Poll: what type of cookware do you use?

[MissPrissy]

Scrub it out and make sure there is no residue. Heat it first, then add oil and let that come to temp, then cook in it.

 

[moonlitfarms]

I have some old cast passed down, some bought from garage sales, and new that I purchased in TN at the lodge store (LOVE that place!) I only use my pans when camping or when I want to make fryed taters. But this thread has opened my eyes that maybe I should try using them on a daily basis. Thanks for the nudge.

One question I would like to see answered is about the enamel coated cast iron. I have looked at the lodge stuff but did not buy because I was not sure how they work. Any opinions on this????

Oh and any good "cast recipes" would be welcomed from chefs of BYC please PM or email them to me!

 

[Sparkalator]

I don't use the Teph. or alum. for the obvious reasons, but I also have a problem with the cast iron as well. I am worried with cast iron due to you can not clean it and all of the gunk that gets built up on it. I also just purchased a electric glass top stove, so I don't think the cast iron would do it any good(scratchs). I have been using various stainless steel, ones to different degrees of success. I never tried the glass Pyrex ones, as my mother bought a set of those and hated them. I just recently bought a whole set of the Westbend waterless, stainless steel. I was given a pot to try and loved it so I bought a set, but it hasn't arrived yet. Anyone else have a set of the Westbend waterless? If so how do you like them?

 

[cybercat]

Cast iron is easy to clean. After we cook in it we leave the burner on high then put water in it to boil off food. I use a metal spatula to scrap pan while boiling then dump water in sink. Then it is wiped down with a towel and a paper towel with a bit of oil on it. It take less time than to read this. A couple times a year we soap it up and then reseason them. Have never gotten sick and you do not taste last cooked meal either.

 

[Rosalind]

The Teflon itself is not a problem. Teflon is really very inert. That's why it's non-stick, it doesn't react with anything.

The $64,000 question is, how do they get the Teflon to stick to the pan? This is DuPont's proprietary secret. They haven't even patented it, because they don't want the patent to run out and the secret to be out. They say they mix the Teflon resin with "organic mixture" meaning some sort of chemical solvent or perhaps adhesive. It's this proprietary adhesive, whatever it is, that is nasty and can cause birdies to drop dead in the event of a pan boiling dry.

I use cast iron and copper lined with stainless steel, personally. A copper pan on a gas stove cooks faster than a microwave. The copper cookware was inherited, if I had to buy it nowadays I'd go broke. Both look pretty hanging from my kitchen pot rack. My baking pans are mostly stainless steel, as they give a nice brown crust and heat evenly.

IMHO, no one knows enough about amyloid diseases in general to know what causes Alzheimer's. Could be environmental contaminants, could be something else--there's not a huge and obvious difference in how doctors diagnose Alzheimer's vs. dementia, they are sort of catch-all diagnoses for what is probably a whole bunch of diseases, not just one.

 

[hencackle]

About nonstick pans--the metal surface is rough, full of little nooks and crannies that hold the teflon in place via mechanical retention. At least what was reported on Food Network channel.

From Dr. Mercola's website about Alzheimer's being Type 3 diabetes:

Surprisingly, these researchers determined that a drop in insulin production in your brain contributes to the degeneration of your brain cells. They did not correlate these abnormalities with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but thought it was actually a different and more complex disease process that originates in your central nervous system and coined the term "type 3 diabetes," which is a term that is not yet adopted in the medical system.​

 

[Rosalind]

Nope, that's not it. Roughening the surface of the pan only creates more surface area, thereby increasing the force of repulsion. DuPont themselves also say that they used etching once to improve retention but don't anymore.

"Although we can't divulge the ingredients of our products, we can say that a blend of an organic mix and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) allows this process to take place." --DuPont

 

[kstaven]

Nothing but cast iron, enameled cast iron, and stainless here. Double oven and gas coop top of course!

 

[texaschickmama]

I GOT A SET OF CALPHALON!!! I GOT A SET OF CALPHALON!!!
I'M SO EXCITED. I'M GOING TO TAKE THEM OUT OF THE BOXES NOW. HUMMMM, WHAT'S FOR DINNER NOW? MAYBE TAKEOUT CHINESE......... KIDDING, KIDDING!!!!!!!!!

 

[curliet]

We have some cast iron that belonged to both of my grandmas, and some cast aluminum (Wagner) that belonged to one grandma. Also have some teflon, and several stainless steel pans. A few aluminum, the thinner kind. Each seems to have it's own special properties, but the cast iron, and the stainless are my favorites. I use the cast on the wood stove during the winter, and love cooking stuff that I can set in the dutch oven all day on the back of the stove. Stews, soups and chicken and dumplings. I don't worry about the teflon, as I don't use it for things that get extremely hot, just for reheating things. Don't use the thin aluminum often, but use the cast aluminum a lot, it's just like cast iron. My very favorite is the 16 inch cast iron chicken fryer, but it's so heavy that I can hardly lift it anymore. Had some of that pyrex stuff once, a whole set of the cranberry color, and it looked great cooked terrible.