Cast Iron vs Nonstick?

Cast Iron vs Nonstick: Which one to choose and why? Tell me at least one difference

Hi, ackbar.

Welcome to permies.

There are many discussions on this topic, I favor iron pans, but I use both.
For example:
https://permies.com/t/73703/cast-iron-pans

For me, the biggest difference is that nonstick are not made to last.

Also, if you want to promote your site or stuff, please read the FAQ. There's a section where it explains it all.
https://permies.com/wiki/permies-faq

Cast Iron/Carbon Steel/Stainless Steel are my preferred.

Coatings flake in time and that ends up being consumed. I don't like the idea of that at all.

If I overheat my cast iron, I can season it.

If I overheat a coated pan, it could weaken and there is no restoring.

I also like the idea of cast iron cookware increasing my available iron in my diet.

akbar karim wrote: Cast Iron vs Nonstick: Which one to choose and why? Tell me at least one difference

Cast iron is like adopting a pet. You have to love and nurture it so it can love you back.  Barring that, stainless steel.  I do keep a teflon pan (gag) because my teenager is just learning to make omelets and quesadilla.  When he's ready, I'll let him use the cast iron, he's not ready yet.

akbar karim wrote: When he's ready, I'll let him use the cast iron, he's not ready yet.

Cast iron is a privilege, not a right.

Used as intended, a teflon skillet is going to wear out. In a few years, you'll need a new one, or you're cooking in an aluminum skillet that isn't non-stick.

Used as intended, a cast iron skillet will be more non stick and cook better when your grandchildren inherit it than when you bought it new.

I find it perversely amusing that the non-stick coating refuses to stick to the pan as well as the food.  Actually this is pretty frustrating.  Personally I prefer iron/stainless steel.

Eric

I've never known a non-stick pan to stay nonstick for more than a couple of uses.

Every cast iron pan I've ever used has become more non-stick with every meal cooked in it.

Also my doctor told me to cook in cast iron whenever possible as I have a history of needing more iron.  

Cast Iron Pans

I don't know how many years ago Paul wrote this article on RichSoil, but it's been more than a few, and I think it may have been how I discovered this whole community honestly (one of those richsoil articles anyway). I doubt you will find anyone here promoting "non-stick" over cast-iron, for so many reasons most of which have already been said. I just felt someone should post the article.

I'm with all the other posters.  Honestly, I'm just tired of products that aren't made to last forever.

I confess I have a foot in both camps.

I love the idea of cast iron, and I have some pans kicking around, but it's a PITA. Or maybe it's a story of star-crossed lovers, pining for the fates to align.

I have a couple of non-stick pans that supposedly are maybe slightly less evil re PFOAs (IIRC). When I need a couple of fried farm eggs quick, I use them. Not perfect, but on balance probably better than restaurant/fast food dreck.

The pan I really like is a heavy Lagostina enamel coated pan. I can throw it on the BBQ side burner and it doesn't warp -- and it browns and simmers things beautifully. Not really non-stick, but easy cleanup -- soak a few minutes and the gunk floats off. It was totally worth the $5 from the local charity thrift shop.

I also have a several heavy bottom stainless pans. They stick; but they also sear and brown so well. And they will last forever. Most of them were scrounged/secondhand, of course; the original owner paid through the nose. If only they didn't stick so much ...

But wait, there's more!!! I recall a Julia Child episode where she recommended rubbing a hot steel (or cast?) pan with raw pig tallow -- and that makes it instantly non-stick! I trim that stuff off pork loins and such and keep it in my freezer, as survival food for the birds in the depth of winter. I need to try this!

(Aside: In winter, watch all the old Julia Child shows, available online. No editing -- it's all done in real time. She's the real deal, and entirely awesome! )

EDIT: Do I win the award for the most rambling post of the week? I think I may be turning into my parents -- noooooo! LOL!

