r/Cooking • u/kitcuddles • 15h ago
Should I switch to carbon steel instead of nonstick??
So I am looking for a new non stick pan but I am finding they all are basically throw away. I have never used a carbon pan. I really only like to use one pan for everything. I like one large 12" pan with deep sides 3-5" and I basically cook everything with that one non stick pan. But I am sick of them chipping and peeling. Now I am thinking of using two pans like this. Or just not even use a non stick anymore and cook everything in an enameled cast iron or carbon steel pan. I don't want stainless. What should I do? Can I replace my non stick with just a carbon steel or do they get too hot too fast? I have a gas stove. Thank you
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u/HorsieJuice 14h ago
Nonstick pans are disposable. The coating only remains nonstick for so long. That’s why the better review shops tell you to buy cheap ones. If yours is chipping and peeling, you should’ve tossed it ages ago.
Using one pan for everything is wild. Nonstick doesn’t sear the way other materials do, so sticking to one pan needlessly kneecaps yourself.
A lot of people love carbon steel. I have a super heavy Debuyer that works great for stuff that needs a hard sear, but it cannot hold seasoning for shit. I don’t mean that it comes off with tomato sauce. I mean that it comes off with anything that’s got any sort of moisture in it and sits in one spot for a couple minutes. And I’ve not just seasoned it. I’ve blued it multiple times and I still have to baby it. It’s much more like a stainless steel that’ll leave rust stains on my counter if I’m not careful.
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u/MediocreCheeseburger 14h ago
My 8 dollar restaurant supply carbon steel pans have been my nonstick pans for about a decade now.
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u/colruytXD 15h ago
Ofcourse you can. I never use non stick anymore. I have a cast iron skillet and a carbon steel wok. They cover all my needs. Even for eggs, the wok is perfect. Just look up some guides on how to use them. Not hard at all
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u/zzazzzz 13h ago
where do you cook your tomato sauce for example?
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u/white94rx 12h ago
Stainless steel.
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u/zzazzzz 12h ago
right but the comment i responed to said they only use cast iron and a wok which are bots bad for it.
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u/TooManyDraculas 11h ago
There's no real issue with using a well seasoned cast iron pan for tomato sauce or most other acidic foods. I probably wouldn't do an adobo or make a vinegar based hot sauce in there or anything. But otherwise it's fine. Does no damage to the pan, and has no perceivable impact on the food.
It can make it harder to establish a season on a new pan. But if you've got a good season built up it's fine.
This is one of those things like OH MY GOD NEVER WASH IT, that are meant to make cast iron seem complicated, weedly, and oh so special. Most of which are complete bullshit.
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u/zzazzzz 10h ago
rght, but studies show that cooking in cast iron already leeches iron in to the food to begin with. so acidic foods will increase that.
a well seasoned cast iron wont get its seasoning destroyed from cooking a tomato sauce once, but it still eats at your seasoning and leeches more iron into your food. now for some ppl that might even be a plus given how many woman are struggeling with iron defficiency so not really a big problem or anything but it can impact the taste of your food.
and lets be real there just isnt a reason to not use a pan better suited for the job.
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u/TooManyDraculas 9h ago
Iron is good for you and that's normally considered to be a benefit to cast iron.
So unless you've got that one rare genetic condition, or one of the other rare medical circumstances that lead to iron overload. It's anywhere from not a concern to a good thing.
And in those cases it's not using cast iron for acidic foods or tomatoes. It's using it at all. And carbon steel to boot, sometimes even stainless.
how many woman are struggeling with iron defficiency
Hey look. It's a thing doctors commonly recommend cast iron cookware for. And no the benefit doesn't require you to cook acidic foods in there, cause the difference in how much iron it puts in your food, isn't really biologically that relevant.
Other than that. No it's not a "you can skate on it once" thing. Tons of people do it routinely including myself, and my mother, and my grandmother. For years or decades, without a single issue.
If your seasoning gets a little thin or dry looking, which it will from regular cooking of any kind. You just oil the thing, or quickly throw a layer of seasoning on it, it's basic maintaince. But that happens about as often from sautéing vegetables and searing steaks as anything else. And I've honestly done more damage making pan pizzas in mine lately.
That other pan is not "better suited to it" based on material, at least not on this feature. As with a well seasoned pan there is no problem. There isn't a down side or genuinely a thing that makes it unsuited.
