Another advantage of carbon steel skillets is that they are dirt cheap compared to cast iron. For the price of one medium Le Creuset cast iron one I can buy a complete set of carbon steel skillets.

My issue with carbon steel and cast iron is that I can absolutely taste the metal if even a spritz of lemon juice has been added to the meal.

@@DiddlyD-xx2ih Don't ever go to a decent restaurant because they practically all use carbon steel frying pans.

No

Thanks 4 the education re. Lodge Cast Iron. 😊

That’s wonderful! I’m glad you found my video helpful. You have an impressive collections of cast iron goodies. Sounds like you’re blessed with a wonderful son that’s always near by. Thanks for watching my video. Happy cooking

You can roughly save one-third in weight for a similar cooking experience when using carbon steel compared to cast iron. There are lighter (thinner) carbon steel skillets. But a lighter skillet also loses many of the properties that make iron cookware so desirable. Less mass means less heat capacity. The skillet reacts faster to changes in heat which is not necessarily a good thing when cooking on electric stoves. It means the skillet doesn't smooth out power cycles that well. Thinner carbon steel skillets are also more prone to warping issues, especially on closed heat. I prefer heavy carbon steel (Turk Professional [aka Matfer Bourgeat] or DeBuyer MineralB / Carbone Plus) with 3mm material thickness (2.5mm on the smaller skillets). If you want lighter skillets, there are brands like Lodge or Mauviel.

I've been a supporter of Cast Iron, for quite a few decades now. I have about 400 pounds of Lodge, a few Wagner and Griswold skillets, and 3 Shopsmith 10ER tools. (Unlike the current [1954 Mark 5] the Model 10 was Cast Iron, wherever it could be.) BUT, and it is a big one, my friend Arthur moved in recently, brought his brother, Carpal Tunnel with him. Still use Cast Iron everywhere I can, but it hurts! Arthur, (Mister Ritis) drinks all my ethanol, and leaves me the hangover! And, I rarely lift the Model 10 into vertical drill-press mode. (Do have one, hanging on the wall, for just that purpose.) steve

My grandma is having the same issues, so I’m buying carbon steel for her

@@tomwadek Tom Mabe!

Glad it was helpful!

That's me too. Awarehousechef has some great videos about best cookware and much more.

Pleased to find myself in the esteemed company of a fellow discerning cheapskate.

💯💯 I'm a fellow discerning shopper. Why pay full price indeed. Almost everything goes on sale at some point. 😊

Right on😂

Superbly done.

Hi Douglas. Thanks for watching. I’m addicted too. My wife thinks I have too many pans but I love cooking and they are seriously a work of art. I love the seasoning process and seeing the pan get better and better. One day I’ll pass all of them to my children and who knows, maybe they will pass them on to theirs. It was great hearing your story! Happy cooking!

Let us know when you evolve to Demeyere Proline skillets.

came here to say victoria are great. I have a bunch of griswold cast iron (from my grandmothers attic), but bought a 10 and 12 victoria and love them, came pretty smooth and took a couple cooks to season. spend $20 and $30 on each respectively. Easily compare to griswold. Have a lodge griddle that I had to sand down, but works great now.

@@billm9775 can you really just use sandpaper to smooth out the cast iron??

@@At0micAllison yeah, used an orbital sander with 110, then 220. Worked fine. Youre not gonna get a mirror finish, but it is good enough to get rid of that rough surface.

I’m glad to hear that and I’m happy to help! Wishing you the best. Keep me updated. Happy cooking!

That’s great. Thank you for sharing your experience

I agree, I absolutely LOVE the weight of my carbon steel skillet! Seems better balanced than the others

O

I’m glad you enjoyed it. Please like and subscribe.

That’s wonderful. Hang in to that cast iron skillet from your great aunt. It’s priceless!

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching. Happy holidays.

Thank you for watching! Please like and subscribe. Happy cooking

I’m glad I could help. Thanks for watching

Glad I could help. Thanks for watching. Happy cooking!

Glad you enjoyed it!

You're very welcome!

Wonderful, thank you for sharing your experience and your mom’s stories and love for cooking. I’m glad you found my channel and are liking the content. Take care and happy cooking!

That is awesome. I love hearing great family stories like this l! Happy cooking

No problem!

Hi Jermey , thanks for watching. Light acidic foods are generally ok but yes your correct, Heavy acidic food can strip the seasoning. Happy cooking.

