Reading all this discussion and especially debate about how to take care of a cast iron pan. Idk, those teflon ones are just so convenient. Don’t have to do shit and can just chuck it in a dishwasher. Worse product in a lot of ways but a lot more convenient.
With cast iron I use metal utensils and high heats. We also have enameled cast iron Dutch ovens where we trade the metal utensils for the ability to soak. And stainless steel is the best of both worlds if you’re willing to lose a little nonstick. But we’re in the process of quitting Teflon over health and environmental concerns.
Cast iron can be a real pain in the ass if you make it one, but it’s also amazing for the lazy cook if you let it be. A quick hand wash and dry and toss it back on the back stove burner.
I will admit though I haven’t used cast iron nearly as much since I quit eating meat. It was excellent for meat. It’s also great for other foods that love a good sear like Brussels sprouts
Please elaborate. I thought the concern about teflon was for the plants making it and the old stuff they used in making it that hasn’t been used in a while.
To add to the other responses, if you were to leave a teflon pan on the stove without anything in it (ie forgot to turn a stove off) as it gets hotter the teflon starts to break down & starts boiling those chemicals back into the air.
I mean that’s obviously something you shouldn’t do ever anyway. But yeah, it can cause “teflon fever” if you get it really hot (~450°C) and breathe in the fumes. Luckily, even if you fuck up like that, the “flu” usually goes away within few days. If you go turbo idiot and heat up it up ridiculously hot and stand there breathing it in for an extended amount of time then you can fuck yourself up. Though in that situation at least you don’t have to worry about their brain because it’s probably already messed up, doing something so idiotic.
Normal use, it seems modern teflon is fine. Usually the concern seems to be more about the environmental impact or factory conditions than impact to those using them as cookware.
I was being semi-facetious. The potential for harm exists but the conditions are pretty extreme. It is true however that teflon manufacturing is very toxic to the environment and the workers.The campaign to quiet the risks is pretty extreme however, so I do not personally trust claims of improved methodology in manufacturing. If you look at the recent ban in Australia (I am 95% sure this is where this is taking place) they recently banned the use of “forever chemicals” such as PFAS, FOOF, etc EXCEPT for in the use of cookware because the lobbying got very intense. Additionally, if you look in to the debacle with microplastics and such, it doesnt inspire much confidence in regulation and risk analysis. Anyhow, the choice to switch cookware is a small one and the risks to your person and the globe is potentially very large, so I personally try to avoid them.
p.s. ask any chemist if they want fluorine around their food and you will probably get some negative responses as wel
You might be thinking of France. They had the ban and exception for cookware.
Anyhow, the choice to switch cookware is a small one and the risks to your person and the globe is potentially very large, so I personally try to avoid them.
I mean, the personal risk very large in the sense that the current studies don’t show it but hey you never know. I just find that a bit eh. The environmental effects seem to be more real, but that’s more of an industry wide issue than something really affected by personal cookware decisions. It’s one of those things that if they banned them it’d suck but I guess it’d be alright, but I can’t be arsed to switch myself.
How dare you have a specific, detailed, and nuanced takeaway from data that suggests specific, detailed, and nuanced risks associated with a given manufacturing process!
Don’t you know that the only possible valid conclusions are “XYZ GOOD!” or “XYZ BAD!”?!
Non-stick pans are very convenient to use. I own a few and use them regularly. And I like them for a lot of things. But, I ain’t going to make homemade baked beans in one that spends 6 to 8 hours in the oven. A good pan sauce or reduction is also right out. And totally for get searing a good steak in a non-stick pan.
I can’t get a good sear with non-stick because they aren’t really suited for that kind of heat. Nor will non-stick let you got from stove top to oven or oven to stove top. And fond is hard to come by when you want a pan sauce or gravy.
If you think food doesn’t stick to your non-stick pan, a properly seasoned cast iron pan is even slicker yet. And that super slick coating is harder and more durable than any of the current non-stick coatings you can buy today. This means it’s actually a lot easier to cook, clean, and maintain a seasoned cast iron pan.
And worst of all, non-stick pans are made from aluminum and often warp if they get too hot - you can tell when it’s warped when the cooking oil/fat pools along the edges of the pan and doesn’t stay equally spread across the bottom of the pan. I personally hate that.
And non-stick coating just don’t last. One mistake and the pan is ruined. Or the coating just wears out because of the caustic, hot, wet environment of your dishwasher. Can you ruin the seasoning on a cast iron pan? Most certainly - but you can fix it easily by re-seasoning the pan and it’s as good as new. And cast iron will last for literally generations. I have an old cast iron dutch oven that belonged to my Great Grandmother - it’s still as good as new, (well it is missing the bail). Plus, I am reminded of her and every time I use it.
One final note: Get a plain high carbon steel wok. A wok is the a near universal cooking device. You can stir-fry and fry, steam, deep fry, and boil in one. If you only have limited space/money get a wok. And a plain high carbon steel un-coated wok is as good as a one stop pan as you can get. Season it and never worry again about cooking. The only other cooking pot that is an equal in versatility is the dutch oven. You also get the added ability to bake with it.
In 2005, the UK prohibited the use of Teflon in cookware goods that included perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and PFOA was outlawed internationally in 2019. Exposure to PFOA increases the risk of cancer and other diseases as well as probable infertility. Teflon and other non-stick cookware items produced in the UK after 2005 are free of PFOA.
Reading all this discussion and especially debate about how to take care of a cast iron pan. Idk, those teflon ones are just so convenient. Don’t have to do shit and can just chuck it in a dishwasher. Worse product in a lot of ways but a lot more convenient.