We have cast iron, carbon steel, stainless steel (both thin-bottomed stockpots & heavy-bottomed stew pots), clay, glass... and 2non-stick ones, in which only silicone utensils are occasionally used. I hate nonstick, but they make omelets a breeze. Cast iron is fast becoming too heavy for my crippled hands and shoulders. Clay & glass are limited use, for obvious reasons. My favorite, hands down, are my carbon steel pans. They cook & wear like cast iron, with the same care, and weigh much closer to non-stick.

Stainless steel can also act as non-stick so long as nothing has scratched the factory finish.

NO METAL utensils ever, nothing harder to wash it than a cotton cloth, and absolutely no salt added to cold water (add it to hot water).  

If the above has happened, then it can be polished again but it takes a lot of elbow grease.  Much easier to be firm.  We had our pot set stay non-stick for 20+ years before houseguests did the dishes and sigh, we don't even have steel wool in the house, they must have brought it with them.    

Carla Burke wrote: My favorite, hands down, are my carbon steel pans. They cook & wear like cast iron, with the same care, and weigh much closer to non-stick.

Carla, I have not seen these. Can you elaborate?

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

Carla Burke wrote: My favorite, hands down, are my carbon steel pans. They cook & wear like cast iron, with the same care, and weigh much closer to non-stick.

Carla, I have not seen these. Can you elaborate?

Sure! They are un-coated, glass-smooth, pressed carbon steel, maaayyyybe 1/8 inch thick. Their 'care and feeding', and their cooking are identical to cast iron. Because they're thinner, they don't hold heat as long. My hubby has an extreme allergy to stainless steel, but these are non-reactive for him, and lightweight enough that I can handle all but the biggest ones one-handed. There are other brands, but I'm kinda partial to these:
https://debuyer-usa.com/collections/carbon-steel

^ Awesome. Thanks!

Definitely cast iron over non-stick. The chemicals involved in making nonstick cookware have horrible implications for human health and the environment. In addition to the companies behind these products having contaminated water sources and given masses of people cancer, these products also pose a risk to the end users. Once the nonstick surface is scratched, the pans will release carcinogens into the food. In my experience, it is impossible to keep the non-stick surface from deteriorating no matter how careful you are. But my cast iron is going over a decade strong and counting. My cast iron pans will definitely outlive me.

You can use enamel cast iron and get the best of both worlds. I tend to use a mix of cast iron and stainless steel pans for my cooking. No problems with sticking.

Angel, I'm trying to find a date stamp on your citation. I don't doubt what is says -- nasty business! But I wonder how it reflects the current situation. Cooks gotta know, you know?

Here are some fairly recent articles:
https://www.consumerreports.org/toxic-chemicals-substances/you-cant-always-trust-claims-on-non-toxic-cookware-a4849321487/

https://www.ecocenter.org/our-work/healthy-stuff-lab/reports-landing-page/still-cooking-update-toxic-pfas-cookware-products

Personally, I am generally wary when companies say they removed a harmful chemical from their products. The replacements are not necessarily any safer.

If you have patience and time in the kitchen, using cast iron is great. It must be seasoned and loved. You must also have strength. I have been gifted or found mine, but I prefer non stick for every day use. Cast iron for the steaks and searing or large batches of food. Having both is a great idea.

I make a lot of tomato sauces in my pans.  Not recommended for cast, and I’m not convinced it is a good thing in the non-coated aluminum pans either.  Don’t own any stainless, but had them growing up and anything burned on them seemed impossible to get off.  I think I am going to give enameled cast iron a go and see how that works out.

If people are looking for recommendations for trying stainless steel without breaking their budget, I really have had great success with Farberware pots and pans. They are not very expensive and they clean rather well with my partner's crochet washclothes.

The one 'negative' that I have found is one of my stock pots have a small warp to it but the lid still fits on fine. I could replace it for around $40 but I'm going to run the thing into the ground before I do that!

