Pots and Pans

[ride217]

Hmmm, $280 for a cast iron frying pan??? You are supposed to get them at garage sales and thrift shops for $2. Along with high carbon knives.

My wife bought me a Le Creuset casserole a while ago and it doesn't work any better than a no name brand enamelled cast iron pot that was a few hundred dollars cheaper.

I know, right? I have no judgment as to the quality of their stuff, nor really am i all that interested in a Serious Eats style testing. They are, however, an interesting story and already a cult item.

I think though that you raise a really cool point about scoring one at a garage sale for a couple of bucks. I rarely am at a garage sale, thrift store, or the ilk, but when so forced to go i do keep my eyes peeled for cast iron and high carbon knives. In Boroughs case I think the price of the pan and/or the desire to get one do not necessarily reflect its superiority in cooking. There is an "other" that has made them extremely desirable.

You are not alone in finding a Le Creuset on par with other brands! Dutch Ovens Review - Cook's Illustrated

I do think Le Creuset is really cool, just because. I have my Mom's and it means a lot to me.

[ericpmoss]

[...]The copper discolours quickly with use [...]

It was a shock to me to find out just how much and how quickly this happened. I fried some potato wedges, and the shiny copper turned purple, and then to shiny gold/yellow with a hint of green. The pan cooks as well as ever, and looks good, but it never came back from the yellow stage.

Sticking to the cooking angle, this stuff works so well that I may retire every other piece in the kitchen.

[jitahs]

It was a shock to me to find out just how much and how quickly this happened. I fried some potato wedges, and the shiny copper turned purple, and then to shiny gold/yellow with a hint of green. The pan cooks as well as ever, and looks good, but it never came back from the yellow stage.

Sticking to the cooking angle, this stuff works so well that I may retire every other piece in the kitchen.

Kuhn Rikon Swiss Cleaner. De nada.

[Bobonli]

I keep returning to this thread and looking at the copper pans. Is it wrong to lust after a piece of cookware?!?

Does copper work ontop of the new fangled flat top electric stoves? I read somewhere that cast iron is a no-no but cannot find the source to check on copper. A new stove is on the horizon this spring I think.

Regarding the link to the cast iron test a few posts back. I've had that exact experience with my Lodge. It's slightly bigger than the burner coil and heats unevenly. It shines on the grill or in the oven after searing some meat, though and for the amount of use it gets, it's the least expensive device on my kitchen. Can't get the missus to use it because it always looks horrible to clean.

[ericpmoss]

The solid copper works on anything other than induction. If you want induction, you can get a steel plate to go on the stove top that the induction heats like a french top. The trouble is that the steel plate *stays* hot long after you want it to. The copper has the advantage (imo) that it responds quickly to heat and lack of heat. If you keep that in mind, all is well.

Personally, after using the silver-lined copper pan, I'm simply not going back to anything else for frying.

[Coppercook62]

Im a chef by trade and have over 30 pieces of copper 2.5 mm. Its worth a small fortune. I collected them in hopes I could own my own restaurant, and in a sense I have. I cook with it everyday. My mother owned a cooking store and I used to trade her labor for copper at cost. Keeping them clean isnt that hard. Make a paste of one part vinegar, one part kosher salt and one part flour. My chef instructor at school gave me the recipe. The salt acts as the abrasion, vinegar the stripper and flour the binder.I have been a lurker for a while and that I would just chime in.

[crumpton]

Keep it coming Copper, i suspect you have value to add to this place.

ps, i am an All Clad MC2 guy. a smaller fortune than 30pcs of copper(cannot afford) but good stuff none the less.

Im a chef by trade and have over 30 pieces of copper 2.5 mm. Its worth a small fortune. I collected them in hopes I could own my own restaurant, and in a sense I have. I cook with it everyday. My mother owned a cooking store and I used to trade her labor for copper at cost. Keeping them clean isnt that hard. Make a paste of one part vinegar, one part kosher salt and one part flour. My chef instructor at school gave me the recipe. The salt acts as the abrasion, vinegar the stripper and flour the binder.I have been a lurker for a while and that I would just chime in.

