Need a good pan for cookin eggs

ChrisJ

ChrisJ

Active member
I've worn out a second non-stick Caphalon pan now from cooking eggs.

Considering going with a good seasoned cast iron as I just tried cooking eggs in a cast iron skillet I bought in 05 and it went great. Last time I tried this it was a disaster but I've cooked nothing but chicken in the pan since then and now it appears to work great. Not sure if the pan changed, or I changed or both but I was impressed.

Problem is its a 13" pan and its way too heavy for daily use.

Considering a 10 1/4" Lodge pan. Opinions? I realize I'll have to season it a bunch before it starts performing but I'm willing to do that.

I'm a perfectionist when it comes to how I cook my eggs.
 
R

River_Rat

Active member
Just what kind of eggs are you making to wear out 2 caphalons? Dinosaur? I always have the best luck with a non-stick pan and a silicone spatula. As much as I love my cast iron, eggs are one of the few things that it definitely does not do well. They almost always stick.
 
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ChrisJ

ChrisJ

Active member
River_Rat said:
Just what kind of eggs are you making to wear out 2 caphalons? Dinosaur? I always have the best luck with a non-stick pan and a silicone spatula. As much as I love my cast iron, eggs are one of the few things that it definitely does not do well. They almost always stick.
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chicken eggs. :) I'd love to try turkey eggs but they are too expensive.

I use them constantly. I wore the first one thin by around 2007 and now the second one is worn down. No scratches, just literally worn down to the aluminum.

I use nylon tools usually.

I'll be trying out the 13 1/4" cast iron tomorrow morning on some over easy eggs to see how she performs. If its half as good as it did for scrambled tonight I'll be impressed.
 
R

River_Rat

Active member
I'm sure that if you get a quality piece of cast iron then you will be able to get good results after breaking it in. I'm really not sure about the Lodge brand though. Some of the their cast pans that I have seen were textured a little more rough than I think would be good for eggs. With repeated use numerous cycles of seasoning just might settle in enough to be great for eggs. One thing is for sure--cast iron products are usually quite durable and it's hard to make a bad investment with them.

An anecdote about a recent experience with cheap cast iron. I did buy my dad a rather cheap cast iron skillet for making cornbread and such. I think he used it about 6 times before it exploded in the oven and cracked down the middle while preheating. Don't know that it was a Lodge, but I think it may have been one from Wal-Mart. Imperfections happen.

Finally, I'm a little concerned about what's causing you to wear through pans by cooking eggs. The only way I've ruined teflon pans was from 1) using the wrong utensil or 2 using too much heat. Either one can ruin the pan in a single use.
 
ChrisJ

ChrisJ

Active member
I don't know.
It took 6 years for this one to wear out rather then one or two uses. Have to figure, 2+ times a week every week for 6 years. As far as heat I never even brown eggs so I doubt its that. As I said before I only use nylon in the pans, typically an oxo nylon spatula.

Really I can't complain about a $50 pan lasting 6 years. However I want to try something new as well.

Are there any higher quality iron pans besides Lodge? They were the only "name brand" ones I could ever find.
 
R

River_Rat

Active member
I didn't see that it was taking you 6 years to wear one out. That is actually a really good life out of a pan. I took it to mean that you had worn out two of them in relatively short order. Yeah there are, in my opinion, better pans than Lodge. It's enameled cast iron, but I had the opportunity to use a set of these last summer and they were amazing to cook in.
img26o.jpg

Le Creuset Heritage Cast Iron Fry Pan | Williams-Sonoma
They are French and not made in USA, I know. But the French do know a thing or two about cooking.
 
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ChrisJ

ChrisJ

Active member
Sorry, I should have mentioned it took 6 years. I guess that was an important fact I just kind of ignored.

I saw the enameled cast iron. A few companies have it but I assumed it was just coated on the outside to look pretty?
 
