Durable Large Skillet Ninja Foodi? Cast Iron?

[AnnieW625]

I have to second the recommendation for Scanpan. I bought a few of their pans a year ago (based on recs. from people here) and just bought another one. They have great sales as well. I have a large 13” pan from the CTX line and the rest is from the classic line.

Cast iron wise I have a Lodge grill pan that I rarely use, but I do use my Le Creuset enameled cast iron for spaghetti, chili, and biscuits. I have the two brasiers in the 2/1/4 qt. size, and a 3/1/2 qt. size. We are a family of 4, but we use both pretty equally. I also have a cast iron tortilla warmer (aka circular 10” griddle) that gets almost daily use.

I am not a fan of anything not non stick for eggs because I think my eggs get too crusty and crispy.

I also use non stick for rice because I don’t like crunchy rice either.

I would get at least a 10” and a 12” non stick pan and considered enameled cast iron if you do want to use cast iron.


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[bisous]

I just rarely use anything smaller than that 5 quart saute pan. Maybe when I make myself some eggs?

I'm thinking of just grabbing another one of those from Costco. Now that I know the name I realize it is a really good deal!

In the meantime, maybe I can try to rehab my cast iron and see if I can get that work. It still sounds fussy to me. But I love the idea of its durability and hate replacing my pans every few years. If I can't get the cast iron to work for me, then I'll save up for a higher end nonstick.

Thanks for helping me think through this!

I was just having a conversation with my neighbor who uses SO many sizes of pots and pans. Her family is similarly sized to mine. I use ONLY the saute pan, and the larger sized sauce pans and stock pots. I almost never use the other sizes and am considering donating them! But not her. She uses all the sizes all the time! I guess it just depends on how you cook!

[legaleagle]

I wouldn't plan on making really acid saucy things (tomato sauce or whatever) in your lodge unless you want to add more iron to your family's diet. Pricey even though it's currently on sale for $250 but the le creuset 6.75 wide round is a fantastic do-it-all pan.

[bisous]

I wouldn't plan on making really acid saucy things (tomato sauce or whatever) in your lodge unless you want to add more iron to your family's diet. Pricey even though it's currently on sale for $250 but the le creuset 6.75 wide round is a fantastic do-it-all pan.

Does that ruin the flavor? I'm wondering if maybe adding iron wouldn't be such a bad thing? (I have one DS that battles anemia and that's actually why I bought the Lodge in the first place!) Here's the thing, does the acidic cooking ruin the cheap nonstick pan's finish faster?

I'm not opposed to using a very expensive pan if I knew I could cook EVERYTHING and that it would last and I couldn't ruin it by not caring for it properly? Especially since my two older DSs do all the dishes.

TIA!

[legaleagle]

Depending on what you're cooking you may be able to taste it - whether that's enough to ruin it depends on the person I think. It does mean you need to be a little more careful about keeping it seasoned, but that's no big deal - I would make sure the seasoning is very very black and not at all sticky before you do try it. LC is pretty hard to ruin - just don't blast with heat, or thermally shock it by putting a hot pan in cold water or similar. It's great in the oven too. It is heavy of course but manageable.

[bisous]

Depending on what you're cooking you may be able to taste it - whether that's enough to ruin it depends on the person I think. It does mean you need to be a little more careful about keeping it seasoned, but that's no big deal - I would make sure the seasoning is very very black and not at all sticky before you do try it. LC is pretty hard to ruin - just don't blast with heat, or thermally shock it by putting a hot pan in cold water or similar. It's great in the oven too. It is heavy of course but manageable.

It sounds wonderful, honestly. Does it start looking stained? I think I remember that they are white on the inside? Can metal implements remove the finish? Can you wash in the dishwasher? We're HARD on our pans! Are there other brands just as wonderful that don't have the prestige of the name? There is a Le Creuset outlet in my city. Of course, I don't leave my house these days, lol.

[legaleagle]

I loooove LC (and it's gotten worse after I channeled my quarantine shopping into it by joining a FB group). You may get minor stains but they're generally very easy to remove. Metal utensils *may* leave little marks if you scrap really hard but they're not actually ruining the finish - I haven't had that problem myself. I always put mine in the dishwasher. There are other good brands (staub, lodge) but I'm not sure any other have one that is the same form factor.

[bisous]

I loooove LC (and it's gotten worse after I channeled my quarantine shopping into it by joining a FB group). You may get minor stains but they're generally very easy to remove. Metal utensils *may* leave little marks if you scrap really hard but they're not actually ruining the finish - I haven't had that problem myself. I always put mine in the dishwasher. There are other good brands (staub, lodge) but I'm not sure any other have one that is the same form factor.

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I think I really want some LC now!

[bisous]

Are you talking about the round wide dutch oven? It is a beauty. What color do you all like the best? (Also--out of my price range for now but I'm seriously considering if I get money for a birthday or Christmas saving up for one of these beauties!)

[legaleagle]

Yes, the wide round https://www.lecreuset.com/round-wide...en/LS2552.html - it's one of the first pieces I got about 8/9 years ago and still one of the most frequently used though I have like 10 more LC and also a zillion SS pots.