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Pots and fucking pans

Some cast. A few Pieces used more than others! Wok gets a ton Of use.

I actually have very little money in most of my cast-iron because I have a $10 rule which is I won’t pay more than 10 bucks for a piece of cast-iron. But if you work, the flea markets and garage sales, you can score big. My huge Dutch oven did cost me 25 bucks. I splurged.

But been buying this stuff up for 25 years or more and love it.

The little pot on my stove is for deep frying. Time to toss the oil after Thanksgiving.

I made the pot hangers myself out of angle iron and let them sit out in the snow for a winter to rust. Then just hung them up.

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Here is a 10 year old Gotham steel pan. The one hanging up I’ve never used because it’s my back up pan in case they stop making them.

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Here’s eggs in said 10-year-old Gotham steel pan. Along with today’s bacon for breakfast.

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Last someone mentioned the importance of a good spatula and you can’t go wrong with that. I got tired of crappy store-bought spatulas and made that in the shop in about an hour. It’s mild steel scrap riveted together. It’ll outlast my cast-iron!

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I am an absolute cheapskate when it comes to pots and pans, but will spend stupid money on kitchen knives!

Cheers!
 
The more use cast gets the easier it gets to clean. Using those gimmick miracle pans reduce the amount of time the cast is used so it's not getting a good season.

I use cast iron with lard or tallow, butter, sometimes avocado oil if I'm doing a quick fried rice. Don't use vegetable oils or imitation lards. They are poisoning your body for one, but a friend of mine that used vegetable oil on his cast had issues with seasoning until he shaped the F out of it and re seasoned with some lard. Slicker n shit now.

my egg pan after breakfast
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My egg pan after being wiped out with just a paper towel
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And, when I started using lard and butter, I dropped 30lbs so fast people thought I had cancer or something, and my blood pressure also dropped closer to normal levels.
 
Ya don’t sleep on yard and estate sales for cook ware. The vast majority of folks don’t know what they have.

The latest trendy thing is that antique corning ware has become really collectible. With some old patterns and pieces selling for hundreds of dollars online. And it’s all over the place at Garage sales and flea markets and no one has a clue what they have. Most of the time you can buy a corn pot at a garage sale for a dollar and they are absolutely amazing for pasta soup and other stuff that you slow cook in the oven.
 
The latest trendy thing is that antique corning ware has become really collectible. With some old patterns and pieces selling for hundreds of dollars online. And it’s all over the place at Garage sales and flea markets and no one has a clue what they have. Most of the time you can buy a corn pot at a garage sale for a dollar and they are absolutely amazing for pasta soup and other stuff that you slow cook in the oven.
i hadn’t seen that the Corning Ware was the newest thing. I have a few pc that were my grandmothers and my mom has several.
Hope they keep going up and I’ll trade mine for quality cast iron or Magnalite
 
All-Clad. Every year they hold a massive sale located at the county fairgrounds. You would not believe how many people attend. You literally have to take a number to get into the exhibition halls. I'm not kidding when I say that the time between getting a number and actually gaining admittance allows for enough time to go out and get breakfast at nearby restaurants.
 
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Then your pan isn’t seasoned properly. I battled mine for a while until I figured out how to season them. Now clean up is just as fast as any other pan. Season every couple of months or so. Cast iron does require more maintenance but I would put up with it and pocket the $1k.

My every day skillet is a 110 year old 8” Wagner handed down from my great grandmother. Part of the reason I was determined to figure out cast iron….
Exactly. My mom’s old Griswold is well seasoned and cleans up easily. Here’s a wild turkey breast i sous vide then seared yesterday.

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My dad collected vintage cast iron cook ware for years.
He always kept an eye out for Griswold and Wagner stuff but wouldn't turn down a no name item if it was made in U.S.A. and was a good smooth casting. He had a shed full.
I inherited his collection when he died. I gave away certain pieces that I had more than one of to close friends but there's still a ton of out in the shed.
A good bit of it is still in need of restoration but I have nice assortment in the house for everyday use.

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Lightweight stamped sheet metal skillets like mentioned earlier in the thread:
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12 qt stew pot that mostly gets used as a deep fryer along side my great grand ma's stew pot from back in the days of wood stoves:
View attachment 8556758 and a few odd pans that mostly just hang around for decoration:
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Your collection on the stoves looks like mine.
 
My dad collected vintage cast iron cook ware for years.
He always kept an eye out for Griswold and Wagner stuff but wouldn't turn down a no name item if it was made in U.S.A. and was a good smooth casting. He had a shed full.
I inherited his collection when he died. I gave away certain pieces that I had more than one of to close friends but there's still a ton of out in the shed.
A good bit of it is still in need of restoration but I have nice assortment in the house for everyday use.

