Cast iron is a wonderful thing as part of an ideal cooking set.
Everyone would like plain cast iron, 12" "chicken fryer" (frying chicken, steaks, etc.), small skillet (eggs, etc.), cornbread pans, and a reversible grill/griddle.
Everyone would like a round and an oval enamled cast iron casseroles.
After that though, cast iron becomes more of a pain than a pleasure.
Carbon steel is significantly lighter and more responsive than cast iron and heats almost as evenly. It also develops the same non-stick properties. Which, somehow -- mirable dictu! -- I can keep going with occasional soaping but NOT scouring. On balance though, KY's NEVER is probably better advice -- how often do you need soap but not scouring? If it weren't for their reactive nature, I'd say get all carbon. I like the way it handles, it's non-stick features, and it's responsiveness that much.
Multiple ply pans with an aluminum or copper exterior or core and a stainless insert are probably the best all around answer to creating the core of the cook set because they are non-reactive, and heat evenly -- more evenly than cast or carbon.
You shouldn't cook high acid foods in untreated cast iron or carbon steel for a longish period. Iron and steel are less reactive than aluminum, but you don't want them for your only choice.
Enamel over cast iron (and there are less expensive brands than La Creuset, just as good), has some clean up and chipping issues. If you don't mind your cooking tools getting grotty, and are willing to baby it -- no problemo. On the other hand, if you're an everything shiny diva, it will drive you nuts.
All of this is pans. Pots are a different kettle of fish. Pots seldom need even heat transference all the way up the sides, so the side material and the bottom material don't have to be the same. You can get (inexpensive) stainless pots with disc bottoms and have the same performance as with expensive multi-ply. Still -- it's a drop down in quality that most home cooks usually don't make.
If you're creating a cooking set (batterie d'cuisine) multiple ply stainless steel is your best bet for the most important sizes skillets and sauce pans. After you've purchased their versatility, you can start exploring the niche goodnesses of other materials.
When it comes to performance -- everything but stick resistance -- you can't beat a heavy copper exterior over a good stainless insert. But it's so very expensive and the extra performance benefits (speed, evennness) are so very, very slight -- it's not worth it on a practical basis. If you like it and can afford it though ...
Anyway, combined with the wise words of everyone else who posted (and with all of whom I agree), that's it in a nutshell.
The more specific your questions are in terms of which type of pan or pot you're thinking of buying and the purposes to which you plan on putting it -- the more helpful are answers.
Please let us know what you're thinking,
BDL  |