Rant Against Teflon - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

sailor · 02-17-2006, 08:58 AM

I thought this was interesting. I've never liked Teflon pans for the same reasons he lists, with the exceptions of a few things--crepes, stir fry when you don't have a wok, and a few other very specialized applications.

Quote:

Why restaurants never used Teflon anyway

* Restaurants cook on high. To a restaurant cook, stoves have only two settings: off and high. And Teflon burns too easily on high.

* It's easy to scratch, so forget about using metal tongs, spatulas, whisks, or spoons with your pan anymore. What a great way to get people buying more cheap plastic tongs, spatulas, whisks, and spoons, right?

* Teflon doesn't sear food well. A restaurant kitchen must deliver beautiful food, of course, and a boiled-loking bit of chicken leg, cooked in a Teflon pan, just doesn't look very exciting.

* It isn't even non-stick! Teflon is forgiving, but you can still dork up an omelet six ways from Sunday in a Teflon pan. So what is the point?

Certainly there are restaurants that use Teflon pans, but they typically use it for a handful of specific purposes like crepes.
Your options now

* Old school cast iron pans are fantastic and cheap: $15-25 for a nice heavy skillet that fries food beautifully. But cast iron takes some care and takes an ice age to warm up. You have to season them if you don't want you food to stick. More on this later.

* There's also enameled cast iron. This is more expensive than cast iron, but it doesn't need any seasoning. I consider it somewhere in between cast iron and stainless steel: it warms up slow and holds heat forever, just as well as a heavy cast iron pan, but its surface is smooth like stainless steel. You don't have to buy an expensive Le Creuset or Staub pot; there is a German brand whose name escapes me, and they sell the same thing without the 66% marketing surcharge (but that's why the brand name escapes me...).

* But how about stainless steel? Stainless steel is a great cooking surface but a bad heat conductor, so any stainless steel pan worth its salt will have an aluminum or copper core to help distribute heat nicely. These pans are much more expensive than cast iron, but they require zero maintenance and, when used properly, they're effectively non-stick.

* Lets not forget the carbon-steel wok. Great for a stir-fry. And they are cheap: about $20. You have to season them, but it's easier than seasoning cast iron: just heat some canola oil on high and coat the inside of the pan with it for a couple minutes, until it starts to smoke. Turn if off. Clean your wok as you would a cast iron skillet (see below).

Tips for non-stickiness

OK, so you have your stainless steel or cast iron pan. The goal now is to prevent things from sticking in the first place. Here's what you need to know:

* Temperature is key. Most people do not heat their pans enough before they start to cook. When you add food to a hot pan, it will sear and release some water. That water vapor is the non-stick magic, as it will keep the food floating atop the oil. But if your pan is too cold, searing won't happen, water won't be relased, and the food will fuse to the pan. Oops. As a general rule, you need to preheat your pan in proportion to the amount that your food will cool it. If you're going to fry up four pork chops that you just took out of the fridge, your oil needs to be just about to smoke. But if you're just frying a bit of garlic, you're better off at a lower temp—garlic bits will burn easily.

* Do not crowd the pan. Your goal is to sear. If you put 10 chicken legs into a 12 inch skillet—no matter how much you've preheated it—they will not sear. When in doubt, sear in batches.

* Take the chill off of your ingredients before cooking. Food cools the pan dramatically when you add it. You'll want to minimize the temperature differential. So get your eggs out of the fridge 10 minutes before you heat the pan, and just let them hang out on the counter. This may sound silly but I promise it makes a difference.

* Use oil. You need some, but you really don't need much. The more oil you add, though, the hotter and faster you can cook things without sticking.

Eggs fried fast and hot: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high until tiny wisps of smoke start to rise from the pan, which happens about 30 seconds after the oil starts to shimmer. Add your eggs and spoon the oil over the top of them as they cook. They'll be ready surprisingly fast. And they'll be beautifully crispy and slightly brown on the bottom and sides. Remove with a slotted spatula. No sticky!

