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Evidence index · Cookware

Cookware: where chefs and home cooks agree

Only the cookware that chefs and home cooks have independently backed. A product one group praises and the other has never mentioned does not appear here.

chefs is an occupation; home cooks is who the advice is aimed at.

27 people on record as chefs and home cooks make 758 quoted claims about cookware across 79 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 chefs and home cooks recommend?

Endorsements and objections about cookware from chefs and home cooks, together, strongest evidence first.

Lodge cast iron skillet

7 voices 82 claims 25 objections

12:33 supports Kent Rollins speaking on Cowboy Kent Rollins Chef
so let's talk about Lodge and folks accessibility is number one because you see it everywhere and it's in stock all the time you ain't gonna have to wait and they have so many different pieces of Lodge cast iron that you can buy whether it's a skillet a griddle a dutch oven they have you covered on all of it

use-case fit Tested it Don't Buy a Cast Iron Skillet Without Watching This! Which Cast Iron Brand is Right for You?

Cites availability, versatility

3:31 supports Julia of America's Test Kitchen Chef
If you want a really nice cast iron skillet, check out the Smithey Ironware number 12 for $200, or for the best buy, check out the Lodge 12 inch cast iron skillet for just $43.

recommendation Tested it The Best Cast-Iron Skillets

Cites price

Le Creuset dutch oven

5 voices 53 claims 12 objections

10:03 supports Prudent Reviews Cookware Reviewer earns commission on this
Along with Misen, Le Creuset handles have the widest openings.

handling Tested it Best Dutch Oven? I Tested Le Creuset, Staub, Lodge & More

Cites ease of cleaning, handle, heat resistance, lid, weight

Prudent Reviews earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “Those are affiliate links, so I'll earn a commission if you click and buy, but at no extra cost to you.” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Because of that and the lightweight design, it's by far the easiest Dutch oven to pick up, wash, and store.
The lid has ridges that prevent a spoon from slipping off
the knob has a wide top and a thick stem, which makes it easy to grip and control
In my test, both knobs stayed cooler than most other brands, but the plastic knob barely heated up at all.
the plastic knob barely heated up at all
I love Le Creuset's color options, lightweight design, and large handles.

All-Clad stainless pan

4 voices 102 claims 27 objections

2:00 supports David Chang speaking on GQ Chef paid by this brand
what I'm most excited about this pan is that it's an all clad this is one of the very few things that America produces that is like Best in Class

best in class Uses it professionally Momofuku's David Chang Reveals What You Need in Your Kitchen | GQ

Cites build quality

David Chang paid by this brand. Stated in the source: “I feel like one of those Hair Club for Men guys it's like not only do I like sponsor this like I use it myself” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

2:31 supports David Chang speaking on GQ Chef paid by this brand
they're just workhorses they're fantastic you know you don't even have to treat it well if you just clean it it'll last you your entire lifetime

durability Uses it professionally Momofuku's David Chang Reveals What You Need in Your Kitchen | GQ

Cites durability, maintenance

David Chang paid by this brand. Stated in the source: “I feel like one of those Hair Club for Men guys it's like not only do I like sponsor this like I use it myself” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Smithey cast iron skillet

4 voices 28 claims 7 objections

Field cast iron skillet

3 voices 57 claims 26 objections

1:30 supports Kent Rollins speaking on Cowboy Kent Rollins Chef
when I picked it up the very first time out of the box the thing that I liked about it was it was similar to the design of old authentic cast iron folks this is a pretty good lightweight skill it's sort of like the old stuff was made

appearance Tested it Don't Buy a Cast Iron Skillet Without Watching This! Which Cast Iron Brand is Right for You?

Cites appearance, surface finish, weight

getting on down the field I think the thing that really impressed me the most about it was the weight sure but they had such a good machine finish on there to it
4:31 supports Kent Rollins speaking on Cowboy Kent Rollins Chef was given the product
when we did our unboxing video they sent us an 8 I love the skillet I do

recommendation Owns it Field Company Cast Iron Skillet Follow Up Review

Kent Rollins was given the product. Stated in the source: “when we did our unboxing video they sent us an 8” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

but I will tell you what they done went and done they don't went and went to making a 10-inch skillet now I've had this about a week and I love this rascal
1:00 supports Kent Rollins speaking on Cowboy Kent Rollins Chef was given the product
but when I run my hand across it it was the smooth finish

performance Owns it Field Company Cast Iron Skillet Follow Up Review

Cites non-stick surface, surface finish

Kent Rollins was given the product. Stated in the source: “we got this box in the mail we did an unboxing video on an 8 inch field skillet” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

so I fried me some bacon in there without doing a thing to it I just washed it out good with hot water dried it put that bacon in there it wasn't no sticking it wasn't like heated meaning something other ovens where I had to get to a putty knife a chisel and a hammer to knock it off there no it was good
what I put in there a scrambled egg and folks I was amazed there was no sticking like them egg whites will do too to where you can't even get them out of there

Staub dutch oven

3 voices 55 claims 17 objections

Finex cast iron skillet

3 voices 20 claims 10 objections

6:02 supports Kent Rollins speaking on Cowboy Kent Rollins Chef
it is a great piece of cast iron to me really if you're sitting on the table full of something to eat and you want to make a statement and you set this out there that is a statement piece it is

appearance Tested it Don't Buy a Cast Iron Skillet Without Watching This! Which Cast Iron Brand is Right for You?

