Quote:
Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague
I'm a late arrival to this thread, and I have to take issue with this. You need at least a couple of both. Cast iron just holds onto a consistent heat better than carbon steel does. Carbon steel heats faster and is good for cooking at high heat, but owning both of them, I still use cast iron more. This is slightly influenced by the fact that I'm on induction rather than gas, but I think it still holds true regardless of fuel.
Now for the real question: why is it necessary for anyone to buy anything not made by Lodge?
I'm serious. Maybe I'm a philistine on this and I don't know it, but I've tried more expensive stuff and I don't get it. Granted, I haven't tried the absolute most expensive stuff (aside from some very expensive enamel, which, again, was not in any noticeable way any better than Lodge enamel).
Where is the incremental benefit to justify spending more?
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For cast iron, the only benefit I've seen from spending more is a smoother surface. High-end cast iron is usually finished in a way that's a lot smoother than say the most basic lodge pan or even an Amazon Basics cast iron (Amazon Basics has the weirdest assortment of ####, as an aside). Some say this helps develop and retain a seasoning, I haven't seen that.
Outside of that, the only benefit is "prestige" brands and "beautiful looking" if you're a dork. But pans are made for cooking. I will always go with the cheapest cast iron vs the more expensive, and if seasoned properly, the difference is irrelevant. A friend has a FINEX cast iron pan. It is beautiful, I really like it, but for $400 you must be joking.
I agree that having both carbon steel and cast iron is good though. But if, for whatever reason, you wanted just one, carbon steel can be effectively the same depending on thickness (3mm is the sweet spot for me, 3mm pans act a little more like cast iron) but a little more maneuverable.
If one might want my favourite carbon steel pan, they are currently shipping for free:
https://www.dartointernational.com
I also have a $30 IKEA carbon steel pan, but it's very thin, so I assume I will eventually accidentally warp it. We'll see! de Buyers are also good, but kind of pricey imo.
But yeah, cast iron? Spend nothing, take care of it well, and you're gold. Buy a fancy cast iron if you want... I guess... but that's for you, not for the benefit of your cooking.