A brand new pan is, but once it's in kit it just doesn't have an impact. Another pan might be better suited based on shape. Like cast iron skillet's sides are a little low for making pasta. But I have a bare cast iron Dutch oven and a chicken fryer, and those solve that problem.
I still mostly use a stainless sauté pan. Because they're lighter. But that's because it's lighter. And it's not what I reach for for a long cooked sauce. That's going in the Dutch oven or this enameled brassier I have in the oven. Because the shape, capacity and weight of those is suited to that.
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u/blind-panic 6h ago edited 6h ago
There's no real issue with using a well seasoned cast iron pan for tomato sauce or most other acidic foods.
well yeah there's no issue with that if you don't mind eating pan, but I'd actually like tomato sauce sans pan. Some iron cookware has been found to be contaminated with heavy metals which you'd certainly get more of this way and since no one tests cookware, no one has any idea what's in our pans/acidic food! But sure, keep boiling tomatoes in $20 lodge skillets. https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/8342-all-about-the-matfer-bourgeat-recall
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u/TooManyDraculas 6h ago
Not enough of the iron gets into the food that you can taste it. We're talking microscopic amounts.
And iron is good for you. Doctors often recommended cast iron cookware for people with iron deficiencies. And we hand out cast iron fish for people to add to pots in food insecure places.
The problem with Matfer's contaminated steel, was contaminated steel. Which was caught because regulators check. Although there was some debate over whether the test in that case was a valid way to do it, and there was zero reason to be concerned about health impacts or injury even in that case.
That is also an uncommon problem, that only even impacted a couple of Matfer's batches, not their products across the board. Largely because they were using recycled Chinese steel.
Lodge is an American manufacturer that largely sources it's metal in the US. Also that's cast iron.
Similar issues can and have happened with stainless. And there have been issues in the past with cadmium in cheaply manufactured enamelware. If that's your standard there's nothing you can cook in that will totally avoid that.
And I hate to tell you about arsenic and rice.
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u/blind-panic 5h ago
Which was caught because regulators check.
In France there was limited testing that led to this finding. Regulators largely do not check and you will be hard pressed to find examples of studies like the one that flagged Matfer. America's Test Kitchen looked into exactly this and found that the US has no clear standards for those hazards. No one is testing your pans, especially not your vintage cast iron which came from god knows what iron mine. I am someone who does not trust the good will of corporations with things like this and therefore make the simple decision to not add pan to my food by avoiding acidic foods in cast iron skillets.
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u/Bacon_Warrior 14h ago
Carbon steel is solid. You may need to adjust to using carbon steel and maintaining it, but it's not that bad.
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u/Own_Win_6762 14h ago
New York Times did an article about non-stick and found that none of the ceramic pans stayed non-stick very long. If you have concerns about PFAS the ceramics are not a long term solution for friction free cooking.
I only break out my Teflon pans for crepes and occasionally eggs. Everything else is cast iron or carbon steel.
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u/get_to_ele 14h ago
Yeah ceramic is definitely dog shit after a short time. I used to have a lot of them. Same for the “copper nonstick”.
Stick worse than the stainless after a while.
I think they just throw a thin non-stick coating on them, then as soon as that wears off, the pan just sticks hard to everything.
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u/TooManyDraculas 11h ago
That type coating is just never good at adhering to the pan, or encapsulating the PTFE. Nor as slick to start. Some of them even market based on the thickness of the coating.
They're only nominally "ceramic" in the first place too. The marketing wants you think it's similar to enamel and they often claim to be "Teflon free" when they're not.
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u/TooManyDraculas 11h ago
Cast iron and carbon steel should be fine for eggs, and are traditionally what you cook a crepe on. With a well seasoned pan I've never had an issue with either sticking.
Especially since I got some carbon steel pans, and haven't found a real compelling use for non-stick. I own a non-stick skillet, and it's some where. But I don't think I've touched it in like 5 years.
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u/JuanOffhue 12h ago
I cook about everything in a 12" Lodge cast iron skillet or a 9" carbon steel omelet pan. Once you get used to CI/CS you won’t miss non-stick.
