Weaning off non stick cookware

Zumaria

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In preparation for bringing home baby I know that I'm going to have to kick the easiness of non stick cookware. It's going to be worth it!

Do you have any suggestions for cast iron vs. stainless steel?

I'm leaning toward stainless steel, for those of you that use it and tips for getting things not to stick? I've always struggled with that.

Is there such a thing as a cast iron George Foreman? :p
 

strudel

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Are you talking about just for frying, or for everything?

For everything, get enamelled cast iron like le creuset or the-other-one-whose-name-can-never-remember. It sort of sticks a bit at first, but it cleans up easily.

For frypans, I go with stainless steel because I can put it in the dishwasher and treat it badly and it doesn't rust. If you want something to do eggs, get a little cast iron pan and season it. I do eggs in my stainless steel pan and they don't stick that much. Unfortunately, I think it depends on the pan. I had one years ago that my mother gave me and everything stuck like glue no matter what you did.
 
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Zumaria

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Yes mostly for frying - the rest of my cooking is actually baking. Yeah I have a dishwasher too, silly question but how do you clean cast iron?

I'm thinking maybe I should just invest in small and large stainless steel frying pans, good quality.
 

weco

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I have both cast iron and stainless pots & pans & while neither are really easy to clean...compared to non-stick cookware, both can be easier than many people make them. I simply soak my stainless before washing them.....I've never had anything not come off after soaking in plain water.....

Cast iron is a different animal.....you don't really wash cast iron with soap & water...you just rinse & wipe them clean, so if you are a clean freak, cast iron is not really for you.....

There's not a cast iron GF, but if you happen to have a down-draft stove, there are inserts for griddles and/or grills that will give you the convenience of a GF.....
 

strudel

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but how do you clean cast iron?
You aren't supposed to wash it, just season it and wipe it out, BUT you are meant to use it a lot to keep it well seasoned. Good info on here.

Seasoning of Stainless Steel fry pan

From my experience (and I don't fry much, it's not my "thing") the info on the second page is the way to go, medium heat, leave it sit there until it crusts up before turning.

Oh, and the other thing with stainless steel you can use Gumption on it to clean off any stuck on stuff. Personally, unless you are frying a lot, I'd go with stainless steel.
 

SoCalWendy

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A friend just bought me a greenpan, so far so good. You can go to their website Mission - Green Pan and check them out. I also got rid of all my Teflon and use stainless steel and now I have a green pan too and it's PTFE AND PFOA free
 
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Zumaria

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Wow the greenpan sounds great! I think it will be worth the investment.
 

mrgoogls

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i use all stainless steel. except our waffle maker :D hahaha. but when we use that i just bring cooper in my room until we are done. i really dont have any sticking problems with the stainless.
 

Kiwibird

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I have always had stainless cookware, and have never had "sticking" issues. One of the biggest "secrets" my mom taught me when I was learning to cook is to let the oil or butter heat up BEFORE you put in the food, especially with eggs. Also, always watch the flame (if you have a gas stove). You only need the hottest flame if your boiling water, everything else should be cooked on a medium or low flame, which will take longer, but will help with burning/sticking. Im sure the same would be true for an electric stove. As for cooking in pots (where you wouldn't grease them) just keep it on a medium or low flame. I have never had soup/veggies/rice ect... stick to the inside of a pot. And if you do have something stick, most will come off with simply soaking overnight in water. Anything that doesn't, use barkeepers friend on (a stainless steel polish), and that will take off even the nastiest, caked on gunk. Good luck!
 

Akraya

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I bought a ceramic pan, I will swear by it, I love it! Things taste better in it too :D

If people are worrying about sticking, ceramic doesn't stick, and neither does (spelling) hard adonised. Both free of PFOA PTFE.
 

strudel

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Wow the greenpan sounds great!
I'd do some research into what all those fancy terms really mean before accepting the claims. If it is using nano technology, I wouldn't be going there. Unfortunately, it doesn't really explain what the terms really mean and I wouldn't want to be a guinea pig for "new" technology that turns out to have been a bad idea. JMO.
 

MonicaMc

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As long as a pan is PTFE-free, it should be bird-safe.

Teflon is a brand name, not the danger itself. Some other names that PTFE is known under could be T-Fal and Silverstone.



You can find a lot of great info about it in here.

http://confluence.mickaboo.org/download/attachments/1179693/Teflon.pdf



Hard anodized aluminum pans that are PTFE-free are also non-stick and safe to use around birds.
 
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Zumaria

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Guys this is all great! I actually found a greenpan at the dollar store for $20 (10 in skillet), I haven't bought it yet, I'm going to look for steel first...good tips on everything - thanks!
 

labell

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Another great trick for cooking eggs is to take them out of the frig and let them reach room temp before cracking and cooking them. ;)
 

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