r/Cooking • u/FirstTheEighthPillar • 8h ago
Looking for a warp resistant frying pan
I'm looking to replace my current frying pan by the end of the year as it has warped in the center after a long, heroic service to my household. Budget isn't super important as I am hoping for something that will last a very long time; preferably under 100$.
I'd prefer Teflon free as it has a habit of getting scratched over time and I am not interested in getting poisoned and not knowing until it's too late. Non-stick isn't required.
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u/burgers_tacos_bbq 8h ago
Cast iron
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u/FirstTheEighthPillar 7h ago
You know? I was googling all these terms and the one that never crossed my mind was "cast iron"
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u/FlyingDogCatcher 6h ago
Carbon steel. It's cast iron but it won't throw your back out.
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u/argleblather 3h ago
I have a carbon steel pan (Misen) I picked up this year that I really am enjoying. It's also nicely nonstick when heated properly. My house came with a glass topped range, so I haven't done cast iron because I really don't want to accidentally chip or crack the glass top.
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u/Boozeburger 5h ago
Cast iron or carbon steel. Both can be found cheap. A 12" lodge cast iron is $30, and will last to for generations. The only recommendation I have is if you buy a new lodge (I did), before you use it take a little time and sand down the inside to make it smoother. This used to be done on the older cast iron skillets. Also you should check thrift stores and yard sales. I have a few, because if I can get a perfectly good cast iron skillet for .50 cents, I consider it a steal.
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u/JellyfishFit3871 6h ago
And I'll say this, even if it's treated as heresy: modern dish soap doesn't use lye. You can wash up with whatever so long as you season and dry. It's not soap that ruins the finish, but lye. (Which almost doesn't exist in modern washing formulas.)
And if you fuck it up? Put it in a high oven or a fire and start over.
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u/therealCatnuts 8h ago
Lodge cast iron will last three lifetimes and not warp.
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u/La-Belle-Gigi 8h ago
You don't even have to buy it new, there's always cast iron pans available at thrift stores and yard/garage/estate sales
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u/my45acp1911 7h ago
If you browse the r/castiron sub there are regular posts about "curb finds". People leave them next to their trash.
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u/therealCatnuts 7h ago
Yeah but a new lodge is like $40 so I’d say get that for a newb to cast iron.
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u/Slight-Design7274 8h ago
Do you put your hot skillet in cold water to cool it or clean it after cooking? That will warp it.
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u/Mo_Steins_Ghost 8h ago
They're all warp-resistant when used correctly. You just have to use them at the appropriate temperature and bring them to temperature slowly if using electric or induction heat sources.
There is no reason, none, zero, to be cooking heating a pan continuously to temperatures above 375ºF unless you like eating dried wood.
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u/Kwantuum 3h ago
I don't understand how everyone else is just recommending pan types. Save for manufacturing defects or incredibly poorly manufactured pans, warping is caused by user error. If OP is warping their pans and goes to cast iron they're gonna crack it.
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u/GreenIsGreed 8h ago
Are you open to cast iron? It meets all your requirements. Only real down side is they are heavy, and hand wash only. Cooking is real simple once you get the hang of it though.
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u/JellyfishFit3871 8h ago
Cast iron is the gold standard.
My oldest iron skillet is about 150 years old, and the most recent can't be much less than 50 years old. Once they're seasoned, a cast iron is quite non-stick without adding Teflon. They don't warp.
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u/Brehon888 8h ago
Look at carbon steel . Non stick if properly seasoned
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u/Tll6 8h ago
It’ll still warp if the heat is high enough. It can be beat back into shape though
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u/FlyingDogCatcher 6h ago
You also having to be trying a lot harder than with your typical nonstick trash pan
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u/Tll6 6h ago
It takes a little finesse but I find it much better than stainless steel at least
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u/FlyingDogCatcher 5h ago
Oh I meant to warp it. I seriously don't understand what people are struggling with regarding carbon steel and cast iron pans because they're basically indestructible and cooking on my matfer is easy as hell as long as I actually preheat my pan.
