Worst Cookware

[--Tom--]

Cast iron is made non stick with a layer of burnt oil and we all know burning oil makes it carcinogenic, along with the need to consume antioxidants to avoid oxygen from, giving us cancer.
No such thing as best pan, just ones that do what you want and those that don’t. Finding those’d that do is where the fun is.

 

[Sideways]

... and two nonstick Ninjas which are excellent.

I think I may be trying one of those.
Although we tend to use and wear out the thin cheap Tefal versions specifically because we want a light weight wok, I picked up a KitchenAid heavy aluminium frying pan on a whim and find the thick aluminium is great for distributing the heat and preventing hot spots. The ninja zerostick wok is starting to look pretty good.

 

[mc281]

BBC sounds "best thing since sliced bread, or bs ?" series looked at pans recently.
They discussed non stick and other finishes. I thought a modern laminate design sounded nice. Stainless steel inside, aluminium layer for heat conduction, induction compatible base. Yes, they make those

BS!

 

[leisurefix]

My cast iron frying pan works better than some nonstick pans.
It takes a little work to season a new one, but unlike modern non stick, it will last for generations.

You can also get carbon steel frying pans which are similar to the cast iron in needing to be seasoned with oil. They have the advantage of being much lighter.

 

[Sideways]

BS!

If that was regards the steel / aluminium pan, why ?
Stainless is a good material for the inside of a pan because it's durable and easy to maintain.
Aluminium, even alloys, conduct heat much better than stainless.
Induction cooking needs a ferrous base and high carbon stainless seems pretty universal for these.
The only downsides I can see are weight and price.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I have s/s pans that work on induction hobs that I got about 15? years ago when Tesco used to run the coupon schemes - they are superb pans. Most of my Le Creuset I've given to my daughter, though I still use the skillet and the gratin dishes.

 

[MikeJhn]

My cast iron frying pan works better than some nonstick pans.
It takes a little work to season a new one, but unlike modern non stick, it will last for generations.

And it is almost indestructible, so far mine has lasted two marriages over a fifty year period including ten years single in between, such wonderful memories.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I bought a old commercial cast iron skillet for 50p at a car boot. After attacking the rust with a wire brush on an angle grinder and seasoning for a few a hours, it was superb. We moved house and my wife left it behind as she needed two hands to lift it.

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Teflon presumably, yes we got rid of all ours a few years ago, it’s crazy the way we keep polluting ourselves with Chemicals without knowing the damage that could be caused, a quick look back at Asbestos, lead in petrol and lead in everything else for years, refrigerants, just off the top of my head.
We are only just beginning to see the effects of the chemicals in plastic which is literally everywhere. You would be wise not to drink too much water from plastic bottles, if left out in the sun the chemicals leach out. BPA’s ?
I personally think that the smellies such as room fresheners will be the next scare, they are putting it into everything now, toilet rolls, bin bags laundry detergent etc etc.
Extinction of the human race isn’t such a crazy idea when you start to look into sperm counts, ( mentioned in that vid) , they have dropped a massive 47% since the 60’s and no doubt getting worse, is it a coincidence that it was around then that plastics became available?

Sperm count. It was shown some years ago that the chemical from the pill enter the water system.... and the increased hormone in tap water was affecting males
Not heated a lot about it in recent years so believe water company(s) had removed the problem

 

[Fitzroy]

Sperm count. It was shown some years ago that the chemical from the pill enter the water system.... and the increased hormone in tap water was affecting males
Not heated a lot about it in recent years so believe water company(s) had removed the problem

No it wasn't! Subsequent to the 1992 study that this claim arises from it was concluded there is insufficient evidence to support this hypothesis.

It was not until 2022 when a new meta-analysis was published that any systematic drop in sperm count was evidenced. This meta analysis is even under doubt due to recent additional studies.

 

[Sideways]

A meta analysis is just a statistical analysis of an aggregation of pre existing published studies - these being carried out under diverse practices and methodologies, and often with rather different objectives, yes ?
They are useful, but the unknowns and variations do compromise what can be inferred from them.

Reminds me that it's risky asserting something as fact without having researched it in depth.

 

[Cozzer]

My Mrs had got rid of our Aluminium pans and has replaced them with stainless steel pans, she's also stopped buying her usual brand of anti-perpirant and is now using one that doesn’t contain Aluminium. I will admit to having rolled my eyes on several occasions, but perhaps there's more to it than I realised.

Weren't aluminium saucepans "linked" in some respect to alzheimers/other dementias some years ago?
(Forgive me if this has already been mentioned - I haven't read the whole post...)

 

[niall Y]

Sometime, in the distant past , I seem to remember it also being credited with a rise in the average height of the population in the generation after the war. .

 

[Chris152]

Right. Having bought our wee lass a Ninja air fryer before heading off to university in September, I now regret it. OK, I see the glass convection ovens aren't expensive - but are they easy to clean and use? And are the results as good? Them student types aren't renowned for putting up with too much effort when it comes to food.

And, having read comments above, can anyone recommend a brand of laminated stainless steel pans that are good but not too expensive? (I'm assuming they're less effort than stainless or cast?)

 

[paulrbarnard]

Right. Having bought our wee lass a Ninja air fryer before heading off to university in September, I now regret it. OK, I see the glass convection ovens aren't expensive - but are they easy to clean and use? And are the results as good? Them student types aren't renowned for putting up with too much effort when it comes to food.

And, having read comments above, can anyone recommend a brand of laminated stainless steel pans that are good but not too expensive? (I'm assuming they're less effort than stainless or cast?)

I bought a set of Stellar pans over 40 years ago. Still in daily use. My daughter just bought herself a set and they seem to be still of the same quality. Don’t get glass lids, get tight fitting stainless. These have an aluminium sandwich in the base for heat distribution and also work on induction hobs, well my daughters do we have never had an induction hob ourselves.

 

[Jameshow]

Weren't aluminium saucepans "linked" in some respect to alzheimers/other dementias some years ago?
(Forgive me if this has already been mentioned - I haven't read the whole post...)

Not sure - I cain't Remember!

 

[Jameshow]

If that was regards the steel / aluminium pan, why ?
Stainless is a good material for the inside of a pan because it's durable and easy to maintain.
Aluminium, even alloys, conduct heat much better than stainless.
Induction cooking needs a ferrous base and high carbon stainless seems pretty universal for these.
The only downsides I can see are weight and price.

John Lewis SS pans are excellent quality and last a lifetime

 

[selectortone]

I worked on building sites in the early 70s which included putting asbestos roofs (rooves?) on garages. We were happily sawing up corrugated asbestos sheets all day way before it was declared a health hazard. I survived that (I'm 73) so a bit of teflon on my frying pan doesn't fill me with too much trepidation.

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Ok I am corrected

 

[Sideways]

Just to update by the way. This thread did help me when I went shopping for some new frying pans. TKmax can be good for bargain / end of line quality cooking stuff IF you shop carefully and don't buy the cheap tat that litters the shelves too. I spotted some Kitchen Aid branded heavy aluminium frying pans and woks there and realised that they were similar to the Ninja pans that Phil recommended.
Excellent !
Yeah they're teflon coated but the heavy gauge means the heat spreads evenly around the pan and it doesn't overheat and burn in patches like the thin sided stainless pan or the lighter weight alloy wok did. Maybe not a lifetime buy but I think good value.