# Kitchen Equipment for AFTER...



## sand flea (Sep 1, 2013)

I'm slowly buy surely swapping out my kitchen equipment for things that will last through the end of our lives. Anyone have a brand or a source for baking pans that *aren't* non-stick?

I think I've seen some in the King Arthur Catalog... but I'm looking for like commercial panss.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Chicago Metallic makes really nice uncoated pans.

http://www.cmbakeware.com/


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

Another option to metal is clay, I love baking in it.


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## sand flea (Sep 1, 2013)

How does the clay clean up, CJ? I have at least one clay casserole.


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## sand flea (Sep 1, 2013)

Simi, thanks! This is the brand I've seen. Great link... and it does raise a question - even after all my years of baking - about materials. I wonder which one holds up the longest? I seldom use my dishwasher (have to remind myself to run a load through once a month) - but part of my issue with non-stick pans, is that the coating scratches - or sticks even!! - and rusts, when they get a couple of years on them. Seems silly to have to replace them every couple of years.

And that will be impossible, if we do have an economic collapse. (And why continually put out money to replace something? Why not spend money once and have it last? Is that a radical idea nowadays???)


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

sand flea said:


> How does the clay clean up, CJ? I have at least one clay casserole.


If it's glazed, basically just like glass. If it's unglazed, it need to be pre-heated and nothing sticks to it, but you don't wash unglazed clay ware either.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

CM has either aluminum pans, aluminiumized steel.. Rusting isn't an issue.. I've got a couple of the aluminiumized steel and they're nice pans.. They are commercial grade pans, so if they hold up to pros, you know they'll serve you fine.. they do me.


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## Marcia in MT (May 11, 2002)

I just got a couple of non-stick, *ceramic* coated pans, and I love them! Coating is very tough, won't scratch or flake -- although we are careful, anyway.

Look for pans that are heavy, no matter what the material they're made of -- lightweight pans scorch easily and won't heat up evenly. Unfortunately, most catalog and on-line descriptions don't tell this detail.

There's always cast iron, but I'm finding it hard now-a-days to lift the larger pieces (sucks getting old!).


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## staceyfb (Jan 13, 2005)

Cast iron. Will out last your great grand kids. I have accumulated many pieces in my 42 years and have made them a requirement in my kitchen at work. Can't blacken a good steak without a heavy cast iron pan that can handle the temps. Even the "professional" pans will warp under that kind of heat. 
Check your thrift shops and yard sales. Clean them up and season and they will be the best "non-stick" longest lasting pans you will ever find. The new crap they sell by "lodge" is just that. Look for the older stuff. Wagner is one of my favs.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I'm sorry.. steaks in a pan???? Steaks are supposed to be flame kissed..


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## galfriend (Nov 19, 2004)

Oh simi, just try it once. I always cook steak in my cast iron skillet. The ultimate best!
Start with steaks at room temps. Heat cast iron skillet in the oven on 500.
Lightly oil steaks and season, I use coconut oil, sea salt and ground pepper.
Take skillet out of oven and place on stove at mid-high heat; cook steak for abt a min each side.
Return to oven (500 degrees), cook 3 mins each side. Perfect steaks!

Careful this is a LOT of HOT handling and these pans just keep getting heavier!


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

staceyfb said:


> Cast iron. Will out last your great grand kids. I have accumulated many pieces in my 42 years and have made them a requirement in my kitchen at work. Can't blacken a good steak without a heavy cast iron pan that can handle the temps. Even the "professional" pans will warp under that kind of heat.
> Check your thrift shops and yard sales. Clean them up and season and they will be the best "non-stick" longest lasting pans you will ever find. The new crap they sell by "lodge" is just that. Look for the older stuff. Wagner is one of my favs.


I was going to suggest cast iron. I have collected CI cookware for years. I have well over 100 pieces, some no name, a couple Lodge, some griswold, some old Favorite, some piqua ware ( ended up bring owned by Wagner), but I mainly have Wagners. From chicken pans, dutch ovens, waffle irons, tea kettles, corn stick pans, a scotch bowl, and I think every standard size skillet they ever made. Plus some ashtray sized skillets.


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## Awnry Abe (Mar 21, 2012)

simi-steading said:


> I'm sorry.. steaks in a pan???? Steaks are supposed to be flame kissed..


Simi, that is what I always thought. But let me tell you, the pan is the only way to go. It has to NOT be non-stick. SS or cast-iron. I only salt-n-pepper the steak. Depending on the fattiness of the cut, I will either add some sort of oil or none at all. The searing hot pan creates an amazing salty crust on the edges of the steak that does not happen on the grill. And the best part is the sauce. When the steak is resting for 5-10 minutes, take some liquid of your choice (wine, liquor, beer, chicken stock, OJ, even water), and deglaze the pan and pour the sauce over the steak.


ETA: Back to the OP. Do the ceramic coated cast iron Frenchie pans count? I have a 6 qt that I bought from CostCo, and it is awesome. Great to cook in, easy to clean. We also have some ceramic coated bakeware, but I think it is something more fragile. Also, high marks for it. I hate non-stick.


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## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

sand flea said:


> I'm slowly buy surely swapping out my kitchen equipment for things that will last through the end of our lives. Anyone have a brand or a source for baking pans that *aren't* non-stick?
> 
> I think I've seen some in the King Arthur Catalog... but I'm looking for like commercial panss.



You asked about baking pans - maybe 30 years ago I bought two stainless steel loaf pans from Lehman's for baking bread. I still have them and they still look new (I admit I don't bake bread as much now as I used to). I have never had a problem with bread, or meatloaf, or anything else I bake, sticking in them. I've had several other stainless baking pans over the years, too, and I like how they don't stain and they clean up easy.

If I had to choose I'd only have stainless and cast iron for all cooking in the kitchen. But I'm not the only one cooking so we also have some of the non stick cookware.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

i'm a fan of cast iron but there are some really good steel bakeing pans ebay usally has lots of commercial quality bread pans and is a good place to find antquie cast iron cookware as well .as for steaks I like to toss a good one on a hot charcoal grill but in foul weather or when time is pressing a pan fried feli is hard to beat for breakfast


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## bluesail2681 (Dec 12, 2012)

You can't beat baking on the clay. I have several types of expensive bakeware and by far my favorite for cookies or round loaves is unglazed clay. They are sometimes sold as pizza stones. They cook so evenly bottoms are never overdone. They work a bit like cast iron, it's takes a few good uses to season. You don't wash with soap, just rinse, don't submerge either or it will soak up the water and maybe split in the oven when it gets hot( I still use the one I broke that way) there are all sorts of baking dishes but I've only ever used the flat stones.


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