It’s been many years (maybe 15 years) since I got my first cast iron pan, and it didn’t go very well with it. Everything stuck to it, it was hard to clean, and it rusted. In the end, it got thrown out!
A few years ago, I wanted to try my luck again. After all, many people swear by cast iron these days. And this time, I wanted to do it right, so I invested in a Le Creuset for about 1300 DKK (now they cost around 800 DKK). But it didn’t help – it was exactly like the first time: everything stuck, and it was hard to clean. However, I had learned that you should wash it with water and WITHOUT soap, and maybe give it a bit of oil – 1 problem solved.
I went back to Teflon.
The disadvantages of Teflon/non-stick are just:
- It doesn’t withstand very high heat, and the special coating is easily damaged
- Teflon pans don’t retain heat well and can’t absorb liquid. This means you might end up boiling instead of frying
- Teflon lasts at most a couple of years before the coating wears out and starts flaking or just doesn’t work anymore, and you must not use metal utensils on them
- Teflon pans warp/bend with high heat
There are, of course, good properties of Teflon, but I would probably choose a pan with a ceramic coating, as they are now easy to find and better to work with. Foods with starch: fried potatoes, fried eggs, and pancakes can advantageously be made on pans with Teflon or ceramic coating.
Big Steaks
There are many nice pans made of sheet iron, aluminum, or steel. For frying, sautéing, risotto, or meat sauce, I often use my steel pan from Italian ILSA. It’s also absolutely fantastic.
But when you want to fry a big delicious dry-aged ribeye so that it gets a beautiful, crispy crust and stays juicy inside, Teflon or ceramic coating just won’t do; you need some cast iron. And you can’t get around that, if you ask me!
Which brand you swear by is probably a matter of taste – I’m absolutely crazy about Swedish Skeppshult, which makes many nice pans and pots in cast iron at reasonable prices. Many swear by Le Creuset, but I haven’t been convinced that they’re worth double the price!
Cast iron heats up slowly but has fantastic properties when it comes to frying:
- It retains heat – even when you throw a cold steak on it!
- The heat is distributed evenly
- It doesn’t warp/bend
- It’s easy to clean
- It lasts a lifetime
My 26 cm Skeppshult goes on the stove as soon as there’s frying to be done – both steaks, meatballs, and vegetables. It has to go on the pan in good time (preferably 15-20 min. before I need it). It’s important not to turn it up to full power. It’s not necessary at all since the pan maintains a constant temperature. For steaks, I turn up to medium-high heat; for meatballs, I turn to medium heat. It might be different for you, so try it out, but when I learned to turn it down, problem no. 2 disappeared! I always wait until the pan is hot before adding fat. For steaks, I start with oil, and when I flip the steak, I add butter and possibly garlic and fresh rosemary.
Cleaning
When you’re done with the pan:
- Let it cool down
- Remove the excess fat with paper towels
- Pour boiling water onto the pan (it’s nice to have a Quooker for that!)
- Scrub the pan with a brush
- Repeat steps 3+4 if necessary
- Dry the pan with a dishcloth
Occasionally, it might be necessary to give the pan a little oil before putting it away, but since I use the pan almost daily, it’s usually not necessary.
If you don’t already have a cast iron pan, I suggest you get one right away!
Oh yes, NEVER USE SOAP ON YOUR CAST IRON PAN!!! (there, we solved problem no. 3)
Enjoy