Recently, I’ve noticed that my favorite skillet I like to cook with, the one featured often here on not exactly bento, is having problems. Foods are starting to stick in it, which isn’t supposed to happen. The bottom looks much blacker than normal, which I think is causing the sticking problem. It’s a hard anondized pan that came in a set I purchased not long after I moved into my house. It has served me well over the years and only has one problem. It doesn’t have a twin, or even close relative, in my house. I’ve looked for another skillet like that one for years, and have never been able to find one I liked. That seemed as sturdy, as versatile as that pan is.
It was a sad day when I realized that this pan might be on its last legs. It was time. Time to think about purchasing another pan before my beloved one completely bites the dust. Besides, I’ve needed a second one for along time. For when I need to cook two things at once (a skill I’m still learning). My brother and I have had several talks about the pans we choose to use, and he has sung the praises of stainless steel to me for quite some time. But I hadn’t looked into stainless. I was worried. I was used to my anondized. Stainless sticks, doesn’t it? We all know I have enough cooking obstacles to tackle and work on overcoming. Why throw cookware into the mix that I have to learn new skills to use? Besides, the stainless I saw seemed expensive. More than I wanted to pay for a new pan. So, I just continued to look at anondized adn wait it out.
Then, I went to the restaurant supply store. And I saw a full range of stainless steel cookware there. And a pan in just the shape and size I had been looking. And it came with a lid. All for $30 and some change.
I stood there looking at that pan for at least 10 minutes. The employees started to look at me oddly. They were probably thinking, “Why is that woman looking at that pan like she’s a lost little soul?”
I picked it up. Heavy pan. Good and sturdy. Probably need a permit to carry it around since it could probably be considered a dangerous weapn. Or so I thought as I felt it’s weight.
It had a nice lid with a good handle. A nice, longish handle on the pan with a hole. If only I had a place to hang my pans. Oh wait. Maybe not. It would probably pull a stud out of the house with its weight.
And it had that trendy handle on the other side of the pan. I say trendy because I’m noticing more and more pans with that handle. And it makes me wonder if this pan could go in my oven as well? Hmmmm…..
I tried to cook something in it this past week. It was a moderate success. This pan is definitely going to have a learning curve. But if I can semi-master it (or at least get it to agree with me on occassion), I think I’m really going to enjoy it. And if I do, I’m buying a few more pieces of stainless cookware. There is a sauce pan I have my eye on next.
i LOVE stainless steel. i only own one nonstick pan, and i bought that in lieu of a wok…i baby the heck out of it and don’t let my SO touch it, since he’s likely to use metal utensils in pans, regardless of the coating.
that said, SS is not terribly forgiving, but it’s darned easy to clean. it takes abuse well, too. my parents are using the same set of SS pots they were gifted at their wedding, some 35 years or so ago. if that’s not a viable testament to the usefulness of good SS pans, i don’t know what is. once you get the hang of it, you’ll never go back!
I must admit that it was SUPER SUPER easy to clean. And for me that is a huge deciding factor. I hate to wash dishes. So the easier the better.
Interesting! I cook nearly exclusively with non-stick pans, most likely the result of what was used while I was growing up.
I think you’ll like that “trendy” handle when you have to move a heavy load. It means taking up additional room in the cupboard, but it is a handy little thing.
That’s what I’m hoping for too Liz. Easily moving the pan when full.
While I use my nonstick pans for things like eggs and fish fillets, there’s not much better than cooking in a stainless steel pan. Just wait until it’s time to make a soup, and you’ve got a delicious fond on the bottom of your stock pot, and you pour in your wine and scrape up all the browned bits to give your food that extra flavor. Steak comes out so much better.
One note: be careful about temperature maintenance – if it’s a thick-bottomed pan (which it looks like it is) it will conduct and retain heat fantastically. You should never need to have your burner past medium-high.
Stainless should be good for oven as well as rangetop. Just don’t do like I do and forget that it is still hot 2 minutes after coming out of the oven!
Oohhhh, thanks for the information Alex, and the confirmation on oven ready usage.
I bought a lovely set of Cuisinart SS pans a few months ago and I am IN LOVE with them. So easy to clean. I can put ALL of the pots and pans into the oven if I need to. (I made baked apples in a sauce pan in the oven – INSANITY!) I can use metal utensils in the pans. No more melting plastic?!!? I have issues with putting plastic utensils in still hot pans and leaving them. Shame on me.
But yes, the best thing about these is CLEANING THEM IS SO EASY!!!
I truly heart them.
Sile, it’s you! You’re back around. YAY! I’m finding cleaning is so terribly easy that it is addictive. Sort of. LOL!