Do you like cast iron?
And, really, is Calphalon over-rated?
*sorry, this is definately drunk content... :D
Really just depends on what you're cookin. Cast iron rocks for a variety of stuff though.
who can argue with something you're only supposed to barely clean?
Quote from: Jester on March 23, 2010, 10:06:55 PM
Really just depends on what you're cookin. Cast iron rocks for a variety of stuff though.
Zackly! For crepes and omelets you want steel, high heat cast iron, never use high heat with a coated pan and avoid acidic foods in aluminum.
My wife threw away all my well seasoned cast iron when she bought a new set of Calphalon hard anodized. [bang] 10 years later and she still hears about it!
Calphalon is good stuff but I like the natural non stick that occurs with a well seasoned skillet. I wont use non-stick, coated pans.
Cast Iron always excels in the blunt-force trauma category
Calphanon hard anodized is pretty good stuff..but pricey. their non-stick coated stuff is no better than any other brand IMO
Quote from: RAT900 on March 24, 2010, 03:54:06 AM
Cast Iron always excels in the blunt-force trauma category
The only comment worthy of a motorcycle forum. Carry on hooligans. ;D
cast iron is the be all you can be of cookware. you cant go wrong with it.
Ever seen chinese people cook? we have a big cast iron wok. and well thats about it.
Im sure theres plenty other ones that are good if not better, but its great for much, if i had only 1 skillet it would be cast iron, instead of the shitty teflon coated steel i have.
Quote from: howie on March 24, 2010, 03:24:24 AM
Zackly! For crepes and omelets you want steel, high heat cast iron, never use high heat with a coated pan and avoid acidic foods in aluminum.
This man is wise. I personally use cast iron for damn near everything, from frying eggs to making sauces to browning pork loin. I also seem to start a lot of cuts of meat on the stove top then transfer the whole pan into the oven to finish. Nothing beats cast iron for that. Teflon seems unnecessary. People have tried to tell me that you can't make an egg over easy in cast iron, but I don't seem to have a problem with it.
Hell I even bake my no knead bread and pizzas in a cast iron skillet. Works just as good as a pizza stone.
sac
/plus it was Wilma's weapon of choice when she wanted to whack Fred over the head with something
Quote from: herm (not herb) on March 24, 2010, 04:26:02 AM
Calphanon hard anodized is pretty good stuff..but pricey. their non-stick coated stuff is no better than any other brand IMO
I have some 10 year old Calphalon that is starting to deteriorate on me. I'm not impressed.
sac
/the best way to season cast iron is to make lots and lots of [bacon]
I personally like the stainless steel Calphalon over the hard anodized stuff. I also loooooove enameled cast iron, it's expensive but worth it!!
Quote from: DaniD on March 24, 2010, 08:39:15 AM
I personally like the stainless steel Calphalon over the hard anodized stuff. I also loooooove enameled cast iron, it's expensive but worth it!!
Do you know of any good brands that are less expensive than Le Ceuset?
sac
Hooligans. All of you.
Quote from: He Man on March 24, 2010, 07:11:07 AM
cast iron is the be all you can be of cookware. you cant go wrong with it.
Ever seen chinese people cook? we have a big cast iron wok. and well thats about it.
Im sure theres plenty other ones that are good if not better, but its great for much, if i had only 1 skillet it would be cast iron, instead of the shitty teflon coated steel i have.
Yep, cast iron is the first choice for everything from head bashing to frying bacon but this is more typical of the Chinese home cook'n I've experienced. No big cast iron wok but it's amazing what can be done with a little electric wok.
(http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k445/majmontana/DSCN0465.jpg)
Quote from: MrIncredible on March 24, 2010, 08:46:30 AM
Hooligans. All of you.
make the beast with two backs off! I will anally rape you with a chafing dish while pouring sabayon in your gas tank.
sac
/ :-*
Quote from: SacDuc on March 24, 2010, 08:45:51 AM
Do you know of any good brands that are less expensive than Le Ceuset?
sac
Martha Stewart @ Macy's
Quote from: Jester on March 23, 2010, 10:06:55 PM
Really just depends on what you're cookin. Cast iron rocks for a variety of stuff though.
+1 [thumbsup]
Cast iron is great, and I use my cheap ass Lodge pans all the time. I also have a cast iron wok that probably weighs 20 lbs. However, good luck cooking a crepe, swedish pancake, french omelet, or anything very delicate in a cast iron pan...even a well seasoned one.
I have some Caphalon non-stick pans that are about 15 years old. I've had to replace 2 of them. I like them, and you can find good deals on them. The non-stick coating isn't much, if any, better than some of the cheaper brands. However, be careful and really inspect the cheaper brand pans. Where high quality pans excel is in materials of the pan itself, how heavy they are, and how evenly heat is transferred. Any non-stick coating will probably work well and last (if you take care of it)...but nicer pans transfer heat more evenly, and therefore cook much nicer.
Personally, I buy nice pans...but not
too nice. I'd love a set of Le Cruset...but DAMN! :o
This thread has both "Martha Stewart @ Macy's" and "Hooligans" in it.
What a great melting pot (cast iron of course) is this great country we call DMF.
Quote from: NorDog on March 24, 2010, 09:44:19 AM
This thread has both "Martha Stewart @ Macy's" and "Hooligans" in it.
