cast iron enameled or stainless steel for frozen soup?
January 27, 2019 5:30 PM Subscribe
I've been batch cooking
I have soup frozen in portions in my freezer and am in the market for a sauce pot. What would defreeze and warm up soup the quickest? (I'm assuming the speed won't compromise the flavor?) Should I get enameled cast iron or stainless steel? Regular cast iron is not an option since some soups have tomato bases.
I have soup frozen in portions in my freezer and am in the market for a sauce pot. What would defreeze and warm up soup the quickest? (I'm assuming the speed won't compromise the flavor?) Should I get enameled cast iron or stainless steel? Regular cast iron is not an option since some soups have tomato bases.
Personally I use pyrex for this (once the soup pot has been eaten down some I portion and freeze the remainder) and pop it right in the microwave when I want soup. If there's one thing a microwave does just as good as a stovetop but faster, it's reheat soup.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 5:59 PM on January 27, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 5:59 PM on January 27, 2019 [5 favorites]
Oh, and before that I just ladle cold soup into bowls and microwave that. I think the speed would be pretty much the same in either stainless steel or an enameled cast iron saucepan though, the cast iron will take a little longer to get hot at the beginning but that's pretty negligible. Enameled cast iron is much more expensive.
Any saucepan can do this just fine, it's one step up from boiling water. Buy your saucepan based on the other things you want to use it for, not for its soup-reheating abilities. Even the cheapest thrift-store castoff will reheat soup with aplomb.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:43 PM on January 27, 2019
Any saucepan can do this just fine, it's one step up from boiling water. Buy your saucepan based on the other things you want to use it for, not for its soup-reheating abilities. Even the cheapest thrift-store castoff will reheat soup with aplomb.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:43 PM on January 27, 2019
Enameled scorches stuff, then gets discolored. Stainless is durable and you can scrub it back to bright. I use cast iron for everything except boiling pasta or making popcorn. Tomato is OK cooked in cast iron, once it is seasoned.
posted by Oyéah at 6:53 PM on January 27, 2019
posted by Oyéah at 6:53 PM on January 27, 2019
Cookware nerd time — my favorite kind of question! Especially because I used to make a big pot of soup every week and heat it up on the stovetop when I didn't have a microwave, so this question is near and dear to my heart.
Stainless steel is a terrible thermal conductor of heat on its own (worse than cast iron), so if you want the truly quickest way to heat up soup, look for a pan that's stainless steel outside (easy cleanup and non-reactive with foods) that has a conductive material like aluminum (copper is also common but quite pricey) either in the core or as a disc bottom. Aluminum is reactive with food so it needs the stainless steel between it and your food. I really love the affordable but well-made Cuisinart Multiclad line. These are what's call "tri-ply" as this line is made with stainless inside and out and aluminum inside. I like this line more than the extremely similar classic All-Clad not only because it's many times cheaper (because it's made in China) but also because it has much more comfortable handle and a rolled rim, which helps with pouring without drips. All-Clad/Cuisinart use a similar amount of aluminum in the core, almost double what brands like Tramontina or something like you might find at Target (Rachel Ray comes to mind).
Another great option and even cheaper is the Cuisinart Classic pour saucepan. It's even cheaper than the Multiclad because the aluminum doesn't run up along the sides but is instead in a disc base. There's really not going to be a difference for heating up soup, I like disc bases because I have a flattop stove and they're less prone to warping. Plus, the pan I linked has a pour spot (and a straining lid for straining pasta or potatoes).
BTW, I'm linking to sizes around 3 quarts, but you can find plenty of other sizes. I do find that my 1.5 quart is great for smaller amounts of soup for just one bowl or so, but my stove burners are always bigger than it so I end up just letting heat go to waste. The 3 quart is a great all around size for many things.
If you want to spend a bit more money for faster heating, anodized aluminum has been chemically changed and doesn't have the problem of being reactive with food, so you get the benefits of great conductivity from the aluminum and similar cleanup to stainless steel. The other nice thing about it is that's it's more lightweight than pans with stainless steel. The downside is that if you put it in the dishwasher will (very slowly) wear away the anodized surface, it's still usable but doesn't look very pretty and after many washes you'll be left with an aluminum pan that would react with foods like tomatoes and change the taste. I'm a die-hard dishwasher user so I've never really gotten into anodized aluminum, so I don't have any brand advice but there's a lot out there. Note: stay away from anything that has a non-stick coating, often anodized aluminum pots and pans have them and it's just awful and plain ridiculous for saucepans in which you're not generally cooking things prone to sticking. Non-stick is made of a material that is very poor at conducting heat and also greatly reduces the lifespan of a pan.
You want to spend a bunch of money for the best soup heating pan out there? Meet Demeyere Atlantis, a crazy overengineered but amazing cookware line. 7(!)-layer base with copper and aluminum and silver. Or if you want something more beautiful, here's my favorite copper cookware line, Mauviel. You didn't say your budget so I'm just giving you the options from cheap to expensive here!
