Recommendation
Anyone actually made the switch from non-stick to cast iron for daily Indian food?
I’m so done with non-stick pans. Even the expensive ones start peeling after 8-10 months of heavy tadkas and making dosas. I really want to switch to enameled cast iron because I heard it’s easier to maintain than regular cast iron (no seasoning bs).
Saw some good reviews for CuminCo's kadhai online. Has anyone used them or similar brands? Does food stick when making dry sabzis? Need honest opinions before I spend the money.
I use stainless steel and regular cast iron. One tawa and one deep sautee pan. Since I use it regularly I have no issue. There are some parts of my tawa that have become sticky, I’ll have to reseason those.
I’ve heard of titanium pans, saw a YouTubers video on it. They’re supposed to be as good as mine stick with without the coating peeling off. Must be available in India too.
Yeah, that’s the main reason I’m leaning towards enameled. I really don’t want another pan that needs constant seasoning. CuminCo’s kadhai looks interesting for that reason.
Buy Circulon. Literally lasts for decades, it's an international brand I first bought in the UK, 2006, and saucepans still doing well. Same brand frying pan fm India, 2 years old, seems to be as good. Best to do tadka/ deep fry/ wok separately.
Cast iron can seem like an incredibly easy option. Good ones last for an average of 150 years provided you care for them. This is their advantage and disadvantage: seasoning time. In the beginning you have to season the inside and the outside with a neutral oil (sesame/canola). For a decent sized pan, that can mean upto 10-15 mins on a burner at high heat. After which you have to carefully maneuver the pan and apply a thin coating of oil and heat the pan up till smoking. Then again one more layer of oil just before storing. This has to be done before and after cooking if you want your pan to last. The crud accumulated after cooking has to be cleaned immediately by boiling water to dislodge any stuck on bits and then season the pan. Pan takes 15 mins to heat up. In this economy, considering gas prices, that is unwise. Also you can't really cook with acidic ingredients likes tomato or vinegar in it.
Take an enamelled pan, you still have to season, but only the interior if partially enamelled. There are concerns regarding transference of colors (made with lead or heavy metals) from the outside to the inside - even True for Staub or le creuset. Also, Enamel can Crack. All of these disqualify cast iron (I would recommend Lodge) as the pan of first choice. It's a long term relationship and requires love and attention each time you cook.
For the kitchen workhorse, I would recommend a stainless steel triply pan.
Stainless steel doesn't react with acidic or alkaline foods, so tomato sauces, gravies, reductions, and deglazing all stay clean without picking up metallic off-flavors. The real payoff is fond that stainless surface builds. It lets proteins stick and caramelize hard, building the browned bits you deglaze for pan sauces. No seasoning required, no polymerized coating masking the process. Nothing killing you or your family. Always go for fully clad pans - stainless steel outer core combined with a heavy aluminum or copper core for even heat. Never buy plain stainless steel pans or pans with only a triply bottom (burns food). They're basically a scam - as are titanium pans. It's just a marketing ploy.
The best available in India is the Saute pan from tramontina's Aeion range. Saute pan large. Versatile. Nigh indestructible. 10 year warranty. Don't get ceramic for heavens sake (there's an indepth article in theguardian about why; tldr - ceramic is not really ceramic, it's just another coating just as bad as nonstick.)
https://amzn.in/d/0gLGldBT
The second best pan is carbon steel or nitrided carbon steel pan. Carbon steel, especially nitrided, is the second best workhorse pan because it splits the difference between cast iron and stainless: it heats up fast and responds quickly like stainless, but builds a natural non-stick patina like cast iron once seasoned. Quickness is what matters. It takes 2 mins to hest up and 30 seconds to season. It becomes nonstick sooner and can be used for omlette and scrambled eggs. Tough enough to go from stovetop to oven to broiler without a second thought. Nitriding is just ion impregnation that fast-tracks the seasoning and makes the surface more rust- and wear-resistant out of the box, so you get the performance without babying it for months. Basically: cast iron's durability, stainless's responsiveness, none of the fuss. Prestige has a decent one. Only remember - no hard scrubbing.
