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Teflon-free cooking

David Livingston

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Posts: 4328

Location: Anjou ,France

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posted 12 years ago

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Today is our first teflon free day .
Here in France there are no cheap options for going teflon free , no nice lodge logic deals at the supermarcket or ebay and very few second hand possibilities .
Its not that I think teflon has any health problems but I have come to the conclusions its a very well thought out scam to get us all to consume more .
How long does a teflon pan last ? whilst a cast iron or plate steel one can last forever . Since I am unemployed we have to save up .
So now we have
One black cast iron large skillet
two black cast iron veg pans
one cast iron casserole
two plate steel 'bayuer ' frying pans
cast iron grill pan

now to save to get the kitchen plastic free .......

David

Living in Anjou , France,
For the many not for the few
http://www.permies.com/t/80/31583/projects/Permie-Pennies-France#330873

Kelly Smith

Posts: 724

Location: In a rain shadow - Fremont County, Southern CO

posted 12 years ago

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we have been on the path to teflon free for awhile now. almost there.

we have been able to find cast iron and enamel coated cast iron sets on craigslist.org for a decent price. weve also been gifted a few enamel coated cast iron pans. some are even made in France

we cant seem to find smallish saucepans in either variety, but we will keep looking. those are what we are lacking to be teflon free.

my favorite is the 2 burner griddle. bacon and pancakes in/on the same pan, mmmmmm

http://www.cloud9farms.com/ - Southern Colorado - Zone 5 (-19*f) - 5300ft elevation - 12in rainfall plus irrigation rights
Dairy cows, "hair" sheep, Kune Kune pigs, chickens, guineas and turkeys

R Scott

pollinator

Posts: 4148

Location: Kansas Zone 6a

328

posted 12 years ago

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Cheap cast iron is much easier in the US. I have a ton of it (literally) from Goodwill, garage and estate sales, even new cheap.

We have been Teflon free for several years, 90% aluminum free, and probably 80% plastic free. The last bits are hard.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
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Adam Klaus

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Posts: 961

Location: Appalachian Rainforest of NC, 2200' elevation, 85" precip, Zn 7

posted 12 years ago

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David Livingston wrote:
Here in France there are no cheap options for going teflon free , no nice lodge logic deals at the supermarcket or ebay and very few second hand possibilities .

David

France is the homeland of Le Creuset, the greatest cooking pots/pans ever. Not cheap here in the US, but maybe more available/affordable in France?
If I had my way, I would use Creusets exclusively in the kitchen. Much better in every regard than cast iron, IME.

Vive Le Creuset!

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Leila Rich

steward

Posts: 3999

Location: Wellington, New Zealand. Temperate, coastal, sandy, windy,

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posted 12 years ago

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I use a very cheap cast iron pan and an ancient 'Dutch oven' which work beautifully.
For cooking involving lots of water, I use heavy-bottomed stainless steel pots.
I have a wide-bottomed 10L pot which is great for general use, as well as jam etc.
When I cooked professionally, we used steel pans a lot.
I love them and always mean to get one for stifrying, which I find cast iron isn't ideal for.
We used to be fanatical about maintaining the seasoning on 'our' steel pans, and it was one of the first lectures for a new dish washer: Do not, under any circumstances, make them shiny!
Even more offtopic...Some vegetables react to cast iron, although I've noticed that it's less of an issue with a well-seasoned pan.
I have an unpleasant childhood memory of Jerusalem artichokes boiled in a cast iron Dutch oven over an open fire:
totally black, tasting like smoky dirt and making us fart something awful.
I got over it, but it took a while!

David Livingston

pollinator

Posts: 4328

Location: Anjou ,France

262

posted 12 years ago

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Adam
Le Creuset! you are joking I was looking in a shop yesterday where the price of a Le Creuset was over 200euro for a large cassrole. They are good yes but not 200 euro good plus the colour clash's with my hair .
Leila
Jeruslem artichokes not a problem as I refuse to eat them

as they make me feel ill. Tapinanbour is the name for this weed in france.

David

Living in Anjou , France,
For the many not for the few
http://www.permies.com/t/80/31583/projects/Permie-Pennies-France#330873

Johan Thorbecke

Posts: 81

Location: The Netherlands

posted 11 years ago

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David, if you are in France and want good durable kitchen equipment you could try your local brocante.

Leila Rich

steward

Posts: 3999

Location: Wellington, New Zealand. Temperate, coastal, sandy, windy,

120

posted 11 years ago

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David Livingston wrote:Jeruslem artichokes not a problem as I refuse to eat them as they make me feel ill

Lucky for me I don't get the...gastric distress...that cripples some people

R Scott

pollinator

Posts: 4148

Location: Kansas Zone 6a

328

posted 11 years ago

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Le Creuset is HORRIBLY expensive everywhere. It is actually cheaper in the US than in France. Yes it is good, but...

1. It is expensive.
2. It doesn't come in enough shapes and sizes to cook for every situation.
3. It is expensive.
4. Properly seasoned cast iron is actually more non-stick than the porcelain
5. Did I mention it is expensive?

I just bought a new load of BIG cast iron--a 14" deep skillet with lid (really a dutch oven with handle and the lid doubles as a griddle), a 20" skillet with lid, and a 16" lid for a skillet I already had--all of that was less than a small LeC.

Now I need to upgrade my pot rack and make a new lid rack. I have exceeded the weight rating of my pot rack!

Adam Klaus

author

Posts: 961

Location: Appalachian Rainforest of NC, 2200' elevation, 85" precip, Zn 7

posted 11 years ago

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I hear you on the expensive part with Creuset. Never bought one new myself. So price never has been a factor. The are a family heirloom, or a yard sale score. Maybe a wedding gift if you're lucky.

I will say that I made my tomato sauce this year in a big enameled Creuset, and it turned out better than ever. I know that the acidity in tomatoes reacts with cast iron, and I now suspect that there is some reactivity even with stainless. The sauce from the Creuset was just head and shoulders above any tomato sauce I have made before. So for high acid foods, the enameled surface really seems superior to me.

I do like a seasoned cast iron best for high heat cooking, no doubt.

Order copies of my book, Dairy Farming: The Beautiful Way at
www.createspace.com
Help spread the word! Thanks!
struggle - hustle - soul - desire

Leila Rich

steward

Posts: 3999

Location: Wellington, New Zealand. Temperate, coastal, sandy, windy,

120

posted 11 years ago

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R Scott wrote:Le Creuset
1. It is expensive.
2. It doesn't come in enough shapes and sizes to cook for every situation.
3. It is expensive.
4. Properly seasoned cast iron is actually more non-stick than the porcelain
5. Did I mention it is expensive?

Don't forget:

David Livingston wrote:
plus the colour clash's with my hair

Jeff McLeod

Posts: 95

Location: New Hampshire

posted 11 years ago

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We've always been teflon free. Stainless steel for everything - with the exception of pressure cookers. Currently my wife is using a mix of all-clad and revere. Cast iron is just too damn heavy for her and since we share the cooking - it makes more sense to buy pots and pans that she's able to lift.

I agree. Here's the link: http://stoves2.com