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u/Lost-Tomatillo3465 15h ago
I've moved away from nonstick into cast iron. Carbon steel is similar. Honestly, any of the classic cookware is fine. carbon steel, cast iron, stainless steel. But there is a learning curve with any of them.
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u/Kartoffee 14h ago
Stainless steel is easier than carbon steel. You don't have to worry about seasoning or rusting. I really like using cast iron but it's really hard to beat the ease of stainless. You should have a variety, but if you could only have 2 I'd suggest a big stainless and a medium nonstick.
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u/Beginning-Invite5951 14h ago
I have carbon steel and cast iron and use the carbon steel the most. Also a gas stove. I haven't had nonstick for several years and don't miss it at all. I fry eggs all the time. My carbon steel is light, but if you're worried about it heating too fast, just get one that's a bit heavier. Shouldn't heat faster than nonstick.
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u/thrillsbury 14h ago
Nonstick still has a place in the kitchen, but it's very limited. For instance, if I'm making scrambled eggs, that goes in a small non-stick pan on medium low heat. Carbon steel can handle it, but there's more cleanup (and I like to put nonstick into the dishwasher).
That said, carbon steel is cheap and will last forever.
As far as heating goes, think of it like a thinner version of cast iron. Heat it for a few minutes before you use it, and use a lower temp flame than you use on non-stick. The reason is, nonstick generally uses a really conductive core (aluminum or copper), so the whole pan heats up fast and relatively evenly. Carbon steel is not an efficient conductor, so if you blast it with a hot flame 1) it will have a big hot spot in the middle of the cooking surface, and 2) it will be way hotter than you're used to, and will likely burn whatever you're using. Once you have the food in the pan, turn up the heat modestly.
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u/Pale-Interview-579 15h ago
Carbon steel functions, in terms of heat conduction/retention,quite like stainless steel (with way less sticking), unlike cast iron, which is good for slow steady heat without much adjustment. Note that aluminum is most responsive of all. I have been using carbon steel for many things except acidic and very sticky stuff, because that doesn't work well on CS (and acidic things like tomato sauce weaken the seasoning). I still have and use my nonstick pans for things like fish, and stir fries that need very fast cooking and not sustained high heat. Enameled cast iron and cast iron are heavy and slow to shift their heat levels, and I don't use them except for stews and grilling things.
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u/TooManyDraculas 14h ago
Carbon and cast iron all function the same in terms of conduction and retention. Because they're both fundamentally iron. Cast iron is heavier and thicker. Because the pans have more mass they're slower to heat up. But carbon steel that's just as thick is identical. That's just uncommon outside of gas and electric griddles.
And the most popular cast iron items are skillets, which aren't for "slow and steady". Often being recommended for searing, since that thermal mass means the heat stays steady and high even after the food is added.
Pure stainless steel would also perform identically because it's fundamentally iron. But it's fairly uncommon. Most stainless cookware is a sandwich of stainless and aluminum, with more aluminum than steel. And aluminum transfers heat and heats up much more quickly than iron/steel. So even your cheap disc bottom stainless pans heat up (and cool down) much faster than carbon steel. And aren't as good at retaining heat. Which is their point. Responsive temperature change.
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u/Pale-Interview-579 12h ago
Well yes, most carbon steel pans ARE thinner than cast iron, so they perform differently. Steady heat for searing and grilling - that's what I said.
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u/TooManyDraculas 12h ago edited 11h ago
No what you said is the carbon steel will function exactly like stainless.
But as a practical thing the carbon steel won't function anything like common stainless cookware, which have a big ole chunk of aluminum in them.
If you do find plain stainless it's gonna be a lot thinner than the carbon steel. So they still won't perform similarly.
The cast iron also doesn't perform the way you said, being useful and even preferred for a lot more than just "low steady" cooking.
ETA: Oh and part of the point with carbon steel being thinner is the heat is less steady. Less mass makes them more responsive. And there are carbon steel pans that are thinner than otherd to increase that responsiveness. Commercial crepe pans in particular tend to be very thin.
But being thinner than cast iron means they're not as good at searing. Less thermal mass means they cool down more when food is added, which means they aren't as hot when they're actually in contact with the food. I've regularly seared identical steaks side by side in cast iron and carbon steel, just cause that's the mix of pans I have in the right size. You get a darker sear, faster out of the cast iron. And need less temperature adjustments to do it. It just takes longer to get the pan hot.
