4 Comments

Great post as usual.

Basic question: I understand that cast iron has high heat capacity & emissivity, but concretely what does that bring in terms of cooking (better flavor, etc)?

I still have a hard time seeing what makes cast iron a clearly superior alternative to regular pans (that would counterbalance the increased maintenance/upkeep), so having your take on that would be great!

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A lot of people end up stewing or steaming meat/veg when cooking because they can't manage heat source well. Cast Iron when properly heated eliminates a lot of these issues, making that a big plus. Also, with emissivity, when you are cooking hash, for example, the heat radiated cooks the ingredients that are sitting higher up in the pan, faster. When you have a good seasoning established there really isn't much maintenance for cast iron, unless you eff up the seasoning and have to start over.

I'm also a big fan of carbon steel, but for lighter density foods like scallops or fish. If you have good quality stainless cookware (ie All-Clad), these are also work horses, but again, don't hold the heat as well as cast iron. Hope that helps

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Thanks for the detailed answer! It is clearer.

I do have an All-Clad, but besides the fact that it's massive I rarely use it exactly for that reason (requires soaking, can't use abrasive sponges... which makes cleaning up quite time consuming).

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You can use a cleaner like Barkeepers Friend on stainless steel All-Clad and makes cleaning a breeze.

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