* Patience. When searing meat or fish over high heat, you might notice that it sticks to the pan right away. Leave it alone, and do not be afraid. It will unstick! It just has to brown first. A hunk of salmon will come unstuck after about 2 minutes of searing over high heat, and it will be perfectly brown. Take the leap of faith and discover that this really works, or you'll lose the crispy goodness and have a tough cleaning job ahead of you.

At this moment you might be thinking, "This is really annoying. Too many rules." But if you lose the Teflon, you'll see that these techniques really become second nature.

Taken from this page. There's a bit more there, and the formatting is certainly better

Any thoughts? What are your favorite kinds of pans? Do you use or like Teflon pans?

StanT · 02-17-2006, 09:57 AM

Add me to the "hate Teflon" crowd. I prefer the anodized aluminum pots and pans. Heat evenly and clean up reasonably well.

ratbastid · 02-17-2006, 10:03 AM

What's more, there's evidence that when teflon scrapes off of pans, it's extremely toxic. Seems like something you'd want to put food near, right?

Charlatan · 02-17-2006, 10:28 AM

I only use my teflon pan for pancakes and fried eggs. Otherwise it is my stainless set that get dirty.

Bill O'Rights · 02-17-2006, 10:42 AM

I always end up going back to my trusty, tried and true, cast iron anytime I'm lured away by shiny cookware. You can't beat it. Somethings in life just cannot be improved upon.

maleficent · 02-17-2006, 10:44 AM

Cast iron is a beautiful thing - especially one that's been properly seasoned... just gets better with age...

JustJess · 02-17-2006, 11:28 AM

My brother in law loves his cast iron skillets.But he doesn't clean them for ages! Ugh.

I stick (hah!) to my stainless steel, but I do want to get a hard-anodized pan for stickier stuff. I'm not that good at the pan frying of meat yet. But I don't touch teflon either... Q uses one cheapy we have for the grilled cheese. That's it!

Charlatan · 02-17-2006, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustJess

My brother in law loves his cast iron skillets.But he doesn't clean them for ages! Ugh.

I stick (hah!) to my stainless steel, but I do want to get a hard-anodized pan for stickier stuff. I'm not that good at the pan frying of meat yet. But I don't touch teflon either... Q uses one cheapy we have for the grilled cheese. That's it!

Jess, you aren't suppose to "clean" cast iron. You are just supposed to scrape and wipe them. Soap and water will ruin them.

http://huntsville.about.com/od/food/...ancastiron.htm

maleficent · 02-17-2006, 11:37 AM

exactly... a properly seasoned pot/pan will have nothing sticking to it - if for whatever reason you have an idiot mother who puts your pot in the dishwasher - you have to go and reseason the thing all over again...

I'm actually also very partial to my le Creuset cookware... it's enamel over cast iron.. goes in the oven.... goes on the stove.. cleans super easy - -heats incredibly well - the downside - hurts like a sumbitch if it drops on your bare foot...

JustJess · 02-17-2006, 11:54 AM

Oh, I know you can't soap it. I meant he leaves on the stove full of bacon grease or food bits or whatever for days - and that thing needs no more seasoning, let me assure you.

I would LOVE to have some le Creuset - especially their dutch ovens. *drool*

Charlatan · 02-17-2006, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maleficent

the downside - hurts like a sumbitch if it drops on your bare foot...

You crack me up Mal...

I am saving up for a good castiron set. We have a skillet at the cottage and I have to fight off my wife and her mother... they keep trying to wash the damn thing. I have to keep re-seasoning it.

vanblah · 02-17-2006, 01:32 PM

I just got a le Creuset dutch oven ... nice. I've been putting together a good set of cast iron for a while now.

It has taken me a year to convince my wife that washing cast iron is NOT a good thing. I will periodically clean them all and re-season them. Most of the time I just wipe 'em out ...

on topic:

Ever read the stories about pet birds dying because of fumes from Teflon?

snowy · 02-17-2006, 04:27 PM

Le Creuset is at the top of my "if I had a million dollars/when I get married" list. There are three pieces I want from them: a big soup pot, a oval Dutch oven, and a casserole dish.