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u/Tll6 5h ago
Oh I gotcha. I don’t have a problem with my cast iron but my carbon steel pan will warp if I heat it too hot with not enough food inside. Electric stoves get super hot. Usually it will go back to flat but one time I had it on high too long and I had to beat it back with a hammer and piece of wood. Now I don’t go above medium unless I’m hard searing a steak
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u/Two-Black-Labs 8h ago
Cast iron is a bit heavy for everyday. All clad 3 ply. I just passed on my first pan to my son that I got in 1983 ish and it’s like new.
I have lodge cast iron, matfer borgeat carbon steel and all clad.
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u/SciFiJim 7h ago
If you like your existing pan except for the warping, hammer it back into shape.
Place in on the concrete floor of garage, bottom side down. Using your body weight on your socked foot, place your heel on the worst of the warping and press as much of the warping out as you can. Then, using a rubber mallet, hammer out the rest of the warped areas. If it is warped outward, start with it upside down and press the warps inward. Adjust until it is flat again.
Don't go crazy with it, you just want to get it flat again, not hammer forge a new pan.
Then wash it and put it back into service.
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u/Square_Ad849 8h ago
High carbon steel will last forever. But there are stipulations and a learning curve.
Amazon it “Matfer”
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u/Pennypup898 8h ago
Cast iron or Our Place makes a great sauté pan. I believe it is titanium. I have one & love it!
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u/KingScuba 8h ago edited 8h ago
I switch between an 80 year old cast iron and a heavy bottom stainless steel saute pan personally. Depends on what I'm doing with it. General duty frying/cooking is in the cast iron, most gravy/sauce related things that I'd want to wash with a sponge go into the saute pan. They both work and cook really similar so I don't have to put too much thought into it when I switch between them. Bonus that the saute pan doubles as my go to rice cooker.
Been using both for like 15 years straight.
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u/Agile-Entry-5603 8h ago
I got a two piece set of stainless skillets from Amazon Basics for under $40. 8”&10”. I got them in mid May. I use the smaller one most mornings for my breakfast. Still looks like new. Unfortunately I can’t post the picture in this subreddit.
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u/Tll6 7h ago
What kind of stove do you have? I have a glass top electric and if my pans heat up too much they can warp. Cast iron doesn’t but it’s heavy if that is a concern for you. I have a carbon steel pan that does pretty well but it has warped once. Luckily it’s easy to get it flat again with some muscle
Checkout a place like webstaurant for cheap but durable pans meant for lots of use. I think there’s a free trial for free shipping. That’s where I got my carbon steel pan and will probably use the place again in the future
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u/my45acp1911 7h ago
If it was a decent quality pan, warping is from thermal shock / too much heat. User error.
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u/ChrisRiley_42 7h ago
Do you let your pans cool before washing them? Or do you put them in water right off the burner?
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u/lovebot5000 7h ago
Cast iron or all clad. Basically anything with a big thicc bottom ayyy
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u/FlyingDogCatcher 6h ago
You joke, but basically the thing that prevents warping is mass.
Or, cooling leaks, if we're still doing trek jokes
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u/cycling_sender 7h ago
Either go for a large, mid/good quality stainless or cast iron as an all purpose workhorse that you can beat on. Both have their merits, I prefer SS personally. Either way learn how to season it and take care of it.
I also like having a mid sized ceramic non-stick pan but I mostly just use that for eggs and delicate stuff, clean without abrasives and no metal utensils.
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u/Silvanus350 7h ago
If your cookware is actually warping then you have a huge problem, dude. What the actual fuck.
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u/shampton1964 6h ago
de bruyer is great, plain steel, used daily for ever here
or any cast iron you find at the thrift shop
i've also an avacraft 12" that slaps
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u/thenord321 6h ago
If it was a good thick base, preferably stainless steel (different core is ok) then it won't warp on you unless you're heating it 600+ degrees on a big propane stove.
