Pans, casseroles, etc.

A thread about pans.

I'll start with a cocotte related question.

I've been looking for a good deal on a Le Creuset or Staub casserole. But I was too late every time. For all you panpassionate watmmers out there, are they worth the money? Or will buying a 30 euro Ernesto cocotte from Lidl sort me out just as well? Thx

In my limited experience it also depends on what you cook on.

I'm on induction and don't think I'll bother with any more fancy pans. Got a free le creuset frying pan at the beginning of the year and initially was super enthusiastic about it but after adding a cheapo non-stick pan last month I find myself defaulting to that because for me it's easier to get good results. On gas I feel the difference is much more noticeable.

I'm far from a great cook though so I'm missing a shitload of knowledge and nuance and probably shouldn't even be making this post.

Thanks. I'm on induction as well, so that's nice. A free Le Creuset, that's cool!

Not actually a casserole dish per-se? But we use our paderno dutch oven all the time. It's like the... original instant pot if you're experienced with cooking. Saute, boil, braise/roast etc as long as you know what you're doing you'll get an amazing dish out of it. 

@BerkI love the concept of this thread though. Interested to see where it leads. Big fan of one pot meals, slow cookers, casserole dishes etc. 

Pansexual, lolz... 

^ thank you, uncle Roger.

Yes, expensive pans are worth it. They last long and can take a lot of abuse, unlike @user’s cheap non stick pan which will be dead in about two years.

That said, there’s also a law of diminishing returns where after a certain point paying much, much more doesn’t really yields much of an additional benefit. From my limited experience with them I’d say Le Creuset lies on the wrong side of that divide. YMMV.

I’d say any solid, cast iron pan will be good enough. It doesn’t have to have a Le Creuset stamp on it to be reliable.

Since you’re in NL, you can try “BK” pans. They’re fairly reliable (my stainless steel frying pan has been abused from here to hell and back for the past 19 years and is still going strong) and reasonably affordable.

Le Creuset is overpriced especially when you get something as simple as a pan.

I have this antique dutch oven that looks old timey and dope and I made chicken paprikash in it. 

my gf and I had a nicer nonstick pan (a step up from baseline department store fare). And then one day we came home and our roommate was literally scraping it clean with a fork.. we talked with her but she had been doing it for a while, the damage was done 

keep telling myself ill get a cast iron someday but never get around to it

I've always avoided non-stick pans, prefer to use a regular stainless steel pan with a little olive oil for just about everything. but just recently I got on a Dosa kick and ended up totally screwing up a few of them with the steel pan, so I bought a non-stick. it was between the Rachel Ray and Chrissy Teigen ones as I stood there trying to decide in Target, ultimately went with the Rachel Ray (even though I can't stand her). it works really well for Dosas, since you can leave them there for much longer and they don't get all crunchy and charred. but for quesadillas/grilled cheese's, I'm still siding with the stainless, because it gets a lot hotter and cooks much quicker.

no comment on any of the higher end cookware options. I think the steel pan I have I bought for probably around $80 7-8 years ago, and it still does the trick.

I bought a Cuisinart ceramic frying pan about a year ago and it's been great. It's been easier to clean than any non-stick teflon pan I've used, but I basically just fry eggs, tortillas, and the occasional stir-fry dinner.

I have a glass casserole dish I bought from Safeway and it's alright. Good for lasagna.

Cast iron crew in the house. Takes ages to develop a good patina but you gotta love the solid heat and sear you get on anything from steak to carrots. I'm cooking a lot of fish these days and need to get another one 

Thanks for the advice guys 

Got this beauty, can't wait to use it to be honest 

It's from the brand rhmilo mentioned, BK

First recipe I made with this worked out great. I was proud tbf. Lol

.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this specific BK model almost as expensive as a similar Le Creuset?

  On 10/21/2020 at 11:59 AM, rhmilo said:

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this specific BK model almost as expensive as a similar Le Creuset?

It was expensive but not as expensive as a Le Creuset.( I also had a gift card to burn which helped. )

https://www.fonq.nl/product/bk-bourgogne-wildpan-32-cm/265789/

I first went with the 30 euro Lidl pan, but it was ca. 21cm and on second thought I wanted to be able to put a whole turkey in if I want. Also to make bread etc. And I wanted it to be beige on the inside (so I can see better what I'm doing etc.) So that kind of narrowed down options for me

32 cm diameter sounds huge but in fact isn't really

Pathetic thread.

What kind of cunt takes a picture of his or her pan and says ‘oh yes look at me! look at my pan!!’

So pathetic. If you think I’m wrong. Please state why you honestly believe your right and I’m wrong.

Jesus Fucking Christ!

’Berk’ ? Really? Flol

Fuck it, I'll bite.

Thanks beerwolf, for calling it. For a watmm thread, it is way too low on sarcasm, nihilism and layers of irony. It sucks. And fuck me especially for being a little enthusiastic about my new pan right?

Yeah; you're not right or wrong (who the hell cares btw lol?) - just sounding like a sad prick is what you're doing mate. 

I stand by my paderno Dutch oven lol. It’s built to last, I think it comes with a 25 year warranty. The thing is solid AF - 4717g without the lid . We’ve made so many good recipes in this bish and it’s awesome for shallow frying too. 

Cast iron skillets and enameled cast iron Dutch ovens are the best way to get M a i l l a r d e d

  On 10/25/2020 at 8:51 AM, baph said:

Cast iron skillets and enameled cast iron Dutch ovens are the best way to get M a i l l a r d e d

F yeah!