[sts9fan]

Mmmmmm chemicals.  I will never use a coated nonstick of any brand.  Cast iorn or just a plain ole pan is all that is ever needed. 

[turkey]

Or, you could just cook with oil!  Olive oil for low/medium heat, and butter, lard, or coconut for high heat.  Never, ever Canola or Crisco!

What's wrong with canola oil? Also, coconut oil is very high in saturated fat, so I don't use it (or the other palm oils) for eating. (It makes good soap though.)

[rpf]

Grape seed oil is also good for high heat.

 

[srb]

   John, look what I've found on their site...



https://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefront/product1_new.asp?menu=color&idProduct=4103

According to many of the reviews I read, there was a big difference between this and the standard Lodge pans.
 
The Lodge Enamel Color pans are apparently made in China and have rough stick-prone interiors and easily chipped exteriors, as opposed to the the standard line USA-made plain cast iron Lodge pans with their much smoother finished cooking surfaces.
 
Steve

[rollo]

Mmmmmm chemicals.  I will never use a coated nonstick of any brand.  Cast iorn or just a plain ole pan is all that is ever needed.

  Agree 100% no coated pans. Oil ? Olive or Canola. Peanut oil for fries. Lard oh yes lard for fried chicken.


charles


charles

[rpf]

NYT article on non-stick pans.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/18/your-money/18shortcuts.html?src=me&ref=homepage

[dwk]

What's wrong with canola oil? Also, coconut oil is very high in saturated fat, so I don't use it (or the other palm oils) for eating. (It makes good soap though.)

I'm a little curious as to the singling out of Canola as well.  Canola does have a moderate poly-unsaturated fat (PUFA) content, although not as bad as most other vegetable/plant based oil such as corn, safflower etc. The evidence is that when PUFA's are exposed to high heat they oxidize rapidly, and these oxidation products are linked to a host of problems - cancers, cell disruption etc.  Saturated fats don't oxidize, and so should be used for cooking.  (PUFA's will oxidize eventually anyway, but heat accelerates the process)

Mono-unsaturated fats (olive oil) aren't as prone to oxidation as the PUFA's, and is the preferred fat as long as it isn't cooked.

I'm still not 100% sure where I stand on saturated fats in larger quantities, but it certainly seems to be the case that it's FAR more complicated than just saturated fat == bad, and I find the evidence against cooking with PUFA's pretty compelling.

[Tyson]

What's wrong with canola oil? Also, coconut oil is very high in saturated fat, so I don't use it (or the other palm oils) for eating. (It makes good soap though.)

About 75% of the population has zero issues with Sat fat (depends on your APOE genetic status).  I've got heart disease, so I get tested fairly regularly.  When I added Coconut oil (in moderation) for high temp cooking, my HDL (the good cholesterol) went up significantly.  Of course, anytime anyone adds SFA's back in their diet, they should get their blood levels tested to make sure things don't get out of whack.

BTW, there's emerging evidence that one of the reasons Omega 3's are so good for us is that our intake of Omega 6's is way too high (ie, from all the various vegetable oils we use).  Increasing Omega 3's is one good way to address this, and reducing Omega 6's is another.  I do a combo of both.

[dwk]

Okay, jumped into this thread originally since we're in the same boat looking for new cookware. We've had a Calphalon hard-anodized set for about 10 years which has been really good but is showing it's age.  The Cuisinart teflon pan my wife got as a stop-gap started flaking/peeling within 6 weeks 

For those suggesting cast-iron, isn't the heat retention a problem?  My wife is the cook, not me so maybe I'm missing something, but I always thought the reason that gas was preferred was because of the control and fast reaction vs electric. A cast iron pan and it's mass/heat capacity would seem to completely undermine that.

Those Scanpans look promising though - I'll have to take a look.

[rpf]

About 75% of the population has zero issues with Sat fat (depends on your APOE genetic status).  I've got heart disease, so I get tested fairly regularly.  When I added Coconut oil (in moderation) for high temp cooking, my HDL (the good cholesterol) went up significantly.  Of course, anytime anyone adds SFA's back in their diet, they should get their blood levels tested to make sure things don't get out of whack.

BTW, there's emerging evidence that one of the reasons Omega 3's are so good for us is that our intake of Omega 6's is way too high (ie, from all the various vegetable oils we use).  Increasing Omega 3's is one good way to address this, and reducing Omega 6's is another.  I do a combo of both.

Good info, thanks.

I've had a few Calphalon hard anodized skillets over the years and they do seem to hold up relatively well. I tried the Cusinart Green pan not long ago and, besides not working well (poor and uneven heating), it scratched very easily - without metal utensils.

I think that if one uses a good quality non-stick, as recommended, they're reasonably safe and useful for low/no fat cooking. The cheap stuff does scare me. I didn't buy cast iron because of the weight and the fact that it requires seasoning with each use.

[Dan Driscoll]

Take a look at the Tramontina Professional line. These are the same pans used in a lot of restaurants and they work great. I have the 10" & 14" fry pans and they work great. The 14" does double duty as a wok and does it well. I got them as a pair at BBB for $29.99.

