Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cookware

Light Metal Indian Dishware?

watercarrier — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:11:17 -0800

Indian Cooking - I want those authentic tin plates and bowls - where? I'm all for traveling light. I like those tin/aluminium bowls, plates and containers I've seen the cooks in India using. What are they called? What is the spice container (with all the small tin bowls fitting inside) called? Looking for an online supplier that's cool to work with and is reasonably priced. Nothing fancy - just what the locals use. Thanks.

Can I un-non-stick my pan?

Oops — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:53:25 -0800

So I've got a Calphalon One non-stick fry pan, and the non-stick coating is starting to disintegrate. What are my options? I haven't really abused it, generally only used some hot soapy water and a soft sponge for the most part, but two years of reasonably heavy use (I love eggs in the morning) has taken its toll. The coating in the middle of the pan is beginning to flake off and show the metal underneath. I'm not wild about the idea of flakes of coating in my food, so I'm wondering -- what should I do with this pan? If I remove the coating is it just a regular Calphalon One anodized pan underneath (hell, if I can even remove it without ruining the anodized finish)? I'm one of those people that absolutely hates to throw something with a possible use away.

It's a 10" pan, model 1390, if that makes any difference.

Greener cookware recommendations?

cadge — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:56:17 -0800

Can you recommend greener cookware (preferably not cast iron)? My small set of cookware (one frying pan and two saucepans) is getting really old and worn out, and it's time to replace it all.

I've read up on safer and more environmentally-friendly cookware, but I'm having trouble figuring out what would be the best type to buy. It's a bit overwhelming.

In every writeup (and previous Ask MeFi post), dozens of people recommend cast iron. But I've looked at cast iron cookware in my local shops (a cookware shop and a camping shop) and it's just too heavy for me! It was effort just to pick the smallest pan off the shelf! I'd really like to avoid buying cast iron cookware if I can.

My cooking needs aren't much. Mostly I use the frying pan for simple stir fries, tofu, grilled cheese sandwiches, and browning ground meat. I don't fry eggs. I use the saucepans for vegetables and pasta sauces. I'd like to cook more, but I doubt it'll be anything elaborate. That said, I don't mind investing in higher-quality/higher-price cookware that I can use for years to come.

How do I drill a small hole in an enamel-covered cast iron pot lid?

judytaos — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:56:48 -0800

How do I drill a small hole in an enamel-covered cast iron pot lid? I'd prefer not to chip the enamel, but it would be acceptable if I do. I need a 1/8-inch hole. What type of drill bit do you recommend?

How can I replace my wife's fesenjan pot?

kuperman — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:32:52 -0800

Where can I find an authentic fesenjan stone pot? My wife cooked fesenjan in her stone pot this weekend ... and now it has a hairline crack in the side, and is probably no longer good. As she brought it back from Iran in 1993, she's not sure how to replace it. So, where do I find one?

Brief description: stone pot, about 6 or 7" in diameter, flat on the bottom and the sides taper to a smaller opening as it gets taller. Any ideas? Google has failed me...

Is my nonstick pan ruined?

TSGlenn — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:19:49 -0800

I left my new non-stick pan on the hot stove with nothing in it. Is it ruined? The burner was on medium heat (electric range), between 5-6 out of 10 (still plenty hot for cooking). I had just taken some eggs off of it, so there was a little bit of Pam on the pan, but nothing else. It was on there empty for 15 minutes. When I caught it, I took it off immediately and let it cool off.

It looks okay... there is some kind of sticky residue around the edges (not on the main flat part, only on the curved edges) that isn't coming off very easily. I know you aren't supposed to use harsh cleaners on it, so I haven't tried very hard to get the stuff off. The pan isn't warped or anything. But I also know there are chemicals in there you aren't supposed to let get too hot.

The pan is a $50 Calphalon. Is it okay to use?

Is non stick cookware going to give me cancer in 25 years?

thewalrus — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 10:08:56 -0800

What are the dangers and benefits of non stick cookware (teflon/generic teflon type)? It's obviously healthier to cook without using lots of oil, but I've heard rumors of health problems such as cancer being linked to long term use of non stick pans. I have some non stick pots and pans which are getting older. They have gradually shed small bits of their surface into food. This isn't enough to notice in any particular dish but I can tell that a pan which has been used for 3, 4 or more years doesn't have as much non stick surface on it as it used to.