View attachment 8556743
Lightweight stamped sheet metal skillets like mentioned earlier in the thread:
View attachment 8556767

12 qt stew pot that mostly gets used as a deep fryer along side my great grand ma's stew pot from back in the days of wood stoves:
View attachment 8556758 and a few odd pans that mostly just hang around for decoration:
View attachment 8556768
You just hit the key on cast iron: smooth casting. Anything else is misery, at least initially.
 
There isn't one type of pan that works for all applications.

All-Clad lasts forever. I have All-Clad pans that are 35 years old. They are the most durable pans made. If one fails, they will replace it.

Ruffoni for copper but you don't need many as they have specialized uses.

Good heavy-cast pans are also necessary for certain things. I have no name cast pans and enameled cast made by Le Creuset and Staub that are very old and never wear out.
 
All-Clad D5 stainless, which are on sale right now. They'll last forever, look good and perform good.

Le Creuset if you like how cast iron cooks but is easier to clean with the enameled finish. Do not use metal tools, wood and silicon only. They're pricey but will last a lifetime if you take care of the finish. My mom's pieces are probably 4 decades old. I have an oval Dutch Oven that I love for braising and making big stews. Their website has a couple curated sets on sale.

If you're flush with cash, Mauviel copper pots and pans are fantastic. Copper is a better conductor than stainless or aluminum and reacts more quickly to changes in heat input and heats more uniformly. And they're gorgeous. They're also on sale right now.

Hestan is supposed to be really nice, with a nanobond non-stick coating that allegedly doesn't chip, scratch or peel like Teflon. But I don't have any experience with them.

With stainless steel cookware, you can get them nearly non-stick if you cut an onion, dip it in olive oil and rub it over the cooking surface while the pan is on medium heat.
 
It's much easier than that.

First, go to the dollar store and find a cheap, flat tipped all metal spatula.

When you're done cooking and have some stuff that sticks, add 8-20 oz of water to the still hot pan.
Turn the heat back on to a light simmer. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes and the cover it with the heat off.
Go eat dinner.
Come back and scrape the pan with the flat spatula.
Everything should come right off.
If not, you can find all stainless brillo pads. Use them to get the other crap off while you run it under hot water.

Bam, done.
I dry my cast iron on the stove top with some heat. If you have some bacon grease, give it a little wipe while it's still hot.
Done. Done.


Rinse the food particles out of the brillo.
New product. Made in USA. Just bought yesterday. Handle is removable.
 
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We’ve got a stainless set from Calphalon but don’t use it very frequently. The stuff that gets used the most is an enamel lined cast iron Le Creuset Dutch oven and a Lodge cast iron skillet. Cast iron doesn’t take any longer to clean if you prep it properly and is much safer than any disgusting teflon lined pan
 
All-Clad.

They'll last forever if you don't abuse them. It's a little learning curve to learn how to properly cook and clean them, but honestly it's an incredibly easy one.

Being black Friday, there is decent deals around on them. D3 is a better price than D5, and fiscally makes more sense for most people.

I usually avoid sets and assemble items I would actually use one by one. The 12" D5 fry pan with lid is on sale at a few places for ~$129 right now. Costco sells the 8 & 10" fry pans as a combo for a decent price.

I'm not convinced that stock pots have to be stainless steel - you can save money here.

Here is where All-Clad sells their factory seconds, you can get some awesome deals here: https://homeandcooksales.com/
 
Lodge Cast Iron

Modern Lodge is garbage. Most cast iron made after about 1990 is shit. Buy the old stuff and it will last lifetimes. Much of mine is from the ‘30’s and ‘40’s. Stuff people were literally throwing away. I can’t tell you how many pans I got for 50 cents or a dollar.

Better than the crap at Cabelas or camping stores.

Flea markets and garage sales… it’s out there by the literal ton!!!

Sirhr
 
That list of prices is BS. Not even close. The cornflower casserole they say is 500-1000 just sold on ebay for 69 dollars and it had the stand too.


Have one to sell?
Sell now

Corning Ware Cornflower Blue P -34-8 Dutch Oven 4 Quart W/Lid, Rack​


19plum42
US $69.00
Condition:
UsedUsed

$69 for a pot that is a dollar at any garage sales…

Agreed, stupid people are paying stupid $$$ to be trendy.

Just pointing out that there is stupid $$$ being thrown at user pots that you can equip a kitchen with for <$20 for a whole set!!!

Sirhr
 
Modern Lodge is garbage. Most cast iron made after about 1990 is shit. Buy the old stuff and it will last lifetimes. Much of mine is from the ‘30’s and ‘40’s. Stuff people were literally throwing away. I can’t tell you how many pans I got for 50 cents or a dollar.

Better than the crap at Cabelas or camping stores.

Flea markets and garage sales… it’s out there by the literal ton!!!