A word on cast iron: I love porcelain-coated (enameled) cast iron like Le Creuset and Staub for plenty of reasons, not least of all because they're gorgeous, but as mentioned by others, it's not a good thermal conductor of heat and is prone to hot spots if you don't heat it up slowly. It's also heavy and while you can wash it in the dishwasher, you'll then have to make sure you don't let the rims of uncoated cast iron get rusty. It does retain heat really well and maintains a nice simmer beautifully, and as mentioned above, it's actually a better conductor of heat than a stainless steel pan, and that's also the case even compared to some pans that use aluminum cores because some of them use such a minuscule amount. For what you're using it for, I can't imagine why you'd want to deal with the heaviness or the price compared to just getting one of the two Cuisinart pans I linked to. But, if you happen to find some nice enameled cast iron and want to use it, try a heat diffuser plate. Copper is an even better conductor of heat than aluminum and heats up very evenly, so it's a nice helper for cast iron.
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 7:21 PM on January 27, 2019 [10 favorites]
Stainless steel is a terrible thermal conductor of heat on its own (worse than cast iron), so if you want the truly quickest way to heat up soup, look for a pan that's stainless steel outside (easy cleanup and non-reactive with foods) that has a conductive material like aluminum (copper is also common but quite pricey) either in the core or as a disc bottom. Aluminum is reactive with food so it needs the stainless steel between it and your food. I really love the affordable but well-made Cuisinart Multiclad line. These are what's call "tri-ply" as this line is made with stainless inside and out and aluminum inside. I like this line more than the extremely similar classic All-Clad not only because it's many times cheaper (because it's made in China) but also because it has much more comfortable handle and a rolled rim, which helps with pouring without drips. All-Clad/Cuisinart use a similar amount of aluminum in the core, almost double what brands like Tramontina or something like you might find at Target (Rachel Ray comes to mind).
Another great option and even cheaper is the Cuisinart Classic pour saucepan. It's even cheaper than the Multiclad because the aluminum doesn't run up along the sides but is instead in a disc base. There's really not going to be a difference for heating up soup, I like disc bases because I have a flattop stove and they're less prone to warping. Plus, the pan I linked has a pour spot (and a straining lid for straining pasta or potatoes).
BTW, I'm linking to sizes around 3 quarts, but you can find plenty of other sizes. I do find that my 1.5 quart is great for smaller amounts of soup for just one bowl or so, but my stove burners are always bigger than it so I end up just letting heat go to waste. The 3 quart is a great all around size for many things.
If you want to spend a bit more money for faster heating, anodized aluminum has been chemically changed and doesn't have the problem of being reactive with food, so you get the benefits of great conductivity from the aluminum and similar cleanup to stainless steel. The other nice thing about it is that's it's more lightweight than pans with stainless steel. The downside is that if you put it in the dishwasher will (very slowly) wear away the anodized surface, it's still usable but doesn't look very pretty and after many washes you'll be left with an aluminum pan that would react with foods like tomatoes and change the taste. I'm a die-hard dishwasher user so I've never really gotten into anodized aluminum, so I don't have any brand advice but there's a lot out there. Note: stay away from anything that has a non-stick coating, often anodized aluminum pots and pans have them and it's just awful and plain ridiculous for saucepans in which you're not generally cooking things prone to sticking. Non-stick is made of a material that is very poor at conducting heat and also greatly reduces the lifespan of a pan.
You want to spend a bunch of money for the best soup heating pan out there? Meet Demeyere Atlantis, a crazy overengineered but amazing cookware line. 7(!)-layer base with copper and aluminum and silver. Or if you want something more beautiful, here's my favorite copper cookware line, Mauviel. You didn't say your budget so I'm just giving you the options from cheap to expensive here!
A word on cast iron: I love porcelain-coated (enameled) cast iron like Le Creuset and Staub for plenty of reasons, not least of all because they're gorgeous, but as mentioned by others, it's not a good thermal conductor of heat and is prone to hot spots if you don't heat it up slowly. It's also heavy and while you can wash it in the dishwasher, you'll then have to make sure you don't let the rims of uncoated cast iron get rusty. It does retain heat really well and maintains a nice simmer beautifully, and as mentioned above, it's actually a better conductor of heat than a stainless steel pan, and that's also the case even compared to some pans that use aluminum cores because some of them use such a minuscule amount. For what you're using it for, I can't imagine why you'd want to deal with the heaviness or the price compared to just getting one of the two Cuisinart pans I linked to. But, if you happen to find some nice enameled cast iron and want to use it, try a heat diffuser plate. Copper is an even better conductor of heat than aluminum and heats up very evenly, so it's a nice helper for cast iron.
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 7:21 PM on January 27, 2019 [10 favorites]
For fastest boiling, stainless steel with a (good quality) capsule disc base. This would be best for soup, which is thinner, but for thick stews or hefty bean soups, a clad pan or enameled cast iron would be better. (Cladded sidewalls vs. disc-bottomed cookware: which is better?)
