I see no need to own a cast iron pan

[progressive hunter]

It looks as good as the cast iron one.

not even close,, the cast iron one looks relaxed and tender,,

youre looks stiff and in need of a massage,,
look close at the grains of the meat,, yours are still tight together and th eothers are separated and laid back,,

I would eat either of course,,

but that pan I would hate to clean,,

 

[AveMarica]

Bottom line, you don't know what you are talking about and can't accept any view which does not comport with YOUR choices and needs. Typical leftard, you must think cookware is a "settled science," same for all, much like climate change and election fraud.

This is yet another comment completely devoid of useful content, bonus points for feeble attempt to make a thread about cast iron pans into something political.

Physics my ass. You are ignorant. Iron has great heat capacity. Maybe you are just a bad cook who doesn't know how to use it.

Yes, physics. The links you googled up prove what I said, which was:

"Cast iron holds heat better because it is thicker, but it is very poor at distributing heat evenly. Physics."

Look at the table in your link, aluminum has a higher specific heat than cast iron, about double. The reason a cast iron pan holds heat so well is it has more mass, not because of the material. The energy it can store is the specific heat x mass. The experiment in your second link doesn't disprove this, the cast iron in the first pan has far more mass than the 1.7mm layer of aluminum in the stainless steel All Clad pan so it holds heat longer. They also observed what I explained to you about how poorly cast iron distributes heat evenly:

"The iron pot, however, began at roughly 375 degrees in the center and around 250-275 at the edges. As the pot got hotter, that differential remained relatively constant—and it did the same as it cooled. In other words, as the pan rushed to get rid of its heat, each area of the pan cooled at the same rate. So the pan was never able to achieve an even temperature."

I'll try to explain it to you again since you seem to be having trouble wrapping your head around this and might be getting frustrated:
1. For two objects of equal mass, aluminum would store twice as much heat as cast iron
2. A cast iron pan has a lot more mass than the aluminum layer in a stainless steel pan
3. Because of the greater mass the cast iron pan will store more heat, not because cast iron itself can store more. See your own table.

If you need more convincing I offer you:

Heavy Metal: the Science of Cast Iron Cooking – Cooking Issues

cookingissues.com

"The popular wisdom that cast iron cookware provides even heat is misleading. A cast iron skillet placed on a gas burner will develop distinct hot spots where the flame touches the pan. If you heat the center of a cast iron pan you will find that the heat travels slowly towards the pan’s edge, with a significant temperature gradient between the center and the edge. The pan will heat very unevenly, because cast iron is a relatively poor heat conductor compared to materials like aluminum and copper. An aluminum pan will heat more evenly because heat travels quickly across aluminum. Because of poor heat conduction, undersized burners are incompatible with cast iron cooking. The edges of a large cast iron pan will never get hot on a tiny burner. On properly sized burners you can minimize hot spots by heating slowly, but the best way to evenly heat cast iron is in the oven."

So you see that what I said was true, which (again) was:

"Cast iron holds heat better because it is thicker, but it is very poor at distributing heat evenly. Physics."

Soon as you change the heat of a burner or take an aluminum or steel skillet off the flame it begins cooling rapidly. One of the great advantages of cast iron is that once brought to temperature, it wants to remain at that temp and is slow to change regardless of variations in burner or food placed inside.

What you have to understand is that cast iron isn't better, it is just different. Having it offers you a choice in cooking characteristics, plus, cast iron is very cheap, it lasts forever, food generally doesn't stick, it is easy to care for, and it is great for searing and slow cooking.

Yes, as explained above the cast iron pan has more mass.

I understand 100% that cast iron is different. My point that might have been lost among your insults and bizarre attempts to link me to opinions about climate change remains consistent in this thread: stainless steel pans can do pretty much everything cast iron pans can do, so why do I need a cast iron pan?

People have pointed out corn bread which may be true but I don't cook corn bread, and some keep trying to prove that I need a cast iron pan for searing when there is ample evidence I do not. You can sear great in stainless steel, the fact that cast iron can store more heat doesn't disprove that anymore than an even bigger cast iron pan that holds even more heat proves your 10" Lodge can't sear.

A pan an sear if it can get to a temperature above Maillard reaction and maintain that temperature when the protein is added, and just about any clad stainless steel pan can do exactly that.