The alternative is to use stainless steel pots and pans but this will require using a larger quantity of oil.

Is there any scientific documentation on the risk/reward of using non stick cookware versus the well-documented heart-disease risks of using more oil? Assuming that oil is extra-light canola oil or olive oil, not the cheap stuff...

Kitchenware that no good kitchen would be without?

katillathehun — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:37:32 -0800

I'm in the market for some better cooking tools. What kitchenware would you swear by? What should no good kitchen be without? I love to cook, but I don't have the right tools for it. What I do have is either a hand-me-down that's severely showing its age or something cheap I bought when I was dirt poor. There are a lot of things I don't even have; I've had to get creative on occasion. So, I'd like to start investing in some good quality cooking gear. Knives, processors, pots, things that go whrrrrr... anything that's helpful in the kitchen. What do you use and recommend? It would be even more helpful to me if you could suggest specific brands, but if you don't know the brand and just really, really think I should have a hibachi or something... I'll look into that, too. I'm not looking to spend my life savings, but if it's well-recommended and will last me a while, I'm willing to spend a little more. Alternatively, if it's suspiciously cheap but you tell me it's awesome, I'm definitely interested.

What I DON'T need: grill tools. I live in an apartment, and I don't really use the community grill that often (at all).

Non-stick strategies for hard-anodized cookware?

mhaw — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:45:08 -0800

Just bought a set of Calphalon hard-anodized cookware and I'm having a terrible time getting food not to stick to the pan when cooking. The problem is particularly bad when cooking eggs- strategies for getting food to not stick to these pans?

stainless cooking

plexi — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 13:33:25 -0800

I am transitioning to a Calphalon stainless cooking set, but everything is sticking to the pans, despite much olive oil. What are some tricks from moving from teflon/non-stick to stainless steel on a gas range?

what is this? where can I find one?

rudy26 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:31:32 -0800

help me put a name to this utensil so I may be able to replace it. I have tried all local sources, and the I haven't the time to go from site to site trolling. We generally use it to melt butter, warm sauces etc., and I find it extremely useful, but everywhere I look, I am referred to butter warmers, and they are much too big. the measurements are 2 1/2 inches across the bottom, narrowing to 2 1/4 inches across the top with a flare and a spout. It is 2 and 3/4 inches high, and the handle is 6 inches long. It is some sort of ceramic covered metal, and It feels heavy for its size. It holds one cup precisely.

My wife has had it since before we were married, and as you can see, the handle has rusted off.

If you can name it, thats great. If you can tell me where to get it, I'd truly appreciate it.

Sorry for the picture quality, but you get the idea.

Help identify this mystery object!

EmpressCallipygos — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:55:10 -0800

When my roommate moved out last week, she left some things behind for me and the new roommate. Among those things was an Object I found in one of the kitchen cupboards -- and when we found it, me, my new roommate, and his father studied it for a full three minutes, and we cannot figure out what this object actually is. It looks like a casserole dish with some kind of electric workings that fit inside it. The dish is round, about 9 inches in diameter, and is a thick ceramic material. The dish is about 2 inches deep. An electric heating element fits inside, fairly snugly; it is easily removable, though, it just lifts in and out. There was a metal grill that rested on top.

I intially thought it was some sort of tabletop grill, but the grill was sitting directly on the heating element, so that wouldn't have worked that way. Then we thought maybe a tabletop wok set -- I did also later find a wok but it was a little too small.

Someone's suggested that maybe it was a grill after all and we're just missing the bit that would hold the grill suspended above the heat. But I can't see where such a piece would fit.

Does anyone have any idea what this object might be?

all-clad or bust?

ecks — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:42:57 -0800

What kind of cookware do chefs use in professional kitchens? I am trying to convince my friend that spending $100 on an All-Clad fry pan is a waste of money. He countered that he thinks all-clad is what pro chefs use. Is all-clad really the preferred choice of professional chefs?

