other tips like how you store your pans!
My experience with cast iron: no need to warm to even slight smoking of the pan to reseason, we have had great experience scraping well, warming only to touch temperature, and then exposing the surface to fat or oil. The less you worry, the less the cast iron will trouble. We use dawn dish detergent every time we cook with our pans. Our pans are the new lodge with sand pitting. I think that the scraping makes the difference.
I love my 125 year old cast irons. Griswold and Wagner’s from my grandmother. I use them everyday. Over easy eggs? No problem in my CI. I also refurbish iron.
Whoever ends up with the Aus-Ion Solidteknics pans..especially the Crepe pan is going to be fortunate. They are so very good! You may regret giving away that Crepe pan Kenji.
I made a similar device to the wokmon for searing hotdogs/sausages on a gas burner out of a lot of tinfoil. Takes all the heat from a large burner into a slot opening just the size of the sausage. Combined with a microwave, I get a great hotdog in about a minute.
Hey Kenji you should definitely auction the pans off online as a fundraiser for charity, there are so great ones that could use support right about now, and I think people would be really happy to get a pan that's "Kenji Approved"!
The ring on the bottom of old cast iron is a smoke ring. When you want a hot pan, you lift a burner plate off the fire box of a coal or woodstove. Place the pan over the opening, the ring prevents smoke from escaping.
I love the fact that you gave the company name, I hope they are open for business during cuarentena, I recently moved out of my parents' home and am still buying kitchen utencils
I saw an article about seasoning cast iron with flux seed oil and did it as it told. After a month or two of usage, it started flaking. I didn't know why, so I just stripped the old seasoning and reseasoned again with the same flux seed oil. After several months it started flaking again. After that, I found an article on serious eats about why you shouldn't season with flux seed oil and finally switched to neutral vegetable oil. It was harder to season it, but after 2 months of usage it became very non-sticky and easy to clean and so far it never flaked. Thank you for that article! I don't eat polymerized oils any more from flaked seasoning, lol :D
This was pretty interesting, and glad to see I use a similar arsenal of main pots and pans. One disagreement though - you said for stock pots that full cladding up the sides is completely useless. Sure, for 12 quart or something, that may be true, but I just replaced a disc bottomed 8 quart stockpot with the Viking fully clad 8 quart, and could not be happier. I put the same amount of water in both, and on my electric stove the Viking came to a boil much faster, and also held a much stronger rolling boil, whereas the disc bottomed stock pot could barely get above a simmer. So, perhaps on a strong gas burner, enough energy can go into the disc stock pot to keep the water at a strong boil, but for my weaker electric stove, I have seen a definite improvement. Also, I dont mind that the clad version is heavier - it feels sturdier and I plan on keeping it for life. Again though, if I ever get a 12 quart or bigger stock pot, then of course I would only consider disc bottom and aluminium sides. Cheers Kenji, love your channel!
on this episode of Kenji's Cooking Show: Kenji re-enacts an episode of Hoarders by documenting just how much equipment he has accumulated over the years and only cleans out a small fraction of that mass.
Haha that giveaway box would've made some students really really happy :D I've started thinking about cast iron, carbon steel and stainless steel cookware as something to give to a child who's moving to his own place. It'll stay to the next generation and get better even, and be so valuable (and saves so much when you never have to get those pans). Still looking forward to that cast iron seasoning methods comparison video :)
Hey Kenji can you please shoot a video on your ideas about how to organize a kitchen and keep the clutter minimal. Also some tips and tricks for people who live in a small place and may not have a dedicated kitchen would be super helpful.
The raised lip on the cast iron pan is a heat ring. Old coal- or wood-burning stoves had rings on the burners to fit different sized pans. Not sure about that National, but a heat ring often indicates an early 20th (or late 19th) century pan. Even old Griswold and Wagner had them. Lots of good TH-cam videos out there about vintage cast iron identification.