R

River_Rat

Active member
It's enameled inside and out. Comes with its own pros and cons. Doesn't require seasoning but it is not as non-stick as seasoned cast iron. Admittedly, my sole cast iron skillet has seen better days (it was rusted and heavily pitted from being left outside when I found it), but those le creusets that I used struck me as so refined. I could care less about the enamel, just wanted to point out that some cast iron is a notch above. Because cast iron lasts forever it is one place that it might pay off to shop from a higher shelf.
 
ChrisJ

ChrisJ

Active member
So I've made a decision.
After using a 13" cast iron pan for a few days I've realized a few things.

1: even my large 17K btu gas burner only has a flame of 4" or so on low and this really sucks with a large cast iron pan. The inside stays too hot and the outer edge stays too cool, its just the way it is.

2: cast iron needs oil and lots of it. To cook eggs you need a lot of butter.


End result is non-stick pans may or may not be unsafe. No one really knows but everyone knows butter isn't good for you. So I can either cook with something known for a fact to be bad for me or one that might be bad.

I'll be buying another nonstick pan, most likely a Calphalon Unison series skillet. :banana:

The good news is I've learned how to cook in a cast iron pan with fairly good results.
 
ChrisJ

ChrisJ

Active member
SouthFLSonic said:
Swiss Diamond® | Nonstick Cookware | Made in Switzerland

SCANPAN - Made in Denmark

I have several family members/friends in the cooking industry and they all love these two brands for best nonstick pans. On the Swiss Diamond also you can use metal utensils and has lifetime warranty on pan and coatings.
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I love it when I think I made up my mind and someone comes along and makes me unsure again.

Damn you and you're tinted tail lights! :p

I'll have a look at the two you posted. Do they prefer one over the other or are both equal?
 
SouthFLSonic

SouthFLSonic

Active member
ChrisJ said:
I love it when I think I made up my mind and someone comes along and makes me unsure again.

Damn you and you're tinted tail lights! :p

I'll have a look at the two you posted. Do they prefer one over the other or are both equal?
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Lol my bad :D, just making sure you had all the options before you set your mind to a pan.

A buddy I went to high school with was a personal chef for Harrison Ford and then moved out to Cali and owns a few restaurants(Son of A Gun, Animal) and catering company and he swears by the Swiss Diamond and their warranty. He even had a show on FoodNetwork for a season called "Two Dudes Catering", picture Cheech and Chong cooking show. If he says a pan is great I take his advice since he uses them day in and day out.
 
ChrisJ

ChrisJ

Active member
R

River_Rat

Active member
Right, I'm just defending butter/fat. As I believe I stated in my first reply, I'm a fan of non-stick pans for many things, especially for eggs when they're cooked over low heat. If I'm trying to brown something, then I use my cast iron.
 
ChrisJ

ChrisJ

Active member
River_Rat said:
Right, I'm just defending butter/fat. As I believe I stated in my first reply, I'm a fan of non-stick pans for many things, especially for eggs when they're cooked over low heat. If I'm trying to brown something, then I use my cast iron.
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What are your thoughts on silverfish, scanpan and calphalon nonstick pans?


EDIT : I had to leave that typo. silverfish? wtf am I thinking about?

swiss diamond.


I cant even blame that on autocorrect because I'm on a pc.
 
R

River_Rat

Active member
Of the three, I've only used Calphalon. I do like Calphalon, and actually bought my sister a set for her wedding present in 2007 (they are still around today). I'm interested in the scanpan brand, mostly because Denmark is one of the few foreign countries I have visited. I have a Danish friend that is flying in next week for a visit. I'll ask for his perspective.

Edit: His reply was brief, but it would seem that he gives the Scanpan a thumbs up. He has also worked as a chef for many years. You cannot tell from the tiny thumbnail, but in his profile picture he is actually naked in a large kettle with vegetables.

JqmmVxz.png


I'm not sure that this helps bolster his credibility.

255651_10150261884189669_2562376_n.jpg
 
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