Staub cookware question

tula — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:28:23 -0800

Are these pinholes in the enamel surface of my new Staub cookware normal or flaws? So I just bought my first piece of expensive enameled cast iron cookware (Staub Pumpkin, from Ebay) and being inexperienced with the stuff I don't know if I should consider these pinholes problematic or not. I'm not asking for your opinion on the aesthetics of the holes; I'm asking if, with use in high temperatures and washed in water, pinholes of this size (and they seem pretty deep, too) will cause the enamel to chip or crack. Can moisture reach the iron and cause problems? I've purchased a few things on Ebay and never had quality problems before, and I'm not a terribly fussy person, but this wasn't cheap, so I'm less inclined to just let it go.

Doing The Unstuck

dw — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:51:38 -0800

Thanks to my own stupidity, I managed to get two saucepans stuck one inside the other, with the lower one apparently containing a cavity of lower pressure holding the upper pan in place. Is there any way to get them apart without causing injury or property damage? The other night I needed to melt chocolate to coat Christmas cookies, but I couldn't find a metal bowl, and I don't own a double boiler. So I improvised and used two saucepans, one slightly narrower and taller than the other. It was all going well until I got stupid and turned off the heat.

There was this thump. The top pan sunk into the bottom pan and stuck fast. And that's where I am now. The two pans will not come unstuck.

The bottom pan still contains water; I can hear it sloshing about.

The most obvious solution to me would be to put the pans back on the heat, get the water in the bottom pan back up to simmer, and see if I can pry them apart at that point. But I'm afraid that that hot water would rapidly go under pressure, and either I'd get nasty steam burns from prying them apart, or the top pan would get launched by the pressure.

I've thought about sacrificing one of the pans by drilling a hole, but they're both Calphalon, and I don't think I have a drill bit that could get through the anodized layer.

I don't really want to throw both pans out. If I could just salvage one, great. If I could salvage both, spectacular. But I'm running out of ideas as to how to undo this mess.

Cookware and Cancer

boots77 — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 05:21:41 -0800

Non-Stick pans and Cancer. I'm afraid to use my flaking teflon pans because of the cancer risk that I have heard rumor of. What is the safest, healthiest cookware to buy? Of course the less food sticks the the surface the better, but is there anything that is non-stick that doesn't cause cancer in the realm of cookware? My mother swears that the aforementioned cookware that she bought us for a gift could not possibly cause cancer. After all, the QVC guy said the cookware would never flake.
We went into a home store to look at alternative and it seems we will have to pay a fortune for some other kind of surface. Is there any way around this for quality cookware that is safe? I will pay what I have to, but of course would like to avoid paying for expensive cookware if cheap cookware is as good. All options needed here. Help! We want to eat eggs again.

I weep for my pan

klangklangston — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:48:44 -0800

In a moment of epic dumbassery, I turned on the wrong burner this morning and managed to melt part of a spatula to an $80 calphalon fry pan. If it wasn't coated, I'd just use steel wool. Is there any way to get the melted plastic off? How fucked am I? Can I heat it up again? If so, how should I do it?

Didn't properly season my new cast iron cookware. Now what?

stuart_s — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:22:44 -0800

I bought a cast iron skillet. Rubbed it with oil. 300 F oven for 1 hour. I neglected to clean it in soapy water prior. What has been indelibly burned into my skillet? Should I go to the emergency room now or should I save time and just start start organizing my affairs? If it makes a difference:
1)purchased cheap from a closeout store
2)no discernible grim, dirt or residue

Scoring indian serving dishes in north america

Smegoid — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 08:52:46 -0800

Where to purchase indian cookware and serving dishes in the USA? I want the lot: thalis, tawas, kadais, baltis. All of it! Ever since I visisted Fiji (60% of population being indian) ten years ago I fell in love with Indian cuisine and have been cooking it regularly ever since. I've finally decided that it's time to pony up and secure myself some more authentic dishes and cookware. When I was in Fiji all the indian restaurants used stainless steel thalis and other serving dishes. I remember being able to purchase them everywhere for a pittance. However here in North America I can't seem to find them anywhere and the few places I've spotted the odd dish, they're pricing them as though they were exotic imports of the rarest kind. Anyone have any ideas as to good online sources in the USA or Canada? Bonus points for people who want to explain the uses of the different serving dishes and cookware. Cheers!