What a coincidence! Was just reading your article on saute vs fry pans on serious eats! This gave me more ideas about what might help round out my pot collection! 👍🏼
Of course the ONE pan I was looking forward to hearing about (after seeing it perform in one of your videos) is the most expensive one jaja. Also glad you clarified the tin comment because I was driving myself crazy googling tin coated pans!
There are a couple companies trying to resurrect old-style cast iron production. Thinner casts + machining. Costlier than Lodge of course. And then he mentions some of the new ones. Have a Field skillet, very nice.
For the giveaway you could have your fans send in photos of them recreating your quarantine dishes, and pick from the photos for who receives a pan or two. Love your videos Kenji, you're such an inspiration to get cooking.
I have the exact same Le Creuset Dutch oven but in red. I bought it a few months ago with the intention of using it and then one day giving it to my grandchildren
Maybe as part of the cast iron test you could also grind down one of the lodge pans to a smooth surface and see if it's possible to get some of that old timey goodness from a new pan with a little elbow grease. Not that I'm against antique iron by any means.
32:45 "No matter how well I did as a cook, I might as well work in a McDonald's because a cook is a cook." -Kenji's mom Damn, that hurts me and she didn't even say it to me.
The boys and girls of scouts BSA troop 39 in chapel hill, NC and any local scout troop would make great use of these. All scouts have to earn cooking merit badge on their way to eagle scout. We in troop 39, use Dutch ovens for cooking and teach our scouts to use and look after them.
Lol I figured this video I would for sure find out which tamagoyaki pan you were using the other day! I even saw it a couple times and thought it here were go!
Am I really gonna spend my Saturday watching a 30min video about pots? Yes.
These types of videos are always best at 1.5x speed.
Its a sunday for me...didnt even watched it all because i was cooking while listening xD
Is there a better way to spend 30 minutes in a Saturday?
Saturday night fun for me!
As the Moody Blues sang *_Tuesday_* *_Afternoon_* for me.
Love how he started whispering when he was talking about his wife scratching the nonstick pan 😂
Hes brave but not that brave
Reminds me of that key and peel skit where they are talking trash about their wives lol
I would NOT leave those copper pans in sight if I were him
@@nighthawkcm8872 I said....I said.....
biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch
@Raymond Ngu 12:11 lmaoooo
So nice to hear the story behind each item.
My most prized pan is my Mom's skillet. When she passed away 14 years ago, my dad told all the kids (4 of us) to take whatever cookware we wanted. I was the last one to make it over to the house, but, inexplicably, no one took the 10 inch cast iron skillet and glass lid that she cooked most of our meals in. Eggs and bacon on Sunday mornings, seared/country-fried steak (usually round steak because we didn't have much money), fried chicken - the best I've ever had.
That no-name cast iron skillet with the glass lid lives on in my kitchen, and I'll pass it to one of my kids. That's the beauty of great cookware. And memories.
that's so sweet
I have my dad's cast iron skillet that he inherited from his dad. I don't cook in it super often but it's such a sentimental touchpoint for me. And then for Christmas a couple years ago my uncle actually bought a 12 inch lodge and sanded it down to a smooth surface and then seasoned it for me. Love how cookware comes with stories.
I actually really enjoy these types of videos where he just talks about his gear especially as I start to (try to) accumulate some nicer cookware. Especially interested in a video on all the chefs knives (I currently have a 10 dollar ikea knife lmao) thanks for sharing your knowledge kenji!
I thought my kitchen was overflowing with cookware until seeing this video. I made up my set from various brands and have what suits me well. Stainless steel bought 30+ years ago is still holding up well. The cast iron came from my parents and grandparents.
