Show me your skillets

[PTmowerMech]

I'm in the market for a new skillet. Wanting to get a good one this time. Cancer rates got me thinking about getting away from Teflon. Ceramic non stick seems to becoming a scam, because even those have to have coating to make them non stick. And that coating wears off within a year or so.

What are y'all using.

P.S. I love my cast iron. But not for breakfast cooking. If I only cook eggs, they're non stick. But I always cook bacon or sausage first, and the eggs stick to where that was just cooking. And I end up with scrambled eggs.

 

[StarTech]

When cooking process meats you will have some sticking afterward, Mainly from the sugars. But my 10" square hasn't in about 7 yrs but is due for the fire pit cleaning which it will stick again for a while.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

I have 4 skillets I use. A 20+ year old Lodge cast iron, a Matfer carbon steel, an OXO non-stick and a Emril tri-ply stainless steel. The non-stick is reserved for things like fish. It never sees high heat. My favorite go to pans are the cast iron and the carbon steel. I don't use the stainless steel one much anymore since I got the carbon steel seasoned out nicely. I have a dedicated egg pan that is a 8" stainless steel saute pan. Eggs should be white and yellow when cooked. I don't like brown scorched edges on my eggs. A little butter and a low heat and the eggs don't stick. Eggs should not make noise when you put them in a pan. If you do it right you should never need to put a skillet in the sink and wash it. Learn to use chainmail. My wife makes fun of me about how picky I am about my pans and my Japanese knives.

 

[StarTech]

Well I think she might need to back off a little as she could be to one doing all the cooking. IE poisoning the bread winner while she learning how, not really but some dishes can turn out horrible but even store brought can be horrible too. I remember one store brought meal that even my chickens turned down.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

Wife not really into cooking but I am and do all the cooking now. I used to weigh 310 but now about 230. Not slim by any means but my chest is bigger than my waist LOL. I am more about quality than quantity.

 

[PTmowerMech]

I have 4 skillets I use. A 20+ year old Lodge cast iron, a Matfer carbon steel, an OXO non-stick and a Emril tri-ply stainless steel. The non-stick is reserved for things like fish. It never sees high heat. My favorite go to pans are the cast iron and the carbon steel. I don't use the stainless steel one much anymore since I got the carbon steel seasoned out nicely. I have a dedicated egg pan that is a 8" stainless steel saute pan. Eggs should be white and yellow when cooked. I don't like brown scorched edges on my eggs. A little butter and a low heat and the eggs don't stick. Eggs should not make noise when you put them in a pan. If you do it right you should never need to put a skillet in the sink and wash it. Learn to use chainmail. My wife makes fun of me about how picky I am about my pans and my Japanese knives.

I'm really thinking about the OXO. Also someone on another forum mentioned the carbon steel. I'm gonna check those out too.

I'm looking for low maintenance. 90% of the time, I'm just cooking breakfast in these. When I'm cooking supper, it's almost always the cast iron I'm cooking in.

The troublesome thing about buy anything these days is false advertising that comes with so many things. I think it's TFal skillets that claim you can use metal utensils on them. But what they don't tell you is that doing that will shorten the life of the non stick coating. And BS things like that.

 

[StarTech]

Your weight really depends a lot factors. You can fairly be slim and still weight more than doctor say you should. Personally I have a large frame and muscular so my 240 lbs is not showing outside. I did go up to 270 myself but from not watching my weight and some depression along with a lot aggravation. I am now back to 230-240 range and that is with nearly doing without proper meals. A potato in the mornings and a bowl of Ramen noodles in the evenings. I am wanting get to down to weight I start work which was 220 but I have hit a brick wall diet wise.

Yes PT false ads don't help. And aluminum pan do part with the aluminum so it in your diet and not good for you either. I had pressure cookers that fail because the aluminum dissolving in the food. Now I have stainless cooker that been with me for a about 15yrs and only needed a new seal.

 

[PTmowerMech]

Wife not really into cooking but I am and do all the cooking now. I used to weigh 310 but now about 230. Not slim by any means but my chest is bigger than my waist LOL. I am more about quality than quantity.

In the last couple of years, I've really got into cooking. Trying to master some of my moms recipes that I miss so much.

My brother was joking with me saying I was going make a great wife someday. I replied, I'm already the best wife I've ever had. Great cook. Great around the house. Great in bed. I see no need to mess up that up now.
I've found that the single women around my age (mid 50's) that are available, usually comes with mental meds and 30yr old teenagers that are still on the teet. (sort of speak)

 

[PTmowerMech]

Your weight really depends a lot factors. You can fairly be slim and still weight more than doctor say you should. Personally I have a large frame and muscular so my 240 lbs is not showing outside. I did go up to 270 myself but from not watching my weight and some depression along with a lot aggravation. I am now back to 230-240 range and that is with nearly doing without proper meals. A potato in the mornings and a bowl of Ramen noodles in the evenings. I am wanting get to down to weight I start work which was 220 but I have hit a brick wall diet wise.

Yes PT false ads don't help. And aluminum pan do part with the aluminum so it in your diet and not good for you either. I had pressure cookers that fail because the aluminum dissolving in the food. Now I have stainless cooker that been with me for a about 15yrs and only needed a new seal.

I'm only about 5'10", 185lb. I'm about 2lbs overs weight. But I feel like i'm 20lbs over because I was 165lbs for probably 30 years. It's all in my gut too. I'm not sure where this thing come from. My dad had a belly like this. I thought it was a beer belly because he drank a lot of beer.

Man, you only eat potato's and romen noodles? I can see why it would be easy to fall off the diet.

Thanks for the heads up on the aluminum.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

I'm really thinking about the OXO. Also someone on another forum mentioned the carbon steel. I'm gonna check those out too.

I'm looking for low maintenance. 90% of the time, I'm just cooking breakfast in these. When I'm cooking supper, it's almost always the cast iron I'm cooking in.

The troublesome thing about buy anything these days is false advertising that comes with so many things. I think it's TFal skillets that claim you can use metal utensils on them. But what they don't tell you is that doing that will shorten the life of the non stick coating. And BS things like that.

My $.02 worth
The OXO non-stick skillet is the best but like all non-stick don't use metal or cook on high heat and even then it will eventually need replaced. Mine is a few years old is is almost like new still. I feel the hybrid pans (hexclad) are a passing fad pushed by TV chefs. Carbon steel are similar to cast iron in cooking qualities as long as you properly season them and properly clean them. Mafter and De buyer I feel are the best as they are thicker than most other carbon steel pans. They are in the $100 range for a 12". Have you considered cooking the eggs in a separate pan like a small non-stick? How do you clean your cast iron? Does it have a lot of carbon buildup? Mine is non-stick and all I do is pour in some water into the hot pan and then give it a scrub with a chainmail. It is so seasoned I don't need to oil it when done. I have tossed out all the worn out aluminum stuff.