Help me choose cast-iron cookware.

gauchodaspampas — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:07:54 -0800

What do I need to consider when choosing cast-iron cookware (a skillet or a griddle)? Do brands, price, pre-seasoned v. not, or anything else make a difference? I'm thinking about starting up a collection of cast-iron cookware. I'm interested in cast-iron because it seems to be reasonably cheap most of the time, and is reputed to last roughly forever. So what do I need to know when choosing my cookware? For now I just want to buy one piece, probably a griddle or a skillet for some basic stovetop cooking, like sandwiches, pancakes, eggs, maybe some sauteeing if I get a skillet. Here are some specific things I'm wondering:

I've read you should leave watery or acidic foods sitting in cast iron. Does that mean I should avoid even cooking things like tomatoes in it, or simply that once they're done cooking, they should be removed? If the former is the case, I will likely go with just a griddle.

What are the advantages/disadvantages (mainly disadvantages) of pre-seasoned cast-iron. Obviously it means I wouldn't have to spend much or any effort seasoning it before use. But will it last as long? Do you think it's worth any extra cost? Cast-iron seems to be cheap all around, even for pre-seasoned, so if there are few or no disadvantages, the extra cost likely wouldn't bother me.

Will any particular brands or stores have much better or worse quality stuff? For instance, will a piece from a cookware store actually be better than one from target? Will lodge or another established brand be better than a less established brand? Will a higher price actually correspond to higher quality?

Some cast-iron is coated with wax or similar to prevent rusting before it's seasoned. Are there disadvantages to this other than having to scrub the coating off before seasoning?

Are there cheap, long-lasting alternatives to cast iron I should know about?

What else do I need to know before making my purchase?

Help me choose new pots and pans

sanitycheck — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:49:47 -0800

Cookware that doesn't suck for < $100 Canadian? The cheap cookware set I bought when I started university just isn't cutting it anymore. Problem is, 7 years later I'm still a poor student (I'm in grad school now) so my budget is rather limited.

My requirements:
- 3 to 5 pieces, with the ability to buy more pieces later
- can be put in the oven
- riveted handles
- no teflon

I'm currently considering the Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Starter from Amazon, which is going for $52 US, but I would need to ship it to a friend in the US and then go pick it up at some point.

I'd be willing to pay a bit more if I could walk into a store here in Vancouver and buy something equivalent.

I have already seen this askme thread but most of the recommendations seem a bit beyond my budget.

Stripping a cast iron skillet.

nathan_teske — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 11:26:30 -0800

I picked-up an old, cast-iron skillet which has seen better days and needs to be stripped and re-seasoned. Problem: I can't get it stripped down sufficiently. The surface has a mottled, raised texture of old oil which I can't get stripped down. Scrubbing with a nylon scouring pad and hot soapy water doesn't do much. Using baking soda as an abrasive worked a little better, but it's still not enough. I'm hesitant to use steel wool for fears of scratching the iron too deeply.

Any ideas? Anymore I'm beginning to wonder if a nice coat of gasoline followed by a match might work ("It's cast iron, it doesn't care")

Why do my stainless steel pans look so bad out of the dishwasher?

AstroGuy — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 12:10:41 -0800

Why does my new stainless steel cookware come out of the diswasher covered with white splotchy stains that I have to hand wash? We just bought a set of Emerilware (made by All-Clad) cookware. I'm learning to adjust to cooking in steel without teflon, and for the most part I love it. However, if I brown anything in the pans, when I clean them in the diswasher, wherever there was any cooked on residue, there are very ugly whitish splotches. I tried pre-soaking the pan as well, and it still did the same thing. The manufacturer says these pans are dishwasher safe.

I can restore them to their original look by cleaning the interior with Barkeeper's Friend, but it's kind of a pain to have to hand wash them.

If I don't brown/burn anything in the pans they come out of the dishwasher just fine. Am I using too much heat? I've read that only moderate heat should be used on clad stainless cookware.

Fellow MeFi gourmets, what say you?

Wok -- round or flat bottom?

10ch — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 10:30:25 -0800

I want to buy a wok. For the typical American (electric range) kitchen, which style is best? Flat or round bottom?

How do i get my All Clad shiny again?

frenchbenj — Tue, 30 May 2006 19:20:16 -0800

I damaged my All-Clad MC2 cookware by using Cascade powder in the dishwasher. Now the exterior surface is all dull and rough-feeling. Any idea how I can repair the damage?