Acid Resistance

skillet was easy to clean that night too and just getting some more good seasoning layer on there with that skillet

i was already trusting the seasoning coat to use acidic foods like lemon butter uh they were delicious and all that fond on the bottom of the pot went into my shrimp a2 faders a pound of shrimp a little more than a pound of shrimp in there also a can of rotel tomatoes but you can see the seasoning on the bottom was…

i've used it as much as i can look how black it is came sort of charcoal gray did get a little bronze that first day or two but it blackened up real quick it's as seasoned as i've ever had a skillet i've only had it a week

but look how easy it seasoned in one week it's not that charcoal gray color it's black all right almost like a mirror finish

In fact, a well seasoned cast iron skillet can rival and certainly outlast any non-stick pan.

This is a glass-like coating, and it prevents the metal from rusting and keeps it from reacting with acidic foods, which can happen with traditional cast iron.

the more you cook in it, the more coating you're [music] building up, so we don't really worry about it.

All those things are no problem because if you ever do take some of the seasoning off, a little wipe of oil and a little heat brings it right back.

They're just amazingly durable. And rather than like non-stick pans that get less and less nonstick, these get more and more non-stick over time.

Because it’s so thick and heavy and holds heat well, it’s the better option for searing steaks, pork chops, chicken, and other meats.

It’s also better for cooking eggs, pancakes and other delicate ingredients. When cast iron is well seasoned it performs similarly to a non-stick pan.

Lastly, cast iron is ideal for roasting, baking, and frying because it heats up gradually and maintains a consistent temperature over long periods. Because it heats slowly, you’re less likely to burn food.

Stainless steel is more of a go-to everyday type of cookware. It heats fast and evenly and you can use it to cook any type of food, including tomato sauces, soup, and other acidic and liquid heavy meals.

But, since stainless steel pans are made with a highly conductive aluminum or copper core, they heat up fast and evenly.

The water in the stainless steel pan started boiling after 2 minutes and 55 seconds, and the water in the cast iron pan started boiling after 3 minutes and 34 seconds.

Cast iron may not heat up as fast or evenly as stainless steel, but due to its thick construction, it has far superior heat retention.

Don’t get me wrong, stainless steel pans, especially good quality fully clad pans, retain heat well, but not at the same level as cast iron.

After ten minutes, the water in the cast iron pan was 104 degrees Fahrenheit and the water in the stainless steel pans was only 96 degrees Fahrenheit.

Because it’s nonreactive and heats evenly, you can cook anything and perform any cooking technique.

Cast iron is also versatile - you can use it searing, roasting, sauteing, frying, baking, and cooking eggs.

But if you do it the right way, it also creates a slick surface that makes it easy to cook eggs and other delicate foods without sticking.

Because it responds to temperature changes quicker, you have more control over the results.

i'm here to tell you that a cast iron skillet is going to be a really good skillet regardless of the surface finish

however i do agree that a smoother does mean a better cast iron skillet

now later on we're going to talk about carbon steel and carbon steel has a really smooth surface right out of the factory and it sears meat exceptionally well with an amazing non-stick coating

so let's talk about cast iron skillets that are made out of cast iron have some of the best properties and are famously known for getting a really good sear because cast iron is so densely packed it tends to retain heat really really well

cast iron doesn't necessarily get really piping hot for example stainless steel gets extremely hot and can shoot up to a really high temperature really fast

but where cast iron really shines is retaining that heat and once it gets up to that operating temperature that you're looking for it tends to retain an even temperature all around

but once you do figure it out once you get to know it a little bit better it's amazing you just have to kind of plan ahead

really once you do that you got a really good non-stick coating it's properly seasoned and you're really ready to go

now once you do develop a deep seasoning the risk of rust kind of diminishes over the years

but once a cast iron skillet is seasoned cleaning it is not the issue food just slides right off

it's a very small thing you have to do at the end of a cook that really goes a long way it's not an inconvenience at all

i feel like cast iron skillets don't tend to react as much as carbon steel skillets do

but once carbon steel and cast iron get their seasoning down i don't see them reacting anymore i've never had them react to where it completely stripped off the coating or anything like that

they're much lighter than a cast iron skillet but they're heavy and they develop an amazing nonstick coating

carbon steel skillets get hot really quickly they can really get up to high temperatures so that means they're going to sear food amazingly

they don't retain heat as well as cast iron skillets but that also means that they don't share any of those negatives