If seasoned correctly, this is actually a myth. I cook acid- rich foods in my cast iron all the time. I don't store the food in them. My chili pot might simmer with meat and tomato sauce for 24hrs, and doesn't have a problem. Lots of thin coats of oil is the key. It needs to be so thin that it isn't even shiny on the surface when you are seasoning.

@Jacob Tallmon that's why he said carbon steel not cast iron. The seasoning is not as robust on carbon steel

Thank you for watching. The older I’m getting, the more I’m finding myself enjoying a SS pan. Check out some of my other videos. Happy cooking

Ken McCasl I came to essentially the same conclusion about pots and pans. After cooking for many years I concluded that some pans work better than others for specific applications. Attempting to sear and brown food with a stainless steel pan ended up with food sticking to the bottom and the pan warping from the heat. Cast iron pans are heavy but can take almost any amount of heat and don't warp. If properly seasoned, food will not stick to the bottom of a cast iron pan. You can't season a stainless steel pan but sticking can be prevented by cooking at a lower temperature. A carbon steel pan offers the advantage of light weight and a seasoned pan surface. The compromise is, a carbon steel pan does not distribute heat as evenly as cast iron and requires constant motion over the burner to prevent burning. Aluminum pans solve many of the weight and heat distribution issues but it is reactive with the food and I avoid using it. I avoid using non-stick coated pans for the same reason. What we now call cast iron is actually cast steel. Many of the antique cast pans were cast iron and would often crack if subjected to a sudden temperature change. This could occur from deglazing. Because cast iron pans are heavy, professional chefs prefer either aluminum or carbon steel 8 inch skillets. Professional cooking is a compromise between meal quality and time reduction. It is not necessarily about improving flavor. To save time, professional chefs cook at extremely high temperatures and flip food in the pan to prevent burning. This does not make the food taste better than cooking at a lower heat but losing a couple of minutes per meal over a 10 hour shift adds up and cuts into the restaurant's profits. Cooking in a restaurant is a job but cooking at home can be a passion. Many of the things professional chefs do have reasons that have been long since forgotten. The reason meat was dipped in batter before being placed in a hot pan was to cut down the hot spatter from the grease; not to improve the taste of the cooked meat. The reason chefs wore hats in the kitchen was to prevent their sweat from dripping into the customers meals; not to show off their rank. The reason professional chefs cook at high temperatures and flip food in a skillet is to reduce the cooking time; not to make the food taste better. When you cook at home you don't need to be concerned with a straw boss screaming at you threatening to end your livelihood if you don't hustle. Cooking at home allows you the opportunity to maximize the flavor of the meal and not be concerned with cutting time corners to minimize the cooking time. david

Well said, Viv!

Glad you enjoyed it!

I’m glad I can help. I have a whole playlist on the 3 pans. Check it out. Packed with info.

Excellent point in favor for the surface finish. Thanks for sharing.

I've sanded down a couple of my cast irons and I have notice that the ones with texture tend to develop a better nonstick surface. I cook mainly with cast iron for over 12 years now.

I never sanded my Lodge. It got smooth very quickly, just with the seasoning filling in the gaps in the roughness. Today, 20 years later (!), I rarely have to season this skillet, and the cooking surface feels and looks like a fine glass layer.

Whenever you want something to stick like paint or glue, you need to "rough up" a smooth surface so the paint it glue will hold. I find that the rough lodge surface holds the seasoning better.

I like mild circular ribs. 1/32" is perfect. No sanding, thanks 👍

Thanks for sharing. I think you will like carbon steel. It’s the middle ground between ci and ss

Glad I could help! Keep at it!

Glad you enjoyed it! Check out my channel for more videos. Please like, subscribe, and share. Happy holidays.

What about pots? What pots are best?

@@JimNortonsAlcoholism my video on pots and pan is up. Hope you enjoy

That’s awesome! You should get a lifetime of great cooking with it. Glad you enjoyed the video. Happy cooking.

any fat on the outside of a pan works but inside the pan i use ONLY bacon fat - bacon fat leaves a very very smooth finish. anything else leaves a kinda pebbled finish.

Same with me, I cook with them a lot. Made a lot of bacon in them. Seasoned them a few extra times with bacon grease and my rough pan was smooth. Thanks for the video.

Grooves filled in? Dirty skillet! Yuck!

Glad I could help!