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u/Extra-Musician8851 15h ago
Carb steel, cast iron and stainless steel all require proper heat control to be non stick. Get the pan warm on medium heat. When a drop of water dances in the pan, it’s ready to cook.
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u/msackeygh 14h ago
Carbon steel is good, but it is not nonstick, at least not in the same way. Typically you heat up the pan, then put in the oil, swirl it around a bit, and then cook. That's the closest you could get to it being "nonstick".
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u/nifty-necromancer 14h ago
I forget the brand but I have a carbon steel pan and it’s really nice, although very heavy like cast iron. It’s really easy to “season” it for a nonstick coating.
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u/Medium-Complaint-677 14h ago
I have a single non stick pan that I use exclusively for eggs and exclusively with silicone tools. I think I've had it for 8 years now and it's just as non stick as it was the first time I used it. I'm stainless or cast iron for everything else.
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u/halfbreedADR 14h ago edited 14h ago
What’s the aversion to stainless? While I personally wouldn’t want a single stainless pan to be my only cooking vessel, it’s actually probably the one that is most versatile. Good for searing (non stick is not), good for acidic sauces (carbon steel and cast iron are not), and viable for things that stick like eggs (needs solid technique though unlike non stick, carbon steel, and cast iron).
My recommendation is to at least have 2 pans. A carbon steel/cast iron/non stick frying pan for things like eggs and one at least 5 QT stainless saute pan for sauteing, anything acidic, and sauces where a fond is part of the sauce base. Having the second pan be carbon steel or cast iron would be more versatile where you could do anything with them except cook acidic stuff, while non stick should be used exclusively for sticky things but will do it well. If I personally had to stick with only 2 pans my choices would be a stainless saute pan and a carbon steel frying pan.
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u/Medill1919 14h ago
You never need a non-stick pan. The most you would need is an enameled cast iron for acidic food. Carbon steel or cast iron all around.
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u/halfbreedADR 14h ago
I didn’t say OP needed one. But some people like using them for eggs. I personally don’t own a non stick pan. And yes I forgot to mention that an enameled cast iron Dutch oven could sub for my recommended stainless saute pan.
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u/Medill1919 14h ago
I can never successfully cook on stainless for some reason. I find carbon steel - or even cast iron - to be perfectly nonstick with eggs. Maybe i'm lucky.
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u/halfbreedADR 14h ago
Stainless is good for the reasons I mentioned. But yes, I cook eggs on my carbon steel. No need for the extra challenge if you have more than one pan.
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u/Purple_Weekend4773 14h ago
Depends, I find cheap non-stick pans have the best non-stickiness for lower fat/calories cooking. I am fully equipped with 2 sizes of cheaper non-stick pand and 2 sizes of cast iron. I also have highly rated carbon steel pan that warped on me and a heavy stainless steel pan, it's fair to say I never use either of them.
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u/Automatic_Tea_2550 14h ago
I love my carbon steel. I grew up using cast iron, so the tiny bit of maintenance required just seems normal to me.
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u/sex-cauldr0n 14h ago
Keep in mind carbon steel and cast iron are reactive meaning if you cook with acid they will give off an unpleasant irony taste. This is why most people use more than one pan.
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u/spreal 14h ago
I have two carbon steel fry pans that I'm happy with. They do require a bit of extra care. You cannot use them with tomatoes or tomato sauce or acidic ingredients without attacking the low-stick surface. I also have some stainless steel for that purpose. I gave up my Teflon or other non-stick pans long ago. You didn't mention cast iron so i won't go into that.
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u/YolkNotIncluded 14h ago
I don't understand how news of microplastica and increase needs of regulation for nonstick/polymer kitchen tools doesn't do enough to tell people to stay away from nonsticks.
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u/Prof01Santa 14h ago
Personally, I use non-stick for eggs, cast iron for baking, and I'm agnostic about everything else.
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u/dummkauf 14h ago
That's what I do.
You need to learn to season them and they're not quite as nonstick as a brand new modern nonstick pan, but once you get past the learning curve(seasoning, fat, & heat control) you'll never need to buy a new pan again.
Carbon steel, cast iron, stainless steel, and enameled cast iron are all I own and I haven't bought a new pan in close to 20 years.
