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/ck/ - Food & Cooking

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19784164 No.19784164 [Reply] [Original]

Is cast iron overrated?

>> No.19784178

>>19784164
That depends on how it's rated, which you didn't specify, making me think this is a pretty low quality thread that is merely an weak attempt at stirring up a shitstorm.

>> No.19784853

>>19784164
no
cheaper than most
black and abusable
holds heat well

>> No.19784870

Yes, it has autistic care needs and doesn't make food better. Its just an economical pan.

>> No.19784894

it has its uses, but there's no need to own one in 2023

>> No.19784980

It's OK, has its benefits and drawbacks. But the obsession with it is just what men do whenever they invade a craft. They can't help but compete so they'll argue over stupid shit like pans. And no, I don't care that famous professional chefs were men 200 years ago, 99.99% of meals were cooked at home by women. Then men came along and suddenly cooking is fucking gay - maybe focus on the cooking instead of compensating for your tiny dick. Thanks

>> No.19784987

>>19784980
YWNBAW

>> No.19784991

>>19784164
used to be underrated, then way way overrated. probably just slightly overrated now. the real underrated cookware is carbon steel

>> No.19785012

>>19784164
I want a cast iron or something similar, but I have induction. I can't shake pans or it'll scratch. Is it actually viable to get one, then? Or do I need one of those single-pit gas stoves?

>> No.19785246

>>19784870
>oil it and cook food in it

Yeah, insane "care" needed, retard. Of course it's a generation of slack jawed dip shits who think something so simple requires a blood rite and consultation with a necromancer to achieve

>> No.19785320

>>19785012
You're allowed to the lift the pan up, buddy.

>> No.19785332 [DELETED] 

>>19785320
He hired a laborer to have the pan delivered and "installed" on the burner. It's not going anywhere.

>> No.19785340

Yes, but I still like it. To me it's a vinyl-vs-mp3 deal.

>> No.19785358

>>19784164
>cheaper than almost any pan including shitty non stick
>easy to take care of
>no need to autistically season (redditor shit)
>practically indestructible
>can go from stove to over
>god tier searing
>builds wrist and forearm strength over time
If anything it's underrated
Just the price alone makes it worth it, but it can do anything and taking care of it is as simple as just not leaving it wet.

>> No.19785362

>>19784991
yea but most carbon steel is like 40$, where as cast iron 8 inch can be like 10$ or less at walmart, if you don't mind restoring them you can find rusted ones for a dollar or two at thrift stores.
Admittedly carbon steel is better, but not 30$ better.

>> No.19785366
File: 65 KB, 1280x720, Crisco.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
19785366

>>19784870
>it has autistic care needs
literally use Crisco
don't fool around with avocado, rapeseed, flaxseed oil, etc.
Just clean after use. Wipe with Crisco, Clean off the extra and bake for 1 hour at 400 degF

>> No.19785369

I've had two cheap lodge cast pans for years and they're both still in perfect condition. I I just let it cool off, scrub it with a sponge under the faucet until it's clean, and then put it back on the stove to heat it up until all of the water has evaporated. Takes less than five minutes to clean and put up. I don't even give a shit about seasoning it. That's a meme and doesn't make a difference if you're using enough butter or oil

>> No.19785376

>>19785366
Do you need to do a second bake with crisco? It seems like no matter how little I use it ends up gummy, comes out perfect after a second round though.

>> No.19785396

>>19784980
>penis envying this hard
nobody is making you buy a cast iron

>>19784164
probably, but some of the best things are overrated. who cares

>> No.19785402

>>19785376
>ends up gummy
you are likely using too much. you should wipe the excess off with a clean paper towel and bake upside down so any extra drips off

>> No.19785472

>>19785246
ISHYGDDT cooking without blood magic.

>> No.19785484

>>19785366
>literally use seed and vegetable oil
Not today, you globalist scum.

>> No.19785495

>>19784980
Christ, THIS. There is nothing more tiresome than talentless 80 IQ moids invading a trade/hobby and trying to buy skill. Like good job retard you bought a $10,000 oven/guitar/car/space marine that you don't even know how to use. Wow. Amazing.

>> No.19785514

>>19784980
>>19785495
YWNBAW, Crystal Cafe.

>> No.19785525

>>19785514
>i have no argument so i must phobe
Tell me about your expensive retard appliance you never use

>> No.19785736

>>19784164
I took my grandma's cast iron pan after she passed. She never really took care of it as she got older, but it's still a good pan overall. I cook larger meals in it and it does the job. Clean it, then oil it, if a retard like me can do it, anyone can.