As for my own cookware--I own one nonstick pan. It's a Calphalon commercial nonstick griddle/crepe pan. It's beautiful for omelettes, pancakes, eggs, and crepes. Basically, I cook all of my breakfast stuff in there. I also have a Calphalon commercial hard-anodized aluminum saucepan. I LOVE both pans--they heat so evenly, even on my old electric range. I'd really love to get a hard-anodized saute pan. That's my next purchase (years from now).

maleficent · 02-17-2006, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onesnowyowl

Le Creuset is at the top of my "if I had a million dollars/when I get married" list. There are three pieces I want from them: a big soup pot, a oval Dutch oven, and a casserole dish.
.

It's honestly not that expensive... and it really does last practically forver... my dutch oven and my skillet are both over 10 years old -- with constant use (the only other pan I use as often is a grill pan) and they look brand new...

eribrav · 02-17-2006, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maleficent

exactly... a properly seasoned pot/pan will have nothing sticking to it - if for whatever reason you have an idiot mother who puts your pot in the dishwasher - you have to go and reseason the thing all over again...

I'm actually also very partial to my le Creuset cookware... it's enamel over cast iron.. goes in the oven.... goes on the stove.. cleans super easy - -heats incredibly well - the downside - hurts like a sumbitch if it drops on your bare foot...

We have one le Creuset piece........it's an enameled panini press and griddle. It's rapidly becoming a favorite. Price..........ridiculous, and we got it as a gift.
Right up there with it though on the favorites list is an ancient 9 inch, deep cast iron pan. Probably cost $5 way back who knows when, and I know it's been in the family for at least 40 years. Cooks wonderfully.

snowy · 02-17-2006, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maleficent

It's honestly not that expensive... and it really does last practically forver... my dutch oven and my skillet are both over 10 years old -- with constant use (the only other pan I use as often is a grill pan) and they look brand new...

For someone who can't afford $90 for health insurance, a $150 pot is a little out of my budget. But I have been eyeing Mario Batali's line of enameled cast iron (which is half the price of the Le Creuset) as a possibility.

dtheriault · 02-17-2006, 10:18 PM

What exactly is "hard anodized" and how non-stick is it. I'm getting rid of my teflon and I want something lighter than cast-iron.

Also is it better to have a carbon steel or stainless steel wok?

Also are pre-seasoned cast iron pans just as good as ones that you season yourself?

maleficent · 02-18-2006, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtheriault

Also are pre-seasoned cast iron pans just as good as ones that you season yourself?

i would say no -- seasoning a pan isn't difficult ...

I wouldn't buy prechewed gum... I wouldn't buy a preseasoned pan...

sailor · 02-18-2006, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtheriault

What exactly is "hard anodized" and how non-stick is it. I'm getting rid of my teflon and I want something lighter than cast-iron.

Also is it better to have a carbon steel or stainless steel wok?

Also are pre-seasoned cast iron pans just as good as ones that you season yourself?

Anodization is an electrolytic process used to treat aluminum to make it more abrasion and corrosion resistant.

I've never used one, but I'd think its non-stick factor would be somewhere between teflon and stainless. Though nothing really gets too sticky unless you leave it out for days.

I've heard of the anodised coating being worn off after a year or so of repeated scrubbing, though. But again, I've never used one, and am quite partial to my stainless cookware, so don't trust me too much

StanT · 02-18-2006, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtheriault

What exactly is "hard anodized" and how non-stick is it. I'm getting rid of my teflon and I want something lighter than cast-iron.

Also is it better to have a carbon steel or stainless steel wok?

Also are pre-seasoned cast iron pans just as good as ones that you season yourself?

Aluminum is soft and fairly reactive to acidic foods. Anodizing it creates a very hard coating that is non-reactive (Aluminum Oxide is also used in sand paper). The coating is more about protecting the pan, than being non-stick. I've a set of them for 10+ years and they are doing fine.

