Lodge Cast Iron Cookware Review by Green Gear

[shakaama]

Please get rid of that non-stick immediately. Cast iron for each protein you cook: fish, beef, chicken. Stainless steel for sauces, soups and broths. Cast iron dutch ovens for baking. I have no touched copper yet, my stainless steel is amazing.

I moved in with a guy that said he was a chef also, and he had the worst cookware ever. It was all chinese and thinner than an ethiopian. Everything burned and cooked unevenly. And, he had to replace it over and over.

[lloyddull3rd]

2. If you never heat an empty pan, always putting cooking oil in it first, you will know the temp of your pan by your oil's smoke point - 350-450 degrees F - WELL below the point that Teflon can emit fumes that are dangerous to birds. When you put FOOD in, the temp drops below THAT.

[lloyddull3rd]

Gawd, I hate when people spread misinformation about non-stick. The biggest reason not to use that flaking non-stick cookware is that food will stick to those bare spots and make the cookware hard to use/clean. Non-stick cookware is MANUFACTURED with a carcinogenic substince (PFOA) - but that isn't in the final product, just the PTFE, which is inert.

[svtcontour]

I got turned onto cast iron about 5 years ago and I will never move away. The stuff not only lasts for ever, has virtually no health hazards and last but not least, food just tastes better for some reason when cooked in them.

[DCFunBud]

Stop using that non-stick pan with the chipped coating! It could get in your food. Non-stick coating (usually made by DuPont) is made of carcinogenic chemicals. Even when a non-stick pan is new it releases toxins in the air when heated alone.  The toxins have been known to kill pet birds. Imagine what they could be doing to your children's lungs.

[greengearinfo]

@DCFunBud

Thanks for the heads up. If i replace them with anything other than cast iron, what should I get? Copper? Stainless?

[DCFunBud]

@greengearinfo It all depends on what you like, what you need, and how much you want to spend. I use cast iron (Wagner Ware, Griswold, Lodge) for most sauteing. I use Le Creuset (enameled cast iron) for sauce pans and Dutch ovens. I also use Calphalon (anodized aluminum) and stainless steel.

Cruise discount stores (e.g., Marshall's). Look for a heavy bottom to conduct heat. Look at handles and lids; are they riveted or merely soldered? Does the lid fit tightly? Heavy is good, light cheap.