 

[toobfreak]

This is yet another comment completely devoid of useful content

C A S T I R O N

You a physicist.

Did the little skillet scare you?

 

[AveMarica]

Did the little skillet scare you?

Yet another comment with zero useful content. I don't blame you, the one time you attempted to make an actual point you embarrassed yourself by demonstrating you didn't even understand what you were linking to.

 

[toobfreak]

Yet another comment with zero useful content. I don't blame you, the one time you attempted to make an actual point you embarrassed yourself by demonstrating you didn't even understand what you were linking to.

You're still an idiot just trying to rationalize your choice in cookware.

 

[AveMarica]

You're still an idiot just trying to rationalize your choice in cookware.

I don't think so, you've attempted to go the "need cast iron to sear" route, and I believe I have proven that stainless steel sears just fine. It doesn't take an understanding of high school level physics, it just takes looking at a picture. These guys were literally scraping both the stainless steel and cast iron steaks with a knife and saying the sears are pretty much the same:

Rationalizing would be explaining away a shortcoming, but there is ample evidence both in my own kitchen and in countless videos online that stainless steel does not have problems putting a good sear on meat. I know that one delusional guy is still in here claiming he can spot how inferior the stainless steel sear is but I'm just rolling my eyes at him at this point.

So we're back to stainless steel not being able to do corn bread as well, which I don't cook. I do like cooking with acidic things though, which is a shortcoming of cast iron.

 

[progressive hunter]

I don't think so, you've attempted to go the "need cast iron to sear" route, and I believe I have proven that stainless steel sears just fine. It doesn't take an understanding of high school level physics, it just takes looking at a picture. These guys were literally scraping both the stainless steel and cast iron steaks with a knife and saying the sears are pretty much the same:

View attachment 844934

Rationalizing would be explaining away a shortcoming, but there is ample evidence both in my own kitchen and in countless videos online that stainless steel does not have problems putting a good sear on meat.

So we're back to stainless steel not being able to do corn bread as well, which I don't cook. I do like cooking with acidic things though, which is a shortcoming of cast iron.

sure it works "JUST FINE" some of us have higher standards,,,

 

[AZrailwhale]

It seems cast iron has had a resurgence in popularity and some folks are borderline cult-like over it, but I've yet to have anyone give me a good reason to own one instead of stainless steel. They are heavy (I like to flip food), take longer to heat up, aren't responsive, react with acidic ingredients, and you can't just soak the pan to clean later since it will rust out. I don't get the appeal.

A stainless steel frying pan just doesn't have the heft to use as a club.

 

[AveMarica]

sure it works "JUST FINE" some of us have higher standards,,,

Yes, we know you're pretending you can see some flaw in one of those two steaks that the two people there literally poking and scraping at them cannot.

 

[progressive hunter]

Yes, we know you're pretending you can see some flaw in one of those two steaks that the two people there literally poking and scraping at them cannot.

as you stated, you are OK with just fine,, some of us hold a higher standard,,

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I seen the price tag too....
$216 for a cast iron skillet is too rich for my blood.
$9 over 30 years ago and I'm still using it. No need for another.

But just a thought about used cast iron pans.
If you own one with black stuff on the bottom you put there it's seasoning...
But if someone else put the black stuff on it
It is crud that must immediately be removed.

I've gotten pretty good at seasoning pans.
These are De Buyer steel pans from France. They've been around since 1830.
They start out a light silver and end up almost black after a dozen seasonings.
Nothing sticks on em once you get em right.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

So let me get this straight, you don't follow youtube videos, but you listen to the advice of a celebrity chef. Unless you personally know Gordon Ramsey you are following videos, either on TV or an internet platform like youtube.


Cast iron holds heat better because it is thicker, but it is very poor at distributing heat evenly. Physics.


Absolutely! However I've not seen anything here demonstrating cast iron is the better tool, except for cornbread which I don't cook.

My cast heats very equally across the pan as can be seen here.
The color of this cornbread is perfectly even across the whole thing.
Now this is top of the line cast iron so that might be part of it.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I seen the price tag too....
$216 for a cast iron skillet is too rich for my blood.
$9 over 30 years ago and I'm still using it. No need for another.

