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paulz
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2024 01:38pm
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At the cabin I often fry on the LP cooktop, eggs, meat, veggies (wife eats 'em). I rarely coat the pan first. I bought a fancy non stick pan, aluminum with some miracle coating. Didn't take long to ruin that.
So what do you use, cast iron, stainless? Or is pre coating a must?
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spencerin
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2024 01:50pm - Edited by: spencerin
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A non-stick surface coating isn't a must, but it's very convenient. The key to making it last is not scratching the surface when cooking with, or cleaning, it. You can buy scouring pads that are still abrasive but won't damage the coating. The ones I use are blue - light blue sponge on one side, darker blue abrasive surface on the other side. Don't use the yellow-green pads. As long as you take care of the surface of the coated pan, it'll last years.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2024 02:11pm
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Any coated pans we use plastic or wooden utensils. I also often do a quick dash or spray of cooking oil, far less than using conventional pans, and they have been holding up very well. Cleaning up is a paper towel wipe out, washing is hot, soapy water and a plastic bristle scrub brush. Tough stuff sometimes need a soak but not often.
We dont buy sets, but what we need.The last ones were the 'granitestone' type, far better than the old teflon, imo.
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Cedar Fever
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2024 02:43pm
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Cast iron.
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ICC
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2024 03:10pm
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1. The easiest and quickest way to kill non-stick pan is to overheat it. Use low to medium heat, never high except briefly to heat up a cool pan.
2. Use silicone or wood utensils. I don't like to use plastics that can melt at higher temperatures. Mostly I use silicone utensils.
3. Use a little, or a lot if that is your thing, oil or butter. Use oils that can take higher heat without smoking, or best (see #1) avoid high heat. Do not use spray oils, especially on a hot pan, as the little spray droplets heat and burn very quickly.
4. The Mr Clean MagicEraser sponges do a superb job at cleaning without any damage to a ceramic surface. I don't use teflon pans so have no idea about that. MagicErasers can scrub of discolored carbonized oils and stuff.
I believe it is best to never run any of these through a dishwasher.
I like the Greenpan brand of ceramic coated pans. Be aware they make a few different grades. Go to their webpage and read up on them. GP often has sales. Amazon sells them as do many other stores. But watch the series. There are differences. I forget the name of the series I have, but they are heavier (thicker) aluminum bodies than some of the ones found in stores like Walmart.
I have a set of 3 that were bought in Jan 2020 for the new kitchen with the induction cooktop. Some of the Greenpans are all aluminum so won't work with induction. . A couple of my pans get used nearly every day. The surfaces are still extremely smooth and not discolored.
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909
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2024 03:23pm - Edited by: 909
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We cook almost every meal on the BBQ. My favorite meal is steak, potatoes, and veggies.
The roof overhangs 34 inches all around the cabin, so it rarely gets any snow or rain.
For the LP burner indoors, we have a non-stick fry pan with copper coating. And a stainless steel pot with a lid.
For the fire pit we have a cast iron skillet.
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paulz
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2024 03:34pm - Edited by: paulz
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Quoting: ICC 1. The easiest and quickest way to kill non-stick pan is to overheat it. Use low to medium heat, never high except briefly to heat up a cool pan.
That's how I killed mine.
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Irrigation Guy
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2024 05:19pm
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Cast iron is the way. I have completely switched over to CI after inheriting some vintage pans from my grandmother. I have a small set at the cabin, made this pizza last night. And the big collection is at home. There is a learning curve but my pans are just as nonstick as Teflon even for eggs
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darz5150
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2024 06:37pm
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Cast iron. We do have an expensive Paula Dean skillet with the thick copper bottom. But cast iron still beats it for no stick.
I do have some graniteware that works very good too.
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darz5150
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2024 10:40pm
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Hey Irrigation Guy. Nice collection. I showed my wife the pic, and she asked what the pan with the 4 square dividers is used for. I told her probably for cheese sammiches. Lol
I don't recall seeing one. So whatcha do with it?
Quoting: gcrank1 a plastic bristle scrub brush
I got this one off Amazon a few years back. I heat up water in the pan almost to a boil, and scrub it with this. I haven't melted or destroyed it so far. Less than $10 bucks.
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Irrigation Guy
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2024 11:01pm - Edited by: Irrigation Guy
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Quoting: darz5150 Hey Irrigation Guy. Nice collection. I showed my wife the pic, and she asked what the pan with the 4 square dividers is used for. I told her probably for cheese sammiches. Lol I don't recall seeing one. So whatcha do with it?
That’s a breakfast skillet. You are supposed to cook bacon in the long side then tilt it to let the grease run into the two small squares where you cook your eggs. I don’t use it much it’s more of a novelty but collectors like them. It’s one of the pans I inherited.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2024 11:24pm
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That's pretty cool. Thought there were 4 spaces.
Now I want one.
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 22 Jan 2024 07:15am
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I have been looking for a new set of pans without "coatings" just simple stainless steel that can be used on everything (flame to induction) and it is near impossible... Finding plain/simple clean stainless steel pans (with lids even harder) is not easy... Then when you do find some, the prices are nuts !
