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