Sirhr
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Not to be repetitive but All Clad and score one for the Frogs with Le Creuset. If you buy either one make sure it’s Made in the USA (for All Clad) and Made in France (Le Creuset). Both have lines made “offshore” and they suck. The All Clad pots are great for stews and Italian Gravy and meatballs. The Le Creuset pans do everything from steaks to fried chicken cutlet and just about anything that needs braising. They clean up fast and nothing sticks to those little bastards. YMMV.
 
Yeah, I love cast iron, and I'd say I'm proficient with the process, but it's too much effort every time my 5 year old wants 2 eggs that she probably won't eat anyways.

I cook eggs every morning (well except Fast Sunday) in a cast iron pan.

Unless I do something really wrong, the clean up is simply wiping it down with a paper towel and calling it good.
 
Modern Lodge is garbage. Most cast iron made after about 1990 is shit. Buy the old stuff and it will last lifetimes. Much of mine is from the ‘30’s and ‘40’s. Stuff people were literally throwing away. I can’t tell you how many pans I got for 50 cents or a dollar.

Better than the crap at Cabelas or camping stores.

Flea markets and garage sales… it’s out there by the literal ton!!!

Sirhr
Eh, not really.

Sure, maybe some of the newly designed stuff may be a little thinner or something but a #10 skillet is a #10 skillet. I’ve had one on my stove through a few moves and 15 years and there’s no reason it won’t be passed to my grandkids

There’s also some gootube videos comparing some original pieces to an updated design that show the new piece has some improvements.

I understand the sentiment but just because something is old or new doesn’t necessarily mean anything
 
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Cast iron, treated and used properly, is the first way to go.

Secondly, "name brand" pots/pans are a joke. Go to a commercial kitchen supplier, and purchase the WELDED, not riveted stainless cookware.

In our view, anything else is a gimmick or a crutch. It's all in the cooking, and cleaning.
 
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My wife is scouring the internet for a new set of pots and pans after the last $1,000+ dollar set of miracle "lasts forever, nothing will ever stick, they will add 30 points to your credit score overnight etc." Pans that we bought a few years ago have begun to deteriorate.

Help me fellas, where do we spend the money on pans that will perform and last. I don't want anything with Teflon or other shit that is slowly poisoning you, but I already have a closet full of cast iron, and each time you use them, the cleaning process is long and tedious. Looking for every day pots and pans for general cooking. Anybody have any advice?
All non stick pans are a repeat investment, that leech dangerous chemicals into your food, especially if you use high heat. There are several companies that make stainless clad pans, I've been using two different sets that were purchased in the late 1980's.
I also use cast iron and carbon steel.
I do have a couple of non-stick with the expectation of replacing them after about 5 years use.
A decent carbon steel skillet will do all of your sauteeing egg frying, with easy cleanup.
 
No matter how much oil or grease I use I can't even fry Egg on stainless with out sticking. Cast no problem.
You have to correctly season stainless.
If you want lighter weight, a good carbon steel skillet is the answer.
Care and seasoning is the same as cast iron. The benefit is much lighter weight.
This is an excellent intro to carbon steel. About half the pricer of a debuyer or matfer.
 
My wife is scouring the internet for a new set of pots and pans after the last $1,000+ dollar set of miracle "lasts forever, nothing will ever stick, they will add 30 points to your credit score overnight etc." Pans that we bought a few years ago have begun to deteriorate.

Help me fellas, where do we spend the money on pans that will perform and last. I don't want anything with Teflon or other shit that is slowly poisoning you, but I already have a closet full of cast iron, and each time you use them, the cleaning process is long and tedious. Looking for every day pots and pans for general cooking. Anybody have any advice?

If I can't wipe out the cast iron with a paper towel I wash with soap and water in the sink. No problem. If you get build up on the outside from prolonged use you can throw them into a fire and they come out clean.
To each their own though. I ain't spending 1000 dollars for cookware when it is available cheap ,as has been mentioned.
 
I've actually come to really love the All-Clad handles.

For those that don't, the D3 'Everyday' line has more conventional handles, and flared rims for pouring.
I like the newish Everyday D3 line.

I've had good luck sanding the inside of the newer Lodge cast iron. It's not as smooth as my old cast iron, but works just as good.
 
I like the newish Everyday D3 line.

I've had good luck sanding the inside of the newer Lodge cast iron. It's not as smooth as my old cast iron, but works just as good.

Don't sand cast iron.
You can use oven cleaner to remove old grease and the coating the new lodge pans come with. It take about 3 applications to do it. Neutralize the oven cleaner then re-season it with crisco/oil/ etc in the oven.

I have done it a few time with well used pans and they came out looking almost new. Not pad for a pan from the 30s.
 
Following for suggestions. Liking the Cuisinart linked earlier.

But also need for induction top. We're building a new house and the builder doesn't offer gas, so we upgraded to the induction cooktop. Any tips or tricks for induction cooktops?
 
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