>> No.19786191

>>19784853
We're not talking about slaves, anon

>> No.19786211

>>19785366
Get that shit out of here. I use bacon grease and can cook eggs with both my cast iron and carbon steel. Better than non stick.

>> No.19786218

>>19784164
The best thing about cast iron is its ubiquity, before buying you should always ask relatives and check yard sales for an cheap/free unloved pan. That cannon grade iron can be rescued from nearly any state of disrepair and then you've got a piece of cookware that will outlive you. If you're going to go dropping a lot of money on cookware go for something more fancy than plain black cast iron

>> No.19786319

>>19784164
Yes I switched to a $7 carbon steel wok.

>> No.19786322

>>19784164
yes

>> No.19786423
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19786423

>>19784870
>and doesn't make food better
so what do you use to cook your steaks, pan fried potatoes or anything else that tastes a thousand times better with proper browning?

>> No.19786448

I own two enameled cast iron pans, yes i know that sounds retarded. But i think stainless steel might be better.
>be me lazy slob
>Every normal pan is dirty, cba to clean them
>Take a small stainless steel Demeyere pot for like rice and shit
>Throw in two patties
>Mfw when best sear ive had so far
Now im thinking of getting a proline

>> No.19786468

>>19786448
proline is thicker than many cast iron pans, it's probably the best pan on the market right now. I think it's actually better for steaks than cast iron because the thing gets equally hot everywhere unlike cast iron where you always have several spots that are colder. you can also just use a regular spoon for the butter without worrying about stripping some of the seasoning and eating it without knowing. same with burger patties

>> No.19786729

>>19786448
enameled cast iron is great for a dutch oven, but you're right that it's retarded for anything else.

>> No.19787127

>>19784164
>nonstick
>gives you cancer
>cast iron
>adds iron to diet

>> No.19787806

>>19784164
no, but do beans belong in chili?

>> No.19787921

>>19785366
>just turn on your oven for more than an hour after each time you use this pan
That's insane. I never do that

>> No.19788015

>>19784164
Yes. I own a fuck load of cast iron and use it all the time but frankly stainless is better and more versatile.

>> No.19788017

>>19787127
ples good sir I want cansir because no sticky the food!

>> No.19788647

>>19784980
your cooking sucks so men had to step in

>> No.19788722

What about enameled cast iron?

>> No.19788910

>>19784164
It is underrated by normal people and overrated by people who use cast iron.

>> No.19788963

>>19784164
it's top tier camping gear

>> No.19789561

>>19784870
this

and it's a huge trap for beginners because r*ddit iron fans are religious about it

>> No.19789598
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19789598

>>19784164
>be me
>fall for the cast iron meme
>$150+
>"Made in the US from humanely sourced, cruelty free, grass fed metals, fair trade, vegan, support small businesses, etc."
>oil this, clean that, brush this
>taking care of the skillet takes almost as much time as cooking itself
>EVERYTHING
>FUCKING
>STICKS
>fuck that, go to nearest shartmart
>buy a $20 skillet
>made from chinesium-teflon-lead alloy by a child slave in some cancer village
>the lid and the skillet don't match, search engines throw blanks when I input the company name
>looks like someone tried to run a nuclear test in it after decades of using it as a cricket bat
>nothing sticks, cooks like a beast
How? Why and how the fuck does everything stick to cast iron, a material that predates the industrial revolution?

>> No.19789604

>>19784164
I can't use cast iron because I have a glasstop stove. I have a lodge skillet though so I guess I should invest in a tabletop burner

>> No.19789607

>Incredibly cheap
>Easy to maintain
>Great heat retention (and thus great browning on proteins)
>Never stains from food
>Won't leach chemicals into your dish other than iron (a necessary dietary supplement)
No idea how this could possibly be thought of as over rated. The only type of dish that comes close is stainless steel, and even then it has inferior heat retention

>> No.19789609
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19789609

>>19789598
you're retarded. nothing should stick in cast iron unless you're retarded. I'm guessing you're retarded

>> No.19789610

>>19789598
>Pay $150 for a chunk of pure iron
You being retarded doesn't mean cast iron is bad.

>> No.19789615

It is a tool like any other
Do you NEED it? No

You now have all the necessary information needed to buy or not buy a cast iron pan

>> No.19789619

They're okay. Their main advantage has always been even heat and how long they hold heat. You don't need one, regular cooking pans in the modern day are totally adequate. They're mostly for preference and usually that preference boils down to aesthetic and possibly familiarity anc heritage.