Honestly as someone with cast iron it’s easier than Teflon. Teflon I have to be gentle with, cast iron I just have to keep dry
I haven’t been particularly gentle with them. Other than using plastic or wooden utensils with them I guess, but that’s what people use here overall.
With cast iron I use metal utensils and high heats. We also have enameled cast iron Dutch ovens where we trade the metal utensils for the ability to soak. And stainless steel is the best of both worlds if you’re willing to lose a little nonstick. But we’re in the process of quitting Teflon over health and environmental concerns.
Cast iron can be a real pain in the ass if you make it one, but it’s also amazing for the lazy cook if you let it be. A quick hand wash and dry and toss it back on the back stove burner.
I will admit though I haven’t used cast iron nearly as much since I quit eating meat. It was excellent for meat. It’s also great for other foods that love a good sear like Brussels sprouts
what’s a little cancer when compared to saving some time?
Please elaborate. I thought the concern about teflon was for the plants making it and the old stuff they used in making it that hasn’t been used in a while.
To add to the other responses, if you were to leave a teflon pan on the stove without anything in it (ie forgot to turn a stove off) as it gets hotter the teflon starts to break down & starts boiling those chemicals back into the air.
I mean that’s obviously something you shouldn’t do ever anyway. But yeah, it can cause “teflon fever” if you get it really hot (~450°C) and breathe in the fumes. Luckily, even if you fuck up like that, the “flu” usually goes away within few days. If you go turbo idiot and heat up it up ridiculously hot and stand there breathing it in for an extended amount of time then you can fuck yourself up. Though in that situation at least you don’t have to worry about their brain because it’s probably already messed up, doing something so idiotic.
Normal use, it seems modern teflon is fine. Usually the concern seems to be more about the environmental impact or factory conditions than impact to those using them as cookware.
I was being semi-facetious. The potential for harm exists but the conditions are pretty extreme. It is true however that teflon manufacturing is very toxic to the environment and the workers.The campaign to quiet the risks is pretty extreme however, so I do not personally trust claims of improved methodology in manufacturing. If you look at the recent ban in Australia (I am 95% sure this is where this is taking place) they recently banned the use of “forever chemicals” such as PFAS, FOOF, etc EXCEPT for in the use of cookware because the lobbying got very intense. Additionally, if you look in to the debacle with microplastics and such, it doesnt inspire much confidence in regulation and risk analysis. Anyhow, the choice to switch cookware is a small one and the risks to your person and the globe is potentially very large, so I personally try to avoid them.
p.s. ask any chemist if they want fluorine around their food and you will probably get some negative responses as wel
You might be thinking of France. They had the ban and exception for cookware.
I mean, the personal risk very large in the sense that the current studies don’t show it but hey you never know. I just find that a bit eh. The environmental effects seem to be more real, but that’s more of an industry wide issue than something really affected by personal cookware decisions. It’s one of those things that if they banned them it’d suck but I guess it’d be alright, but I can’t be arsed to switch myself.
How dare you have a specific, detailed, and nuanced takeaway from data that suggests specific, detailed, and nuanced risks associated with a given manufacturing process!
Don’t you know that the only possible valid conclusions are “XYZ GOOD!” or “XYZ BAD!”?!
Cast iron you don’t even have to wash.
As OP, I bought a set of stainless steel pans at the recommendation of the chef Frank Prisinzano, and I think they’re the very best option.
They do seem more convenient than cast iron with the same long life but also without the possible issues that teflon ones have
Non-stick pans are very convenient to use. I own a few and use them regularly. And I like them for a lot of things. But, I ain’t going to make homemade baked beans in one that spends 6 to 8 hours in the oven. A good pan sauce or reduction is also right out. And totally for get searing a good steak in a non-stick pan.
I can’t get a good sear with non-stick because they aren’t really suited for that kind of heat. Nor will non-stick let you got from stove top to oven or oven to stove top. And fond is hard to come by when you want a pan sauce or gravy.
If you think food doesn’t stick to your non-stick pan, a properly seasoned cast iron pan is even slicker yet. And that super slick coating is harder and more durable than any of the current non-stick coatings you can buy today. This means it’s actually a lot easier to cook, clean, and maintain a seasoned cast iron pan.
And worst of all, non-stick pans are made from aluminum and often warp if they get too hot - you can tell when it’s warped when the cooking oil/fat pools along the edges of the pan and doesn’t stay equally spread across the bottom of the pan. I personally hate that.
And non-stick coating just don’t last. One mistake and the pan is ruined. Or the coating just wears out because of the caustic, hot, wet environment of your dishwasher. Can you ruin the seasoning on a cast iron pan? Most certainly - but you can fix it easily by re-seasoning the pan and it’s as good as new. And cast iron will last for literally generations. I have an old cast iron dutch oven that belonged to my Great Grandmother - it’s still as good as new, (well it is missing the bail). Plus, I am reminded of her and every time I use it.
One final note: Get a plain high carbon steel wok. A wok is the a near universal cooking device. You can stir-fry and fry, steam, deep fry, and boil in one. If you only have limited space/money get a wok. And a plain high carbon steel un-coated wok is as good as a one stop pan as you can get. Season it and never worry again about cooking. The only other cooking pot that is an equal in versatility is the dutch oven. You also get the added ability to bake with it.
Teflon was banned in the United kingdom in 2005 because it is a carcinogen and toxic.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/17/dark-waters-pfas-ticking-chemical-time-bomb-in-your-blood