What a great melting pot (cast iron of course) is this great country we call DMF.
Martha Stewart is a felon, I don't see the disparity. ;)
sac
Can we please move this dialogue to Fondue Pots and cheese dip recipes?
Quote from: RAT900 on March 24, 2010, 09:51:33 AM
Can we please move this dialogue to Fondue Pots and cheese dip recipes?
We could.
sac
/if this was 1973 and we had all just received nonreturnable wedding gifts [roll]
i've also got some 10yr old caphalon that is starting to not work well
i have cast iron but i just use those on the barbeque 8)
Quote from: SacDuc on March 24, 2010, 09:46:19 AM
Martha Stewart is a felon, I don't see the disparity. ;)
sac
I have this recurring nightmare in which I'm in prison and I become Martha Stewart's punk. She makes me use napkin rings that I've been forced to make from toilet paper rolls.
Then we dance a la Sprockets.
i love my cast iron.
my g/f hates it because i won't let her scrub it [bang]
i like it because as sac mentioned, it can go from stove to oven very easily.
i have also cooked with it over a wood fire as well as on the grill.
it's a must have for fajitas.
Quote from: Johnny OrganDonor on March 24, 2010, 08:48:09 AM
Yep, cast iron is the first choice for everything from head bashing to frying bacon but this is more typical of the Chinese home cook'n I've experienced. No big cast iron wok but it's amazing what can be done with a little electric wok.
ohh hsit heman, i think he called you out on your chineseness :o
;D
The only cast iron I use is my Le Creuset grill/griddle. I don't like using cast iron fry pans. I prefer a copper/stainless or an aluminum fry pan. They get hotter faster and you can control the heat better in my opinion. Most good ones don't have plastic handles and can go into the oven as well.
I do have a small calphalon nonstick that I use for eggs and a crepe once in a blue moon. Because the coating goes on all of them, Im not sure I would spend $$$ on a nonstick.
After using my grandmother's over Christmas, this will be my next big purchase (http://www.mauvielusa.com/images/products/6562.28.jpg)
Quote from: NorDog on March 24, 2010, 10:00:35 AM
I have this recurring nightmare in which I'm in prison and I become Martha Stewart's punk. She makes me use napkin rings that I've been forced to make from toilet paper rolls.
Then we dance a la Sprockets.
Nightmare or fantasy?
I'm with Vinnie on this one. I like copper and or aluminum for cooking most quick things. Cast iron takes a long time to heat up, but I do like it for cooking chicken. I think I'd like cast iron better if I had a gas stove.
Lodge has a line of enameled cookware like the French stuff. The quality seems real good and its not so expensive.
I love my Lodge Dutch Ovens.
Another advantage of cast iron is that eating a meal a day cooked in a cast iron pan gives a person their total daily intake of dietary iron.
love cast iron in general....but FWIW picked up a commercial grade nonstick wok awhile back and it is REALLY handy for all sorts of things, the high sides mean much less mess on the stove too, complements my cast iron pans well
(http://content.costco.com/Images/Content/Product/471652.jpg)
I have a couple All Clad non sticks that are great for a lot of things. Sometimes you need to go cast iron (browning anything.)
You really don't want to use non sticks on high heat.
http://www.wisegeek.com/is-teflon-dangerous.htm (http://www.wisegeek.com/is-teflon-dangerous.htm)
Yeah I have a few, but I don't use them in high heat situations.
Quote from: howie on March 24, 2010, 08:13:10 PM
You really don't want to use non sticks on high heat.
http://www.wisegeek.com/is-teflon-dangerous.htm (http://www.wisegeek.com/is-teflon-dangerous.htm)
Yeah I have a few, but I don't use them in high heat situations.
I agree, something that kills birds is not to be taken lightly.
Quote from: somegirl on March 25, 2010, 09:29:07 AM
I agree, something that kills birds is not to be taken lightly.
i've killed birds.
does this mean i'll be taken more seriously now?
Quote from: somegirl on March 25, 2010, 09:29:07 AM
I agree, something that kills birds is not to be taken lightly.
This May I will start raising chickens. I will kill birds. No longer will I accept being taken lightly! [evil]
sac
+1 for Allclad.
I don't like an iron skillet except on the grill. Aluminum FTW.
I just picked up a 15qt pot, a 2qt rice steamer and 5 stainless utensils at an estate sale last Saturday. Got the whole batch for $50.
All Wolfgang Puck bistro collection.
8)
I keep one cheapie restaurant supply non-stick for fried eggs. Nothing else is allowed in the pan. I have never met non-stick that holds up well for long periods of time. That said I have a Caphalon non-stick grill pan that is the shit for quick chicken breast. It was a gift, probably wouldn't have bought it otherwise.
I have 4 cast iron skillets of various size. Anymore all I use them for is browning meat and cooking cornbread or pineapple upside down cake.
My skillet work horse is a ginormous All Clad stainless steel jobbie. Absolutely love it. Sides are just high enough to get that perfect kitchen flip, no turner required.
For dutch ovens and big stew pots, I am a Le Cruset whore. There is nothing like cast iron for getting up to temp and holding it.
My cast iron is used for pan frying steaks and burgers... damn thing sets off every fire alarm in the house... but the food tastes great. ;D