Plummie · 02-18-2006, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vanblah

Ever read the stories about pet birds dying because of fumes from Teflon?

I was warned about the dangers of Teflon when I got my first bird, a canary, several years ago. When Teflon is overheated, it releases PTFE polymers (PolyTetraFluoroEthylene) into the air and can kill birds immediately.

I stopped using Teflon a long time ago for that reason. PTFEs are bad for humans too. Stainless steel is my cookware of choice.

yellowchef · 02-19-2006, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtheriault

I'm getting rid of my teflon and I want something lighter than cast-iron.

No you don't. You want something that would knock Andre the Giant out if you hit him with it. Good throw that teflon shit in the trash. The reason you want heavy is because the more mass there is, the more heat it holds. Also the light little pan you just bought may end up in the trash 3 months from now if you use it often and the wear and tear gets to it. I have some hard anodized pans and theyre freakin amazing. They sear well and they dont stick. I also have some stainless steal All Clad pans... but you know, thats cuz Im a chef.

Le Creuset is initially expensive. Its why I dont have anything Le Creuset. I have bought a few pans for my Mom(she has many) but I will someday.

If theres anything I can stress to people... lightweight pans are pieces of CRAP. They're not worth the $5 you pay for them. I dont care if you dont feel like lugging out the 3 ton pan to cook with when youre making fancy schmancy food.. you dont want fancy schmancy food that bad.

edmos1 · 02-19-2006, 05:23 PM

I have a decent all clad set, some cast iron skillets and a calphalon nonstick- 4 qt chefs pan, a griddle pan and a 10 inch fry pan.
I have had the iron skillets the longest about 12 years, and the big one makes a great steak.

the caphalon fry pan is getting a bit old, but makes a great egg. the griddle pan makes tortillas well (hmmm might be a waste of a pan? I do make crepes in it also) The chefs pan is great since it is a good size, make sauces for pasta, and toss the pasta in it also.

but for every day cooking the all clad stainless is great. Non-reactive so tomato's don't mess it up. the down side with the all clad is they recommend not boiling water in it, I do have some discoloration from it since I still need to boil water some times. I have made eggs in the frying pans, and it works fine.

That being said I got the big chefs pan as a gift, we also got the all clad when we got married. I would love a nice le cruset dutch oven, but it is lower on the list based on the price.

cyrnel · 02-19-2006, 06:58 PM

I have this thread to thank for my stinky house. Stripped and seasoned both my cast pans last night. They were, um, overdue.

trickyy · 02-19-2006, 08:48 PM

Teflon is in you! i don't like Teflon.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/teflon.html

Quote:

Perfluoronated compounds have been found in the blood of virtually every person tested for them in the United States, including children as young as 2.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/loc...ck=1&cset=true

Quote:

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital drew blood from the umbilical cords of 300 newborns and discovered something that would be deeply unnerving to many parents:
Ninety-nine percent of the babies were born with trace levels of an industrial chemical - suspected as a possible cancer-causing agent - that is used in the manufacture of Teflon pans, computer chips, cell phones and dozens of other consumer products.

Jinn · 02-20-2006, 08:18 AM

I had no idea there was anything better than Teflon before reading this post. Growing up in an age where Teflon was always around, I just assumed it was cast iron v 2.0. Then again, I rarely cook things..

Might have to look into getting real pots and pans..

maleficent · 02-20-2006, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edmos1

That being said I got the big chefs pan as a gift, we also got the all clad when we got married. I would love a nice le cruset dutch oven, but it is lower on the list based on the price.

If you aren't looking for a specific color - but just the pot itself...

TJMaxx, Marshalls and Home Goods almost always have the dutch ovens in stock- I was in Home goods over the weekend and they had the oval shaped dutch oven for 35 bucks... Ok it was a ghastly orange - but the food doesn't care what color it is...

Sage · 02-20-2006, 11:51 PM

I've got a T-Fal for the eggs and making onions and such, a Wok (tho I think it's tefloned, so not really a real wok) for making cut up bits of things that need to be cooked (chicken, etc), a nice enameled pan from like... 1975 my MIL gave me as a wedding gift, and a HUGE cast iron skillet that was my grandmother's....

