Buying fry pans, ALU or SS?

[novice_01]

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

Frying pans and saute pans take standard sized lids. When you're buying "open stock," you're more likely to see a lid offered with a saute pan, than with a frying pan. However, you can buy a lid "open stock" if a frying pan suits your needs better -- and it almost certainly will. Also, perfectly fitting lids are generally overrated. All you need is something that will cover the pan.

"Saute" means "jump" in French. This refers to the way the food is thrown in the pan to turn. Saute does not mean "spoon" or "spatula." To saute you must, flip. The reason is not style, but technique. Food that is not ready to turn will not turn with a flip, but stay stuck to the pan. When it's ready to turn, it will turn. FWIW, the technique of sauteing includes relatively high heat and relatively little fat. You cannot saute in a cold pan. You cannot saute with a lot of oil. And, to repeat, you cannot saute and turn with a spoon. Those are different things. Respectively and in order, the three things are: Wrong; frying; and sort-of browning.

It's not hard to learn to toss-turn. Get a few pounds of dried beans, take them, a pan, a pitcher of iced tea, your i-pod, and a book outside. Put a handful or two of beans in the pan. Then start practicing. When you get bored, sit down, have a glass of tea and read a little. After awhile you're work ethic will get you practicing again. Practice using one hand, and both hands. Sounds like you'll need both hands for 10" and 12" pans. After a couple of hours (mostly sipping iced tea, reading and listening to music), you'll have it. Painless.

I learned with very fine diced carrots (which I had to cut in a perfect fine dice). Whatever I lost, I had to cut again. I learned to toss neatly, to cut batonet, and to cut fine dice on my first day. I also learned to get sworn at in a drunken patois of Schweitzerdeutsch and English, sprinkled with French cooking terms and not lose my own temper, in an alley under the bus approach to the (SF) Bay Bridge. Your guess as to which has served me better.

BDL

Thanks for great advice on how to practice - using the beans. I'll definitely practice.

I did learn to flip a fried egg, with instruction from a friend. He showed me how he does it - all with the wrist.

So, if I want to saute, do I need to use a pan that is small and / or light enough for me to handle the flips with one hand? For instance, a 10" pan with one of those sandwiched bottoms, I'm figuring, will be much too heavy for me to handle.

[novice_01]

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

Frying pans and saute pans take standard sized lids. When you're buying "open stock," you're more likely to see a lid offered with a saute pan, than with a frying pan. However, you can buy a lid "open stock" if a frying pan suits your needs better -- and it almost certainly will. Also, perfectly fitting lids are generally overrated. All you need is something that will cover the pan.

"Saute" means "jump" in French. This refers to the way the food is thrown in the pan to turn. Saute does not mean "spoon" or "spatula." To saute you must, flip. The reason is not style, but technique. Food that is not ready to turn will not turn with a flip, but stay stuck to the pan. When it's ready to turn, it will turn. FWIW, the technique of sauteing includes relatively high heat and relatively little fat. You cannot saute in a cold pan. You cannot saute with a lot of oil. And, to repeat, you cannot saute and turn with a spoon. Those are different things. Respectively and in order, the three things are: Wrong; frying; and sort-of browning.

It's not hard to learn to toss-turn. Get a few pounds of dried beans, take them, a pan, a pitcher of iced tea, your i-pod, and a book outside. Put a handful or two of beans in the pan. Then start practicing. When you get bored, sit down, have a glass of tea and read a little. After awhile you're work ethic will get you practicing again. Practice using one hand, and both hands. Sounds like you'll need both hands for 10" and 12" pans. After a couple of hours (mostly sipping iced tea, reading and listening to music), you'll have it. Painless.

I learned with very fine diced carrots (which I had to cut in a perfect fine dice). Whatever I lost, I had to cut again. I learned to toss neatly, to cut batonet, and to cut fine dice on my first day. I also learned to get sworn at in a drunken patois of Schweitzerdeutsch and English, sprinkled with French cooking terms and not lose my own temper, in an alley under the bus approach to the (SF) Bay Bridge. Your guess as to which has served me better.

