Evidence index · Cookware

Cookware: where buy it for life enthusiasts and collectors agree

Only the cookware that buy it for life enthusiasts and collectors have independently backed. A product one group praises and the other has never mentioned does not appear here.

buy it for life enthusiasts is who the advice is aimed at; collectors is who the advice is aimed at.

10 people on record as buy it for life enthusiasts and collectors make 109 quoted claims about cookware across 16 sources. Membership is recorded with its own evidence — for a person by the trait they are on record holding, for a community by the source it was said in — and authority is scoped to cookware rather than to fame.

Which cookware do both buy it for life enthusiasts and collectors recommend?

Endorsements and objections about cookware from buy it for life enthusiasts and collectors, together, strongest evidence first.

Field cast iron skillet

3 voices 27 claims 9 objections

11:35 supports Chris Hall speaking on Uncle Scott's Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

Said he had a field and he had trouble with eggs early on and he resolved to just quit cooking eggs for a while. He went and cooked a bunch of other stuff and said he circled back around to eggs later on and then they were non-stick.

durability Passing on someone else's experience Field Cast Iron Review: Egg Problems & Great Gratins

Cites seasoning durability

12:05 supports Chris Hall speaking on Uncle Scott's Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

Now, Chris also said later that uh all that cooking he did, he was in some sort of um hurricane relief situation, and I don't know if he was cooking for first responders or for people in a shelter or what have you, but when one of the hurricanes hit, he was doing a ton of cooking and used his field.

use-case fit Passing on someone else's experience Field Cast Iron Review: Egg Problems & Great Gratins

Cites seasoning durability

1:00 supports Big Lew BBQ & Other Things I Want to Do! Collectors was given the product

and i'm impressed with it really really nice skill skillet only about six pounds guys

Two judgements rest on this sentence:

handling Tested it cites base and rim, handle, shape and form, weight
recommendation Tested it

Field Company No. 10 Skillet Follow Up Review

Big Lew BBQ & Other Things I Want to Do! was given the product. Stated in the source: “i do want to thank the field company for sending it to me for a review” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

i will say when i dump the potatoes out that first day i'm gonna dump the shrimp creole out um not shrimp creole what they'll make shrimp a two-fade right um and the gravy from the pork chops and stuff i'm gonna dump the leftover out uh that did well because it's real thick

also this is kind of nitpicky but i've got an induction stove and both skillets that i have my other number 12 skillet same size bottom they fit on that burner that over there that i use my number 10 skillet on but with the other one since this sides flare out i've got to kind of duck under and look to see if it's…

so anyway the that's what i got to say about the field skillet i used it and if i didn't like it i would have quit using it i continued to use it all week it was a labor of love it wasn't tough it wasn't tough to decide hey i want to cook something else in this skillet

i'm i'm really satisfied with the skillet

anyway i think you would be too if you're in the market for a premium cast iron skillet my recommendation is go with field

Lodge cast iron skillet

3 voices 13 claims 4 objections

2:31 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

This means that of these three, the traditional mass produced lodge model is the most durable. It's basically indestructible

durability Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites durability

2:01 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

We'll first look at our traditional winner from lodge. This is by far the least expensive of the bunch and it is a really great bargain.

value Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites price

2:31 objects Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

but it's also the heaviest of the three options at eight pounds

handling Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites weight (against)

What do buy it for life enthusiasts and collectors say about cookware in general?

Not a recommendation for a specific product: technique, materials and what to look for in cookware. Citable on its own terms. There are 69 of them; the 40 with the strongest evidence are below.

5:01 supports Christopher Scott Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

if you do a lot of steaks and you love a really thick Dark Crust on your steaks with a medium Center like I do there's really nothing better than cast iron

performance Owns it If I Started Over, I'd Only Buy These Pots & Pans

Cites heat retention, searing and crust

but a five ply will do that also

3:31 supports Christopher Scott Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

but this is great for like I love doing stir fries in this I love doing searing steaks in this is great

use-case fit Owns it If I Started Over, I'd Only Buy These Pots & Pans

Cites heat retention, searing and crust

cast iron if I'm going to seirus steak I'm probably going to do it in a cast iron pan

this cast iron I particularly love to use for frittatas it's the perfect depth it holds the heat really well and it Cooks the frittatas perfectly like a nice thick frittata so I do love that small 8 in