Hammer Stahl cookware is now Heritage Steel. I have their 8 qt saute pan and love using it. Thinking of getting three braziers between 15-25 qts because I cook in bulk and either home can it or put in the freezer.
shoutout to Kenji for putting all of the links in the description. that probably took hours
Best pots and pans review! This one comes with true user review after long term use. Reviews on new pots and pans can’t compare to this one! Enjoyed this video! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
19:38 - "Does me having used it give value to a pan? Maybe for some weirdos" - How to call your entire fanbase weirdos
dude this dude has a pan for 20 years and it looks nicer than my 2 year old pan.
That just proves he’s independent. 💪🏽
@@eldarulanov2582 I am the exact opposite. I just can't accept that any stain on my cookware is permanent. I want every piece to look new forever. Or, as long as I am alive.
I love my cast iron, but am not a collector of vintage. I love how my cast iron (modern day Lodge) has saved me from spending so many hours scrubbing pans.
I take weirdo as a compliment
I'm the weirdo that would buy a pan Kenji used once.
I bought that same set of Tramontina pans a few years ago! Can't beat them for the price, probably all the quality most people will ever need.
For anyone that hasn't heard much about carbon steel pans.... I LOVE my matfer bourgeat pans. They are BY FAR the best pans I've ever had and honestly give me a more enjoyable cooking experience. I don't think carbon steel pans are popular/known about in the states. I am so glad I found them.
I know. I love my carbon steel pans too. I just about died when he put $400 worth of Aus-Ion carbon steel pans - 2 were UNUSED- in the give away box. My 10” Aus-Ion pan is my most treasured pan I own! (headslap) I’ve got a slick-as-glass seasoning on mine. Give it away? What were you thinking?
@@posterestantejames wait till you hear about the one piece 'Shibata pan'. My favorite :)
Man, the dude knows exactly when he bought each pan.
HKim0072 would be more surprising if he didn’t, how much stuff do you buy that you don’t know when you bought it?
@Raymond Ngu try 70+
@@DeadInTheFace I can remember what I have bought in the past year, maybe. After that it gets fuzzy. But I am old enough to know it isn't important to recall exactly when I have bought everything.
I will probably better remember what I have bought this year because it is one of the worst years of my life. And new cookware is always the rare happy memories.
He recounted his entire life story through those pans.
@@DeadInTheFace the issue is more just that my memory isn't that good in general
Thank you for motivating me to throw out my useless, annoying grill pan. I have hated it since the first time I used it, and yet I've kept it for 20+ years. Well, that's over.
I used a reversible grill pan a friend bought years ago, and never liked the grill side. Friend didn't like it either.
A few years ago, came across a small grill pan and old Wagner bean pot I restored. Both free. Two things I learned:
1. Grill pans are not for me because they are a pain to clean. Not worth it to put lines on my food.
2. Restoring old cast iron is not for me. Pot still looks beautiful but I never use it. Keep telling myself it needs a lid. But I know how much work I put into it, so will probably never use it.
I have a couple dozen modern Lodge cast iron I use and love that I use almost exclusively. I don't yet have enameled cast iron, but have an Instant Pot for the times I would probably use enameled.
i never thought id be so intrigued by a stockpile of pans and pots
The ring around the bottom of the National cast iron pan is called a heat ring (sometimes also called smoke ring). You find those on a lot of the older cast iron pans. They helped the pan sit evenly in the eye of the stove, and both Griswold and Wagner (and every other manufacturer from a certain timeframe) made pans with different styles (outside like this one and inset where they were slightly recessed from the edge, some had notches at different points too) heat rings at various times. Out of all those pans, the National is probably the oldest! They were one of Wagner's budget brands, probably made in the 1920's. The budget vintage brands are some great users to this day, since they were cast lighter and with thinner walls they don't have as much heft as a modern pan of the same size.
I'm so glad he made this video, I've been wanting to see his cast iron forever!
The sanest approach to cookware I have ever seen. Valuing utility and quality over the fetishization of expensive "fashiony" brands.
@@chasg5648 You think it's sane for someone to have like 80 pots and pans? I am thinking like One pot, one pan...