carbon steel skillets will react to temperature changes accordingly they will heat up and cool down much faster than cast iron skillets

food literally slides off of carbon steel skillets i've never had a mess with any of my carbon steel skillets when it comes time to clean them oftentimes i can just literally wipe the inside and i'm done

i usually put it back on the stove sanitize it put a drop of oil lubricate it store it away i never even have to use soap or water

eggs will literally slide right out of carbon steel skillet it's like foods ice skating on this thing

stainless steel skillets are the lightest out of the three skillets get really hot tremendously fast and they tend to cool down really quickly as well

biggest pro stainless steel skeleton is they do not rust so you don't have to worry about having to dry them or doing any special treatments after to completely dry them off and keep them from oxidating

now you'll see a lot of videos out there where people will tell you no they won't and that's true if you follow the fundamentals and you make sure that they heat up properly before throwing your food in there and you make sure you have enough fat cooking oil or grease or whatever it is that you're using yes food won't…

they're really light they heat up quickly they sear amazingly they're very easy to clean and they create fun for amazing sauces

cast iron can fry cast iron can sear a really mean steak they can saute vegetables you can make pizza in cast iron you can bake in cast iron it will literally do everything pretty well

cast iron skillets are relatively cheap and propel you into that pro level category will make you into a better cook because they do have a learning curve but the learning curve is really all the fundamentals of cooking so once you've mastered cooking on a cast iron skillet you've basically mastered cooking

if you're looking to make sauces out of the fond fond is basically the leftover sticky bits that are left on stainless steel skillets you can make a sauce out of that by adding wine or a chicken or beef broth or whatever broth that you want to use

just like cast iron carbon steel can be used for almost anything i've made pizzas in it i've baked i've cooked and seared amazing steaks in it you can saute in it and you can even make sauces

stainless steel skillets can literally cook anything acidic foods meats proteins you can bacon them you can do anything you want with stainless steel skillets

but they do one thing extremely well and that's fond if you want to make an amazing sauce stainless steel skillets are for you

i tend to use mine mainly for italian dishes or something where i know i want to make a sauce right after and that's what stainless steel skillets are really good at

but i have gotten rid of all my cast iron skillets ironically i've given them away to friends and family that are that had just started cooking and how you know i've actually moved on to carbon steel

but it can make anything i mean a stainless steel skillet can make a great steak

also the stainless steel material allows me to cook acidic ingredients without a metallic taste

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.

When you do need to season it, all you have to do is clean it, dry it, rub it with a thin layer of oil, and bake it in the oven. Although the baking portion takes an hour or so, the actual work you need to do takes less than 5 minutes. It’s not a big deal and it’s not difficult

But the reality is that seasoning isn't just oil; it's polymerized oil that's been bonded to the cast iron. It's hard and tough and as long as the dish soap doesn't contain lye or sodium hydroxide, a few drops won't hurt

I always recommend using a chainmail to clean cast iron, but if you cooked an especially messy meal and chainmail is not doing the trick, mild dish soap is okay

As you can see, the soap didn’t impact the seasoning at all

Cast iron develops non-stick properties over time with proper seasoning, but it's not totally non-stick like a Teflon-coated pan

But flavoring food with a small amount of acidic ingredients, such as a splash of wine, vinegar, or lemon juice, won't cause any issues

If you're not cooking highly acidic foods for a long time, like over 30 minutes, the seasoning should be fine

To prove this point, I squeezed a whole lemon into this cast iron pan and let it simmer for about 4 minutes. After removing the lemon juice and wiping the skillet, you can see that the seasoning wasn't affected at all

One of the reasons I love cast iron is that it retains heat exceptionally well

Once it's fully preheated, it retains heat well, so your food will cook evenly

That may be true, but in my experience, this step is completely unnecessary. If the skillet is well-seasoned and you dry it thoroughly, it shouldn’t rust, and you don't need to oil it after each use

carbon steel pans are made thinner and significantly lighter than cast iron while still being incredibly durable.

For acidic foods, stainless steel and enameled cast iron are better options since there's no seasoning to damage and those materials are non-reactive.

But you don't need to do it often and after you do it once, you realize how easy it is.

In my experience, mild dish soap does no harm.

One of the biggest advantages of carbon steel is its durability. It won't crack or break if you drop it, which can happen with cast iron.

And there's no coating or enamel that can wear down or chip.

You can use metal utensils and even cut food in it, although I try to avoid that because the sharp edge will scratch the seasoning.