BDL

Thanks for great advice on how to practice - using the beans. I'll definitely practice.

I did learn to flip a fried egg, with instruction from a friend. He showed me how he does it - all with the wrist.

So, if I want to saute, do I need to use a pan that is small and / or light enough for me to handle the flips with one hand? For instance, a 10" pan with one of those sandwiched bottoms, I'm figuring, will be much too heavy for me to handle.


P.S.: I did notice that, when I was trying to flip or, if not flip, just move the vegetables around a little bit, some were sticking to the bottom of the pan. That meant that I didn't have the pan hot enough? Do I ruin anything by that or do I just turn up the heat and wait a little bit?

[boar_d_laze]

Not "I need," but rather "it would be better." There are few absolutes in this racket, and sauteing isn't one of them.

A pan that's light enough for you to handle is a very good thing. If you can handle it with two hands, that's good enough.

My advice to you is to get a decent 10" stainless composite -- either multi-ply (like Calphalon tri-ply or Gourmet Standard), or with an aluminum disk bottom, in a weight you can handle, for those times when only stainless will do. AND a carbon steel pan -- not too heavy -- like a Matfer Bourgeat, World Cuisine, or Vollrath, for those more frequent times when you don't need stainless. Among many other advantages, carbon steel is lighter than most composite stainless pans. The cost of a very high quality carbon steel 10" pan should be less than $30.

BDL

[novice_01]

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

Not "I need," but rather "it would be better." There are few absolutes in this racket, and sauteing isn't one of them.

A pan that's light enough for you to handle is a very good thing. If you can handle it with two hands, that's good enough.

My advice to you is to get a decent 10" stainless composite -- either multi-ply (like Calphalon tri-ply or Gourmet Standard), or with an aluminum disk bottom, in a weight you can handle, for those times when only stainless will do. AND a carbon steel pan -- not too heavy -- like a Matfer Bourgeat, World Cuisine, or Vollrath, for those more frequent times when you don't need stainless. Among many other advantages, carbon steel is lighter than most composite stainless pans. The cost of a very high quality carbon steel 10" pan should be less than $30.

BDL

Which are the situations when only stainless steel will do?

And when do I use the carbon steel pan?

Thanks.

[boar_d_laze]

Originally Posted by novice_01

Which are the situations when only stainless steel will do?

Anything very acid. Tomato sauce, lots of tomatoes, lots of vinegar, lots of wine, wine reductions, etc.

And when do I use the carbon steel pan?

The rest of the time.

Thanks.

NP,
BDL

[novice_01]

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

Anything very acid. Tomato sauce, lots of tomatoes, lots of vinegar, lots of wine, wine reductions, etc.

The rest of the time.

NP,
BDL

So carbon steel is the preferred pan unless the ingrediants I'm using are better in stainless steel?

Is a carbon steel pan lighter than one of those sandwiched stainless steel pans?

[novice_01]

Originally Posted by novice_01

Which are the situations when only stainless steel will do?

And when do I use the carbon steel pan?

Thanks.

These are fry pans you're suggesting (not saute pans?)?

[boar_d_laze]

Originally Posted by novice_01

These are fry pans you're suggesting (not saute pans?)?

Yes. Frying pans.

Take a look at these: Matfer Bourgeat BOURGEAT ROUND FRYING PAN

And these: Fry Pan - Carbon Steel - 9 3/8" Vollrath 58910

And these: World Cuisine Carbon Steel Frying Pan, Dia. 10-1/4"

All about the same -- the handles are slightly different. I prefer the Bourgeat and the Vollrath slightly. If you have small hands, you might like the World Cuisine, It's counter-intuitive, but they have a wider handle and seem to require a little less grip strength. They're also the lightest.

With all of these, you'll be using a towel as a pot-holder.

BDL