For my money, I still prefer my wonderful cast iron skillets for most every skillet need. They can take the high temps or simmer things on low for long periods. Fewer fiascoes with sticking, scorching, etc. And clean up is divine! Simply empty skillet, put about an inch of water in it, set on high burner, when water comes to boil scour and voila! Wipe dry, set on burner you just had on, for a minute. Set off and if it looks like it needs it, rub a drop or two of oil all over the inside. I'm the same way about my old club aluminum pots. They are perfect for cooking rice, boiling fudge, cooking a custard. I do like my stainless steel for some other tasks, steaming veggies, boiling eggs, etc. But by and large, I'll reach for my club aluminum 8 out of 10 times.
And you, what is your favorite cookware? Do you have any cast iron or club aluminum?
Barbara
Great way to clean a skillet! Thanks for the tip. I do have cast iron ones. End of the week and one more to go. Happy A to Zing! ☺
ReplyDeleteDebbie @ THE DOGLADY'S DEN
Latest post: STEPPIN' STONE: Monkeying around
I too have many of them- the inexpensive ones and Your tip is sure going to come handy
ReplyDeleteI thought you weren't supposed to put water in cast iron. I've heard good things about them, but as I've never had one, it's all academic to me.
ReplyDeleteFirst, the skillet has to be seasoned. One should never be left in water, not left to air dry, and should be greased.
DeleteI have a flat, rimless version - the 'tawa' meant for making Indian flatbreads called 'roti' or 'chapaati' - it is heavy and heat retention is completely different from the modern teflon coated stuff. One of my treasured possessions, have been carrying it around for twenty years now through various country and city moves, the other modern stuff is discarded based on space, weight allowance etc, but this one - never! :) Can't do without it!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes,
Nilanjana.
Madly-in-Verse
I tend to avoid frying things as I stick everything to the pan, no matter what it is! We have a George Foreman grill, but it's recently decided to pack up after a long and serviceable life. Bah.
ReplyDeleteSticking when frying is usually caused by too high or two low a temperature, but can occur easier in some types of cookware.
DeleteOh, and always wait about one minute after putting meat in and then jiggle it with a fork. This trick helps a lot with sticking issues. We also have a foreman and like it a lot. Especially hubby. He can cook him a piece of meat quickly and easily when I am away. It also cleans up super easy.
DeleteI have a newer set of pots and pans, since mine had gotten pretty scratched and battered over the years. I like non-stick surfaces, make clean up so easy. My mom swore by her cast iron skillets and her fried chicken was the best!
ReplyDeleteNon-stick can be nice for some things. Scrambled eggs for instance. There is no better way to fry chicken than cast iron!
DeleteI think the good, old-fashioned stove-top pots/pans never disappoint.
ReplyDeleteThere are certain newer cookware items that cost a fortune and aren't all that wonderful...
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Writer In Transit
I have to admit I don't even know what my skillet is at the moment! I cared deeply about this about eight years ago when acquiring our kitchenware but apparently the space that knowledge was taking up in my brain was needed for other information. Still happily using whatever we had though - so I figure we made a good choice :) - Louise
ReplyDeleteIt's funny you should write about this - I was just finished supper 5 minutes ago and commented again to my husband how much I love my Le Creuset Dutch Oven. It was awarded to him for 20 years of service at the same company - we would have never spent the $$ they cost. But in hindsight - realizing how much I love it, it would have been a good use of our money!
ReplyDeleteTo paraphrase Jerry Clower, "if the cook ain't happy with her cookware, nobody's gonna be eating much."
DeleteI love your blog! Thanks for your kind comment. I am a Northerner, but was raised by southerners. Part of my youth was spent in SE Texas. It was the best part. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteSimple Man
Annie at ~McGuffy's Reader~
Awe, thank you, Annie. Come back any time you are homesick.
DeleteMy wife likes her cast iron skillet, I mostly bake and would prefer to grill
ReplyDeleteIngenious idea for a topic! :)
ReplyDeleteWhy, thank you kind sir!
DeleteI don't use pots and pans as a general rule, I figure, hehe - its all in preparing the food, peppers, onions, chicken, broccoli and then getting the timing spot on. Once everything is good to go, I fire the whole lot into one pan and hey presto! dinner, lol.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing wrong with some awesome "dump" cooking!
DeleteBarabara, I didn't know that these are called Skillets :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info.
There are so many TV ads about pots & pans.
I like non-stick ware, but they are dangerous if the teflon-coating comes off.
Presently, we spent a lot to purchase an entire surgical-steel-cookware set.
Have a great weekend!
'Simplicity' #AtoZChallenge
Well, skillet might be an old Southern term. I still say icebox instead of refrigerator or fridge.
DeleteJust last night, I was watching this documentary called 'minimalism' which talks about the unnecessary stuff we tend to accumulate because of advertising.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I have my old favourite in the kitchen:) It's my pressure cooker-- you'll find it in any Indain home worth its salt. I use it for cooking all sorts of beans and soups and curries and even make rice pudding (kheer, we call it in Hindi)in it.
S is for Silver Serendipity
Mama did pressure cooking too. I never mastered it.
DeleteI definitely have to get a skillet now :-) Happy A-to-Z-ing.
ReplyDeleteI had Club aluminum many years ago when we first got married as well as cast iron pans. They have all gone on walkabout over the years during various moves. Now, I have an inexpensive cookware set that we bought at Walmart that was made in America, believe it or not. It has worked out great! The red enamel is flaking off, but the non-stick coating inside is still great. I don't have any complaints about it. It looks like the name on the bottom of the pan is Tramontina.
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed day!
I have three iron skillets that I leave on the stove top. I wash them and wipe the stove top. I do use a couple of stainless steel pots and a large stockpot to boil spaghetti. I've been trying to reduce what we have. It's hard to let go of all the little cooking devices. But if I don't use them, I am donating them. I've got a set of dishes that need to go. It is hard to let go. lol
ReplyDeleteI don't mind trying out new cooking tools, though I too have had some fiascos there. Here in Italy, the new way to go with skillets is what they call 'stone'. Which isn't stone at all, but a new material that's very sturdy, manages heat fine and is anti-sticky (if that's a word in English... which I'm really not sure).
ReplyDeleteI quite like it, actually :-)
@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter - 1940s Film Noir
Sounds great.
DeleteCast iron is too heavy for me. But I know lots of people who wouldn't cook with anything else. I've actually tried that water trick with my pots and pans and it definitely works.
ReplyDeletePlucking Of My Heartstrings
Yep, sure do have some cast iron! I like cooking meat in mine - steaks, sausages, etc. I also confess to loving my non-stick skillets. I just can't do that "shake and toss" with the cast iron like I can with non-stick, lol. :)
ReplyDelete