[Coppercook62]

Yes I think we discussed this when we where going over my new bike. My mother owned a cooking store. All clad is great stuff. The thing you want to avoid in cook wear is buying aluminum. It's ok to buy aluminum if it has a layer of stainless to cook in. All clad is aluminum core with a layer of stainless to cook on. The reason why you don't cook with aluminum it reacts bad with acid. It can add aluminum into food. Such as tomatoes , vinegars and wine. The best conductors of heat are gold (which you would cook with due to cost), copper, aluminum and cast iron.

[jitahs]

Keeping them clean isnt that hard. Make a paste of one part vinegar, one part kosher salt and one part flour. My chef instructor at school gave me the recipe. The salt acts as the abrasion, vinegar the stripper and flour the binder.I have been a lurker for a while and that I would just chime in.

It's impossible! I tried this recipe today, after trying the vinegar/salt one off and on for years. Nothing. Went the Home Depot route with Greased Lightning. Well at least got a good exfoliation in.

Got an industrial-strength method for removing layers of scorched fat from poêlées?

[Coppercook62]

Im sorry it didnt work for you. The dishwashers at work use green scrubby and steel wool with it. I ask each one of them to shine a pot or pan a day. If they get black it take like 20-25 minutes for them to get clean.

[Ras72]

It's impossible! I tried this recipe today, after trying the vinegar/salt one off and on for years. Nothing. Went the Home Depot route with Greased Lightning. Well at least got a good exfoliation in.

Got an industrial-strength method for removing layers of scorched fat from poêlées?

Bar Keepers Friend. Get the powder, not the paste...

[Shinomaster]

My little Turkish grandmother uses these tinned, copper pots.

[jitahs]

Bar Keepers Friend. Get the powder, not the paste...

Yes, I've been using that too. The black layer is so thick I've been hacking away at it 10 minutes per night the past week, inspired by this thread. in fact I think I'll get off the web for another sub-lactate scrubbing interval.

[Coppercook62]

Here is my stock pot its one of few I dint take to work. It's also the only tin lined pan I have. This one was hand made.

[sashae]

I love love love old cast iron... Griswold, Wagner, etc... so much better than the new Lodge stuff. I'm huge on restoring it -- it's amazing what effort can transform a total POS into. This is a nice #9 Wagner 'Sidney O' pan I restored for my brother in law. Cooks amazingly...

[jackattack]

I love love love old cast iron... Griswold, Wagner, etc... so much better than the new Lodge stuff. I'm huge on restoring it -- it's amazing what effort can transform a total POS into. This is a nice #9 Wagner 'Sidney O' pan I restored for my brother in law. Cooks amazingly...

I inherited a pair of Sidney-O pans from my Grandmother, along with her bread pans. They're among my prized possessions.

[Too Tall]

Sometimes I stop for yard sales while riding my bicycle. I've had some really good luck but this might be the winner. It is a old very heavy copper pan and boy howdy it will break your arm. This is approximately 6" across and 2" tall. Cooks amazing, of course. $20.
copper.jpg

[ericpmoss]

Nice find -- if you need it re-tinned, Relaunching the Line - Brooklyn Copper Cookware does a good job, including copper polishing. Email admin@brooklyncoppercookware.com for details. I think that American Made Copper Cookware for sale can do it, too, but I only have experience with brooklyn.

[Cookietruck]

Sometimes I stop for yard sales while riding my bicycle. I've had some really good luck but this might be the winner. It is a old very heavy copper pan and boy howdy it will break your arm. This is approximately 6" across and 2" tall. Cooks amazing, of course. $20.
copper.jpg

tell me about what the pan is sitting on
is that maple?

[Too Tall]

tell me about what the pan is sitting on
is that maple?

Good eye. It is actually an outrageous hunk of curly maple. The short short story is that I spied it at our State Fair. The board had a crazy price on it and I commented to the artist that it must be a favorite piece and he'd priced it to not sell. I told him what I'd pay, a fair price plus some pain, and walked. About ten mins. later his wife ran us down with him by the hand scolding him for not making the sale!!! Funny, we all had a laugh. Just because you commented I'll give it some lovin' with sandpaper and oil and post a pic. It's real real pretty.