Thanks for watching and sharing your experiences. Sounds like you have a good setup in your kitchen. Happy cooking

@@tomwadek This is my kitchen. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jshjpsaKtsyqZas.html And this one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a7CKrZaEnLi2kmw.html

Sounds great!

that actually is a waste of time. the pre seasoning sux, i agree but the bumpy surface has shown to hold seasoning in a more consistent fashion and also to guard against scraping off seasoning when cleaning and the spatula glides over the tiny lumps but the base seasoning does not get scraped off. Chinese lumpy pimpled cast is another story and is not consistent, grinding that would improve.

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the video

Glad it helped!

Those pans are a dime a dozen. Thank you for watching. Happy cooking

@@tomwadek Maybe so, but I think old cast iron is the best. I'm sure there were quality differences between mfgs even back then but all of my favorite cast iron is at least several generations old. I have one that I use for nothing but pancakes and cornbread. 🤓🍻

@@alsaunders7805 I prefer the older ones. I feel like the quality and attention to detail was better. The stuff today is still good but there’s something about a classic that never really fades.

Glad you enjoyed it

I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you! I’m glad you found this video helpful and enjoyed it. Cast iron is a great choice. You really can’t go wrong with any of these 3 but I have to warn you. As you grow as a cook, you will probably end up with all 3. Happy cooking.

Also check out Cook Culture videos, they are very detailed in all 3 types of pans.

Glad you enjoyed it

While that works, a proper seasoning layer is so thin that it would take enormous amounts of time to get to that point, and thicker layers are less durable. It makes more sense to use sandpaper to at least knock down the high points, nothing more than 180 grit because the depth of the scratches from 180 grit match the thickness of a proper layer of cast iron seasoning. Thinking about it that way, each stroke you make with sandpaper equals one layer of seasoning, you could get the same amount of smoothing done in a minute as you would in days worth of seasoning. You also don't risk the thicker less durable layers of seasoning pooling in between the rough surface when trying to build up the layers. Long story short, if you can build up seasoning layers that fast then they're too thick and they're not going to be as durable or non-stick as properly smoothed cast iron seasoning should be.

Thanks for watching

@@tomwadek 😊❤️

My pleasure

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Good-luck with your new purchase and I hope your mom will enjoy the cs pan. Happy cooking!

Right on! I’ve also wanted a nice antique ci!

I need to reseason my cast iron I tried the oil wipe and bake, but it turned out sticky. Suggestions?

@@denisebayer8748 sticky seasoning is usually 1) too much oil was used 2) you didn’t season it in the oven long enough 3) you needed to go above the oils smoking point.

@@tomwadek I have my Mom's 1952 Sidney, Ohio #8 cast iron pan. Smooth as glass on the inside and about 1/8" of permanent "seasoning" on the outside. I estimate it's made something on the order of 25000 meals.

@@qwkimball hang on to that jewel and pass it down to your kids!

Glad you enjoyed the video. Happy cooking!

Glad I could help. Thanks for watching.

So funny, because I have always had fewer sticking problems with SS than CI.

@@suran396 If you're having issues with cast iron sticking, there are a few variables to tweak. Most people will point to seasoning as the culprit, but I imagine you've done your research and gotten a decent seasoning and you're maintaining it. Just like with paint, you want several thin layers of coating set in, not big globs that will become uneven and prone to flaking. Beyond that, it's just about dialing in on technique. Don't add your food until the skillet is at your targeted temperature and stable. For raw proteins, I'd absolutely recommend throwing some salt on it and resting it to draw out water via osmosis and then removing that water by dabbing with paper towels. This gets a good sear and release because you're not wasting a bunch of time and energy drawing heat out of your meat just to boil the water within. This also means you're cooking the food directly instead of steaming it in its own water content. The laws of physics apply to your kitchen; if your pan heats up your food, then your food has cooled your pan! Cast iron is dense enough to cool less, but it's still something to be mindful of! You also want to use plenty of oil, not just for lubrication, but as a good heat transfer medium. Don't move your food immediately after the raw surface hits the pan; give it a moment to flash its moisture and sear the surface which will make the food release. That includes when you flip your food. I just about tore my hair out when Tom immediately tried to move the egg after flipping it in the SS skillet. A fragile food like an egg will just straight up rip apart if you don't give it a moment to sear. I would also recommend that you never use metal utensils in cast iron and just stick to silicone and wood since those are less likely to scratch and scrape your seasoning up. Similarly, I never use anything particularly abrasive for cleaning; I typically get 80% clean just with paper towel wiping and then put maybe 8oz of hot water and a drop or two of dish soap and get the other 20% with a sponge, never scouring. If it takes more effort than that, your skillet is due for a new seasoning. I hope this helps you to find and fix your issue!