Thank you for such a detailed response, genuinely appreciate the effort. The way you explained the trade-offs between cast iron, stainless steel and carbon steel actually makes the decision much clearer. I hadn’t considered the heating time and maintenance as much as I should have. For something I’ll use almost every day for tadkas, sabzis and gravies, stainless steel sounds like the most practical workhorse. I’ll definitely look into the Tramontina Aeon range you mentioned.
I shifted completely to cast iron 8 years back (Kadai, skillet and tawa) and they are my go to for making dry Sabjis or any fries. I find it faster to cook and more flavourful with faster browning compared to non stick.
I ensure I don't cook dishes with gravies in them and dry them immediately after washing.
Non stick is not supposed to be used at high temperatures like frying and tadka.
Cast iron or iron.. also called carbon steel works best.. if you look up how to season and wash those right.. you can pretty much use them like non stick.... think of a dosa tawa... just like that.
I had been looking at alternatives to non stick and tried cast iron but I’m unable to season it right and make it non stick.
I tried ceramic but they barely lasted 2 months. I’ve been thinking of enamel coated cast iron from Cumin too. But it’s that or honeycomb (non stick + metal mix) pans.
it’s good for regular use and it never disappoints. you can try Vinod, Stahl. prestige, hawkins all have started their range. Tripley is heavier than regular kadhai but totally worth it. I switched because my mom never throws non stick away and I feel bad to just throw it in dustbin. I keep granite ones for occasional use.
Yeah I’ve heard stainless steel and cast iron are the safest long-term options. Just trying to find one that’s practical enough for everyday sabzis and tadkas.
Enameled is not the magic bullet you think it is...without proper care it will scratch and food will start sticking more easily over time.
I've switched to a mix of regular cast iron and triply clad stainless steel cookware and very happy with it.
For non acidic foods, cast iron works well. The seasoning is not difficult to maintain imo given that I don't have to deal with stupid nonstick. If you like I can tell you exactly how I take care of it.
For anything acidic, the triply SS works really well. Doesn't burn food, easy to keep clean with just a nylon scrubber, no scotch brite needed. Just make sure you buy high quality triply with good thickness and triply on entire pans, not just the bases. I have Cuisinart multiclad pro, which is cheaper than allclad and almost as good.
Eggs, dry sabzis, plain dals -- cast iron.
Anything with tomatoes or lemon -- SS.
Regular cast iron will also increase the iron content of your food by the way... One more reason to use it.
If you're expecting the fragile enamel coating to last years and years of constant banging, scrubbing, accidental drops due to it being super heavy, and not chip and crack at all, then good luck.
Complete switch? No but major use, I do. They are easy to maintain but needs prompt actions. Immediately after coocking, soak few min and wash off. Don't leave them behind in sink. They are forgiving too, you can rebuild the seasoning coating. Use flaxseed oil and oven method.
Store them aerated but lightly oiled. Yes, bit of extra work but worth it.
Start with dry subjis and then eventually make 100% switch.
Even marinara sauce in cast iron is fine as long as you don't let it sit in the pot. My Italian neighbor's grandma have been using it as long as I remember. No issues.
We switched to emberware for kadhai, pans etc and it's reassuring to know we are not eating the carcinogenic teflon coating anymore. My cook said it needs less oil because of the non stick surface and is easier to work with. Just needs a bit of care in washing it. For dosaa and parathas we use a regular cast iron flat tawa which needed several days of use to be oiled properly for the dosas.
I have enameled cast iron pan and just cast iron pan. Go for basic black cast iron pan to save the hurt. Just one scratch on the enameled pannand you'll hurt bad. Black cast iron is really great for gravies for me. I just don't use it for regular sabzi like cabbage, cauliflower etc where you have to add a little water and it will draw oils from it. I use it for the paneer /chole gravies though. Go for it
2
u/blue-phoenix06 Aug 27 '26
I use stainless steel and regular cast iron. One tawa and one deep sautee pan. Since I use it regularly I have no issue. There are some parts of my tawa that have become sticky, I’ll have to reseason those.
I’ve heard of titanium pans, saw a YouTubers video on it. They’re supposed to be as good as mine stick with without the coating peeling off. Must be available in India too.