I love to use cast iron on open fire on the grill on the smoker there's really nothing better for open fire than cast iron and Searing a steak

but like I mentioned in the beginning of this video a very well-made 5 to S ply stainless steel pan will SE a steak very well also

I'd go with the big cast iron because it's so useful for so many things on the fire

0:00 objects Christopher Scott Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

there is no nonstick in my house anymore we have stopped using non-stick for a little over a year now and we will never go back you really don't need that crutch or that gimmick

recommendation Stopped using it If I Started Over, I'd Only Buy These Pots & Pans

Cites durability (against), price (against)

get rid of the nonstick folks you don't need it it's a crutch it's a gimmick it's a waste of money and it goes right into the landfill

11:34 supports Christopher Scott Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

I would also have a saier like this I love using this for desserts like custards and things like that or pan sauces or Poached Eggs I love the curved Edge for the Poached Eggs you get that water swirling in that curved Edge helps keep the eggs moving in that circular motion really really well I love this pot for that

use-case fit Owns it If I Started Over, I'd Only Buy These Pots & Pans

Cites shape and form

for that and I do a lot of a lot of Poached Eggs it's one of my favorite breakfast

1:00 supports Christopher Scott Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

there's three ply there's five ply there's seven ply Alloys that are stainless steel with titanium to make them stronger and last longer and look better for a longer time period

durability Owns it If I Started Over, I'd Only Buy These Pots & Pans

Cites appearance, durability

Owned 9 years

but this pan has been a Workhorse I think this is a 14inch I've had this pan for 9 years I don't even know the brand of this one but I I think I bought this one in HomeGoods or something like that a long long time ago

8:33 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

First, a broad cooking surface. We preferred pans that offered at least 10 inches of flat cooking surface.

recommendation Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites handle, shape and form, size and capacity

That extra height is really necessary for containing hot oil and food, such as when frying donuts and shallow frying chicken.

but we preferred those with wide broad loops that we could really hang onto, especially when wearing oven mitts

Generally though, we recommend buying a 12 inch skillet if you can. It's always good to have the option of a bigger pan for recipes of different sizes

6:32 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

If you wanna bang it around with no fear of damage and use it at any temperature under the broiler or on the grill, even over live fire or with metal utensils.

durability Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites durability, heat resistance

5:32 objects Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

The enamel isn't toxic, but you certainly don't want that in your food and it does make the surface more sticky.

performance Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites non-stick surface (against)

Another downside, don't expect enamel cast iron skillets to be or become non-stick.

5:32 objects Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

The enamel coating can sometimes heat and expand and retract at different rates, which can lead to cracking, an issue called crazing.

reliability Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites crazing (against), non-stick surface (against)

While some manufacturers claim their pans will do this and become more non-stick with use, in our hands-on testing experience, we found that not to be the case.

5:02 objects Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

Be warned however that this enamel coating makes these skillets less durable than their uncoated brethren.

durability Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites coating (against), durability (against), scratch resistance (against)

You also wanna avoid using metal utensils and scraping or banging the pan, you know it's glass, so you gotta be a little bit careful with it.

3:01 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

Artisan makers often cast their to have thinner sides, but a thicker bottom which cuts down on the total weight of the pan, but keeps that heat retention capability.

performance Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites heat retention, non-stick surface, surface finish, weight

Most artisan makers will also take the time to hand polish their pan surface, which makes it naturally non-stick much faster than a mass produced pan.

2:01 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

Generally being a single piece of metal also makes these skillets very sturdy.

durability Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites build quality, coating, durability, ease of cleaning, maintenance, rust resistance

These cast iron pans start out like traditional cast iron, but then they're coated in a glass like vitreous glaze that seals the pan from air and moisture that could cause rust

their enamel coating makes enamel cast iron pans virtually maintenance free. You never have to season them and you can soak, use soap and scrub as much as you'd like.

Okay, that is my buying guide for these wonderful lifetime pans.

0:30 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

In terms of cooking, there's very little these pans can't do.

performance Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites even heating, heat conduction, heat retention, searing and crust, versatility

Its superpower is that it can retain and conduct plenty of heat for deep browning of food.

like regular cast iron, these pans have excellent heat retention, so they'll sear, fry and braise well maintaining the heat you want without undesirable temperature dips as food is added or flipped

Though all of these are gonna sear a great steak.

