Below I have provided some info that may answer some of your questions when buying cookware.
I personally have a great set of Teflon coated non-stick cookware that my wife bought me a few years ago, and to this point I have absolutley no complaints. That being said, a really good friend of mine would probably say I am crazy. He uses cast iron pans all the time for his cooking and stands by this brand. the brand he uses is called Lodge cast iron cookware. Now my brother on the other hand who is a chef in Vancouver B.C. would probably tell us we are both crazy and tell us to switch to stainless. So as you can see there is some debat as to what is better, safer and more efficent for your cooking needs. I belive it is up to you. Whats easier for you at the end of the day, is the only question you should ask yourself. The beauty of it…… no matter what choice you make, your not wrong.
So here ya go, read and enjoy.
Cooks have an abundance of choices when it comes to purchasing cookware. Stainless steel and nonstick Teflon are two basics often found in the kitchen. Which type of pots or pans are better for cooking? There are a few factors to consider.
Stainless Steel Pros
Stainless steel cookware, particularly those pots and pans manufactured with heavy-gauge steel, is very durable, resisting dents and scratches. A major advantage of using stainless is that it is an inert metal. This means its surface will not react to certain types of foods, especially acidic ones such as tomatoes.
Teflon Pros
Teflon, which is a trademarked brand manufactured by the DuPont company, is a coating applied to the surfaces of pots and pans. This nonstick layer keeps foods from clinging to the cookware. It also means cooks do not have to add oils or butter to the meal, thus reducing calories and cholesterol intake.
Stainless Steel Cons
The major problem with using stainless steel cookware is that the metal is a very poor conductor of heat. This, obviously, poses a problem for cooks. Many manufacturers will add an alloy, such as copper, to the bottoms of their stainless pots and pans to better distribute the heat. Foods tend to easily stick in stainless steel. There are also trace amounts of nickel found in many stainless pots and pans, which could be a problem for people who are allergic to nickel.
Teflon Cons
While food can be quickly heated in Teflon pots and pans, it is difficult to brown the meal. Teflon cookware also does not hold up as well as stainless, being more prone to dents, scratches and flaking. Another problem with Teflon is that at high heats it can release toxins that make some humans nauseous and potentially kill pet birds.
Considerations
It really is up to the consumer to weigh the pros and cons of each type of cookware and decide if stainless steel is better than Teflon. While stainless generally costs more than Teflon, it also will endure the rigors of kitchen use longer, will not scratch as easily and will not leach toxins into meals.
Read more: Is Stainless Steel Better Than Teflon Pots & Pans? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5900886_stainless-better-teflon-pots-pans_.html#ixzz1LOA4mihi
CAST IRON
Cast Iron is a much more dense metal than any other metal used in pots and pans. This allows it to provide much better even heating, though it does take much much longer to heat, and makes the pans very heavy. This thick dense metal also holds onto heat very well which is why cast iron is recommended for frying items, the hot metal all around your oil and bring the oil back up to your desired temperature much faster after you add the food you’re cooking than a small burner below the pan. Cast iron can also be heated far beyond what others can.
Caring for the pans you should scrape out any stuck on food, though you do not want to scratch the blackened surface. This blackened coating is the “cure” on the pan. When you get a new cast iron pan, if it is already black, it is already cured, you do not have to do anything else to prepare the pan. If not, the easiest way to cure your new pan would to coat it (entirely inside, outside, handle, all of it) and bake in in your oven at 400 degrees for 2-4 hours, then take the pan out and let it cool slowly on a nonflammable counter top.
Once you have the original coating, you have to protect it. NEVER wash your pan with soap, the large pores of the metal will absorb the soap and pass that flavor on to anything else you cook in it. Instead, simply pour out anything in the pan, and wipe it out with paper towels carefully while the pan is still warm. If you have anything stuck on the pan just pour some kosher salt into the pan, then use the salt to rub out the stuck on food and then wipe the salt out of the pan. As you use the pans throughout the years, it will develop a better “cure” on the pan. The better this pans cure gets, the more nonstick the pan will become, you will actually notice that the pan feels smoother inside as it gets older. This is why many people get so excited about getting their parents or grandparents cast iron pans, I have pans that are over 4 times my age that I got from my great grandma.
Now this coating needs lots of protection. You never want to use metal utensils to scrape things out of the pan, or use metal scrubbing pads as these will scratch the surface and destroy the nonstick element of the pan. If you ever look at the pan and notice scratches or spots that are silver instead of black, the coating has been removed, and you may need once again cure you pan in the oven to repair this surface, though small scratches can usually be repaired simply through the use of the pan.
Learning to care for your pan can take a little time, and curing it can take even more time, but once you have a good coating developed, you will actually find that these pans will become some of your easiest to clean.
http://www.akatoo.com/question.html?question_id=442931
And so thee you have it, It might not all make sense since we aren’t all scientist, but I do belive that this info will help you make a more informed choice on what to buy or use.
take care, and keep the fire hot.
