Currenty moving out of my parent's.After using an expensive nonstick pan there for a few years (bought the pan myself), I noticed how it still wears down despite very careful handling.I will now get a stainless steel pan and stick with that. hehchecked the IKEA one, but the handle isn't perfect, balance is weird too.What else do I need to get as absolute basics to cook? I kind of want to keep it minimal. I have a knife and think that i should get a steamer pot.where should I splurge?
>>21077243Buy stainless steel second hand. It's indestructable and lasts for ages. You can get high quality products with copper cores for the same money as shitty Ikea pans.
>>21077243>What else do I need to get as absolute basics to cook? I kind of want to keep it minimalThe stainless steel pan you're going to buyA paring knife to go with your chef's knifeA large cutting board (do not get a glass one)A graterA sauce panA stock potSome basic utensils (spatulas etc.)These are the absolute basics and all you'll ever need for most meals>Not necessary, but definitely nice to haveA pressure cooker (massively cuts down on cooking time and can pull double duty as a stock pot)A mandolin (perfect slices every time)A thermometer (takes the guesswork out of cooking)
>>21077257looked at a thrift store already, but no luck>>21077269>A large cutting board (do not get a glass one)actually, I planned to get a large glass one. what's the problem with that?I don't want to eat plastic, and a wooden board means maintenance!>A grateryou already mentioned mandoline. would it replace a grater?>A sauce panwhat for really?will definitely get a thermometer. the idea was to steam and then sear whatever dish that would need more than a pan. am I missing something?
>>21077302>actually, I planned to get a large glass one. what's the problem with that?A glass board will rapidly dull (or even worse, chip) your knives, so avoid them if you don't want to spend a fortune at the sharpener's. Silicone ones are supposed to be non-toxic but if you're really worried about that sort of thing, wood is your only option.>already mentioned mandoline. would it replace a grater?It would if it had the proper attachment, but a grater like picrel is just much more wieldy, plus you can grate your cheese directly over your dish.>>A sauce pan>what for really?For any liquid that needs simmering and reducing.
>>21077257>just wait a few years for a high quality one with a copper core; it will show up at a second hand store sooner or later
OP hereWent to the store. Bought pan. Stainless.Fell for the meme. Heated the pan.Waited for waterdrops to make funny moves.Applied clarified butter. It starts smoking. Mother already panics.I slap in the egg anyway because I'm not stopping in mid-process. I keep it exactly 1 second, now I panic too. My mind is racing. Smoke is everywhere. Thoughts come in all at once. Should I lower the heat now? Should I fill the smoking pan with running water? Won't burning fat implode in my face? How will I get this brown shit off my brand new pan? I should have bought the IKEA pan. Why is mom so loud? How long do I have to fry this? Crap, the room is full of smoke. I felt overwhelmed. I just wanted to finish the damn egg. I am not of the faint hearted. Eventually I managed to put the pan away and opened the window very wide. I gave up. Surprisingly, the egg turned out okay from a frying perspective. Not burned actually. But the smoke ruined the flavor. Am I supposed to measure the pan temperature with an infrared thermometer everytime or how do people do this?And how do get the brown stuff off now? please help
Use paper towels to absorb fat that you added to a toohot panRemove stains on stainless with a vinegar/water brief soak and a metal scrubberUse lower heat and then raise it again when the food has been added to the pan
Also for eggs in stainless, fry the one side only and then halfway through, add water and cover the pan with a lidThe steam will perfectly cook off the remaining white on the yolk side without a flip required, and it will also loosen the egg so you can remove it from the pan without trouble
>>21077974>Use paper towels to absorb fat that you added to a toohot panfirst time I hear this, thanks!>Remove stains on stainless with a vinegar/water brief soak and a metal scrubberI tried vinegar simmering just now, the brown stuff won't come off. I have steel wool at home but I don't feel like scratching the surface on day one.I think the brown stuff must be caramelised sugars from the butter>>21077977Yeah, letting stuff sit in a humid pan or sauce. I used this trick in the past. I shouldn't have listened to fucking youtubers but instead should have relied on my experience
>>21077269You can get all of these things at goodwill, but good luck finding a le creuset there anymore, goodwill became a corporation and started auctioning them online. Walmart had these decent large plastic cutting boards for $3 each on clearance so I bought 5 of them and I only use 2. Sam's club has this great set of santoku knives for $12 that are sharp as fuck, hold an edge well, and last forever "german steel" w/e it's magic. I use them as chef's knives and they do most things a chef's knife can do besides stab things. I'd recommend their other knives too.
>>21078075I'm from Germany and saw some Staub cookware at the store today. Earlier this week, I saw LeCreuset at another store. They are pretty common here (as a status symbol I guess)The most prominent "premium" brands around here are WMF, Fissler and Zwilling
screw this. deglazing didn't work, vinegar didn't work. I scubbed it off with steel wool now. The pan surface is scratched a litte now. I do not care anymore. The pan is now a tool and not a consumer object. I will have eggs tomorrow, even if it takes all day.
>>21078086I use Staub, it's something I swear by, but it's really expensive. Le Creuset is just the Kitchenaid stand mixer of crock pots and every white woman in America owns one.
scratches can be seen in this in pic. I hope it's not too bad in terms of sticking now
>>21078143>deglazing didn't work, vinegar didn't workSounds like you didn't try cola>The pan is now a toolAlways has been>I will have eggs tomorrow, even if it takes all dayThat's the best mindset for learning how to cook, good luck anon
>>21078146I cannot use iron pans due to lack of a gas stove, so I'm glad I don't have to deal with these overpriced brands. Never saw anybody use Le Creuset btw, so that's why I assume it's purely a status symbol to look nice for most people.