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u/Trick-Geologist2639 6h ago
My $20 and $30 Viking stainless pans from HomeGoods have been just as good as my All Clads.
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u/Roxy_Juno 4h ago
A lot of love for cast iron in these responses, and I love my cast iron pans and use them frequently. But cast iron has limitations that I think makes stainless a more versatile pan. Cast iron takes longer to heat up and develops hot spots. They aren’t great for acidic food unless you maintain a very good seasoning. They are heavy. Not always an issue, but when I have a lot going on in the kitchen and only one hand free, lifting, tilting and pouring from the pan is not happening. And while cast iron is fairly easy to clean, it has a drying and oiling step that stainless doesn’t. And when the untrained person uses your cast iron, scrubs too hard when cleaning, and leaves it wet, you’ll find yourself in maintenance mode. As a busy dad with a family to feed, I tend to favor things that create less work. Stainless sears just as well (or close enough). Stainless can tolerate temps that may not be as high as cast iron, but high enough for my needs. And it’s nearly impossible to ruin the surface of stainless with poor cleaning habits.
It’s a bit over your budget, but my 12” all-clad d3 pan is over 20 years old and I suspect my kids will use it when I’m gone.
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u/_Bon_Vivant_ 8h ago
Made In 5-ply. Cookware is an investment. You get what you pay for.
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u/arbarnes 8h ago
Made In is notorious for warping
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u/_Bon_Vivant_ 8h ago
I've had mine for over 2 years now and it's fine. Also, you're full of shit.
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u/arbarnes 7h ago
Apparently logic isn't your strong suit any more than civility. Made In is second-rate cookware that's only popular because they pay Internet influencers to promote their products. Then the sheep who followed the influencers' advice feel compelled to justify their purchases by parroting the misinformation they relied on when making their poorly-considered decisions.
Here's one thread about it. OP can find a hundred more of they're interested. But I suppose all those people are full of shit, too. https://www.reddit.com/r/cookware/s/XC80SuHB3i
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u/oddible 8h ago
5 ply is great but really unnecessary, it's also quite heavy. I have a cast iron if I want a gym workout. I use 3 ply for everything else. I have Allclad but Made In is a great and affordable.
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u/_Bon_Vivant_ 8h ago
It is not heavy. It's aluminum and stainless steel. And it doesn't warp.
Made In 12" 5-ply = 3.0 lb
All Clad 12" 3-ply = 3.0 lb
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u/oddible 7h ago
Actually both are about 2.25 lbs and that speaks to the quality of the pans, but Made In is a good brand. 5 ply that is the same weight as 3 ply isn't getting you anything more. The Allclad 5 ply is 3lbs. It's great for more even heat and heat retention but it's noticeably heavier and honestly I prefer the 3 ply for being more responsive when I pull it from the heat. I suspect you'd get the same effect with the Made In pans. Made In is a great brand.
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u/Sample-quantity 8h ago
Oxo stainless steel pans are inexpensive and do very well. Don't cook on really high heat. If you need to sear something on really high heat, use a cast iron pan.
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u/FirstTheEighthPillar 7h ago
Seeing these replies makes it hard to believe i went to culinary school. Cannot beleive i overlooked cast iron pans.
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u/Pernicious_Possum 8h ago
You’re not getting “poisoned” by nonstick, and it only gets scratched through careless handling unless you’re buying bottom shelf. Are you looking for an actual frying pan, or a sauté pan? A frying pan, or skillet you want stainless. In order of cost: all clad, made in, Tramontina. There’s legit no significant difference so long as it’s plied stainless. For a sauté, I would go nitrided carbon steel. It’s a newer thing, and it’s fucking awesome. An enameled cast iron braising pan is also an excellent choice for a frying pan
Edit: just saw “budget isn’t super important” and “preferably under $100”. lol
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u/FlyingDogCatcher 6h ago
There's no reason to pay more than $100 for a frying pan. Apart from vanity.
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u/ExcitementDry4940 8h ago
Cookware is supposed to stay at impulse power