@@willsutton3471 hey, Will, thanks for that. This whole topic has made me think about some of the things you've mentioned. I know those tricks for stainless steel (waiting for up to temp, putting in dried meat, not turning too early, ) but I guess I haven't applied it to cast iron. Also, thinking on it a little more, in the more recent past the only major sticking issues I've had on cast iron is hamburgers ....which are difficult to "dry." Glad to hear you use a little soap and water! Yes, most debri can be removed with a paper towel, but I always like to go just a step further. Oh, and I always thoroughly dry CI immediately....no letting it sit around to rust!

Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed the video!

Hahaha, smallville was a great show. Glad this video was helpful! Happy cooking

Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Happy holidays!

@@tomwadek thank you! Wishing you the same!

Yesss. He is very knowledgeable💕

@@feliciad.hutchins4507 thank you!

No problem, thank you for watching. Happy cooking

I’m glad you enjoyed it

Glad you enjoyed it!

Definitely. Check out my follow up video on stainless steel. I pinned it in the comments.

Thanks for watching and great point. Glad you enjoyed the video. Happy cooking.

Thank you!

Thank you for watching! I’m glad you enjoyed it

Lol, yes that’s a good point about is fish taste in the pancakes. Thanks for watching. Happy cooking!

T-Fal skillet works for me for eggs and pancakes, there's no way I can flip with the same ease if a cast iron skillet was used. With the lightest coat of oil or butter, the non stick will release and the food glides perfectly. Cleanup is just a quick swish of a dish brush. I'll go with the cast iron for steaks and other stuff that can make use of a spatula for turning rather than flipping.

It’s a fantastic book, there are a few others she has that are wonderful too. She’s a great author and has a good format that’s easy to follow.

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed this. It’s an oldie but a goodie. Check out my more recent videos. Cheers

Glad you enjoyed the video. Check out my latest video on stainless steel. It may change your mind. Please like and subscribe. Thanks again!

Thanks for sharing. Glad you enjoyed the video

Carbon steel has the cooking characteristics you may have liked about cast iron, but weighs far less.

I personally avoid aluminum even hard anodized and coating. I actually have a video on why including the risks of leaching coming out tomorrow 9am PT. Glad you found this video helpful!

@@tomwadek HAHA, nice timing then!

@@ChrisAbbey video is up, hope you enjoy! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pch3d8mZvt-peas.html

@@tomwadek Thanks Tom! Another great vid.

Thanks for watching and sharing. That’s pretty cool regarding the Rena ware. Do they still make it?

@@tomwadek I do not believe so but the company still exists with some very nice products.

@@apistosig4173 post a video of yours. I think it’s very interesting!

@@tomwadek Can't do - no camera or mic on this machine. No longer available from maker I noticed. The pots and pans could be stacked and the heat would transfer through them - fabulous concept - when they were all new they worked well.

That’s wonderful! I can’t tell you’re having fun and really enjoying the learning process. Thank you for your kind words also, I’m glad my channel is helpful and enjoyable. Keep me updated on your journey. Happy cooking.

It's supposed to be baked with the pan upside down so there's no pool of excess oil during the seasoning process; it should be just a very thin coating applied rather than a thick puddle.

That is awesome!

I’m glad you liked it. Cheers

Thanks for watching. I’m glad you enjoyed the video. I plan on passing my stuff down as well. Hopefully after many years of use, they will be a great family set.

OK - What is the French company u used?

Thanks for the sub!

Glad I could help!

Those glazed dutch ovens have carcogenic materials because of the colours of them do ur reasearch

@@SuperLuckao so dont get one colored fancy

@L B What doesn't give you cancer? In my opinion, it's best to completely avoid only the more severe carcinogens. As for the milder ones, just use them wisely and in moderation to mitigate their worst effects. But to think you'll be able to make it through life avoiding every single thing that's bad for you is some naive paranoia. Just don't smoke cigarettes, work with asbestos, consume any lead, etc. Just avoid the big ones and live a moderately healthy lifestyle and you'll live a full, long life.

I just purchased a ceramic cast iron Dutch oven-- the ceramic is white--no color. I love it -- even make an omelette in it. It is very heavy, as any cast iron is.

We are the enamel cast iron pots ' factory in Handan, Hebei,China.