@@hhjhj393 For most people, I think you're right. For Kenji, who develops recipes as a living, if I recall correctly, having a lot of cookware isn't as crazy as it would be for you or I.
Yes - would love to see a comparison of how to season a cast iron pan.
And carbon steel as well!
Yes!! I think so many people are intimidated by these types of pans because they don’t know how to season them, and there’s SO much conflicting info online!
@@katl8825 I think he explains it pretty well in the video, which is the same way deBuyer say to do with their carbon steel pans. Just fry stuff with oil like you would do in a stainless steel pan, wash it with soap like you would do with stainless steel, but then heat it up after until it smokes a little to dry and then put vegetable oil of some sort over it rub with paper towel and store away. Repeat, you get seasoning. All these videos about putting it in the oven and shit, sure you can do that if you want something more uniform, but it really has no practical use. Also, soap really doesn't matter, soap doesn't destroy polymerized oils which is what your seasoning is made of.
I can't appreciate you enough for this video. When I started learning how to cook various meals in various methods, (for hobby of course tho) it always gave me headache to choose which items or which tools would be best or proper to buy, especially after buying stuff that disappointed me a lot. I was lately thinking of adding several new pans, and I am so happy to find a video that wasnt supported by some companies. You gave me a chance to study tips of experienced cook. 🙂 Thank you!
Big love for the effort put into the description
Kenji, you put me on to Tramontina a few years ago, and they have served me well. It's nice to see you still have yours. Thank you for that tip!
I work in the metal finishing industry. We run pots and pads from all the manufactures. It's fun to see the spec that each manufacture demands. Chances are, if it's more expensive, more went into it. Now i'm not an expert user of all the brands, but i really like the tramontina stuff for the price.
Kenji, you know all your tools so well, which shows that a craftsman always knows his tools!!
0:46 Kenji's talking about this wok like some would a tank or a gun lmao
Lmao
Hahahaah
Hi Hickok45 here...
Love me a well seasoned tank
I could never imagine that Kenji would have a Tramontina pan. That makes a Brazilian proud.
Truly great video showing the affection a craftsman has for his tools, the inner workings of the mind of a chef, and the heart of a father, husband, and friend. Surprisingly little sentimentality shown in the winnowing of these pans otherwise, but then again I'm a hoarder.
This is some real premium content right here, and so useful. I have long hated grill pans, and glad to see you share the sentiment. The first chapter of The Food Lab was one of my favorites, so I can't wait for the knives and other kitchen videos!
"Grill pans are useless for anything other than cosmetic." Well, yeah! That's why we use them! You and I both know that customers often anticipate grill marks, even if they don't necessarily mean anything.
Keep making insults toward my grill pan and I'll have a reason to come on down there to Cali. ;)
Seriously, though, you helped me in my early sous vide journey and I thank you. I'd probably still be a cook watching BWB (no shade intended) without your help. Instead I'm a chef, and I love everything I create. This last Thanksgiving I made five types of deviled eggs - smoked salmon with dill, bread&butter pickle, pumpkin pie (I thought it was weird and so did my family, but it totally works), crispy sage&bacon and spicy kimchi.
Thank you for making being a chef accessible.
My mom looked over while I was watching this vid.
Her first reaction: “Oh my god, that’s so many pans, why would someone ever need this many”
Her second reaction: “This guy knows what he’s doing, all of these pans are in beautiful condition.”
Her third reaction: “Can you send me his channel? I want to subscribe” 😂 +1 fan
That whisper when you start talking about your wife scratching your nonstick is absolute hilarious. Everybody in a relationship can relate to that lowered volume of voice! Hahaha
It's like me talking about the time my husband surprised me by doing all the dishes... including scrubbing my antique cast iron. He was so proud of himself for scrubbing it until it looked like new. 😭😭😭
Wow! Thank you, Kenji - I've been popping my popcorn in a heavy-bottom pot and I always have to take out the popcorn right away and clean out the kernel shells every time or else the carry over heat burns it all to a black crisp. Definitely going to get me an aluminum whirl-popper for my birthday lol. Loved learning so much from this video - TYSM for your generousity 💌.