Apparently, however, I missed the boat on "how to cook things in cast iron," guess I"m not from the right generation. Is there a web resource or a cookbook that talks more about how to cook properly with cast iron? I end up getting things very, very well done because I'm not sure how much oil to add or I underestimate how hot the pan is or I just plain cook it too long because I'm so used to using Teflon pans on Medium heat!

snowy · 02-21-2006, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sage

Apparently, however, I missed the boat on "how to cook things in cast iron," guess I"m not from the right generation. Is there a web resource or a cookbook that talks more about how to cook properly with cast iron? I end up getting things very, very well done because I'm not sure how much oil to add or I underestimate how hot the pan is or I just plain cook it too long because I'm so used to using Teflon pans on Medium heat!

If you get Food Network, I highly recommend watching Paula Deen cook as well as Alton Brown. Both of them cook regularly with cast iron.

Rodney · 02-21-2006, 08:51 AM

My wife got us off teflon last year after getting the same info that trickky quoted. We even got rid (sniff) of our teflon-coated rice cooker.

But I would like to thank threads on this board with teaching me how to cook more-or-less non-stick on stainless steel; I wasn't heating my pan enough. I appreciate the article at the top of this thread for explaining _why_ that works.

I have not cooked on cast iron for many years, but I remember fondly an old cast iron skillet my mother gave me when I was moving out of the house. It was covered with black crust, but it was free. We had a pile of sand out back for some reason, and she told me to go out and down the pan with sand and water. I took about an hour, rubbed off all the crap down to the gray metal. And that skillet didn't stick a bit through _years_ of bad college-student cooking. Everything washed right off.

edmos1 · 02-21-2006, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maleficent

If you aren't looking for a specific color - but just the pot itself...

TJMaxx, Marshalls and Home Goods almost always have the dutch ovens in stock- I was in Home goods over the weekend and they had the oval shaped dutch oven for 35 bucks... Ok it was a ghastly orange - but the food doesn't care what color it is...

I was in Home goods last night and was looking at a pink enamaled pot, but it was smaller than I want. I will just have to keep my eyes peeled.

as far a cooking with cast Iron:

warm your pot before you cook, put it on the stove for a couple of min before you start cooking. As far as cleaning, I just saw a way on Good eats which I have not used. pour some salt in it, and rub with a paper towel. I would think it would knock off the big chunks, and keep the pan seasoned.

I do not use soap when I do, but I used to use a sponge and water, then dry it on the stove again. Anybody ever try this salt cleaning?

also for Cornbread, I think it is a necessity to use cast Iron.

yellowchef · 02-22-2006, 12:03 AM

and if you really want to cook-savvy... buy Alton Browns "Im Just Here For The Food"

Sage · 02-23-2006, 04:34 PM

I Googled "Cooking in Cast Iron" and came up with five or six really good articles on how to cook in cast iron pans... I'm keeping grandma's skillet on the stove and cooking with it more

And I really want the Alton Brown book... he's so amazing....

OH, and PS- thanks for the thread, I have now demoted my T-Fal to eggs and sautee'd onions!

Fremen · 02-24-2006, 04:44 PM

I'm perfectly happy with my Ultrex skillets.

I'd like to get me a good cast iron skillet for cornbread like my mom used to make, though.

edmos1 · 02-27-2006, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fremen

I'm perfectly happy with my Ultrex skillets.

I'd like to get me a good cast iron skillet for cornbread like my mom used to make, though.

sometimes I like to cook up some breakfast sausage links and put that in my corn bread, yum

Sage · 02-28-2006, 01:10 AM

I've been macking out the cast iron in the past week, and you know what... I LOVE IT! I find it cooks stuff really well- chicken breasts turn out juicy in the center, brown on the outside... and it's SO easy to clean!!

kutulu · 02-28-2006, 07:49 AM

Teflon works for beginners. People that fuck up their dishes a lot. If screwing up means that they will have to spend a half hour cleaning the pan afterwards, they may become discouraged. Beginners can't tell when the pan is hot enough to add everything and teflon eliminates that challenge. The equipment is cheap and easily replaceable.

