Let's Talk BBQ
General => General Discussion & Topics => Product Reviews => Topic started by: Smokin Don on June 19, 2015, 12:13:23 PM
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Jun 19 2015
I wasted a lot of money buying skillets over the 40 years I have been cooking. Non-stick Teflon was popular and I used them but had to buy new every year or two. My Mother-in-law gave me one of her old cast iron skillets. I used it for a few years but then everything started sticking, not sure if I gave it away or threw it out. I tried re-seasoning it but probably didn’t do it right.
I paid $90 US for a scan pan coated with ceramic. It did a great job for a few years then started sticking more. My next one was a Green-Pan and the same thing it started sticking. Then they had one called Orgreenic that was advertised on TV. My wife asked if I wanted one and I said no. Then she came home with one and said it was only $17 so got it for you. To my surprise it was nonstick and have been using it for over 3 years and it still looks new. We use it mostly for frying a quick egg for breakfast.
I had a cast iron Dutch oven and a bean pot I used a lot and liked them. I then got a Lodge 10 inch pre-seasoned and started using it a lot and really got to love cooking in it. I had a large 12 inch old Lodge skillet that I didn’t use much and gave it to my neighbor to use; he let his daughter and husband use it for camping.
After he died his wife asked if I wanted it back so took it. It was dirty and in bad shape so I read up on how to clean and re-season CI. I cleaned it in my electric oven on self-cleaning mode and it came out like new. I did a six step seasoning on it and came out great. I only use it for outdoor cooking. I then bought and old Wapak hallow ware skillet. I had wanted one for a long time since they were made here in Wapakoneta. It was a little over a pound lighter than my new Lodge skillet. I cleaned and re-seasoned it and it came out like new. It has a slight bow in the bottom so I don’t use it on my glass top stove. I save it for baking cornbread.
Then Lodge came out with some carbon steel skillets. I bought a 10 and 12 inch one; they were pre-seasoned and love them. They are my everyday skillets that I use a lot.
A lot of the members of LTBBQ forum were buying De Buyers mineral B carbon steel skillets. They are not cheap so I held out for a while but finally had to have one. I got a 10 inch skillet for $60. They recommend just one seasoning on the stove top before using so that’s the way I did it.
The only minus thing is it is heavy and the older I get that becomes an important factor. It is a pound lighter than my Lodge 10 inch CI and a pound heavier than my Lodge 10 inch CS skillets. I do like that it is deeper than my Lodge CS. One other thing is my chief bottle washer, my wife, cannot handle them to clean so I have to clean them! They all clean up pretty easy, a quick brushing under hot water and a final scrub with a Scotch blue pad. Just lately I discovered a chain mail for cleaning stuck on food.
The De Buyer skillet is a thing of beauty; well made. It did not take on much color after seasoning. I used it for the first time; I did three batches of jowl bacon in it and then sautéed some onions and garlic. It cooked great and was easy to clean up. I was surprised it did not take on much more color. It looks like it will take a while to develop a nice color and may never get the nice black color of CI.
New Skillet
(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Cast%20Iron%20Cookware/_6164954_zpspmng0egr.jpg)
After seasoning
(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Cast%20Iron%20Cookware/_6174971_zpselhus0nz.jpg)
L to R Lodge CI at 5.25 Lbs., De Buyer CS at 4.25 pounds, Lodge CS at 3.25 pounds
(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Cast%20Iron%20Cookware/_6174969_zpsf2lxnl4t.jpg)
First cooking
(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Cast%20Iron%20Cookware/_6184978_zps0qpi30cd.jpg)
(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Cast%20Iron%20Cookware/_6184980_zpsxg10bs63.jpg)
Cleaned after the first cook
(http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a474/deains/Cast%20Iron%20Cookware/_6184994_zpswtn7xovo.jpg)
Smokin Don
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Don they will take on color but it is oh so slow. When I get home from work I'll post a picture of one of my deBuyer pans.
They are about 6 or 7 years old and keep getting better.
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Whatever happened to SilverStone ;) Nice Skillets.....
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That is a beautiful pan
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That first cook looks good. When I got my De Buyers mineral pans I got a deal on a 3 piece set, 12", 10", 8"
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That first cook looks good. When I got my De Buyers mineral pans I got a deal on a 3 piece set, 12", 10", 8"
Here is a good price - http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/25200-de-buyer-mineral-fry-pan.aspx
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That's where we got our set David. We got a sweet deal, we used a gift certificate, (Xmas gift) and got 40 % off to boot!
As promised Don, pics of 8", 10", and 12". After 6 or 7 years they still aren't totally dark but they cook great an best....they let go!
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That first cook looks good. When I got my De Buyers mineral pans I got a deal on a 3 piece set, 12", 10", 8"
Here is a good price - http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/25200-de-buyer-mineral-fry-pan.aspx
Yep, that looks like the place I got mine
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That's where we got our set David. We got a sweet deal, we used a gift certificate, (Xmas gift) and got 40 % off to boot!
As promised Don, pics of 8", 10", and 12". After 6 or 7 years they still aren't totally dark but they cook great an best....they let go!
Thanks for the pics Gene! Look nice! Don
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I really like my DeBuyers - I used to be a Calphalon guy... but am slowly moving to just DeBuyers through attrition (more heavy duty, hold the heat, and are less expensive.)
I do have to mention a funny thing, the best "non-stick" pan I have ever found came from IKEA. It won't last long - depending on use probably 2 years at best - but it is cheap. I think the last one I bought was $7.99. It is as slippery as you can get - no nasty toxins (or so they say.) Light weight and you can throw it in the dishwasher. If you use metal utensils it will scratch easily - silicone, plastic, or bamboo only. While I like and use my DeBuyers, I buy the IKEA pan for my wife and kids - keeps us all on an even keel.... ;) ;D ;D ;D
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Check this out. Article goes on to describe the dangers of "non-stick".
http://m.motherjones.com/environment/2007/05/teflon-forever
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Check this out. Article goes on to describe the dangers of "non-stick".
http://m.motherjones.com/environment/2007/05/teflon-forever
Interesting article thanks for the link - good thing my kids prefer to use the grill and my wife rarely cooks!
I do have to say, one of the things I dislike about "corporate fines" is that while they make excellent headlines, they rarely change behavior and the cost is passed on to the consumer. I would prefer the execs be personally fined or somehow penalized.
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Have you ever noticed how many recipes call for cooking various ingredients in a "non-stick" pan? And then go on to tell you to make a pan sauce in that pan? I have never made a good pan sauce in a non-stick pan. The whole point of those pans is to prevent the development of the fond that creates a good pan sauce. Sorry for the aside, but as I was looking at a couple of recipes on line it just hit me.
On the other hand, she wore a glove - oops, my dad's old joke - the DeBuyer is perfect for creating an excellent pan sauce!
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Have you ever noticed how many recipes call for cooking various ingredients in a "non-stick" pan? And then go on to tell you to make a pan sauce in that pan? I have never made a good pan sauce in a non-stick pan. The whole point of those pans is to prevent the development of the fond that creates a good pan sauce. Sorry for the aside, but as I was looking at a couple of recipes on line it just hit me.
On the other hand, she wore a glove - oops, my dad's old joke - the DeBuyer is perfect for creating an excellent pan sauce!
Exactly why I have stopped using my non stick. No fond......no flavor.