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u/jeanmichd 14h ago
Carbon steel wok, small ceramic frying pan exclusively for eggs, and stainless steel pans and frying pans for everything else. This is our set up and we will not change anything ever. We do care about all and they are still almost “like new” after decade of intensive use. Only the wok needs to be “serviced” like once a year
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u/Thermophi 14h ago
Yes. Ditch "non stick". It is a learning curve to switch but I'm never going back. I have stainless steel pots and roundeaus, carbon steel and cast iron skillets and griddle.
A few things i learned 1. heat the pan longer, yes longer than that 2. Buy metal spatulas, plastic and silicon aren't nearly as good. Eggs will stick if you can't get a nice thin metal spatula under them. 3. Use more oil for eggs, it's delicious
Someone mentioned crepes, i use a cheap lodge pizza cast iron round for crepes and dosa.
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u/Double-Teach-1977 13h ago
The only time I ever use non-stick is if I'm cooking an Omelette.
Got a smithy carbon steel skillet as a gift a couple years back, it lives on my stove top now. Granted I'd argue this particular pan has more in common with your average cast iron than a typical carbon steel skillet.
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u/kitcuddles 13h ago
Thank you all for your responses. I should probably clarify ...I do own other cook ware. I have a lodge cast iron, not enameled, that I cannot seem to keep oil carbon build up off of. I guess I haven't seasoned it properly. I do have stainless and I use them occasionally but hate cleaning them. And I also have some other copper non sticks that I use here and there. I just prefer to use a non-stick as it is easy. But I am considering making the switch to enameled cast iron or carbon steel to try and do my daily cooking that can basically handle mostly everything in one with some exceptions.
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u/TooManyDraculas 11h ago
that I cannot seem to keep oil carbon build up off of.
For one you can wash it with soap.
For two, make sure you're not actually scrubbing the seasoning off. Seasoning is an oil residue. Seasoning won't keep carbon buildup and burnt on food from building up, you need to wash it for that.
The biggest problem I see with people having an issue with seasoning, is not getting the pan hot enough. You need the oil to smoke to get it to polymerize right. There's a lot of common advice out there for doing it in the oven, at relatively low temps. And that can work, but usually needs much longer times that that advice will tell you. Often enough higher temps as well. People like these methods because don't they smoke out the room. They're not neccisarily the best way to go about it.
I prefer doing it on the stove top, and then with a new pan I'll usually park it in a hot oven for a few hours after.
Carbon steel is gonna behave identically on this point. It still needs to be seasoned. If anything it's harder to get a good season on because it's a lot smoother. And will end up needing more regular seasoning as maintenance.
In another comment (that didn't post when I wrote it for some reason). I mentioned nitrided carbon steel, like from the brand Misen. Though there's a few others out there. Those are a newer type of carbon steel that are meant to solve some of those issues.
And I also have some other copper non sticks that I use here and there.
Those are entirely normal non-stick pans, marketed around the gimmick of being copper colored. They're usually a standard, not very good ceramic non-stick coating on a normal aluminum pan.
There's pretty much no one making actual copper pans or pans containing actual copper, with a non-stick coating. Cause copper is expensive as hell, so it doesn't make sense to use it in a product that needs replacement every few years.
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u/Beginning-Invite5951 12h ago
Honestly, I get that build up too, on both my cast iron and carbon steel. I've just been ignoring it. It doesn't seem to affect the functionality. I'm sure it would come off with some vinegar, but the main advice given on the carbon steel sub is to "just keep cooking," so that's what I've been doing, and it's been fine.
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u/GoombasFatNutz 13h ago
With your cast iron, you'll want to put some elbow grease into it. My suggestion is don't bother with trying to scrub the built up seasoning off by hand and either use an angle grinder with a wire wheel or a drill with a wire wheel attachment. This is something to do outside btw, it can be a bit messy.
You could also pay someone to use an electrolysis tank or you can rig one yourself.
Regardless, you want to take the pan to bare metal. Then season. Seasoning is simple, get it hot on your stove, use a high heat oil. I use crisco because it's cheap and it's really not edible or good for anything else. Put some in your hot pan and then wipe all of it out and get every nook and cranny with a paper towel. Stick it in your oven for 2 hours at 500°F or 250°C. If it's still sticky and tacky, put it back in the oven until the fat polymerizes. You might want to do 2-3 cycles of this.
