Cooking & Cutlery Aquisitions

Discussion in 'The Good Life' started by qhsdoitall, Feb 28, 2007.

  1. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur

    Snagged a Calphalon One 4 1/2 qt. Nonstick Sauce Pan on Ebay for $41.00 plus shipping. MSR = $!85.00

    [​IMG]
     
  2. MullersLaneFarm

    MullersLaneFarm New Member

    sweet, calphalon is one of our subsidiaries.

    I'm a cast iron gal most of the time, but do have a few stainless steel & stoneware also.

    I love calphalon's TriPly Copper!
     
  3. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur

    Don't get me started on the cast iron. There are a series of posts over at B&B about the best charcoal grill and steak searing/cooking techniques that have me waiting for the rains to clear up so I can sear a steak in a cast iron skillet on the grill. Then I'm going to try a cedar plank salmon.

    Right now, I'm filling in pieces of cookware that I need. I'm currently working on upgrades to the sauce pans. I'm eyeing the stainless lasagna and roasting pans after that. I have pretty much everything else I need for many many years to come. I have some Magnalite pans from many years ago that are still going strong. Some are big enough to cover 2-3 burners on the stove. Had them when I was catering horse shows for a hobby. Which reminds me. I need to get everything together and take pictures for insurance. This stuff is hard to replace.
     
  4. Hawkeye5

    Hawkeye5 Member

    I love my cast iron. But the wife purchased a new stove with ceramic burners and the instructions say not to use cast iron :mad:
    I don't let her touch the cast iron anyway as she wants to wash it all in soap and water :confused:
    I also use dutch ovens, otherwise known as camp ovens, to cook with charcoal. Cast iron cooking is almost as bad as shaving for a hobby!
     
  5. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur

    Got that right. Did a ton of cast iron cooking in Boy Scouts. Pan, griddle and dutch oven. OK, now I need to dig out my beef stew and parsley biscuit dutch oven recipe. I'm getting hungry.
     
  6. sparky5693

    sparky5693 Administrator Staff Member

    Administrator
    Nothing beats the cast iron. It cooks so even, and nothing sticks once you get it seasoned right. Maybe it's in my head, but it seems the food even tastes better.
     
  7. Michael

    Michael Duke of Kent

    Cast iron is great stuff! If you ever need info about the REAL stuff (antique cast iron), check out http://www.panman.com . David Smith is very knowledgeable and is VERY prompt in answering any questions. I've sent him photos of stuff asking when it was made, what it's worth, etc. and he's been very helpful. Neither he nor I are big Lodge fans though. Most of mine is Wagner Ware with a couple of Griswold pieces thrown in. Can't beat it!!

    Otherwise, I love my Mauviel copper! 2.5mm thick, some tinned, some stainless lined. GREAT stuff. Have All-Clad and LeCrueset too, but I'd have to say the Mauviel is my favorite. Except for searing...CAST IRON all the way!!! One other thing...a 10 or 12" CI skillet is GREAT for deep dish pizza too!! :drool
     
  8. MullersLaneFarm

    MullersLaneFarm New Member

    I have a combination of Wagoneer, Griswold, Lodge and some that are just old. (One spider skillet is from the mid 1800s and I have a bean pot from the Rev War era - they don't get used)

    I really should disperse some of my cast iron - so much doesn't get used. The kids have 'dibs' on a few pieces.

    There is indoor cookware- roaster (big enough for 2 large chicken or 1 small turkey), pots, griddles, fryers, skillets, waffle maker, corn bread & muffin pans, outdoor cook - dutch ovens, bail pots & spider skillets.

    My favorite pieces are the huge roaster what my husband calls my 'stupidly big' skillet (it's only 18-20" across!). They get used the most.

    I've broken almost everyone of the 'rules' about using cast iron. I cook acidic foods in them, I've washed them with detergent. I will not put cold liquid in an empty hot pan, I will not subject it to extreme heat (like throwing in a fire. My cast iron serves me well. they are wonderfully seasoned.