It’s one of the rare products that gets better with age. The more you use it, the better the seasoning develops.

So what makes a good saucier? This has a pretty broad cooking surface. Some of the models we tested were smaller and when you're stirring, you feel kind of cramped. And if the cooking surface is too big that means all your food is spread out into a thin layer. It's a little harder to control, more likely to burn.

So it cooked evenly and it adjusted fairly quickly when we changed heat settings on the stove.

Its generous cooking surface cooked plenty of food without crowding and it's low-flaring sides help evaporate steam so food browned deeply.

And they cooked really remarkably evenly.

Now because aluminum also transfers heat pretty rapidly, putting it right next to that copper gives that pan a turbocharge in responsiveness.

If they put magnetic steel on the bottom layer, presto, it's now induction compatible.

but then I want to deglaze the pan I want to be able to use acids and I don't want to worry about you know stripping the coating on a a carbon steel pan Pan um and you know just an alternative to using versus like an enameled cast iron pan

if you're really going to be cooking a lot with the larger stuff then that where you know having the demire might be beneficial cuz you're going to get more even heating on a larger pan

you know yes the seasoning does take a hit but it bounces back right away and then it's back to its seasoned Glory even seasoning

but that's just pretty much the only downside to these Skillets they they cook beautifully they work beautifully they're heavy enough to retain a good amount of heat but they're not too heavy to the point that they're just over you know like overwhelmingly heavy

To test it, I measured how flat each pan was, then heated them to 425°F on induction for 2 minutes. All three started out slightly concave, which is common because manufacturers build in a little curve to allow for expansion. After heating, none of them showed any visible change.

To see if Misen and Anolon's claims are true, I got all three pans wet and left them overnight. The next morning, none of them had any rust.

Next, I simmered crushed tomatoes in each pan for 15 minutes. Acidic foods usually break down seasoning, and that's exactly what happened with Strata. Its surface went from dark and seasoned to light and patchy. Misen and Anolon were unchanged.

I haven't noticed any decline or change in their performance.

But because it needs seasoning and that seasoning can break down with acidic foods, it requires more maintenance than Misen and Anolon.

Misen and Strata both have aluminum cores, which in theory help spread heat more evenly and reduce that stress.

After that, I repeated the overnight water test. Again, Misen showed no rust, but since the tomato sauce had stripped away Strata's seasoning layer, it came back rusty.

Um so, the super nonstick one is slick out of the box.

The bottom line is that for most people, stainless steel is one of the safest types of cookware.

and then number two we take more time we slow down a little bit in the kitchen we heat things at a medium heat we allow the pan to heat prop heat up properly and we just take more time and problem one and two are solved

a quick short use of an acidic ingredient like a tomato based pan sauce had no effect on the seasoning

its smooth enamel coating doesn't absorb flavors or odors ideal for preparing various dishes without lingering tastes

it takes a while to get to operating temperature because it's so densely packed it takes a while to cool down

so that translates in if you need to adjust your temperature you better adjust it well in advance because you can easily burn your food if you realize that your temperature's set too high and you want to lower it the skillet's going to take a while to adjust

so dialing in your temperatures and adjusting during your cooks can get pretty tricky with cast iron there's a bit of a learning curve

and with cast iron and carbon steels you do have to be very careful with how you do clean them at the end of your cooks you need to wash them and then completely dry them on the stovetops and lubricate them before storing them every single time or you do run the risk of getting rust and you definitely don't want that

another big thing with cast iron skillets and carbon steel skillets as well is that they tend to react with acidic foods

but the biggest con of stainless steel skillets is yes they do stick

but it does stick you don't believe me try making scrambled eggs it can be done you have to put a lot of oil on there and it's a lot more work you have to be very mindful to temperatures

the biggest cons of stainless steels however are they stick they stick like crazy they're not as forgiving if you make mistakes

i mean they get hot really quickly they cool down really quickly but if you're not paying attention you can either put your food in when the skillet's not necessarily hot and boom now you've just created a really sticky mess or you'll get distracted and you've burnt your food really quickly

but other than that the two biggest cons are the price and they're not as nonstick as carbon steel and stainless steel

and she definitely loves the carbon steel skillets but i don't think she likes to do that extra step at the end you know completely drying them off and cleaning them

The one major limitation with carbon steel pans is acidic foods. A squeeze of lemon or a splash of wine won’t hurt, but prolonged exposure to acidic foods, like tomato sauce, will strip the layer of seasoning right off the looking surface.