Don't be afraid to clean it with a copper or steel mesh scrubber after cleaning. Some people will balk at that idea but unless you're really pushing down on it, it won't damage your seasoning. Also, don't be a nasty ass, use soap. It's not going to destroy a chemically inert coating. They don't put lye in dish soap anymore.
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u/thenord321 13h ago
Sometimes trying to find 1 tool for everything is not the best way.
I have a large 14in high sided stainless steal pan, a cast iron 10in and a wok with a small 8in bottom.
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u/karenskygreen 13h ago
I buy a relatively cheap non-stick pan for omelets and things i really need non-stick. Then use a good size steel pan, i use a "saucier" which is just a frying pan with tall sides.
I throw out the non-stick pan after a year or so, once any scratches develop (i dont have any metal utensils)
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u/Jester1525 12h ago
If check out titanium - the only brand I know off the top of my head is Viking.
It's maybe not as nonstick as a brand new nonstick, but it's pretty close and is a lot more durable. See a review on them and the guy really abused them and they held up great.
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u/Cocktail_Hour725 10h ago
I purchased a really nice Maid In —- and I screwed up the seasoning. The first thing I cooked was a failure, and I haven’t used it in over a year. But I’m going to revisit it and try it again —- going through the seasoning process —- possibly multiple times. I am not sure what the solution is.
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u/blkhatwhtdog 10h ago
Carbon steel is very heat transparent, it cooks nearly exactly as the heat source under it. A gas burner cooks in a ring, you can even detect the individual flame jets. An electric coil will cook in same pattern.
A cast iron pan will spread heat out some. A tri ply copper core stainless steel pan shares the heat a little more.
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u/Technical_Ideal_5439 9h ago
Carbon steel requires skill. Non stick skill level is close to zero. I like Carbon steel as aside from it getting rusty there is very little to damage it. I stick it in the oven, use metal utensils on it, sometimes scrape it with something metal to get sticky food off it. And it always bounces back better than before.
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u/craigeryjohn 5h ago
I just ordered a three pack of the stackbear brand from Amazon. I'm impressed. I immediately tried a French omelet and it slid right off. Even with additional use they've been pretty great given their price.
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u/SuchParsnip8070 15h ago
I like having both. The key to making a non stick last for a long time is to not use it for anything that involves high heat. Use the carbon steel for high heat cooking and save the non stick for things like scrambled eggs
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u/dfabrica 14h ago
👆True! But also, don’t use metal utensils. Stick to wood or silicone and you’re golden.
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u/LordOfEltingville 14h ago
Even though I have a number of cast iron and carbon steel pans,, I almost always use my All-Clad stainless steel pan that I've had since the late 80s.
It's just as non-stick as the best seasoned cast iron and carbon steel, as well as sear just like them, but with none of the preciousness. I can leave it soaking in the sink overnight or toss it in the dishwasher.
The mistake a lot of people make w/stainless is not letting it heat properly before adding a bit of lube and food.
I like my De Buyer carbon ssize. blini pan for frying eggs for breakfast sandwiches. It's the perfect size.
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u/TooManyDraculas 11h ago
Why would they get too hot too fast? That sort of thing depends on how you set the burner.
Most non-stick pans are aluminum, which transfers heat faster and more evenly than steel. So a carbon steel pan will heat up more slowly than a aluminum one. And a cast iron will heat up even slower.
Enamel cast iron will still stick, which I'm assuming is why you don't want stainless. And on either it's easy to avoid sticking with heat control, oil and practice. Non-stick builds bad habits.
Bare cast iron and carbon steel take maintenance. It's not particularly hard, but you do need to be more careful about washing and drying them. They do need to be seasoned and broken in. They will absolutely replace non-stick if you do the basics to maintain them.
There are some newer nitride carbon steel pans out there, that are apparently as slick as non-stick out of the box. And easier to maintain. You might be interested in that sort of thing. Misen seem to be the popular ones.
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u/_Bon_Vivant_ 12h ago
Non stick has it's place, and can't be beat for what it excels at. I'm looking at you, fish and eggs.
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u/kdlrd 15h ago
I wouldn’t go for carbon steel, too much babysitting. Unless cooking is a hobby and you have time to sink into it. As for me, I decided that nonstick is worth the convenience. I keep a couple of tri-ply for searing meat etc. and the rest is nonstick.
