I just got a new enamel cast iron frying pan....

This thing is awesome, foods cook up really nice and it's easy to clean. It has all the benefits of cast iron but you don't have to season it and it won't rust...here's some more info about it...
 
http://store.calphalon.com/calphalon-simply-calphalon-enamel-cast-iron-10-in-fry-pan-red/413565
 
So far I've cooked up a steak, some eggs, a thick slice of baloney and a beans and rice recipe that I have....all came out tasting great. The eggs stuck a little, so I'll have to work on that, but everything else came out perfect.  Clean up was a breeze....This is quickly turning into my favorite goto pan.

No but tomorrow I'll be trying out frying BACON !!!!!!

Well then, I just got back from the store with a pound of BECAN, because I can't wait till tomorrow, frying it up right now.....

Raw fried becan..... 
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...........

There's nothing like a good non-stick pan to cook with. It looks like a really nice one! :-)

Mom always cooked with a giant cast iron skillet and never had problems with sticking. I think if you take your time and cook the food slowly, sticking isn't a problem. I learned that the hard way when I ruined one of my wife's non-stick pans. We don't use it anymore and use one of the other ones that came in the set. I've never set the heat above medium with this pan and it's still like brand new. Never cleaned it either. I read somewhere you are just supposed to wipe them out with a soft clothe, or rinse them with hot water when the pan cools down. Seems to be true because it's holding up real well and I ain't died of food poisoning yet! LOL

One of my favorite things to make is cornbread in a small cast iron frying pan. Just mix up a batch of the pre-mixed stuff they sell for cupcakes and pour it all in the iron skillet and bake it in the oven. I don't know why, but it comes out awesome!

You mentioned the eggs stuck a little ... I always throw a sleece of bacon in the pan when I fry my eggs. Keeps everything nice and slippery and tasty without using butter. The bacon is just as bad for you, but eggs tastes better cooked in bacon fat than butter imo. I throw a couple of sleeces of bacon in the pan when I make pancakes too. Adds a great flavor to them.

I was wanting to try out one of those new ceramic pans, but I read that they stick really bad and don't clean well after a few uses, but I imagine it's like any other non-stick pan ... if you get it too hot, the coating is ruined and doesn't work right after that.

Cast iron pans are great, I have a bunch I got from my grandma, they are ancient and slick, nothing sticks on them. Just gotta watch out for guests using soap on them.

Teflon is banned here in the house, we have an african grey and a macaw, teflon kills parrots.

Kenneth

Teflon is banned here in the house, we have an african grey and a macaw, teflon kills parrots.

Wow, you learn something new every day. Here's another one: never feed onions to a monkey, they cause them to become anemic. 

Kenneth


A lot of people don't know that about teflon, if it over heats it gives off some gasses that will basically kill the bird in a very short time, once they are exposed to the fumes, nothing can be done.

It's also deadly to many other birds, African greys are especially sensitive to lot's of regular household stuff, like deodorants, oven cleaner stray, and tobacco smoke to name a few, but teflon can be deadly to most birds.

It may sound obvious, but there's a real simple reason for this.  African Greys and some many most all birds are not designed to live in small cages in your kitchen snorting PTFE and drinking oven cleaner...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
... they should be kept in a handy place in the broom cupboard, tied firmly to a long stick.  Ideal for those hard to reach corners of the room when it comes to dusting.

I don't use teflon pans.  they give off gases and the teflon gets into your food.

I love my cast iron skillets, but I don't use them as often as I do stainless steel.  I love my stainless steel pots and pans!

The so called matte black enamel non stick surface seems to be made out of Teflon.



Yuck.





http://calphalon.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/67/~/what-is-nonstick-coating-material-made-of%3F

What is nonstick coating material made of? Nonstick materials are made from synthetic polymers.  Calphalon uses PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) material with proprietary reinforcements for wear resistance, as well as additional components to enhance heat transfer.  Layers of nonstick coatings are used to increase the durability and thus the quality of nonstick cookware.

i shall remember to kill a parrot before frying it then.... a bit more humane than gassing it while it cooks!..

i am a big fan of enamelled cast iron..just not the non-stick version..its my one main do it all pot on the sailboat although at home i mostly use hard anodised aluminium.. a **** to clean but perfect surface to saute..(calphalon too)..

Yes it's a black matte enamel finish on the inside, yes they warn you not to wash with cold water while it's still hot., yes it is oven safe up to 400* degrees. It cleans easily and doesn't require seasoning. It also doesn't get rust spots because all the cast iron is covered with enamel. For general use it should work just fine.

After checking my collection of pots and pans, I found I have a few other cast iron pans as well, I have a 7-1/2" cast iron pan with a wood handle, a 7-1/2" red and white enameled pan, and a 6" x 9" red and white enameled cast iron  casserole dish, that I've picked up at the thrift stores over the years.

I like this one better and am considering buying it....

http://store.calphalon.com/calphalon-simply-calphalon-enamel-cast-iron-7-qt-dutch-oven-red/414559

According to DuPont ... you have to get a Teflon coated up to 554º F before it breaks down and particles become airborne.

It has to get to 680º F before it starts to give off the gasses that will kill a bird.

Of course, that info comes from DuPont ...

It's probably more likely 120/250.