Bare cast iron pans have this same issue.

Carbon steel consists primarily of iron, which rusts when exposed to water and air.

The fact that you need to season carbon steel pans may seem like a major downside, and for some, it's a deal-breaker.

The two rules that I do highly recommend following are, one, don’t put carbon steel pans in the dishwasher. The hot water, steam, and dish detergent will ruin the seasoning.

And two, always dry your pans completely after washing them. Even a well-seasoned pan can rust if moisture is left on it for long periods.

if you notice tiny black bits on your food when you cook with carbon steel, or if you wipe the pan with a paper towel and the paper towel turns black, that's a sign that you need to deep clean your pan. Those black bits are either tiny pieces of the seasoning flaking, burnt food, or both.

The one thing you need to be cautious about is warping. If you expose it to drastic temperature changes, like rinsing it under cold water when it's piping hot, the metal can expand and contract unevenly, which leads to a wobbly, unusable pan.

I can see some of the seasoning on the maiden pan dissolving let's wash it and inspect the damage well that's not good

This one matters more for carbon steel than cast iron because the seasoning's thinner.

It'll rust in an afternoon if you let it sit wet.

Carbon steel rusts easier than cast iron

Carbon steel really isn't well suited for simmering acidic sauces.

Cast iron reacts with acidic foods like tomato sauce, citrus fruit, wine, and vinegar. It’s also prone to rusting if you don’t dry it thoroughly after cleaning. Because of that, you need to periodically season your cast iron pan.

so what that translates to is if you want to make italian food or sauce heavy food cast iron skillets and carbon steel skillets aren't really the best for them

well because carbon steel skillets and cast iron skillets are so nonstick it's very rare that you're ever going to be able to have enough fond to make a sauce out of so that could be a big negative so if you're really into making sauces cast iron skillets and carbon steel skillets are not the right skillets for you

The main challenge with Strata is the seasoning. If you apply too much oil or don't spread it evenly before seasoning in the oven, the surface can turn tacky and cause sticking.

But a well-seasoned cast iron pan still needs to be greased. And even when it is greased, eggs can sometimes stick if the temperature of the pan isn’t right

For example, simmering tomato sauce or braising short ribs in red wine for extended periods will damage the seasoning and make your food taste like metal

But when people say it heats evenly, they're wrong. The truth is that iron is a terrible heat conductor. Because it has a much lower thermal conductivity than other cookware materials like aluminum and copper, it doesn't heat as fast or evenly

But it takes a while to get there, and as it heats up, the middle of the pan closest to the heat source will be significantly hotter than the sides

as far as the size goes go slightly bigger than you think you need because the sides on the mat for Skillets are very sloped this means that you get slightly less cooking area than you would in a similar sized pan that's stainless or Teflon

the sizes of the pens listed in their description are lip to lip that's not just for carbon steel that's for all cookware the slip to lip measurement doesn't tell you much about the size of the actual cooking surface for example this nine and a half inch mat for carbon steel pen has a six and a quarter inch cooking…

Um so, if you have a wok that has some polymers built up, you've probably noticed that it tends to flake off um a lot more easily than in a cast iron pan.

The other thing is that with a wok, pretty much every time you're cooking in it, you're going to be deglazing it with a liquid, you know, at the end you're going to be putting a sauce in there. Um and that liquid is very often going to be um acidic. So, that's also going to strip the seasoning.

Um so, if you order a raw carbon steel wok, the first thing you want to do uh is scrub it out really nicely because um there's a layer of sort of thick machine oil on there that's there to protect it from moisture because moisture will cause carbon steel to rust.

if you leave your wok uncoated with oil, the moisture in the air is going to interact directly with the carbon steel and it can cause it to rust.

You know, the only extreme cases are if you put it in storage for a couple years and you come back and the rust has attacked the metal so much that there's actual sort of pitting. Sometimes I've even seen carbon steel pans that are almost eaten all the way through as the rust spreads. In those cases, there's not…

This sort of damage is really common.

down and heating up is that obviously, if you keep the wok heating and heating and heating, one, your fire alarms might go off, and two, you do risk the wok popping or warping because you're heating an empty pan.

Because copper transfers heat vertically very quickly, and you can get hotspots in copper.

another weird one raw spinach i did some research on it afterwards and apparently there is a acidic element in spin it raw spinach that strips the seasoning from the pan when you cook it in there

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.