One thing to beware of with disc-based pans is the "muffin-top" style, wherein disc bottom is smaller than the size of the pan. You can see that here. Manufacturers use this design to save money on the pricey components of the capsule bottom.
In addition to the thorn bushes' Demeyere Atlantis for an expensive but "for life" choice, I'll put forward my personal fave, Fissler Original Profi (sometimes called "Original Pro"). This is a famous German brand, much more well known in Europe than on the other side of the pond, but Fissler does have US distribution, and is worth checking out.
When I decided to replace my hodgepodge of dented, peeling, stained, mismatched cookware for good, I decided that price was (almost) no object, because I had all the time in the world to track down crazy-good sales* for the pieces I wanted, and I spent months researching brands and capsule bottom versus clad, etc. In the end I got two Demeyere Proline (clad) frying pans, small and large, and Fissler Original Pro stainless steel capsule disc bottom pots. If I were to get a saucier, I'd buy a Demeyere or Fissler clad version, but I make my sauces and stews in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven.
My criteria was: highest quality non-coated stainless steel construction; preferably made in Germany or France (I'm in the EU); heavy capsule disk bottom (with straight sides ... ie not "muffin top"); easy pouring rim; all-metal tight fitting, heavy lids; welded, not riveted handles; easy cleaning (the surface can make a difference); compatible with all cooktops, including induction. In the end I narrowed it down to three (including Demeyere Atlantis), and went with the Fissler because of a rarely-mentioned feature: the handles can hold the pot lids while cooking! (You can see it in action a bit here.) Admittedly, this may not be persuasive to many, but for someone with limited space who is always fumbling for a place to put down the pot lid, it's a little magical. :)
This is obviously all information and $ overkill for just heating soup, but I wish I had bought one good pan a year – or even every two years – when I was first starting out instead of lower quality on-sale pot and pan sets every five years.
* For example, I got my small Demeyere frying pan on (fairly drastic) sale for 59 euros; I just saw it on amazon.it selling for (crazy) 251.90 euros.
posted by taz at 4:26 AM on January 28, 2019
One thing to beware of with disc-based pans is the "muffin-top" style, wherein disc bottom is smaller than the size of the pan. You can see that here. Manufacturers use this design to save money on the pricey components of the capsule bottom.
In addition to the thorn bushes' Demeyere Atlantis for an expensive but "for life" choice, I'll put forward my personal fave, Fissler Original Profi (sometimes called "Original Pro"). This is a famous German brand, much more well known in Europe than on the other side of the pond, but Fissler does have US distribution, and is worth checking out.
When I decided to replace my hodgepodge of dented, peeling, stained, mismatched cookware for good, I decided that price was (almost) no object, because I had all the time in the world to track down crazy-good sales* for the pieces I wanted, and I spent months researching brands and capsule bottom versus clad, etc. In the end I got two Demeyere Proline (clad) frying pans, small and large, and Fissler Original Pro stainless steel capsule disc bottom pots. If I were to get a saucier, I'd buy a Demeyere or Fissler clad version, but I make my sauces and stews in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven.
My criteria was: highest quality non-coated stainless steel construction; preferably made in Germany or France (I'm in the EU); heavy capsule disk bottom (with straight sides ... ie not "muffin top"); easy pouring rim; all-metal tight fitting, heavy lids; welded, not riveted handles; easy cleaning (the surface can make a difference); compatible with all cooktops, including induction. In the end I narrowed it down to three (including Demeyere Atlantis), and went with the Fissler because of a rarely-mentioned feature: the handles can hold the pot lids while cooking! (You can see it in action a bit here.) Admittedly, this may not be persuasive to many, but for someone with limited space who is always fumbling for a place to put down the pot lid, it's a little magical. :)
This is obviously all information and $ overkill for just heating soup, but I wish I had bought one good pan a year – or even every two years – when I was first starting out instead of lower quality on-sale pot and pan sets every five years.
* For example, I got my small Demeyere frying pan on (fairly drastic) sale for 59 euros; I just saw it on amazon.it selling for (crazy) 251.90 euros.
posted by taz at 4:26 AM on January 28, 2019
Does anyone even make mid-level stainless steel cook pots with no tri-ply/capsule disk or similar metal sandwich technology? Only my very cheap grade enormous stock pot doesn’t have it. Anyway, I was taking tri-ply as a given when I recommended stainless like Farberware, but it interesting to note that pure stainless conducts heat less well than pure cast iron.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:26 AM on January 28, 2019
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:26 AM on January 28, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
Go simple middle-brow stainless, Farberware or similar. Because you don’t really need to heat frozen soup evenly/slowly/gently, nor do you need to hold it at a stable even heat distribution for any length of time.
Regardless of pot type, fastest heating will result from med/hi heat and frequent stirring, rather than lower heat and ignoring . But high heat and insufficient attention will burn it of course, so it’s up to you to optimize the aspects you care about the most :)
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:33 PM on January 27, 2019 [5 favorites]