Re:Chemistry of Cast-Iron Seasoning (2010)
by dugite-code on Monday January 11, 2021 @12:03AM
(#25724764)
However, cast iron will never be as non-stick as a good non-stick pan
Also I always put bacon in my pan dry and hot, never have an issue
While you can eventually develop a very non-stick surface with cast iron or carbon steel, there's also the option to make a "spanish egg" with a medium amount of hot oil; e.g. https://youtu.be/mL-w_OegewU?t=215
Re:Chemistry of Cast-Iron Seasoning (2010)
by captainredbeard on Sunday January 10, 2021 @03:33PM
(#25719386)
Keeping an IR thermometer by the stovetop is handy if you're cooking with cast iron. It removes the guess work around things like "Am I going to burn this butter if I drop it in the pan?"
Re:Chemistry of Cast-Iron Seasoning (2010)
by colechristensen on Sunday January 10, 2021 @04:23PM
(#25720043)
Putting a drop of water on the pan is a good indicator of temperature. It will either sit there in a small puddle, wander around a bit, or zoom around in a frenzy.
Re:Chemistry of Cast-Iron Seasoning (2010)
by lmeyerov on Sunday January 10, 2021 @05:33PM
(#25720871)
for most medium/high, when an oiled pan, you can see the super faint smoke. for some oiled, even based on the viscosity from shaking the pan. water test is good for learning this point. but water in an oily pan can hurt later so good to learn to do without :)
some startups have been experimenting with built-in thermometers, so I can imagine this classic design being different 10yr from now :)
> some startups have been experimenting with built-in thermometers, so I can imagine this classic design being different 10yr from now
T-fal has had the thermo spot in their regular nonstick pans for at least a decade, if not two or three.
However, cast iron will never be as non-stick as a good non-stick pan, and if you treat it as one, you’re going to have a bad time.
Put bacon in a dry, hot pan, and it’ll leave crispy fond stuck to the pan. (Nothing you do will ever create fond in a non-stick pan.) Cook bacon starting with a cold pan, and enough fat will render by the time it heats to keep it from sticking.
Eggs will stick to cold, dry cast iron. Fry eggs in a moderately hot pan with plenty of grease. I had the devil of a time with fried eggs until I realized I wasn’t letting the pan heat enough. Also, it’s very easy to burn butter in a cast iron pan; use a more forgiving fat like bacon grease or a neutral oil.
Cast iron behaves differently than non-stick or stainless steel. Different heat density, different emissivity. Just like any other cookware, you need to learn how to work with it; it’s not just a matter of getting the magical perfect seasoning and pretending it’s Teflon.