>> No.19789713

>>19789610
he should've just paid the same price for a demeyere proline, that shit is actually worth the price unlike cast iron where viable alternatives for 30 bucks exists

>> No.19789836

>>19789609
Sometimes stuff simply doesn't stick in mine, and sometimes even bacon sticks. Its fucking annoying. Oh and when something sticks it takes way longer to clean.

>> No.19789841

>>19789836
heat up the pan first before you add the oil/fat

>> No.19789855

>>19789598
For the same reason that you paid $150 for something that costed me $40 (a 3 piece set btw)
It took some time but now it is very rare for stuff to stick in the 2 pans that I use regularly.
Also I love that I can use metal spatulas with no problems. The bottom of the pans got smoother because of it.

>> No.19789888

>>19789841
Can you explain to me like I'm 5 why adding oil to a cold pan versus a hot pan remotely makes a difference?
>hot pan
fat melts quickly, heats up, food is added
>cold pan
fat melts slowly, heats up, food is added

>> No.19789911

>>19784164
i've been thinking about buying carbon steel instead. cast iron is too heavy and cumbersome.

>> No.19789914

>>19789911
>t. wristlet

>> No.19789917

>>19789911
It depends on your needs. Carbon steel generally has longer handles and therefore it may not fit in your oven.

>> No.19789920

>>19789914
i have faggy/feminine wrists, although i do lift weights. it's so awkward trying to pull a cast iron pan out of the oven when it's loaded up with food.

>> No.19789939

>>19789888
smoke point

you don't want to fry the oil, you want to fry your food. the moment you add your food the pan cools down. non stick pans are barely real pans, they don't get nearly as hot as all other pans. when you overheat them the surface starts to melt and you eat teflon for dinner.
not heating up your pan before adding the oil is the most common mistake when it comes to stainless steel pans and the main reason for 99% of the 1 star reviews

>> No.19789945

Anything is better than a plastic coated aluminium pan.
Cast iron is ok, I think carbons steel is better but overall they seem quite similar.

>> No.19789954

>>19789939
I never said anything about teflon pans. And the smoke point is the same if you add the oil to a hot or cold pan. Did you just type a bunch of nonsense that isn't even coherent or consistent?

>> No.19791460

skill issue

>> No.19791481

stainless steel > cast iron.

>> No.19791498

Cast iron is simply the best. It just sears shit better because it has that thermal mass. You can load up your cast iron with steaks and they all get a good sear. It doesnt lose heat. They will also last a life time. Its only bad if you are a little puss with weak arms.

I never clean my cast iron by the way. Just give it a good rub down with some lard. That seasoning is key to its god tier flavor.

>> No.19791547

>>19784164
yes because you can go without it and a nonstick telfon pan is all you need in the pan category
>wouldnt be optimal but sufficient enough to be average or above average across varies dishes cooked

>> No.19792035

>>19784980
>> Roastie is assmad that men cook better than women.

Get used to it you walking 3 way onahole. Men perfect what they desire. Food included. Which is why most great Chefs are men and not useless skirts unable to knead a loaf for more than 4min. I hope you were born without an asshole just so you can deal with how shitty you are.

>> No.19792044

>>19784164
>Is cast iron overrated?
It's still used outside of historical reenactment, so yes.

>> No.19792048

>treating fucking FRYING PANS like console wars
/v/ was the worst fucking thing to happen to this site

>> No.19792156

>>19792048
As a youngin shortly before PS3 vs 360, I remember cut vs uncut was the nuclear bomb. Nowadays even cut men likely agree that it's wrong to cut baby dicks but back then it would derail any thread. You'd have people arguing for days, weeks, sometimes months in a forum thread that has nothing to do with it.

>> No.19792181

>>19784164
Cast iron is fine. Pretty much any good restaurant has cast iron available for use. We have dozens of lodge combos for bread, others for searing proteins. But we also have normal aluminum service pans, gobs of all clad stainless, le crueset enamel, flat tops and any number of other ways to cook shit. It's only overrated if you think it's the only pan you need.

>> No.19793047

>>19789598
>cant season a pan properly
>blames everyone else
>eats cancer

>> No.19793081

>>19793047
>cant season a pan properly
>pre-seasoned is a bad seasoning, even the manufacturer doesn't do it properly
>just fill your house with smoke
>you just have to get some obscure oil few grocery stores carry
>then put it in a 500 degree oven, take it out
>before it falls below 493 degrees put it back in after applying more oil
>just repeat this process 316 times, you will be up for a week doing it
Yeah anon, just do it properly. And you have to do it once a year to ensure it remains non stick. God, I hate panlets.