A thick heavy pan has the mass and density to hold more heat than a thinner pan does, and once preheated will cook more evenly than a thinner and lighter pan

0:00 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

Cast iron skillets are one of the most versatile pieces of cookware you can buy since they work on the stove top in the oven, even on the grill.

use-case fit Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites acid resistance, induction compatible, maintenance, oven safe, stovetop compatibility, versatility

Best of all, you can cook almost anything, even acidic foods that need to be simmered for a long time like a tomato sauce because the enamel seals the cast iron making the pan rust proof and non-reactive.

While both regular and enameled cast iron pans are induction compatible, the smoother enameled bottoms can be a little gentler on glass cooktops

Enameled is for the person that never wants to think about seasoning their pan. Enamel doesn't need it.

14:05 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

So a little maintenance upfront and a little bit of maintenance each time after you cook, that's the trade-off for an extremely durable pan that's naturally non-stick.

value Are Carbon Steel Pans Really The Best? | Gear Heads

Cites durability, maintenance (against), non-stick surface

12:04 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

This is a beautiful pan. It's one of my, probably my most reached-for pan.

best in class Owns it Are Carbon Steel Pans Really The Best? | Gear Heads

Our buying, seasoning, and maintenance guide for every chef's secret weapon, the carbon steel skillet.

11:03 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

You don't have to be careful with these pans. That's why I love them. I don't like to baby my pans. I don't like to make sure I'm using a certain spatula.

durability Owns it Are Carbon Steel Pans Really The Best? | Gear Heads

Cites scratch resistance, repairability

I have my pan here from home. This is little Eddie. Eddie and I have gotten in a lot of fights over the years, and we always make up.

20:37 mixed Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

So cookware sets are a good deal only if you need a full set and you want the exact pieces they come with. Otherwise we recommend shopping a la carte for what you really need, right?

recommendation Tested it Made In vs All-Clad: Which Cookware Set is Best? | Gear Heads

Cites price

1:30 supports Christopher Scott Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

I mean you could really honestly just get away with one 12in stainless steel pan I mean you could use this for small jobs you could use it for large jobs so if you really wanted to save money and just get one pan to do pretty much every job your 12-in stainless steel frying pan or Skillet is the way to go

recommendation Owns it If I Started Over, I'd Only Buy These Pots & Pans

Cites price, versatility

so now for my Allstar picks of what if I had to start over what would I buy I would go with a 12-in fry pan

8:03 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

The artisanal pans are a little less maintenance than the traditional pans and they just look beautiful.

durability Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites appearance, maintenance

8:03 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

traditional pans while they're a few pounds heavier, they have better heat retention

performance Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites heat retention

6:32 objects Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

You want to wash and dry these pan thoroughly and lightly oil them each time after use to prevent rust and build up that non-stick surface.

durability Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites maintenance (against), rust resistance (against)

You also never wanna leave these pans soaking in the sink, so if you're that type of cook, maybe cast iron isn't for you.

5:02 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

Finally, their colorful appearance is pretty enough to bring to the table for serving.

appearance Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites appearance

4:32 objects Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

Acidic foods like tomatoes can strip the seasoning from traditional cast iron if simmered for too long in the pan.

use-case fit Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites acid resistance (against)

3:31 supports Christopher Scott Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

I have both of those other those other things they are wonderful to cook with

performance Owns it Our Journey From Hexclad to Stainless Steel

Cites non-stick surface

and also in the care section you'll find that there are ways to make your stainless steel cookware very nonstick into efficient it's just absolutely amazing

12:04 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

Consider a smaller eight inch. I love an eight-inch skillet. It's one of my favorite skillet sizes.

use-case fit Owns it Are Carbon Steel Pans Really The Best? | Gear Heads

Cites size and capacity

7:32 objects Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

like cast iron, it rusts when it's bare. It requires seasoning or a process that bonds oil to the surface of the pan not only for protection, but also to start the pan on its journey to make it non-stick.

durability Are Carbon Steel Pans Really The Best? | Gear Heads

Cites dishwasher safe (against), rust resistance (against)

One thing you wanna note with carbon steel, you don't wanna put these pans in the dishwasher. The dishwasher will ruin the seasoning.

