Frying pans

corblimey

My 2 frying pans are in awful shape and I think I'll invest in some new ones (oh, no recession here!). After reading some threads (in particular this one) I'm 95% convinced to go for a cast iron, but

1. I use a pan for a lot of things so is it suitable for everything from cooking a steak to stir fry? I currently have a griddle one that I use for steak, fish, etc, and a flat one I use for fry-ups, chili, spag bol, etc. Would a cast iron skillet really replace both of these? I'm not bothered about the 'finish' the griddle puts on my food, and I think apart from needing less oil, that's the only difference, but correct me if I'm wrong.

2. Where to get one? From the thread I checked out Nisbets, but their range only goes up to 10.5cm which is too small as far as I'm concerned. Any recommendations on prices, brands, etc?

Should I get a small teflon coated non stick just in case, but use a qgood quality cast iron for most of my cooking going forward. I'd love to know what other big frying pan users have found.

Minder

Bourgeat from nisbets. Great pans and cheap so I don't feel unable to chuck them once they are tired and scratched - teflon coated.

I bought some saute pans from nisbets, vogue brand, much like bourgeat, but the handles heat up and are too hot to use without a tea towel.

corblimey

Minder wrote: »

Bourgeat from nisbets. Great pans and cheap so I don't feel unable to chuck them once they are tired and scratched - teflon coated.

So something like these? Is fifty odd quid for even the smallest "cheap"?

Minder

No, those are the infinity range (or similar). I buy these. The range in your link are heavier and with a thinner handle.

corblimey

But you can get cheaper teflon coated pans anywhere - Tesco, Argos, etc. If the idea is to buy cheap so they only last 6 months, wouldn't I be better off getting a good quality (hence cast iron) one that costs 3 times as much but lasts 6 times as long?

Minder

I've found that a standard bourgeat frying pan will last me about 18 months to 2 years. 10 or 12 inch are the ones I use the most. Averaging about 25 quid a pan (they used to be a good bit cheaper), I can happily replace that every two years and not feel ripped off. Just a personal choice.

The Sweeper

Might i just point out that I've had my Bourgeat pans for I think nearly seven years and they're only now starting to look scratched and worn. Minder's two year limit is based on daily use and daily dishwasher.

corblimey

So really, forget about the cast iron idea and go with good quality teflon coated?

The Sweeper

Right - for frying pans, my gut feeling would be light, good quality, teflon coated pans. The Bourgeat are good quality pans (not like cheap supermarket coating), but they aren't 10-year-guarantee-you-can-use-a-jackhammer-on-this-coating quality.

See I'm not sure how strongly I believe in the durability of even the most expensive teflon coatings. I'd rather buy a bourgeat pan, have it behave well (no hot spots, even heat distribution, nice balance) for a few years and then bin it and replace it if required, instead of feeling like "I spent €200 on this pan, I can't afford to throw it out".

By 'frying pan' I'm thinking of something you use to fry eggs, do Sunday breakfast, make pancakes, cook a piece of fish, flash fry some prawns or some scallops, or otherwise quickly cook something that doesn't need long stewing or cooking, and which it is convenient for you to have NOT stick to the base of the pan (fish on a stainless steel pan, for instance).

I would definitely buy a non-stick good quality but light frying pan for the above.

For making a chili or a spaghetti bolognaise, I would buy a saute pan. Shallow, flat, with a decent straight side (like 5cm or more) with a lid. I would either buy one of the indestructible teflon numbers, or I would rather go for enamelled cast iron for that (especially something that can then go straight into the oven). I believe Jaimie Oliver's pan range has a good saute pan - one of those utensils designed for all the dishes you wish you could cook in a good saute pan, e.g. spag bol, chili, other stewed dishes that don't need to be on the hob for 16 hours etc.

I would buy a 'raw' cast iron griddle for steak and things like tuna or other fish steaks.

I feel your pain of choice though. No recession here either - I have free rein to buy whatever set of saucepans I would like to buy, in a sort of 'once in a life time, money no object' opportunity, and I keep coming up against the same issue:

No single set does everything I want it to do, because I like to use different materials and different coatings for different things.

As a result, I'm going to end up with a mongrel set:

• Three different sized non-stick frying pans.
• One hob-to-oven-to-table round two handled saute pan with lid in enamelled cast iron.
• One hob-only single handle saute pan with lid in heavy duty top of the range non-stick finish.
• One large copper saute pan with double handles and a lid.
• Three minimum, preferably five, different sizes of deep sided 18/10 stainless steel pots with copper sandwich bases, going from egg-boiling size up to pasta-boiling size, including 18/10 stainless steel double stack steamer inserts.
• One 18/10 stainless steel stock pot with copper sandwich base.
• One mid sized enamelled cast iron round cocotte for hob to oven to table use.
• One large sized enamelled cast iron round cocotte for hob to oven to table use.
• One mid sized enamelled cast iron oval cocotte for hob to oven to table use.
• One large sized enamelled cast iron oval cocotte for hob to oven to table use.

Some of those I already have, some I just covet.

Ridiculous?

Perhaps, but cooking is a serious hobby for me, so hey.

corblimey

Okay it would seem that my best plan is to get a couple of bog standard non-stick pans as per Minder's recommend, a saute pan for the spag bol, chili, etc and a griddle for my steaks and whatnot. Is that a sensible place to start?

* One or 2 off this list

* This saute pan

* And this griddle (I like the idea of the non-pan griddle and have been looking at getting one for a while, now's a good time as any)

olaola

I have a Circulon covered saute pan, and I have to say, if the house was burning down - I would save this. I love it. It's as non-stick as they day I got it (4 years ago), and it goes into the oven too.

A medium cast iron pan, for roasting spices, browning meat. Goes straight into the oven. And a cast iron griddle with no handles (similar to the one you posted, but square) Both Le Creuset, but you could get any brand really.

All can be purchased in Arnotts.

CJhaughey

I have a le Creuset frying pan for the last 10years and apart from the wooden handle cracking the thing has been faultless, I recall that it originally came with a teflon finish but that has long gone.
I can't fault it.

Samson

Cast iron is the way to go. If you get the real thing you won't ever need to buy any other frying pan.
I have what was my Grandmother's cast iron pan and it's perfect for everything; it has even developed its own non-stick coating over the years (provided it is not washed - I clean it with kitchen roll and oil).
The only slight drawback is the weight when flipping stuff.

I reckon it is at least 40 years old, and I'm pretty sure it will see me into the grave.