Hey mate . Love your videos. Can you give us a tour into your fridge. I woud love to see how you store your products!
Kenji giving us his inner Marie Kondo kitchen edition. He felt a connection with all of it.
I have an antique 4 qt cast iron dutch oven that is my pride and joy. It was my grandmother's. From bread to chili to pot roast, it makes everything taste wonderful.
After watching this video last weekend I bought the Falk 9” fry pan. Received it today & put it to use immediately...wow, what a Beautiful
piece of of equipment. I am a cookware junkie and have been collecting pots & pans for over 50 years and still have them as most are high end brands i.e., Staub, Le Creuset, All-Clad etc., but I think my new fetish is going to be Falk! I will admit it’s on the heavy side, my 9” pan weighs 4.3 lbs! Guess I can stop lifting my dumb bells😉 Thanks Kenji for your helpful recommendations...they are greatly appreciated.
I mean this in the most complimentary way, but this video is so much more enjoyable than it has any business being
I got a set of Le Creuset pots for Christmas 53 years ago and still use and love them!
I nominate this video for the most interesting "My cookware" video I have ever seen. Truthfully, I usually only like cast iron enough to watch other's videos to the end. But you had my complete attention, even though I have no desire to acquire more cookware. It was just fascinating to watch, on a "I completely understand how difficult it is to finally sort and part with cookware." level. I don't have anywhere close to the quantity you have but a voice in my head tells me it's time to purge.
Naturally, I subscribed after glancing at other videos you have posted that I look forward to watching,
I saw the title and knew this was going to be the best video ever!
I wish every chef did that, both at his house and restaurant. Decompose every gadget, show everything
Kenji, please do knives, next!
At the end he says he's going to do one on knives next.
does anyone know what he's doing at 17:14, 17:49, and 18:08 like why does he touch his knife like that
@@wenzyd9551 to see how sharp they are without slicing his finger off.
Testing the strength as well
*Looks at my one Walmart non-stick pan and 1 Ikea aluminum pot*
I think I'll keep these ones.
hammer stahl goes by heritage steel now from what i can tell. so happy i finally got to hear more about kenji's copper lined pans. maybe someday :)
Really didn’t expect this vid to be so entertaining but with all the info you were giving and knowledge about the brands made it so compelling to watch
Terrific video. Do one on kitchen junk drawer for assorted oyster knives, shears, bottle openers and wine corks. Looking forward to one on knives. Baking pans/casserole pans? So freeing to pare this stuff down.
I find this super relaxing...I also love how matter of fact Kenji is about his likes and dislikes about his pans. I'm super glad we agree on the wok being the work horse of the kitchen :-)
@10:10 “even if it has thin sides, as long as you have a nice thick bottom, that’s all you need” well said. Thick bottoms for life.
Mr. Kenji, those Aus-ion Pans you showcased, those are made by a company called Solidteknics, i recently bought one because i wanted to try carbon steel pans. The pan is made out of wrought iron but functions exactly the same as carbon. The satin or rough finish makes it slightly faster to season, it gets smooth with seasoning. Really good pan and looks cool
I LOVE my Aus-Ion pan. Carbon steel. He gave three away. Two were unused. I’m astonished.
Was skeptical that I’d watch this entire video but I did. Commentary was spot on and completely useful.
I've been waiting for a post like this for so long - thanks Kenji!
I wouldn’t have guessed that I’d be so pumped for this video but I totally am
Me too 😂
By comparison, my kitchen does NOT look cluttered and I love the reference point. Thanks, Kenji!
You answered my lifelong burning question about my flaky carbon steel pan! Dang flax seed oil!