    These are some of the oldest pieces:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  9. fuerein

    fuerein New Member

    My parents had a cast iron skillet that was about 18" across. My lord did I hate, ABSOLUTELY HATE, having to try to wash that thing when I was younger. My parents started having me help my older sister with dishes when I was about 8-9 and then I took over them later. Yeah, you how easy it is for an 8-9yo to carry an 18" cast iron skillet filled with water over to the stove (to boil off any dried on/burnt food)? I'm surprised I never dropped it, the only thing that gave me a real chance of carrying it was the grip across from the regular handle.

    While I never dropped it, I do remember making a huge mess in the kitchen once or twice when one hand slipped off the grip and my hand on the normal handle barely was able to hold on to the skillet, but the skillet did dip down spilling most of it's contents of hot water all over the kitchen floor.
     
  10. MullersLaneFarm

    MullersLaneFarm New Member

    When my kids were younger, they left the skillet on the stove and took water over to pour into the warm skillet - learned that one when I was young and was washing my parent's and grandparents cookware.

    Usually, if you wash up cast iron while it's still warm, there is no need to boil a bit of water in it to clean it up.
     
  11. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur


    Subsidiaries?
     
  12. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur

    Unfortunately, my 2 cast iron skillets were lost in a previous marriage. Along with a number of pieces of Magnalite. That was many years ago. I'm just now filling in the blanks and upgrading from the K-Mart stuff I had to get in a hurry. I will be buying a skillet in the near future. I'll check out the the suggested sites to see what I want and refresh my memory on how to go through the seasoning process. It's been a long time. Like, I said. I'm dying to use one for skillet seared steak on the grill. I think Cook's Illustrated had a dutch oven comparison this month. I have to check.
     
  13. fuerein

    fuerein New Member

    Yeah, I know that too... now. But didn't know that then. Plus my parents were experts are burning certain things to skillets. I dreaded washing up after a meal involving either rice or hash browns because there was literally always a layer on the the bottom of the pan/skillet that was burned so bad that it was practically fused to the bottom of the pan.
     
  14. Michael

    Michael Duke of Kent

    Does CI compare just new stuff or do they include antiques? I have one new Lodge and the rest are probably 1920's or older. The antiques are MUCH better, IMHO. Rarely use the Lodge. My 10" Wagner fry pan gets a LOT of use!

    Of course, living in New England, there's an antique shop on every street corner almost, so it's relatively easy to find good cast iron cheap. You do have to pay attention though - I bought a popover pan a few weeks ago for about 20 bucks - I've seen the same pan elsewhere for 60!
     
  15. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur

    It's just new stuff. Not much in the way of antiques around here. Big Flea Market of mostly Mexican/Indian goods and that's it unless I go up north into the wine country or east into the Sierra foothills.
     
  16. Did a ribeye like that for dinner tonight. Just put the pans on the grill and fire her up. By the time the grill comes to full operating temp, the pans will be ready. Throw on your seasoned steaks and stand back. You don't want that much smoke in your house, that's for sure. If you like a nice, charred, outside, that's the way to go.

    I also made some blackened salmon for the missus in a second pan. Oofah!
     
  17. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur

    2008-03-07

    Calphalon 8" Contemporary Stainless Omelette Pan

    [​IMG]

    Cook's Illustrated "Steaks, Chops, Roasts, and Ribs"

    [​IMG]
     
  18. MullersLaneFarm

    MullersLaneFarm New Member

    I work for Newell-Rubbermaid.
     
  19. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur

    Rat's, I thought maybe you sold them.:D
     
  20. Smedley

    Smedley New Member

    I inherited a cast iron fryer and a tiny cast iron fryer suitable for frying one egg or two sardines from my mum.

    I also recently bought some Wolfgang Puck knives from the Shopping Channel. Yeah, I know, not the greatest knives, but they were cheap and they beat what I have now.
     

Share This Page