But just a thought about used cast iron pans.
If you own one with black stuff on the bottom you put there it's seasoning...
But if someone else put the black stuff on it
It is crud that must immediately be removed.

I figure these pans will last the rest of my life and my Nieces life and her kids life ....etc.
These pans also cook exceptionally well with even heat across the whole pan.
I've got two of them,large and medium.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

By the way, your cast iron pan probably doesn't hold heat better than an Demeyere Atlantis stainless steel fry pan, which has a 4.8mm base.

It does hold heat better than an All Clad stainless steel pan, but for searing a steak either pan holds enough heat to turn out a great result.

I only use top of the line cast iron.
My large Field cast iron pan was over $200 bucks.
It holds heat like no other pan I've ever used.

 

[toobfreak]

I don't think so, you've attempted to go the "need cast iron to sear" route,

I HAVE? Where did you ever get that idea?! All I said is that iron skillets had qualities ideal and excellent for searing meat, I never said that you NEEDED it. Obviously you do not. You better learn how to read before you try to argue a point you don't even understand.

and I believe I have proven that stainless steel sears just fine.

No one asked you to "prove" it. No one ever said SS couldn't sear meat. It just does it differently with a whole 'nother set of cooking characteristics. Some may suit you, others may not.

It doesn't take an understanding of high school level physics, it just takes looking at a picture.

Lucky for you.

These guys were literally scraping both the stainless steel and cast iron steaks with a knife and saying the sears are pretty much the same:
View attachment 844934

YUM. That proves one thing: there is no skillet pan which can protect a piece of meat from a bad cook!

 

[JohnDB]

I've gotten pretty good at seasoning pans.
These are De Buyer steel pans from France. They've been around since 1830.
They start out a light silver and end up almost black after a dozen seasonings.
Nothing sticks on em once you get em right.
View attachment 845047

View attachment 845049

View attachment 845050

The first two pics are the high Carbon tempered steel pans....lighter than cast iron but they are also very nice. But being tempered steel just be careful not to drop them....they can break catastrophically. Also because they are rust free...so.e moron always wants to wash them for some Inane reason. They just need wiping out like any seasoned pan...and if something is stick you just use salt to scrub it out (hence the name "seasoned")

 

[AveMarica]

as you stated, you are OK with just fine,, some of us hold a higher standard,,

The sear is the same on both in that picture, there is no higher standard to go from one to the other, and you know it. You're so invested in this that you're willing to say irrational things, which makes you look silly.

 

[AveMarica]

My cast heats very equally across the pan as can be seen here.

Cast iron doesn't heat very evenly, at least compared to clad stainless steel.

Now this is top of the line cast iron so that might be part of it.

It is the material cast iron, and physics. No quality of pan will magically change the properties of cast iron.

 

[AveMarica]

I only use top of the line cast iron.
My large Field cast iron pan was over $200 bucks.
It holds heat like no other pan I've ever used.

I don't doubt any of this, I'm sure you cast iron pan performs great.

However my point is that people pointing to searing as some reason that cast iron is needed are incorrect, as seen by a dozen examples given in this thread.

 

[AveMarica]

I HAVE? Where did you ever get that idea?! All I said is that iron skillets had qualities ideal and excellent for searing meat, I never said that you NEEDED it.

You're contradicting yourself then, earlier you claimed I was rationalizing my choice in pans. If I don't need a different pan, then there is nothing to rationalize.

No one asked you to "prove" it. No one ever said SS couldn't sear meat. It just does it differently with a whole 'nother set of cooking characteristics. Some may suit you, others may not.

Again contradicting yourself, see above.

Lucky for you.

Luckier for you, since you're the guy who hilariously provided a link proving himself wrong about the specific heat of aluminum versus cast iron, and couldn't wrap your head around the fact that cast iron doesn't distribute heat evenly.

YUM. That proves one thing: there is no skillet pan which can protect a piece of meat from a bad cook!

Ah yes, everyone in this thread is either an amazing cook or has a relative who is a professional chef. I'm sure you were also that one kid in high school with a mysterious beautiful girlfriend that went to a different school. "You wouldn't know her."

I guess we're done then, you agree with me that I don't need a cast iron pan.