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paulz
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2024 07:37am
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Nice stuff IG! I’m going to try cast iron. Thought sure I had something laying around but can’t find one, probably lying under a car engine. New prices all over the board, $10-$100 for a pan,I’ll see what my local chains have.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2024 09:58am
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Hit St Vinnies or Goodwill, even the HfH 'Restore'
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Irrigation Guy
Member
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# Posted: 23 Jan 2024 10:58am - Edited by: Irrigation Guy
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Quoting: paulz Nice stuff IG! I’m going to try cast iron. Thought sure I had something laying around but can’t find one, probably lying under a car engine. New prices all over the board, $10-$100 for a pan,I’ll see what my local chains have.
Lodge makes a decent pan that is very affordable. You can find it all over. It is much heavier than the vintage stuff though.
If you haven’t cooked with cast iron before it can be frustrating because you have to adjust the way you cook. First off you need to pre heat the pan, second you must use a much lower temp than you are probably used to (I set my electric stove to 3 out of 10 for eggs, third you need to use a fat, butter or oil to keep it from sticking. A new pan will require more fat than one that has a good seasoning built up on it. Eggs are one of the thing that people have the most trouble with so practice cooking a few eggs and you will figure it out.
As far as cleaning goes don’t listen to the people who say NEVER USE SOAP!. That’s an old habit back from when soap contained lye. I use soap every time. If you get some stuff stuck in the pan put a 1/2†of water in it and boil it hard for a few minutes. Get yourself a chain male scrubber too. When you are done washing make sure it’s dry.
This all may sound like a pain in the ass but I feel that it is worth the effort. I like the knowing that I will never have to buy another pan unless it’s to feed my addition of collecting them. I can pass them down to my kids and grandkids some day as they were passed to me. Some of mine are over 100 years old and can last another 100. You can’t say that about most modern cookware.
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paulz
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2024 09:42am
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Quoting: Irrigation Guy s, third you need to use a fat, butter or oil to keep it from sticking
Something I don’t need to haul or refrigerate. Something that can just sit by the cooktop. Guess that leaves butter out.
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Irrigation Guy
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# Posted: 24 Jan 2024 01:46pm
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Quoting: paulz Something I don’t need to haul or refrigerate. Something that can just sit by the cooktop. Guess that leaves butter out
I usually use olive oil both at home and at cabin
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Outbuilding Info
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2024 09:54am
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We have gone with cast iron with good results. A couple things we do that seem to help. These echo other's here:
1. Don't use soap unless you absolutely have to. If you do, when done cleaning dry it out and the coat it with a light wipe of olive oil (probably any oil will do).
2. For eggs, preheating and adding a bit of oil is critical. Flick some drops of water on the oil. If it sizzles, you can add eggs. Don't put them on a pan that isn't heated up. This is a bit of an acquired timing as you don't want it to get so hot that the oil starts to smoke/burn.
3. Use a stainless steel spatula.
This works great for us on an induction cooktop.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 27 Jan 2024 10:10am - Edited by: paulz
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Quoting: gcrank1 Hit St Vinnies or Goodwill, even the HfH 'Restore'
Went to the Goodwill in the city yesterday (only game in town, an upscale one in the mall), they had only one pan, which was surprisingly cast iron, however the salesman claimed it was some super expensive Euro brand (Le Creuset) and wanted $39 for it. I said I would research it.. Turns out $99 new.
Next stop was Le Target, I bought a Le Lodge pan for $19. Back to the cabin today, Le big test tomorrow. Got some olive oil too.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 27 Jan 2024 10:34am
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Make sure you pre-season it according to their instructions.
Even so, it took me about 6mo. to really get the right seasoning in use. I think not using any soapy water is most important early on, now that mine is well seasoned I can give it a quick soapy brush after doing all the other dishes and it cleans up nice without hurting the surface (emphasis on the 'quick').
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 27 Jan 2024 03:22pm
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Says it’s seasoned at the foundry and ready to use. Hmm
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Irrigation Guy
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# Posted: 27 Jan 2024 03:46pm
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Lodge gives it a factory season but you might want to do some extra. Practice with some eggs they are cheap. Preheat your pan for 5 min at 1/4 throttle. Cost the bottom of the pan with oil but don’t need the eggs to be swimming.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 27 Jan 2024 05:50pm
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I put olive oil on, set it on the lowest heat for a few, got this. It’s like a hard gel. Hope it’s ok.
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darz5150
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# Posted: 27 Jan 2024 06:13pm - Edited by: darz5150
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It should be ok.
There is a learning curve. What we do is put a little bit of oil in the pan, then heat it on low/medium til the oil kind of shimmers in the pan, then put it the eggs. You may have heated it too long.
Add some more oil, and try it again. Just don't heat it up as much this time.
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darz5150
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# Posted: 27 Jan 2024 09:47pm
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How did you make out with the new pan?
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 27 Jan 2024 10:19pm
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Warm olive oil took the dried stuff right off. Still marked a bit but can’t feel anything. Eggs in the morning.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 27 Jan 2024 10:39pm
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Good Deal ðŸ‘ðŸ‘
If you cook up some bacon or sausage, that will help to season it too. The more you use it, the better it gets.
My wife actually picked up a steak skillet today to add to the collection. Lol
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paulz
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# Posted: 28 Jan 2024 11:56am
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First eggs on the new pan. Much better than the old pan, still a bit stuck in the center. Here is my grill on lowest setting, and a grate I added to raise the pan up 1/2â€. Still too hot?
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Irrigation Guy
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# Posted: 28 Jan 2024 12:18pm
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Did you pre heat for 5 min or so? If so try a little more oil.
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