Please do a vid on how you organize your kitchen. I recently bought a similar drawer knife block after noticing yours. I’d love any other tips like how you store your pans!
Oh to be in the Goodwill near you!
My experience with cast iron: no need to warm to even slight smoking of the pan to reseason, we have had great experience scraping well, warming only to touch temperature, and then exposing the surface to fat or oil.
The less you worry, the less the cast iron will trouble.
We use dawn dish detergent every time we cook with our pans.
Our pans are the new lodge with sand pitting. I think that the scraping makes the difference.
I’m glad you kept the Dutch oven. Even just for the sentimental reason
I love my 125 year old cast irons. Griswold and Wagner’s from my grandmother. I use them everyday. Over easy eggs? No problem in my CI. I also refurbish iron.
Whoever ends up with the Aus-Ion Solidteknics pans..especially the Crepe pan is going to be fortunate. They are so very good! You may regret giving away that Crepe pan Kenji.
I'm so in awe of Kenji that I'm watching him decide which cookware to keep.
It would be really nice to get a video of how you store all of your pans and pots!
I made a similar device to the wokmon for searing hotdogs/sausages on a gas burner out of a lot of tinfoil. Takes all the heat from a large burner into a slot opening just the size of the sausage. Combined with a microwave, I get a great hotdog in about a minute.
Hey Kenji you should definitely auction the pans off online as a fundraiser for charity, there are so great ones that could use support right about now, and I think people would be really happy to get a pan that's "Kenji Approved"!
The ring on the bottom of old cast iron is a smoke ring. When you want a hot pan, you lift a burner plate off the fire box of a coal or woodstove. Place the pan over the opening, the ring prevents smoke from escaping.
I love the fact that you gave the company name, I hope they are open for business during cuarentena, I recently moved out of my parents' home and am still buying kitchen utencils
I saw an article about seasoning cast iron with flux seed oil and did it as it told. After a month or two of usage, it started flaking. I didn't know why, so I just stripped the old seasoning and reseasoned again with the same flux seed oil. After several months it started flaking again. After that, I found an article on serious eats about why you shouldn't season with flux seed oil and finally switched to neutral vegetable oil. It was harder to season it, but after 2 months of usage it became very non-sticky and easy to clean and so far it never flaked. Thank you for that article! I don't eat polymerized oils any more from flaked seasoning, lol :D
My favorite non stick pans are Zwilling Madura. Great handles. No rivets. Heavy bottom. Induction ready.
Good to see you're getting a handle on this pan situation.
This was pretty interesting, and glad to see I use a similar arsenal of main pots and pans.
One disagreement though - you said for stock pots that full cladding up the sides is completely useless. Sure, for 12 quart or something, that may be true, but I just replaced a disc bottomed 8 quart stockpot with the Viking fully clad 8 quart, and could not be happier. I put the same amount of water in both, and on my electric stove the Viking came to a boil much faster, and also held a much stronger rolling boil, whereas the disc bottomed stock pot could barely get above a simmer.
So, perhaps on a strong gas burner, enough energy can go into the disc stock pot to keep the water at a strong boil, but for my weaker electric stove, I have seen a definite improvement.
Also, I dont mind that the clad version is heavier - it feels sturdier and I plan on keeping it for life.
Again though, if I ever get a 12 quart or bigger stock pot, then of course I would only consider disc bottom and aluminium sides.
Cheers Kenji, love your channel!
on this episode of Kenji's Cooking Show:
Kenji re-enacts an episode of Hoarders by documenting just how much equipment he has accumulated over the years and only cleans out a small fraction of that mass.
This is why I don't want to buy too many pots.
Very excited for the future knives video!
Best of all, Japanese Handmade Iron Exterior Enclosed Inner High Carbon Steel: Deba, Usuba and Yanagiba are my treasures.
Haha that giveaway box would've made some students really really happy :D I've started thinking about cast iron, carbon steel and stainless steel cookware as something to give to a child who's moving to his own place. It'll stay to the next generation and get better even, and be so valuable (and saves so much when you never have to get those pans).