>> No.19793144

>>19793081
You are bitching about something women have done for hundreds of years.
You admit you are more retarded and feeble than a woman.

>> No.19793153

>>19792156
t. cheesy anteater dick

>> No.19793380

>>19793144
oh pretty fuckin amazing when they have all day to do shit like provide autistic care to a fucking pan. Wonder if they would have used them had they been like men (me) doing hard work for 10 hours a day.

>> No.19793431

>>19784164
Yes.
>Heavy as fuck
>Burns all your food
>Shit sticks to it
>Impossible to clean
>NO TOMATOES
>Have to lube it up and do this special ceremony every time you use it
I'll keep using my nonstick pan that just fucking works effortlessly and I can chuck it in the dishwasher, thanks.

>> No.19793592

>>19793431
>so emaciated he can't lift a 6lb pan
>can't into heat control
>can't season a literal hunk of iron
>fair
>gotta do the same thing on date night
Enjoy your PTFE

>> No.19793613

>>19784164
A bit, but better than the alternative. Though steel rules.

>> No.19793620

>>19785366
>and bake for 1 hour at 400 degF
>what you got the oven on for?
>oh i made some eggs 15 minutes ago, just part of the simple cleanup process
yeah sounds fucking easy peasy

>> No.19793920

>>19788722
Enameled is great , lower maintenance but can be damaged / chip if you use metal on it.

>> No.19794001

It's alright but it is overrated. It's nice that it retains heat, it's good for baking, it's good for frying. Stuff doesn't stick as long as you let it develop a good crust. It's annoying that acidic things remove the coating, but that's easily avoided.
The main bad thing is that you need to really give it a good scrub after heavy use or you get black shit on your fried eggs or pancakes. But washing vigorously can remove your coating... so you end up occasioanlly getting extra carbon in your food.
Still, it is my daily driver and I just keep a separate nonstick for eggs and pancakes.

>> No.19794228

>get tetanus
OH NO NO NO NO CASTIRONSISTERS WE GOT TOO COCKY

>> No.19794863

>>19784870
Literally just don’t use soap that’s it

>> No.19795318

>>19789954
Stainless steel heats unevenly, meaning by the time the entire pan is up to temp the oil has burned. That's what causes the sticking with putting oil in cold.
>put oil in cold pan
>heat pan up
>hotspots for, oil starts sizzling/burning
>put food in thinking pan is ready
>pan instantly cools down on contact
>food sticks
vs
>heat pan up
>wait for entire pan to be saturated with heat
>throw in oil
>throw in food
>temp stays high
>food doesn't stick

>> No.19795360

>>19789598
I don't even season mine properly and don't have issues with sticking. If my seasoning looks light I just add some oil. Perfect eggs almost everytime.

>> No.19795367

>>19794228

Ever since I started using cast iron I noticed a ringing in my ears. Over time this gotten worse and the doctors are telling me I have also developed carpel tunnel syndrome (inoperable) from using the cast iron. This pan has ruined my life and destroyed my family.

>> No.19795377

>>19789598
Cancer causing chemicals are always super effective you retard.

>insulated my house with asbestos
>heating and cooling bills have never been lower ;^)

>> No.19796504

>>19795318
>Stainless steel heats unevenly
Cool, then explain why the fat is put in a hot cast iron pan.

>> No.19797388

>>19796504
Cast iron also heats unevenly, so do all other pans.

>> No.19797723

>>19797388
So cast iron is identical to stainless steel, or carbon steel? Just make the pan hot and put fat in. Whats the point of cooming over cast iron then?

>> No.19797766

>>19797723
Mostly because it's cheap, high quality all clad stainless steel works just as good, can survive the same temperatures, go in the oven, etc... while being lighter, easier to clean, and stronger, but also costs ten times as much(you can get a good cast iron pan for $20-$40, a good stainless pan starts at $200). Cheap stainless is often fake(nickel plated mild steel) or delaminates and falls apart. Afaik there's no such thing as fake cast iron since any material you'd substitute with it costs more.
expensive stainless > cheap cast iron >> cheap stainless

>> No.19797807

>>19785366
>using crisco for anything ever

>> No.19797938

>>19785012
Glass is harder than iron. Are you sure it'll scratch because I don't think that's possible. You should test out trying to scratch the glass with your pan in an inconspicuous corner, or even with a steel knife, I think you might be surprised at the results