Gray Henon wrote:I make a lot of tomato sauces in my pans.  Not recommended for cast, and I’m not convinced it is a good thing in the non-coated aluminum pans either.  Don’t own any stainless, but had them growing up and anything burned on them seemed impossible to get off.  I think I am going to give enameled cast iron a go and see how that works out.

Acidic foods have been cooked in cast iron for hundreds of years. As long as they are well cleaned, afterward, it's not damaging - yet, it does add iron to the diet of those who eat the food, and as such is often recommended for those suffering with anemia. I agree completely, on the aluminum, and even the couple of omelet pans we do keep are stored away from the rest of the pots & pans, to keep from coping or scratching both the enamel exteriors & the coated interiors of those pans.

Betty Garnett wrote:It must be seasoned and loved.

I just do the opposite - I don't care about them and quite abuse them, scrape hard with steel, wash with detergents when I like and they are just getting better. The more you fry various foods, and scrape hard, the better they get.

For stewing acidic foods I recommend enameled cast iron, tin-plated heavy copper or ceramics.

Cristobal Cristo wrote:

Betty Garnett wrote:It must be seasoned and loved.

The more you fry various foods, and scrape hard, the better they get.

I've found this to be very true for breaking in a brand new Ozark trail skillet from Walmart (knock off brand in the states if you're unfamiliar).  It wouldn't hurt to go over a brand new pan with a palm sander even, but my 60 year old family hand-me-down is like glass so there's nothing to improve on.

Eric Hanson wrote:I find it perversely amusing that the non-stick coating refuses to stick to the pan as well as the food.  Actually this is pretty frustrating.  Personally I prefer iron/stainless steel.

Eric

Technically you were told it was a nonstick pan by a label that was ... stuck .... to the pan, so no refunds.

Stainless steel is also a very good pan, if you know how to use it.

For acidic sauces, and anything that usually doesn't stick, it's my default pan. Mine has a very good base and nothing hurts it. Easy to clean, can be neglected and it still works fine. Even some sticky food can be cooked with proper technique. Heating the steel pan to the point where it is as hot as the fire that surrounds it, then adding some fat and reducing heat, makes the steel pan nonstick, as long as acids are not used. Meat just needs a few minutes to develop a crust, then it no longer sticks to the pan.
This technique does not work on omelettes, though. So for omelettes and other egg based cookings, I use the cast iron one. Same technique: heat the pan alone until it is really hot, add fats (usually olive or canola oil), pour ingredients.

If I wished an omelette without fats, I would use the non-stick pan, but who wants a tasteless omelette? No one at home.

Cleaning the SS pan is super easy. If it has burned rests, boil some water inside, maybe with some vinegar if it is too stuck, then rub as usual.
Cleaning the CI pan is usually super easy too. Since nothing got stuck, there's nothing to rub. Sometimes it needs rubbing, but never with soap. If I can't clean it right then, I leave it for later without adding any water (a wet iron pan is a rust pan). If someone else thinks it a good idea to leave the pan in my dish water, then I have to clean the rust with vinegar and cure it again. A couple of uses later it is back to life!

I hit my cast iron with lukewarm water just to expedite the removal of crusty egg or cheese bits or whatever.  Hot water kills seasoning though.  I honestly cannot think of a good use for a cast iron tea kettle, but they are a thing for some people.

So I only really like burgers made at home if they're barbecued.  Except now with our castiron they taste okay, way better than in the nonstick pan.  Other foods seem to taste the same either way to me, but not hamburger meat.

Riona Abhainn wrote:So I only really like burgers made at home if they're barbecued.  Except now with our castiron they taste okay, way better than in the nonstick pan.  Other foods seem to taste the same either way to me, but not hamburger meat.

Meat is definitely where cast iron shines.  You can't hardly mess up with meat.  It's my go to for eggs, but eggs can be tricky if you don't have it hot enough or enough grease, they'll stick and can taste funny.