3:01 objects Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

And if it's traditional non-stick made with PTFE, there are health and safety concerns. They emit fumes if you use them with high heat and shed microplastics.

performance Tested it Made In vs All-Clad: Which Cookware Set is Best? | Gear Heads

Cites coating (against), safety (against)

2:30 supports Christopher Scott Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

that's to me most households could get away with just those three to four pots and pants I really do believe that there's probably not much else that most households these days need in order to accomplish their the majority of their cooking requirements

recommendation Owns it If I Started Over, I'd Only Buy These Pots & Pans

still what do we really really need a 12-in skillet two to three pots I mean that's really all we really need

0:30 supports Sprint Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

It's non-toxic, super durable, and honestly, if you know how to use it, it actually has better non-stick properties than a non-stick pan.

Two judgements rest on this sentence:

durability Passing on someone else's experience cites durability
performance Passing on someone else's experience cites ease of cleaning, non-stick surface, safety

Heritage Steel Cookware Review: Eater vs Titanium

Cleaning stainless steel is actually easier than you think. First, wait until the pan cools down. Sticking a hot pan in cold water causes it to warp. You never want to do that. Once the pan is warm, but not scolding hot, add some water. Let it sit for a minute, then scrub with baking soda or barkeeper's friend for…

0:00 objects Sprint Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

Turns out non-stick pans like Teflon use coatings called PTFE that over time can leech chemicals into your food. This can cause things like cancer, liver damage, and reproductive issues.

performance Passing on someone else's experience Heritage Steel Cookware Review: Eater vs Titanium

Cites flavour impact (against), safety (against)

When using nonstick, we put them in the dishwasher and sometimes you can slightly taste the food that you previously cooked in it before, especially things like fish or even the detergent from the dishwasher.

8:03 supports Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

if you want cast iron but would like a lighter pan look to enamel, they tend to be lighter than traditional

handling Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites weight

22:06 objects Christopher Scott Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

it feels like sort of a scam that non-stick cookware manufacturers know they're selling a product with planned obsolescence and customers should have to Reby their pots and pans every couple of years Bingo buddy yeah 100% okay

value Our Journey From Hexclad to Stainless Steel

Cites price (against)

11:34 mixed Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

you can see this pan has a nice non-stick layer started on it that will build over time. But you can do things in the normal path of cooking that will damage that non-stick surface. Really acidic things, for example, like tomato sauce, or white wine, or lemon juice. They can strip that coating back a little bit. This…

durability Tested it Are Carbon Steel Pans Really The Best? | Gear Heads

Cites acid resistance (against), seasoning durability (against), repairability

Seasoning is a process. It can take upwards of a year to fully season a pan, even if you use it frequently. And sometimes, the seasoning will look like you're taking one step forward and two steps back. It can look blotchy, and brown, and sad.

3:31 objects Christopher Scott Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

there's also a very large carbon steel pan I really don't use this one very much and you can see my seasoning on this is still kind of evolving because I don't use it all that much because this is a very large carbon steel pan

use-case fit Owns it If I Started Over, I'd Only Buy These Pots & Pans

Cites shape and form (against)

1:30 supports Christopher Scott Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

if you wanted to save space on your stove while cooking mint multiple things that's where your 8 in and your 10 in come into play

use-case fit Owns it If I Started Over, I'd Only Buy These Pots & Pans

2:01 objects Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

they carry a rough texture left behind from the sand mold they were cast in

performance Tested it Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads

Cites surface finish (against)

17:04 mixed Christopher Scott Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

just be careful if you're using a metal metal utensil on your your your stainless steel stainless steel is actually kind of soft and it will scratch it's not going to affect the performance but just you know if you're going to use a whisk you might want to use a silicone whisk

durability Owns it Our Journey From Hexclad to Stainless Steel

Cites scratch resistance (against)

3:31 supports Christopher Scott Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

but stainless steel adds a little bit more versatility to your kitchen and the things that you can cook

use-case fit Owns it Our Journey From Hexclad to Stainless Steel

Cites induction compatible, versatility

all of the pans in this comparison are induction safe gas stove safe and electric range safe

10:33 mixed Hannah of America's Test Kitchen Buy It For Life Enthusiasts

Ceramic non-stick pans, also known as green non-stick pans, they use something similar to beach glass but it's a very thin layer. It doesn't off gas in the way that PTFE does, but it's very fallible. It's a thin layer, it can crack, it can actually dry out the moisture. The oils come out of the pan where you use it on…

durability Tested it Are Carbon Steel Pans Really The Best? | Gear Heads

Cites coating (against), safety