Glad it was helpful! Stainless steel is a little less forgiving and has a bit of a learning curve but i'm sure you will master it! Goodluck!

I’m glad you did too. Thanks for watching. Happy cooking!

@@tomwadek still struggling with carbon steel... but I have a glass top. But... over a butane flame burner, it's killer!

@@danieledwards4274 yeah, it definitely shines on a flame. Hang in there. It just gets some getting use to. All 3 pans have their place in the kitchen. I tend to reach for a ss pan currently. It honestly changes every 6 months for me lol

Yessir they do. I own all types!

They definitely have their place. We have a enameled Dutch oven and absolute love it. Keep in mind, one day the enamel will fail so that’s always in the back of my mind. I tend to keep the skillets non-enameled just because I know they will see a lot more daily use and abuse. Thanks for watching. Please like and subscribe!

The best for oven use. Seasoned cast iron may smoke, but for making baked beans, or any baked casserole, they shine. and so east to clean. I am in the market for one now, looking at Lodge, but they want over $100.00 for a Dutch oven, and it turns out that the biggest customer complaint is that they're made in China, while Lodge claims they are made in USA.

I was a smallville fan lol. Thanks for watching. Cheers!

Thank you for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed it

Hi Brian. Thanks for watching. You are correct. This video was more of an intro to the 3 pans. Checkout my follow up video on the fundamentals of ss cooking. I’ve pinned it in the comments.

I love my carbon steel wok! All great tools to use in the kitchen! Happy cooking

I like the hammered wok best but it is hard to find.I am not even a pro ,Nam vet and wife went through several till we found it.

@@garrypeek897 What brand is a hammered wok?

No problem. Thank you for watching. Please like and subscribe! I have a whole series on cookware. Check them out.

That’s wonderful! I’m glad I could inspire you. Matfer is a great choice and will be a great pan to pair with your cast iron and ss. Just make sure to clean the shipping wax very well before seasoning. Happy cooking!

20,000 grit is intense. Glad you got a pan you love! Happy cooking

Okay, I have a lot of cast iron skillets that i would like to be smooth to cook my food better....which sanding paper would you suggest I begin with?

It depends how wrecked the pan is tbh, mine wasn't that bad but I was just wanting to knock down all the rough coating lodge put inside so I started with like 200-ish and just doubled up from there when i could like 400/800/1600/3200 and made sure to smooth it all out as I went along, you gotta make sure you don't accidentally sand any low spots into the pan or make the thing uneven by accident or it won't work properly.

Thanks for watching and appreciating the work that went into it! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. I absolutely agree, all 3 are non stick to a degree. The ss did just fine in the egg test but has a bit of a learning curve. I come from an engineering background so I can understand. Take care 🤓

I totally agree about the IR temp gun. They are inexpensive and an exceptional cooking tool. Now I even cook on the top of my wood stove because I can adjust the temp by where I place the pan of the top of the wood stove. Without the temp gun my cooking is hit or miss when cooking on the wood stove. By the way much of the vintage cast iron cookware was made by the wood stove manufacturers so cast iron was made to be used on wood stoves and in the age of the pandemic it's fun cooking on and BBQing in my large wood stove.

I had a love/hate affair going w/stainless (protein stickage) untill Sip 'n Feast channel gave me a tip about preheating & the Leidenfrost effect. Now, I can make decent fond and much better sauces with virtually no stickage. Magic! 😁

@@comesahorseman I've tried the Leidenfrost effect and it's problematic for me. You have to constantly monitor the temperature and throw in some water. And water has to not evaporate but roll around. If you miss the temperature, it will be too hot and stick. If you are under the temp, it will stick. It's too much of a chore just to fry an egg. And every pan has a different Leidenfrost temperature so you have to remember the number for each one. I just want to cook and not perform a lab experiment. I don't want to waste time. Just crazy stuff. More power to you if can do it but not me.

@@comesahorseman Even if it sticks in a SS pan, that stickage is short lived (with using enough oil) and best not to try and be too sparingly with it in a SS pan, a Tablespoon is usually enough so let it sit, and after a minutes or 2 or so, it'll release and I find that with most electric stoves at least, never run SS hotter than a 7 and I believe this also goes for induction cooktops/stoves and you can always drop the temp as you cook, I typically once the pan gets really going on 7, drop it down to a 5 and leave it there for a time and then if need to, drop down further and some days, I end up around a 3 or so before finishing up. This goes for cast iron and carbon steel pans too.