FTR, I also have several Lodge CI pans as well as some Kitchenaid and Henkels SS/AL/SS clad pans that are basically the same as All-Clad, but with better handles, IMO. I also have some older Circulon pieces. In fact, the Tramontinas replaced the 12" Circulon fry pan.

Also FTR, I do not buy into the teflon scare. To date I have not seen a single peer-reviewed study from a reputable source showing that teflon is dangerous if ingested. Virtually all the 'data' so far is from the same debunked sources that claimed aluminum caused Alzheimer's, that silicone breast implants caused immune diseases and that vaccines cause autism.    

[Nick77]

Im looking for a good fry pan also, need it to work with induction as well. I am thinking about the enameled cast iron french made stuff

http://www.lecreuset.com/en-us/Products/Enameled-Cast-Iron/Skillets--Grills/Iron-Handle-Skillet-11-/

Any one use this stuff, tired of buying expensive non-stick and having it wear out in 6 months. Love to brown and sear with med-high heat.

[pehare]

cast iron...it's like tubes...once you have them & get used to it there's no going back

[Dan Driscoll]

Any one use this stuff, tired of buying expensive non-stick and having it wear out in 6 months. Love to brown and sear with med-high heat.

For true high heat searing and browning you shouldn't be using any teflon coated pan, period. Seasoned cast iron or carbon steel and stainless steel are the best surfaces for searing and browning. Teflon coated pans generally should not be used at the higher temps that searing is done at, because it can cause the coating to delaminate, making the pan useless.

Enameled cast iron can be used for searing, I do it often in my Le Creuset dutch oven, especially when I'm doing a braise. For all other searing and browning I use either a Lodge CI or a KA SS clad pan.

[Dan Driscoll]

Here's the 14" Tramontina I have.

[ctviggen]

About 75% of the population has zero issues with Sat fat (depends on your APOE genetic status).  I've got heart disease, so I get tested fairly regularly.  When I added Coconut oil (in moderation) for high temp cooking, my HDL (the good cholesterol) went up significantly.  Of course, anytime anyone adds SFA's back in their diet, they should get their blood levels tested to make sure things don't get out of whack.

BTW, there's emerging evidence that one of the reasons Omega 3's are so good for us is that our intake of Omega 6's is way too high (ie, from all the various vegetable oils we use).  Increasing Omega 3's is one good way to address this, and reducing Omega 6's is another.  I do a combo of both.

It's carbohydrate that causes your "good" cholesterol to go down and your triglycerides to go up.  Get rid of carbohydrates and both those values "improve" (that is, if you believe these values are relevant). 

[ctviggen]

I'm a little curious as to the singling out of Canola as well.  Canola does have a moderate poly-unsaturated fat (PUFA) content, although not as bad as most other vegetable/plant based oil such as corn, safflower etc. The evidence is that when PUFA's are exposed to high heat they oxidize rapidly, and these oxidation products are linked to a host of problems - cancers, cell disruption etc.  Saturated fats don't oxidize, and so should be used for cooking.  (PUFA's will oxidize eventually anyway, but heat accelerates the process)

Mono-unsaturated fats (olive oil) aren't as prone to oxidation as the PUFA's, and is the preferred fat as long as it isn't cooked.

I'm still not 100% sure where I stand on saturated fats in larger quantities, but it certainly seems to be the case that it's FAR more complicated than just saturated fat == bad, and I find the evidence against cooking with PUFA's pretty compelling.

Canola oil?  See this for one view against it:

http://editor.nourishedmagazine.com.au/articles/is-canola-oil-healthy

The best fat for not oxidizing?  Saturated, of course. 

[rpf]

Im looking for a good fry pan also, need it to work with induction as well. I am thinking about the enameled cast iron french made stuff

http://www.lecreuset.com/en-us/Products/Enameled-Cast-Iron/Skillets--Grills/Iron-Handle-Skillet-11-/

Any one use this stuff, tired of buying expensive non-stick and having it wear out in 6 months. Love to brown and sear with med-high heat.

Also check out Staub (also French made) - http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/staub-12-inch-fry-pan_51/?pkey=cckwstbred%7Cckwstbredfry

A bit less money than Le Creuset and even heavier.

I'm planning on getting their square grill.

[turkey]

Take a look at the Tramontina Professional line. These are the same pans used in a lot of restaurants and they work great. I have the 10" & 14" fry pans and they work great. The 14" does double duty as a wok and does it well. I got them as a pair at BBB for $29.99.

I bought a set of their cookware and the quality was ok with the exception of the lids, which you can't use because they spit liquid around the edges and soak the surroundings.

[geezer]

Canola oil?  See this for one view against it:

http://editor.nourishedmagazine.com.au/articles/is-canola-oil-healthy

The best fat for not oxidizing?  Saturated, of course.

I don't know what to think of the article, since the author notes her training is in acupuncture and kinesiology, not chemistry or food science or medicine.