New pans? Stainless steel vs Carbon steel?

[Silly Car]

I’m toying with buying a chef’s / saucier pan to add some additional options other than the stainless steel saucepans, hex clad frying pans and cast iron shallow & deep casserole dishes.

I’m finding the frying pans lack a bit of depth but the saucepans I have don’t lend themselves to tossing together ingredients. Only other option is a comedy, family sized wok!

Ideally, I’d like to be able to bung the pan in the oven which discounts anything with a wooden handle

I appreciate stainless can be put in a dishwasher and can get pitted from salt and that seasoned carbon steel is reasonably non-stick but care is needed with acidic foods and when cleaning, although they can be reseasoned.

Currently considering the following:

Spun / carbon steel - 9”, 10” or 11” https://www.netherton-foundry.co.uk/sho ... uct_id=643 approx £110 upwards with a lid
Stainless - 28cm with lid - https://www.skottsberg.com/en/skottsber ... steel.html - rated by Andy Cooks - approx £115 inc delivery
Stainless - 1.9 L (21cm) - https://www.madeincookware.co.uk/produc ... 0895406255 - sponsors of Andy Cooks so he’s obviously mentioned it is a good pan - approx £125

Is there really much difference between a £30-40 M&S Tom Kerridge pan and a £110-125 pan?

[Count Steer]

Dunno about the difference between stainless and carbon when it comes to cooking. (I've got 2 stainless pans in similar style, with lid - ones sloping sides and ones steep and they're fine for what I do.

Before shelling out £110, personally I might be tempted to try a Netherton foundry hard anodised aluminium one for £45.

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/28286/lakela ... -glass-lid

Won't last as long as stainless but it's less £ for proof of concept.

(Had a stainless wok too - gave it away and went back to the cheap as chips versions. Worked much better).

[Silly Car]

Dunno about the difference between stainless and carbon when it comes to cooking. (I've got 2 stainless pans in similar style, with lid - ones sloping sides and ones steep and they're fine for what I do.

Before shelling out £110, personally I might be tempted to try a Netherton foundry hard anodised aluminium one for £45.

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/28286/lakela ... -glass-lid

Won't last as long as stainless but it's less £ for proof of concept.

(Had a stainless wok too - gave it away and went back to the cheap as chips versions. Worked much better).

Sorry, work / life has gotten in the way, ideally I’d be wanting to try the bowl shaped type over a square edged (IYKWIM) as I’ve got a Ikea sauté which is a similar shape to the Lakeland one you’ve linked.

I might put that back into service and see what turns up in my google results over next couple of weeks. I definitely like the idea of trying before buying though.

[Count Steer]

Sorry, work / life has gotten in the way, ideally I’d be wanting to try the bowl shaped type over a square edged (IYKWIM) as I’ve got a Ikea sauté which is a similar shape to the Lakeland one you’ve linked.

I might put that back into service and see what turns up in my google results over next couple of weeks. I definitely like the idea of trying before buying though.

Ah, righto. Might be worth having a look at Nisbets catering supplies if you want to do proof of concept without breaking the bank. They have stuff like this for not too many £.

https://www.nisbets.co.uk/vogue-stainle ... 240mm/m923

(Haven't bought from them but they look pretty straight).

[mangocrazy]

We have a Nisbet's in Sheffield. It's my go-to place for good quality, reasonably priced cookwear.

[Count Steer]

We have a Nisbet's in Sheffield. It's my go-to place for good quality, reasonably priced cookwear.

Ah...maybe I have bought from them then. Bought quite a few kitchen things to kit out the Sheffield place. (Some of it was knives, which I still have and use daily 20+ years later from a great, smallish department store type place on West Street that closed down a few months later). Pretty sure some came from a catering suppliers.

Used a similar catering place near Seven Dials/Shaftesbury Ave in that London too. I figured, if it's good enough for the trade, it'll do for me.

(Not necessarily true - I remember Gordon Ramsay (I think) saying they used non-stick pans and replaced them all, ie chuck 'em away - weekly! Probably didn't stop him advertising/endorsing expensive stuff. ).

[Silly Car]

Managed to pick up a 28cm hard anodised Habitat wok from Sainsbury’s which essentially the same shape as the saucier / chef’s panI was looking for.

Initial observation is it is too big for a single serving, so a 20 - 24cm is probably is the right size for my needs. Iwas able to toss together some pasta with a quick sauce I’d made, so I have proof of concept at least.

I’ll use if for a few more dishes before I consider seeking out a smaller pan / splashing out £100+ on a’keeper’

[gremlin]

We picked up a glass-lidded pan from IKEA a few months back. It only cost a few quid but so far it's been great. IME most pans have a limited life span, bar any cast iron stuff. Non-stick pan for eggs? I reckon a couple of years max then time for a new one.

[Count Steer]

We picked up a glass-lidded pan from IKEA a few months back. It only cost a few quid but so far it's been great. IME most pans have a limited life span, bar any cast iron stuff. Non-stick pan for eggs? I reckon a couple of years max then time for a new one.

I don't use non-stick for omelettes. I bought a couple of sizes of those 'Little Gem' ones that Saint Delia recommended* back in the 90s and they're still going strong - better than new.

My (decent quality) stainless pans range between 20 and 35 years old.

OTOH I have,literally, worn out a Le Creuset cast iron frying pan and rendered it scrap. Ditto a non-Le Creuset, French, large cast-iron casserole. Despite only ever using wooden implements in 'em. An orange, enamelled, Le Creuset cast iron pan is still after 30 years frequent use though.

* and created such demand the company was swamped and increased production and subsequently went bust iirc. You can get equivalents through Silverwood now though. (Not for induction hobs and dishwasher verboten!).

[gremlin]

Le Creuset cast iron pan is still after 30 years frequent use though.

One of my Le Creuset casserole pots looks like somebody has taken a hammer and bolster to the bottom of it and given it a couple of whacks. No idea what caused that but it's still good. Probably outlive me.

[Count Steer]

Le Creuset cast iron pan is still after 30 years frequent use though.

One of my Le Creuset casserole pots looks like somebody has taken a hammer and bolster to the bottom of it and given it a couple of whacks. No idea what caused that but it's still good. Probably outlive me.

The orange enamelled pan isn't quite as glossy on the inner base as it was.

The frying pan (and the big casserole) had a hard black finish inside which eventually started to reveal patches of sparkly, grey, crystalline iron...to which things would stick like the proverbial.

[Silly Car]

I’ve got a small le crueset non-stick frying pan which I’ve only ever cooked fried eggs or omelettes in, I’ve had it nearly eight years and it still looks brand new on the inside. It was an engagement present which I got to keep

The wide based aluminium wok mentioned above has been used a fair number of times now and I’m liking the shape so will see if I can spot a decent similarly shaped but smaller pan for every day use. Failing that, I’ll see if my travels take me close to their factory / stockist to weigh one up / or check out their returns policy.

[gremlin]

Any old pans can be put to good use...