Once people are experienced and ready to move on, they can get a nice stainless set but teflon works for the early years.

teflonian · 02-28-2006, 09:47 AM

I feel such hate towards me... Oh wait, I chose this name at random more or less and I guess I shouldn't take anything said in this thread personally.

Besides, I agree teflon is not the way to go for 99% of the dishes out there. I can't imagine trying to make scrambled eggs in anything else though. I do see the world moving away from teflon, but I don't feel that the threat of teflon is so high that I need to get rid of the teflon pan I do have. I only use it for mid to low heat, use it sparingly, and never let it sit for long on a burner without something in it. That said, I love my 18/10 stailness steel pans with copper sandwhiched in them and use them a ton more than the teflon pan.

Charlatan · 02-28-2006, 10:16 AM

No teflonian... you were right the first time. We do hate you.

Am I the only one who makes scrambled eggs in a pot?

teflonian · 02-28-2006, 01:36 PM

Sigh, I knew it.

In a pot? I don't think I have ever seen anybody do that before. I did see an article on making scrambled eggs on top of boiling water. Is that how you do them?

02-17-2006, 10:28 AM	#4 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	I only use my teflon pan for pancakes and fried eggs. Otherwise it is my stainless set that get dirty. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

02-17-2006, 10:42 AM	#5 (permalink)
Bill O'Rights will always be an Alyson Hanniganite Location: In the dust of the archives	I always end up going back to my trusty, tried and true, cast iron anytime I'm lured away by shiny cookware. You can't beat it. Somethings in life just cannot be improved upon. __________________ "I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony "Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt.

02-17-2006, 10:44 AM	#6 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	Cast iron is a beautiful thing - especially one that's been properly seasoned... just gets better with age... __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

02-17-2006, 11:28 AM	#7 (permalink)
JustJess Unencapsulated Location: Kittyville	My brother in law loves his cast iron skillets.But he doesn't clean them for ages! Ugh. I stick (hah!) to my stainless steel, but I do want to get a hard-anodized pan for stickier stuff. I'm not that good at the pan frying of meat yet. But I don't touch teflon either... Q uses one cheapy we have for the grilled cheese. That's it! __________________ My heart knows me better than I know myself, so I'm gonna let it do all the talkin'.

02-17-2006, 11:37 AM	#9 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	exactly... a properly seasoned pot/pan will have nothing sticking to it - if for whatever reason you have an idiot mother who puts your pot in the dishwasher - you have to go and reseason the thing all over again... I'm actually also very partial to my le Creuset cookware... it's enamel over cast iron.. goes in the oven.... goes on the stove.. cleans super easy - -heats incredibly well - the downside - hurts like a sumbitch if it drops on your bare foot... __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

02-17-2006, 09:57 AM	#2 (permalink)
StanT © Location: Colorado	Add me to the "hate Teflon" crowd. I prefer the anodized aluminum pots and pans. Heat evenly and clean up reasonably well.

02-17-2006, 10:03 AM	#3 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	What's more, there's evidence that when teflon scrapes off of pans, it's extremely toxic. Seems like something you'd want to put food near, right?

02-17-2006, 11:54 AM	#10 (permalink)
JustJess Unencapsulated Location: Kittyville	Oh, I know you can't soap it. I meant he leaves on the stove full of bacon grease or food bits or whatever for days - and that thing needs no more seasoning, let me assure you. I would LOVE to have some le Creuset - especially their dutch ovens. drool __________________ My heart knows me better than I know myself, so I'm gonna let it do all the talkin'.

02-17-2006, 01:32 PM	#12 (permalink)
vanblah Junkie	I just got a le Creuset dutch oven ... nice. I've been putting together a good set of cast iron for a while now. It has taken me a year to convince my wife that washing cast iron is NOT a good thing. I will periodically clean them all and re-season them. Most of the time I just wipe 'em out ... on topic: Ever read the stories about pet birds dying because of fumes from Teflon?