Cites appearance, handle

you want to make a statement this is the piece I mean a great different unique design that I've never seen on a piece of cast iron and the handle I mean it is the talking point of the kitchen but also the dining table because this thing is fancy enough to serve right out of it is

Stargazer cast iron skillet

2 voices 28 claims 12 objections

13:03 supports Kent Rollins speaking on Cowboy Kent Rollins Chef
I think the thing that stands out to me about the Stargazer sure it's it's a great design but also really is their customer relations that they build with people in their customer service

reliability Tested it Don't Buy a Cast Iron Skillet Without Watching This! Which Cast Iron Brand is Right for You?

Cites warranty

we get so many emails from people say oh they were so nice to talk to they were so nice to visit with and folks that makes a lot of difference
2:31 supports Kent Rollins speaking on Cowboy Kent Rollins Chef
right off the bat when I looked at this the very first time I'm thinking whoa I love the design of this handle because look how far I can stand away from the Heat and this thing is rounded to where it really don't hurt your hands when you grab a hold of it and it's got this v-notch in here which is going to keep it…

handling Tested it Don't Buy a Cast Iron Skillet Without Watching This! Which Cast Iron Brand is Right for You?

Cites handle, heat resistance, weight

here look at here a two-handle deal I really like this deal I do
a shorter handle means it's heavier for you to pick up you ain't got the leverage that you might have over here with this Skillet so that longer handle does help you out some on the weight that it's got

Hestan CopperBond

2 voices 21 claims 7 objections

Griswold cast iron skillet

2 voices 2 claims no objections from chefs and home cooks

What do chefs and home cooks 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 310 of them; the 40 with the strongest evidence are below.

0:00 supports Joshua Weissman speaking on Joshua Weissman Recipes Chef
If I were to pick anything, if I were left with one pan in the whole world, it would be a stainless steel pan, pot, etc.

best in class Uses it professionally How to Cook With Stainless Steel

Cites safety, versatility

Guess what? Stainless steel doesn't have that problem. It is perhaps the safest cooking surface I can think of.
And everything else, you just follow the directions of any other recipe you're using. And that's the beauty of stainless steel. It does it all.
0:00 supports Joshua Weissman speaking on Joshua Weissman Recipes Chef
The number one reason every single person in the world should be using stainless steel, versatility. This pan can do everything.

recommendation Uses it professionally How to Cook With Stainless Steel

Cites maintenance, versatility

Stainless is that version without all the [ __ ] Hopefully, I have you convinced.
1:00 objects Joshua Weissman speaking on Joshua Weissman Recipes Chef
But often times they heat really inevenly, and they take a long time to preheat.

performance Uses it professionally How to Cook With Stainless Steel

Cites base and rim (against), ease of cleaning (against), even heating (against), flavour impact (against), heat control (against), heating speed (against), learning curve (against), non-stick surface (against)

Once the oil is in the pan, I want to talk about heat control. This is where everybody makes big mistakes. All right? This is where people burn stuff. This is where people smoke out their houses.
And this is also where people get that sort of brown ring around the pan, which is fine, but it's just annoying to clean.
There's a thin layer of oil around here that's going to get hyper hyper hyper hot because the edges of this pan are thinner than the bottom, right?
You will have to use more oil or more fat when you're using stainless steel. That is the simple reality.
Obviously, the parts of the pan that didn't have any oil on it is where the egg stuck on the scramble.
This is what stops people from cooking with stainless steel. They see this happen and they're like, I'm got to throw the pan away. And a lot of people have thrown their pans away because of this.
Common mistakes that will ruin your life or maybe just your pan. Number one, cooking on too high of a heat.
Now if this was a steak or whatever and you wanted to delaze your pan, this fond no more. This is just char. So if you delaze this, it'd be bitter. It'd be blackened. It'd be gross.
Let me be honest with you. This hack still sucks to do, but it works really well.
0:30 supports Joshua Weissman speaking on Joshua Weissman Recipes Chef
But the second thing about it is it is a to clean. When you get a cast iron pan out super heavy, you get it wet, it gets rusty, you got to reseason it every single time. You don't have to do that with stainless steel.

performance Uses it professionally How to Cook With Stainless Steel

Cites ease of cleaning, even heating, flavour impact, heat control, heating speed, heat retention, maintenance, non-stick surface, searing and crust, speed and efficiency

