Carbon steel is amazing - durable self repairing non-stick surface that after the inital seasoning is trivial to maintain: wash the pan with a brush when its still hot without any detergent - cleans in seconds.

Cast iron is good too but takes longer to heat the pan.

You only have to look in any professional kitchen - they don't use non-stick pans.

▲

petronic an hour ago | parent | next [-]

My current favorite pan is the best of all worlds - stainless clad outer layer, aluminum internal layer for efficiency in spreading heat and a carbon steel interior to develop non-stick seasoning with use.

Strata makes them, they're priced competitively with standard carbon steel pans.

Chris Young turned me onto them in his video about a $4,200 silver frying pan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdORIBH3R88

	▲	sodapopcan an hour ago \| parent [-]
		I feel stainless steel is the simplest, most versatile option that lasts forever. I've never actually tried carbon steel, though. I've had cast iron in the past but I just don't get the hype. They're heavy and require a lot of maintenance. I'm not saying they are bad, of course, it's whatever floats your boat!

▲

not-kinsale-joe 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I have seen non-stick pans for eggs.

	▲	butvacuum 34 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		yea, eggs in a busy kitchen or when you haven't been out of bed for more than 5m is risky.

▲

bluedino an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> You only have to look in any professional kitchen - they don't use non-stick pans.

That's definitely not true.

▲

Fire-Dragon-DoL an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

The cast iron is a pain to maintain though

▲

dredmorbius an hour ago | parent | next [-]

I wash mine after use. Most frequent task: scrambling eggs. Also baking (bread, rolls, pizza), frying, saute.

Wash: a few drops of detergent and hot water immediately after cooking. Let sit while I eat. Scrub out with a brush, invert to dry.

Wipe with oil (I prefer flax, there are many other options).

Store on lower oven rack when not in use, inverted. Seasons whilst baking generally.

Once a month or two, or when the finish is looking grotty, I'll give it a good oil rub all over, and park it in the oven at 230C / 450F for 60--90 minutes, and allow to cool for 30--60 minutes after (depending on whether I need to use the oven). Like new.

Teflon is the best it'll ever be the day you get it from the shop. Cast iron only improves with age. My oldest pan is ~70 years old (a family hand-me-down), the newest has a few decades on it. All will undoubtedly outlast me.

▲

darkstar999 an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

It really isn't. I stopped trying to keep it looking perfectly seasoned and it performs just as well.

	▲	petronic an hour ago \| parent [-]
		That was my breakthrough with both carbon steel and cast iron. Even if the seasoning is imperfect, it'll perform just fine if you preheat it thoroughly and oil it before use.