02-17-2006, 04:27 PM	#13 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Le Creuset is at the top of my "if I had a million dollars/when I get married" list. There are three pieces I want from them: a big soup pot, a oval Dutch oven, and a casserole dish. As for my own cookware--I own one nonstick pan. It's a Calphalon commercial nonstick griddle/crepe pan. It's beautiful for omelettes, pancakes, eggs, and crepes. Basically, I cook all of my breakfast stuff in there. I also have a Calphalon commercial hard-anodized aluminum saucepan. I LOVE both pans--they heat so evenly, even on my old electric range. I'd really love to get a hard-anodized saute pan. That's my next purchase (years from now). __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

02-17-2006, 10:18 PM	#17 (permalink)
dtheriault Psycho Location: maybe utah	What exactly is "hard anodized" and how non-stick is it. I'm getting rid of my teflon and I want something lighter than cast-iron. Also is it better to have a carbon steel or stainless steel wok? Also are pre-seasoned cast iron pans just as good as ones that you season yourself? __________________ "Remember, it takes two to lie. One to lie and one to listen." -Homer Unless you are the freakin Highlander, what is the point in learning how to fight with a sword?

02-19-2006, 05:23 PM	#23 (permalink)
edmos1 Daddy Location: Right next door to Hell	I have a decent all clad set, some cast iron skillets and a calphalon nonstick- 4 qt chefs pan, a griddle pan and a 10 inch fry pan. I have had the iron skillets the longest about 12 years, and the big one makes a great steak. the caphalon fry pan is getting a bit old, but makes a great egg. the griddle pan makes tortillas well (hmmm might be a waste of a pan? I do make crepes in it also) The chefs pan is great since it is a good size, make sauces for pasta, and toss the pasta in it also. but for every day cooking the all clad stainless is great. Non-reactive so tomato's don't mess it up. the down side with the all clad is they recommend not boiling water in it, I do have some discoloration from it since I still need to boil water some times. I have made eggs in the frying pans, and it works fine. That being said I got the big chefs pan as a gift, we also got the all clad when we got married. I would love a nice le cruset dutch oven, but it is lower on the list based on the price.

02-19-2006, 06:58 PM	#24 (permalink)
cyrnel Adequate Location: In my angry-dome.	I have this thread to thank for my stinky house. Stripped and seasoned both my cast pans last night. They were, um, overdue. __________________ There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

02-20-2006, 08:18 AM	#26 (permalink)
Jinn Lover - Protector - Teacher Location: Seattle, WA	I had no idea there was anything better than Teflon before reading this post. Growing up in an age where Teflon was always around, I just assumed it was cast iron v 2.0. Then again, I rarely cook things.. Might have to look into getting real pots and pans.. __________________ "I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

02-20-2006, 11:51 PM	#28 (permalink)
Sage hoarding all the big girl panties since 2005 Location: North side	I've got a T-Fal for the eggs and making onions and such, a Wok (tho I think it's tefloned, so not really a real wok) for making cut up bits of things that need to be cooked (chicken, etc), a nice enameled pan from like... 1975 my MIL gave me as a wedding gift, and a HUGE cast iron skillet that was my grandmother's.... Apparently, however, I missed the boat on "how to cook things in cast iron," guess I"m not from the right generation. Is there a web resource or a cookbook that talks more about how to cook properly with cast iron? I end up getting things very, very well done because I'm not sure how much oil to add or I underestimate how hot the pan is or I just plain cook it too long because I'm so used to using Teflon pans on Medium heat! __________________ Sage knows our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's She answers hard acrostics, has a pretty taste for paradox She quotes in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus In conics she can floor peculiarities parabolous -C'hi

