Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

sutton-sutton t1_j3or2q8 wrote

Carbon steel for some lighter/faster to react to heat frying pans.

25

KinnerMode t1_j3pnd8j wrote

Yes. Currently have nonstick for omelettes, potstickers and the like. But once that coating inevitably wears out, I’ll be going to a seasoned carbon steel skillet. Nonstick as anything when seasoned, way lighter than cast iron and more BIFL than anything with a Teflon coating could ever be.

4

TheLlamaMonkey t1_j43iqjj wrote

Seems like you know what you're doing, but for everyone else here, you will never get your carbon steel as nonstick as Teflon.

You can absolutely get a great seasoning that works for whatever it is you want to cook, but it will never be Teflon.

2

KinnerMode t1_j44ujp7 wrote

That’s true. Sorry for not providing context. I guess I should have said that I don’t use nonstick every day. For me they’re sort of specialty cookware.

I don’t use them for low-fat or no-fat sautéing/pan frying, or anything that pushes my nonstick to the limits of what Teflon is capable of. But for eggs, fried rice, potstickers and heating up the occasional pan of leftover pasta or whatever, in my experience, carbon steel does the job just fine - and those uses are about 90% of what I do with my Teflon coated pans.

So for some who want to fry, sautee or blacken stuff with little/no oil, you’re right, Teflon and carbon steel aren’t interchangeable. I was looking at the issue through the narrow lens of my own cooking habits. My bad!

FWIW, I also like that with carbon steel, I’ll be able to safely use metal utensils without ruining the pan. Always afraid I’m going to have a brain fart and scratch up the Teflon coating by grabbing the wrong spatula.

1