cast iron skillets

Depends on what you are going to do in it. Mostly used to sear meats, get a sear on veggies then go into oven or deep fry in. If you are going to keep a seasoning on it it's best not to mix sweet things and savory things.

I'd say a larger pan for savory and a small pan for cobblers and little pies would be best. Not sure about price difference but I found mine by a dumpster, deep cleaned and re seasoned it and use it all the time. Fry bacon and eggs in it most mornings and use it to fry chicken and potatoes all the time. I think price has something to do with the quality of the metals used.

>>8232207
>I'm looking to get a cast iron skillet

Don't.

Go with carbon steel.

Lighter than cast iron, but can be tossed in an oven / open flame and take stupid high heats just like cast iron.

Carbon steel is what you want.

>>8232246
I'm listening, I will have a look into carbon steel if that's the case

>>8232207
Just get a lodge logic for cheap all of the mystical memeing about cast iron is BS

>>8232246
are there any reasons to not get carbon steel other than price? I was thinking about this one: https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-CRS12-Skillet-Seasoned-12-inch/dp/B005U93RYW/

Is there anything I need to know upkeep-wise? Do I need to treat it the same way as cast iron, making sure it's stored dry and without water?

What, if any, downsides are there?

t. not OP

>>8232301
>are there any reasons to not get carbon steel other than price? I was thinking about this one: https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-CRS12-Skillet-Seasoned-12-inch/dp/B005U93RYW/


bumping for answers to this.

I just bought one of these and waiting for it to arrive.

>>8232349
Op here, would also like to know this, if there is no disadvantage to carbon steel then I will definitely get that instead

>>8232254
>>8232301
>>8232349
>>8232361

The only difference between cast iron and carbon steel is that the cast iron does a better job of heat retention due to greater mass, however, that really isn't a big issue since you can just keep the heat cranked up on a carbon steel pan to maintain heat levels.

Carbon steel offers the same no-stick properties that can be achieved with cast iron, the same abilities to take heat levels that would ruin other pans, and the same ability to operate in an oven or open flames, but with the added benefit of being light weight, which is why most people avoid cast iron.

You must season carbon steel, like cast iron, and you care for it the same way. I think lodge sells pre-seasoned carbon steel pans, which means you wouldn't even have to season it, which is nice. For cleaning, all you do is rinse that bitch out with hot water, a sponge, and then slap it on the stove to get it warm again, put a light coat of oil on it, and store it until next time.

Stainless, no stick, aluminum, all are ass compared to carbon steel, and once you buy, season, and start using some, you'll love it, and wonder why it's not more popular.

>>8232405
Alright, so the carbon steel skillet for general purpose stuff seems nice. What do you recommend for a stock pot and what do you recommend for a sauce pan? I figure those are really all I need.

>>8232405
>I think lodge sells pre-seasoned carbon steel pans, which means you wouldn't even have to season it, which is nice.
Mine is coming in a few days and I'm going to season it in the oven twice before using it anyway.

>>8232405
on a related note, is gas or induction better for something like carbon steel (and any other cooking really)?

You ought to own one carbon steel pan, a crepe pan. Everything else should be cast iron, from Lodge.

This: http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

>>8232407
Some form of stainless steel for both.
For those applications, you don't want aluminum or cast because acids will react with it. And you'd probably want to avoid nonstick just so you don't have to baby it with silicone whisks and such.

sounds like carbon steel is the way to go
are these good choices?
http://www.kitchenwarehouse.com.au/Solidteknics-AUS-ION-Formed-Iron-Skillet-26cm?sc=336&category=14735148

http://www.kitchenwarehouse.com.au/SOLIDTEKNICS-Australian-Made-AUS-ION-Satin-Formed-Iron-Skillet-26cm?sc=336&category=14735148

I have a de Buyer carbon steel, and it's still pretty frikkin heavy compared to say a cheap nonstick skillet. I have a small cast iron but it's just for cornbread.

>>8232466
>$100 AUD
>$130 AUD
You should be paying, like.. $50, tops. I dunno if you have Lodge or not, but carbon steel is kind of the same as cast iron. Expensive/fancy isn't better than the cheap stuff.

>>8232466
thats not even carbon steel

>>8232407
>stock pot and what do you recommend for a sauce pan

Stainless.

Reason being is because both are used for heating things with a high volume of liquid where sticking and temp control aren't really big issues to deal with the way they are in skillets.

Stainless is easy to clean, light, and non-reactive, so it's the go-to for high volume liquids.

>>8232412

Gas is always better due to the ability to more accurately and rapidly control your heat input, however, carbon steel doesn't have an issue with either.

>>8232207
>or should I opt for something like 30-32(11-12")?

Definitely this. You can always cook a little food in a large pan but you cannot do the opposite. There are many things that don't comfortably fit in a 10" skillet that fit easily in a 12".

Either get a vintage Griswold pan or a new Stargazer pan.

Does simmering in a cast iron skillet fuck up the season?

>>8233869
If you're simmering something acidic, yes.

>>8232407
A good stockpot can be found for under 20$ easy so don't overpay. Pot should be stainless with a lid, metal handles, largest that will fit on a single burner.

>>8232412
Good electric stoves and ovens can be found but are very expensive and hard to shop for.
Electric cooktops only have 2 settings full power and off. A good stove will do this many times per second but that costs money to do so most manufacturers just use some slow cycling timer which results in large temp swings. Gas uses a valve to let more or less gas through and is truly variable.