02-21-2006, 08:51 AM	#30 (permalink)
Rodney Observant Ruminant Location: Rich Wannabe Hippie Town	My wife got us off teflon last year after getting the same info that trickky quoted. We even got rid (sniff) of our teflon-coated rice cooker. But I would like to thank threads on this board with teaching me how to cook more-or-less non-stick on stainless steel; I wasn't heating my pan enough. I appreciate the article at the top of this thread for explaining _why_ that works. I have not cooked on cast iron for many years, but I remember fondly an old cast iron skillet my mother gave me when I was moving out of the house. It was covered with black crust, but it was free. We had a pile of sand out back for some reason, and she told me to go out and down the pan with sand and water. I took about an hour, rubbed off all the crap down to the gray metal. And that skillet didn't stick a bit through _years_ of bad college-student cooking. Everything washed right off. Last edited by Rodney; 02-21-2006 at 08:54 AM..

02-22-2006, 12:03 AM	#32 (permalink)
yellowchef Addict Location: Shalimar, FL	and if you really want to cook-savvy... buy Alton Browns "Im Just Here For The Food" __________________ the voices in your head are not real--but they still have some really great ideas. always remeber you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. But..you CAN choose the insane asylum where you have them all put away!

02-23-2006, 04:34 PM	#33 (permalink)
Sage hoarding all the big girl panties since 2005 Location: North side	I Googled "Cooking in Cast Iron" and came up with five or six really good articles on how to cook in cast iron pans... I'm keeping grandma's skillet on the stove and cooking with it more And I really want the Alton Brown book... he's so amazing.... OH, and PS- thanks for the thread, I have now demoted my T-Fal to eggs and sautee'd onions! __________________ Sage knows our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's She answers hard acrostics, has a pretty taste for paradox She quotes in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus In conics she can floor peculiarities parabolous -C'hi

02-24-2006, 04:44 PM	#34 (permalink)
Fremen With a mustache, the cool factor would be too much Location: left side of my couch, East Texas	I'm perfectly happy with my Ultrex skillets. I'd like to get me a good cast iron skillet for cornbread like my mom used to make, though. __________________ Google

02-28-2006, 01:10 AM	#36 (permalink)
Sage hoarding all the big girl panties since 2005 Location: North side	I've been macking out the cast iron in the past week, and you know what... I LOVE IT! I find it cooks stuff really well- chicken breasts turn out juicy in the center, brown on the outside... and it's SO easy to clean!! __________________ Sage knows our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's She answers hard acrostics, has a pretty taste for paradox She quotes in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus In conics she can floor peculiarities parabolous -C'hi

02-28-2006, 07:49 AM	#37 (permalink)
kutulu Junkie	Teflon works for beginners. People that fuck up their dishes a lot. If screwing up means that they will have to spend a half hour cleaning the pan afterwards, they may become discouraged. Beginners can't tell when the pan is hot enough to add everything and teflon eliminates that challenge. The equipment is cheap and easily replaceable. Once people are experienced and ready to move on, they can get a nice stainless set but teflon works for the early years.

02-28-2006, 09:47 AM	#38 (permalink)
teflonian Appreciative Location: Paradise	I feel such hate towards me... Oh wait, I chose this name at random more or less and I guess I shouldn't take anything said in this thread personally. Besides, I agree teflon is not the way to go for 99% of the dishes out there. I can't imagine trying to make scrambled eggs in anything else though. I do see the world moving away from teflon, but I don't feel that the threat of teflon is so high that I need to get rid of the teflon pan I do have. I only use it for mid to low heat, use it sparingly, and never let it sit for long on a burner without something in it. That said, I love my 18/10 stailness steel pans with copper sandwhiched in them and use them a ton more than the teflon pan. Last edited by teflonian; 02-28-2006 at 01:45 PM..

02-28-2006, 10:16 AM	#39 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	No teflonian... you were right the first time. We do hate you. Am I the only one who makes scrambled eggs in a pot? __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

02-28-2006, 01:36 PM	#40 (permalink)
teflonian Appreciative Location: Paradise	Sigh, I knew it. In a pot? I don't think I have ever seen anybody do that before. I did see an article on making scrambled eggs on top of boiling water. Is that how you do them?