And the best thing is it distributes heat quickly, efficiently, and evenly over the pan.
But often times they heat really inevenly, and they take a long time to preheat. This to me is perfectly balanced in that way.
Another reason, it creates flavor like fawns. It gets great sears on any piece of meat.
But guess what? Most of it won't end up on the food. You drain it on a paper towel. Really, it's not too much more.
Once it has seared properly enough, it will naturally release from the pan. You can already see the edge of this egg already lifting up off the pan.
just to prove the egg came off clean. Look at the underside of the egg. See that? No sticking, no ripping.
Cleaning this isn't going to be that hard. You take an abrasive pad to get this part off first. Clean it immediately. You're ready to go again.
And the beauty of this is if your pan is hot enough, really, your fish should move around the pan. You won't even really need to scrape it off.
You can see the skin is nice and crisp and dried out. You got a little bit of mayard on the flesh. It's not even sticking to it, even flesh side down, but I can feel the fish.
I've been sitting around medium, slightly above medium for this whole temperature. Right. If the pan looks like it's starting to get too hot, just drop the temperature a little bit. You can fluctuate it however you need. That is the key to using stainless.
And what will be left behind is little brown bits from the flour, stuck bits from the meat that are on the pan. That is your fond. There's tons of flavor in that. You don't want to throw it away.
You can scrape on the bottom to release any stuck bits. Scrape on the sides. Scrape that into there. Now, you can see all the stuck bits. That's all that like reduced intense chickeny flavor now giving flavor to this sauce.
So, my pan's not like ripping hot. It's warm, so it'll release a little easier, right? We're almost preparing this to delaze it, right? You're basically delazing in here.
And you'll notice that even just by doing that, if I rinse this bad boy out, I haven't even used soap yet. This is 90% of the way clean.
We have a pan that basically looks almost brand new. It's literally that simple. This applies to pretty much every single scenario I could possibly think of. The key is soap and water or proper stainless steel cleaner. That is it.
Leave it in there. Don't scrape it off because it's going to stick anyway, right? Just let it cool down naturally, and you could easily bring it back on once it stops smoking and turn it to medium heat. Eventually, it'll release.
So, you're going to fill this up with water about halfway up. Set it on your stove. Add one drop of dish soap. That was more than a drop. Set over medium high heat and bring it to a boil. Once it's boiling, let it boil for about 1, two, maybe 3 minutes until the residue comes off easily.
0:30 objects Joshua Weissman speaking on Joshua Weissman Recipes Chef
Everyone says cast iron's indestructible, but in a way, it's kind of not. If you drop it on something hard enough, it will snap in half.

durability Uses it professionally How to Cook With Stainless Steel

Cites durability (against), maintenance (against), rust resistance (against), seasoning durability (against), surface finish (against), warp resistance (against)

And like I said, you got to season this. If it gets rusty, you got to season it again, right? Unless you use a cast iron pan every single day and maintain it regularly and always have fat and oil in it. Guess what? You're going to have to constantly season it.
you have to dry your stainless steel. Never, ever, ever just let it sit with water. You're going to get water stains, and guess what? You're going to have to clean it all over again.
But this pan has a slight warp in it because we did that a lot. The warping has created a bowl in there. See that? It doesn't sit flat on this anymore.
0:30 supports Joshua Weissman speaking on Joshua Weissman Recipes Chef
But it's also virtually indestructible. Everyone says cast iron's indestructible, but in a way, it's kind of not.

durability Uses it professionally How to Cook With Stainless Steel

Cites durability, ease of cleaning

The beauty of stainless steel is there is almost no stain. It's stainless. No burned on bit. you can't clean off. You just need to know how.
Now, this is a still usable pan and that's fine. It happens. People make mistakes. But the more you do that to that pan, the more the pan is going to get more anded up, okay?
0:30 supports Joshua Weissman speaking on Joshua Weissman Recipes Chef
You can use it for searing, brazing, sautéing, simmering, and obviously frying. You can't do that with every pan.

use-case fit Uses it professionally How to Cook With Stainless Steel

Cites dishwasher safe, flavour impact, induction compatible, oven safe, stovetop compatibility, versatility

You don't have to do that with stainless steel. It's oven and dishwasher safe.
It's great for fish. It's great for vegetables. You can also cook gently in it.
you could easily just heat this pan back up. You don't even have to clean it yet, right? I've got tons of stuff in here. There's still flavor in this pan, right?
Searing, sautéing, developing a fond, and then removing the fond through delazing, making a sauce with that, putting it on top of our thing, and we have a final dish all with one pan.
17:34 supports Joshua Weissman speaking on Joshua Weissman Recipes Chef
wiping all of that out as much as possible with a paper towel will not only take away that sticky dryness, but it also gives it borderline a brand new factory shine again. It just works.

appearance Uses it professionally How to Cook With Stainless Steel

Cites surface finish

2:31 notes Joshua Weissman speaking on Joshua Weissman Recipes Chef
First, set it to around medium heat and just let it dry. I preheat for about 1 to 2 minutes.

performance Uses it professionally How to Cook With Stainless Steel

Cites heat control, heating speed, learning curve

That's all you really need to know about sticking. If it's sticking, let it sit in the pan longer. Either you started too cold or it's not done searing.
If the pan looks like it's starting to get too hot, just drop the temperature a little bit. You can fluctuate it however you need. That is the key to using stainless.