A lot of people swear by cast iron. And for good reason. It gets hot and stays hot, which makes it ideal for searing steaks and other meats. And it’s naturally non-stick, which makes it ideal for sticky foods like eggs and pancakes. (Because let’s be honest, you don’t want to use non-stick pans.
But no one ever talks about stainless steel pans. Stainless steel is amazing in its own right, and sadly incredibly underrated. Here’s why I love my stainless steel pans so much.
Amazing Temperature Control
Cast iron’s biggest strength–its heat retention–is also its biggest flaw. It takes minutes for cast iron to heat up, and once it does, it takes forever to cool down again. In contrast, stainless steel heats up quickly and cools down quickly. This makes it ideal for things that require fine temperature control, like simmering. Or things where different stages of cooking need different heat levels, like most of my recipes. Or more generally, sauteing and stir frying. (Contrary to popular belief, stir frying on high heat is a good way to incinerate your veggies. Believe me, I’ve tried.)
Of course, this relies on you having either a gas stove or an induction stove, where you can adjust the temperature instantaneously. Then again, if you have an electric stove (or heaven forbid, a radiant glass stove), you wouldn’t get enough power output to heat up cast iron anyway.
Easy Cleaning and Maintenance
Cast iron’s biggest downside is its cleaning and maintenance. You have to clean cast iron by hand, and there’s constant scrubbing to clean off burnt off food. And every now and then (after every use, if you’re a purist), you re-season it. Anyone who tells you cast iron is easy to maintain is either lying to you or is so used to cast iron maintenance that they forget how much work it really is.
On the flip side, cleaning stainless steel is as easy as tossing it in the dishwasher. And stainless steel has no maintenance. Other than tossing it in the dishwasher, and maybe towel-drying it if your dishwasher doesn’t do a good job of air drying your dishes.
Sure, it’s hard to get it back to its factory condition shiny sheen. But if you care about that level of clean, cast iron would drive you crazy anyway.
I’m not saying cast iron is bad. On the contrary, cast iron has a place in my kitchen. I’m just professing my love of stainless steel, because apparently no one else will.