>>21078163>I cannot use iron pans due to lack of a gas stove???
>>21078156thanks, friend>>21078166well, Staub and Le Creuset main products are heavy cast irons.Apparently cast iron cookware doesn't work so well on induction stovetops due to rough standing surface. So for me it's either nonstick or stainless.
>>21078180>Apparently cast iron cookware doesn't work so well on induction stovetops due to rough standing surfaceThis is the first time I'm hearing this. If your cookware is made of a ferrous metal, it'll work just fine. And you don't need to spend money on some meme brand, a basic-ass Lodge is more than enough.
>>21078190I'm just not ready for cast iron yet. I will be when I'll have to use a gas stovetop regularly. I'll get a steamer for meat and fish next. Looked into steamer ovens, but they are too expensive. A pot will do.
>>21077851Anon you don't know shit about cooking. Start with something easier to cook and learn to apply heat slowly.
>>21077851I am sorry that happened to you.You can guess the temperature of the pan by holding your hand over it (like 2-3" away) and getting a feel for what works. Spend 2s doing this every time you cook and after a while you will be able to judge temp instantly.For more accuracy set the stove temperature and splash a few drops of water into the pan. Water technically boils off at the same temperature every time but if the burner is at a higher temperature the pan will overshoot significantly and will start where you want.Eggs should be done at like 3-5 out of 10 depending how how powerful your stove is, and you can drop the power a bit once you are confident it wont stick.If you survived a smoking pan without killing yourself you can already cook better than 90% of women so keep at it. (for future reference, take the pan off the heat and cover it if you want to contain the smoke/oil at the cost of keeping it hot longer, which may or may not overcook it.)
>>21077851Uh, how did you wear down the old nonstick pan you had?
>>21077243Get the Tramontina set from Amazon. Only richfags buy clad pans. Tramontina is just as good. Bought my wife a set and it's basically restaurant quality, albeit not as heavy, and the oven temps are slightly lower due to the thinner base.
>>21078143buy some barkeeper's friend. it will work.
stainless steel pan is really the best.I also use Cast Iron pan but, you can't deglaze in it and i find that deglazing is really important to get the full flavour that you get from browning.you can get those enamel coated cast iron and i see them a lot on youtube cooking scene but i don't know. i never got to have them.
>>21078560Cast iron is a meme, more so than teflon.I fell for it (luckily only one 10"). Cast iron is heavy as fuck - no flipping and dogshit for fried rice; can't handle acids - no tomatoes; awful heat distribution - fucks up things that you want to cook evenly like bacon; and has minimal advantages over stainless.Basically the only good properties of cast iron is that it is seasoned (but you can season carbon and stainless steel as well) and it has high emissivity, which are not even close to worth the drawbacks.
>>21077243Stainless steel is very flexible in its uses, but it's sticky. Carbon steel is a lot less sticky than stainless, but will lose its seasoning in braises or acidic sauces and needs to be seasoned, which can be finicky if you haven't done it before. Cheap nonstick with replacements every year works fine if you don't mind eating fluorinated chemicals and don't need super high temperatures. Pick one, it's all tradeoffs. Except cast iron, which is just a worse version of carbon steel unless you're searing a steak or baking something. >>21077851Add a small amount of oil first. As the heat goes up, it will become less viscous and flow in small rivulets. People call this "shimmering". Add your food as soon as the oil starts to shimmer. This works for 90% of applications.
>>21078957i find that making pancakes or pita bread/flat bread works best for cast iron.i do have to move my cast iron around the stove to get it heated evenly. lifting thise heavy ass pan around the stove for its edges to get even heat is kind of a pain in the assBUT i love the results, it's so much faster than oven, and i can see how it's cooking directly.
>>21077851Steel gets VERY hot. Start with something like stir fry to get used to it.
>>21078977Great call on pita bread for what cast iron is good for, I noticed the same. That"emissive" property (glowing hot hunk of metal) is likely a big part why.
>>21077851>Waited for waterdrops to make funny moves.Review your technique:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9M8GFfRdBoYou want to add oil as soon as the water droplets start forming. If you hear or see a small explosion as the water hits the pan, the pan is too hot. Personally, I just wet my hand and splash a little water in the pan to check, meaning smaller water droplets that start moving at a lower temperature. Do this early and often.>Am I supposed to measure the pan temperature with an infrared thermometer everytimeIdeally, yes. This is a far more reliable method, but not necessary.
>>21078325>Start with something easier to cook than fucking fried eggsLike what? Frozen dinners?
>>21077302A wooden board is just as much maintenance as any other or dont you clean your glass/plastic?If youre referring to oil and such, you don't need to if you're not too lazy to wash your board shortly after use
>>21078180Thats a myth. If a magnet works then induction works. And obviously cast iron is magnetic.The myth comes from old pans that arent always flat and for induction there has to be maximal contact. This is also where the myth comes feom that you have to tos your pans when switching from gas to induction, worn out pans can bend a bit from gas and those might not work, but that doesnt mean none of your pans will. > magnetic> flat bottom> = ok for induction
>>21077302>a wooden board means maintenance!Yes, maintenance like washing it when you're done using it and oiling it when it looks too dry. What a hassle when the result is less maintenance on your knives and no microplastics.
>>21079390Heh. Seriously, though, maybe browning a thick piece of precooked ham and making a pan sauce from the fond?
>>21078143>I will have eggs tomorrow, even if it takes all day.How did it go?