Still looking forward to that cast iron seasoning methods comparison video :)
I am LOVING your process, Mr. L!
Hey Kenji can you please shoot a video on your ideas about how to organize a kitchen and keep the clutter minimal. Also some tips and tricks for people who live in a small place and may not have a dedicated kitchen would be super helpful.
I love your beautiful cast iron pan, antique-unique, priceless, may last for more than a hundred years, > 100 years,
The raised lip on the cast iron pan is a heat ring. Old coal- or wood-burning stoves had rings on the burners to fit different sized pans. Not sure about that National, but a heat ring often indicates an early 20th (or late 19th) century pan. Even old Griswold and Wagner had them. Lots of good TH-cam videos out there about vintage cast iron identification.
Agreed. About non-stick pans.... I always but at TJ or Home goods for less than $25-30.
What a coincidence! Was just reading your article on saute vs fry pans on serious eats! This gave me more ideas about what might help round out my pot collection! 👍🏼
Of course the ONE pan I was looking forward to hearing about (after seeing it perform in one of your videos) is the most expensive one jaja. Also glad you clarified the tin comment because I was driving myself crazy googling tin coated pans!
Why is this so soothing to watch
I had that same whirly pop when I was little. It was my favorite way to make popcorn
Agree on grill pans! I have an expensive Le Creuset that I may now give away, after your validating comments. Hate cleaning that thing!
the le cresuet non stick 2 piece set it like $175 on amazon. I would recommend buy them from a outlet store. the amazon ones I got came dented
So jealous. You own just about every quality pan out there.
Looking forward to your video about seasoning cast irons! Good to hear confirmation from you that using soap when cleaning it is just fine.
There are a couple companies trying to resurrect old-style cast iron production. Thinner casts + machining. Costlier than Lodge of course.
And then he mentions some of the new ones. Have a Field skillet, very nice.
I love hearing about this sort of thing! I'm a dentist and I love instruments and tools!
For the giveaway you could have your fans send in photos of them recreating your quarantine dishes, and pick from the photos for who receives a pan or two. Love your videos Kenji, you're such an inspiration to get cooking.
I have the exact same Le Creuset Dutch oven but in red. I bought it a few months ago with the intention of using it and then one day giving it to my grandchildren
Maybe as part of the cast iron test you could also grind down one of the lodge pans to a smooth surface and see if it's possible to get some of that old timey goodness from a new pan with a little elbow grease. Not that I'm against antique iron by any means.
I have a modest collection of old Wagner (Sydney O) cast iron pans I could not live without. They're the best :)
32:45 "No matter how well I did as a cook, I might as well work in a McDonald's because a cook is a cook." -Kenji's mom
Damn, that hurts me and she didn't even say it to me.
Now I don't feel so bad about having too much kitchen equipment. Thank you!
So long, Spoony! You were well-loved.
I had seen that 3.5 quart, slope sided saute pan in quite a few of his videos and thought it looked really handy.
Please make another one of these now that you're settled at the new place! Knives, baking gear, tools, etc....
The boys and girls of scouts BSA troop 39 in chapel hill, NC and any local scout troop would make great use of these. All scouts have to earn cooking merit badge on their way to eagle scout. We in troop 39, use Dutch ovens for cooking and teach our scouts to use and look after them.
Lol I figured this video I would for sure find out which tamagoyaki pan you were using the other day! I even saw it a couple times and thought it here were go!
He's got a tamagoyaki pan link in the desription
@@bfinkenk oh dang! I didn't see it until this comment and I looked earlier. Maybe I missed it but it's also a different pan looks like.
Kenji, thank you. Great vid. Thank you. Cheers from Vancouver Canada...!
This was SO fun to watch. I wish I could buy that wok!
You can get All Clad on sale for decent prices if you’re patient.