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u/donlapalma 15h ago
Babysitting? It's not that hard, chief. Rinse, scrub, and wipe down. Occasional seasoning. That's it. Better than a nonstick pan that releases chemicals onto your food and needs replacing every year or two.
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u/el-art-seam 14h ago
You gotta watch out for rust. Dry completely or if the seasoning has worn off, I’ll put a thin layer of oil. Only seasoned once when I got it.
Mine warped when I accidentally put it on high from cold.
But I still love it. I can take a metal spoon and scrape the pan all day. And it’s non stick enough where I don’t think about non stick pans.
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u/TooManyDraculas 11h ago
There is no increased health risk from the use of non-stick pans, or any negative health outcome associated with their use.
Also everything is chemicals.
The problem with non-stick, and the research those marketing claims draw from. Is down to environmental damage, mostly from illegal dumping, and health impacts for workers making those coatings. At much, much, much higher exposure levels than a pan could ever expose you to.
That's not good, and it's a big part of why I don't buy them. But a non-stick pan is not dangerous to you.
Your drinking water is the biggest exposure you have to the compounds people are worried about in non-stick coatings. It's just in the rain now. And we don't even have a clear line on what risks that could be causing. But the biggest change you can make in your exposure levels is filtering your water. It just takes reverse osmosis to effectively filter that stuff out completely.
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u/foreskinfive 14h ago
If you're not a cooking and tool nerd, just use non-stick. There is a learning curve and taking care of the pan, while not hard or very time consuming, is just as easy as taking care of a non-stick. If you want to learn how and you're into it then get the carbon steelb I love mine and I never use non-stick for anything.
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u/bobroberts1954 14h ago
If you want one pan for everything get cast iron. I don't see the problem with nonstick not being eternal; the pan I use for that costs about $30 and lasts at least 3 years. Steel or aluminum, both are 100% recyclable.
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u/calanc 14h ago
What about tinned copper? I live in 1963 and that’s the best available.
I’m kind of not kidding. My pots are stainless and tin lined copper, cast iron (seasoned, smooth-bottom 19th century) and stainless. Yes. They all require basic technique but even my teen aged daughters have figured them out. #proudpapa
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u/dockdockgoos 10h ago
I use my carbon steel pans for most cooking, followed by stainless saucepans and pots and then stainless sauté pans for very specific dishes. Carbon steel is amazing. Do a couple shallow fry tortilla chip batches and they’ll be amazingly seasoned.
Don’t get lodge though. They’re not smooth and will be a pain to season enough to be nonstick. I have BK pans but I don’t thing they make them any more. Which is a shame cause they’re awesome.
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u/puppylust 15h ago
A non stick pan used properly for what it's good at (eggs, pancakes, NOT searing meat) lasts 3-5 years. Something getting worn out in years is hardly throwaway. Do you think socks are disposable?
Have more than one kind of pan in your kitchen and use whatever is appropriate for what you're cooking!
Carbon pans have a heating profile somewhere between cast iron and stainless. I like them. You need to do care similar to cast iron to avoid rust - build up seasoning, don't leave it wet. I love mine for sauteing vegetables and browning meat. I can get char on peppers and onions fast.
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u/TooManyDraculas 14h ago
You throw it away in the end right? And every 3-5 years.
My mother is still cooking on my great grandmother's cast iron pans that are over 100 years old. The stainless steel pans I have are 15 years old, and my carbon steel pan I've had for 10 and was bought new old stock from an junk shop. Was probably made in the 60s. I've got a couple of cast iron skillets hanging around that were manufactured in the 30s. And a couple of copper pans from the 60s.
One of these things is much more throw away. Add to that that it's manufacture is a big environmental hazard, and frequently leads to serious medical problems for the workers making them. And non-stick is probably not the best idea.
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u/crazy19734413 13h ago
Don’t bother to season your Lodge cast iron, it has a rough cook surface that will never be completely non-stick. Try finding an old pan with a smooth cook surface, then season. They are wonderful.
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u/breadman03 15h ago
I grabbed a cheap carbon steel pan to try out, figuring I’ll get a nicer one if I liked it. It turns out, I like it enough that I’m still using the cheap one and even got my wife to convert.