So I’ve been able to be in waged labor for a few years now, a situation that has not been common in my life. But thanks to this I’ve been able to get more petty bougie stuff that I previously never could have and oh boy does it make a difference.
I got a new frying pan, it’s this fancy cheffy seven million ply non stick made for induction and my god it’s so good. It’s so much better than any cast iron I’ve ever used. The food starts browning instantly instead of boiling or drying. It’s like a grill! Plus I’m making beautiful frenchy pan sauces on it, it actually reduces the way it should when the liquid hits the pan.
Compared to all the cheap and middle range shitty non stick pans that I’ve burnt through over the years the difference is night and day.
Been cooking for a family like it’s my job for decades and frying anything at all has never been a joy, but now it is. Chicken comes out so gorgeous, it’s unreal. I don’t even need a grill with a pan like this.
You can pry this thing from my cold dead hands.
Maybe I’m just the culinary equivalent of a firearm fudd but I’ve never had a problem with my cast iron, it’s the only pan I’ve used since I dug it out of a pile of free stuff at a garage sale. Sure it takes a bit of time to fully heat up but I haven’t had an issue with food sticking/cooking unevenly (aside from eggs occasionally if I don’t let it preheat properly).
Plus I’m a sucker for anything that durable. Like you said cheap non-stick doesn’t last long (plus yummy Teflon/whatever particles), my family ran through a few of them growing up whereas I’ve been using my cast iron for 10+ years and who knows how long it was being used before I got my hands on it
I do like my cast irons and have used them for years, no problem. But the amount of fat it needs is not what I want every time. And cooking for a family with my adhd has always meant that I’ve preferted a non stick pan for that everyday cooking. Cast iron is heavy to move around, it’s a separate chore to clean and keep in shape, it’s a whole thing that I just don’t always have the spoons for. It’s also not ideal for sauces and things that tend to ruin the finish.
Tbh this new pan definitely fries a steak better than any of the cast irons I’ve used. And heats up so fast.
That’s 100% fair, there are limitations that comes with a big heavy chunk of cast iron, I’m definitely guilty of leaving food crusted on it & having to strip and reseason it, plus I can’t use it for anything acidic like tomato sauces. It is higher maintenance than other pans but I’m also a little paranoid about pfas/microplastic sources in my kitchen so I’ve removed as much plastic/teflon/nonstick items from my kitchen as possible. I doubt it has a noticeable effect on my intake since that crap is everywhere now but it makes me feel better.
I’ve been thinking of getting a stainless steel pan but I just have a hard time justifying buying a new pan when my cast iron works fine, plus I’m more than a little attached to it since it’s been my main cooking pan for over a decade