Teflon coated pans

[stilldeb]

Love LeCreuset. So expensive, so that's what I always tell my husband I want for birthday, Christmas, etc. My latest piece was a crepe pan and I love it. Hate Teflon. Had one piece get hot and gave off an awful smell and that was enough for me. Good ol' cast iron worked for Grandma.

 

[dainerra]

cast iron here as well. and washing is always super easy and much faster than any other pan.

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/how-to/how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-skillet-home-hacks-107747
is one way. In the comments is the method I use.

Put a little fat in it (if there isn't any already).
Add about a tablespoon of kosher salt.
Scrub with a wad of paper towels.
Once clean, dump out the salt, wipe out the pan.

if you burn something REALLY bad, you just build a fire, toss the pan in it, burn it out and viola! clean cast iron. Just re-oil.

it's a last resort, since you have to start reseasoning from scratch, but you can never ruin it.

I got a 3 big skillets for free from a neighbor. She found them in the garage and thought they were garbage because they were rusty

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Ditto, except for the dishwashing part----I almost never wash my cast iron, only rinse and wipe to maintain the seasoning.

 

[HHandbasket]

Y'all know they don't use actual Teflon anymore, right?

 

[dainerra]

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/06/consumer_report_1.php

your post made me find this. I think, though, the issue is that while safe for humans, birds are much more sensitive to such things. Of course, the easiest solution is to keep birds away from kitchen odors as there are many more things in the kitchen that can harm them besides teflon. Scented candles, aerosols of any kind, cigarette smoke, perfumes, propane and/or cooking gas fumes, and so on.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I think most people that buy Teflon do it cause they have not been trained to use cast iron.

People usually get the seasoning done ok but don't know the rules of actual use.

The main thing is that nothing should ever touch cast iron unless its hot. That includes water.

Until the iron is hot enough to bead water no food should ever be put in it. Once food is cooked it should be removed an the iron wiped out, first with a scraper, then paper towel thing a wet paper towel all while still on the hot eye. Never let food cool in or on cast iron. Never put cast in dish water. All cast iron that you don't use at least once a week can be stored in the oven (assuming you use it that much) on a unused shelf. They will heat with the oven an stay sterile.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I have physical problems and can't handle the weight of cast iron anymore. I found a nice little set of stainless steel pots. They have a heavy base, but lighter sides, so the total weight is less. They were less expensive than some of my other stainless steel, but cook just as well and are light enough for me to handle.

 

[EweSheep]

I have Saladmaster stainless steel cookware AND cast iron pan. And ONE small Teflon pan for scrambled eggs or something very delicate. Low to medium heat is what you want on teflon coated pans.

Yes it causes death in birds even brooding chicks AND yes, it causes cancer in humans when consumed alot of it. That is why I stick with my stainless steel and irons for my cooking!

Season your pans with lard or Crisco, keep up at it, fry bacon or fatty foods on it, it will keep it well seasoned and you don't have to worry about sticking. I use pancakes on my cast iron flat skillet...its the BEST!

 

[EweSheep]

You can put your cast iron pans in the self cleaning oven and it will get them CLEAN! It is perfect for those of us that can not have a fire or no camping near future. Just did mine two weeks ago and keep seasoning it and it is beautiful! Yes I do use that PamperChef plastic scraper and it works wonderfully!

 

[AquaEyes]

Quote:
"Teflon" is a trade name by DuPont for items coated with PTFE (PolyTetraFluoroEthylene). Other "nonstick" polymers are Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) and Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP). These are still used in many items, not just pans, and not just things used for cooking. Because Teflon is a trade-name, a "Teflon pan" can be made with any one of these chemicals, because what makes it "Teflon" is the brand name. And the brand name (and other brand names of nonstick cookware and other appliances) are most certainly still in use.

ETA -- the dangers of nonstick surfaces on appliances that get hot are real. I personally know a woman who sued Sears and GE (they settled out of court) when an oven she purchased emitted toxic fumes that killed all but a handful of her parrots. She asked the salesperson all about the stove, and she was well-informed about the dangers of nonstick surfaces (she was the founder of the Long Island Parrot Society and of the Parrot Fanciers Club). After the incident, she started working on changing laws to require products with PTFE to be labeled as such, with a note about potential dangers to pet bird owners. I don't want to post personal information about someone here, but if you want to learn more about the story, you can find it by googling.