small-ish fry pan for portable induction cooker

[giordana93]

so we bought a new cooktop last year to replace the electric Jenn-Air and ended up going with another glass-top radiant (not induction). not the 1st choice, but not our last house and other options simply too involved. anyway, it's a bear to keep clean and too easy to scratch with my old cast iron, so I recently picked up one of those portable induction units. I have larger skillets in both cast iron and an all-clad that work on it, but my little 8" non-stick (the only teflon pan in the house!) isn't ferrous and doesn't so I'm getting something in that size and trying to decide between a stainless clad, a cast iron, or maybe a carbon steel, which I've never owned. I'm interested in the latter but a little concerned that it might be thin and prone to warping on the induction plate which requires a perfectly flat surface, and also has a smaller heating element than it appears (i.e. one can set a 12" skillet on it, but the actual source of heat--er, electro-magnetic energy--is 6 or 7 inches). Can't recall any discussion along these lines, so open to suggestions. As much as I dig the cast and carbon options for the seasoned surfaces they develop, I'm leaning to an all-clad. My only piece, a 12" fry pan is pretty impressive.


btw in the last few days, I have bought --all because of discussion on vsalon--1) a silky saw 2) an aeropress, and am pretty close, but think I'll hold off on 3) Instant Pot. way too much info on nice stuff here, things that I can and have lived without, but dang.... at least it's not a dogma...

[Too Tall]

Nice. You will enjoy the Silky saw.

[maunahaole]

Instant Pot has a sautée setting.

[Dmoeny]

I’ve got a collection of vintage Griswold cast iron, but have to admit that I have been using the carbon steel more often. For me the choice would come down to whether you want to build and maintain the seasoning or you want a non reactive pan. Nothing in the house makes a French omelette like the steel pan tho.

[darkmother]

I use a small De Buyer carbon steel fry pan on my counter-top induction burner every day to cook omelettes, and any meat that I want to sear nicely. Both the De Buyer pan, and the induction range have been a joy to own for me. I have not had any issues with warping, and I have no desire to use the electric burners on my stove if I have a choice.

[giordana93]

I wonder if some of the complaints about warping I've seen in reviews don't stem from people abusing i.e. overheating dry pans. It's clear after just a few uses of that the little induction unit can generate some serious heat fast. I've been wanting to add a carbon steel to the collection, so may go that way. No issues with working on a good seasoning since I've been around CI for a few decades now.

[giordana93]

I use a small De Buyer carbon steel fry pan on my counter-top induction burner every day to cook omelettes, and any meat that I want to sear nicely. Both the De Buyer pan, and the induction range have been a joy to own for me. I have not had any issues with warping, and I have no desire to use the electric burners on my stove if I have a choice.

wanted to ask which size you're using for those jobs

[darkmother]

wanted to ask which size you're using for those jobs

It measures 9.5" diameter across the top of the pan, and the surface that sits on the burner is 7" diameter.

I love it. It has such a nice smooth surface.

[11.4]

I can always use a De Buyer "Eiffel Tower" steel fry pan. They are incredibly durable. When you see one of those (or any frying pan) warp, it occasionally happens from overheating it dry on too high a heat, but usually it comes about from a rapid temperature change -- taking a hot pan off the stove and putting it under the water faucet.

My favorite pan, however, is a square 10" Lodge grill pan (square fry pan with square grilling ridges on the bottom). You can use it just like a propane grill but with more control and better cooking. A great solution. And if I want a top on something, I use a Lodge chicken fryer in the 10 inch diameter version. Also a cheap pan and both do superbly on the induction plate.

Note that if you're cooking on a small induction plate, you won't have good heat retention because it's so localized, so it really helps to have heavy iron.