Are you planning to buy a new frying pan for your kitchen? Do you want to add a new pan to your kitchen? Wait, you will get numerous such ones in the kitchen. Most frying pans have different metals. You can select the perfect one for your kitchen. You will get two kinds of pans. One is cast iron pans, and the other is non-stick pans. If you are a beginner in the kitchen and looking to buy an easier one, it is better to go with the non-stick pans.
What are Non-stick Pans?
You must have observed that foods stick on the surface of the pan if the temperature is increased. But if you use a non-stick pan, you can eradicate this problem. High temperature of the pan causes expansion of the metal. This results in the enlargement of the pores of the pan. The enlarged pores allow the foods to get a stick to the pan. But when you use a non-stick pan, you must know that it gets heated, and Teflon covers the metal surface. It covers the metal surface and blocks the food particles from entering the enlarged pores.
With a non-stick pan you can have the right to prepare good foods. The role of Teflon is essential in a non-stick pan. The health of the people is the primary concern of the manufacturers. This is why particular preference is given to the quality or the ingredients required preparing the Teflon. Earlier it was found that PFOA or Perflurooctanoic acid is a harmful acid involved in the preparation of Teflon. It has some chemical which is hazardous for your health. Thus in 2006 US Environmental Protection Agency has issued a guideline to stop the use of PFOA in the preparation of Teflon. After this, Teflon is prepared without the use of PFOA. It is used to give a coating on the non-stick pans.
Advantages of Non-sticks Pans
Here you will learn about the advantages of non-stick pans.
- The primary advantage of using a non-stick pan is it does not allow the sticking of food.
- It indicates that you have to employ less time and energy while preparing the food.
- Another advantage of using a non-stick pan is it requires less oil while preparing a food. This is good for your health.
- The pan’s surface is smooth, so you can cook the food with less oil. No need to fill the entire surface with oil.
- If you are a health concerned person and want to prepare food with less oil, it is better to use non-stick cooking pans.
What are Cast Iron Pans?
You must have noticed that your mothers or grandmothers used cast iron pans to make food during the early days. Those were the commonly used pans in every kitchen. Most kitchens were equipped with these pans because they were hardy and could be used for an extended period. You can get cast iron pans of various ranges. However, one of the main concerns about using a cast iron pan was that it is susceptible to rust. It is a challenging job to maintain these pans. With time, the outlook of the people has changed. Modern people hesitate to devote a long time to the kitchen. This is why they have selected easy-to -maintain kitchen accessories that are simple to use and can give you a long-term service. Cast iron pans are slowly losing their existence. The non-stick pans are replacing them.
Advantages of using cast-iron pans
Let us explore some advantages of using cast-iron pans.
- If you want to handle or use some kitchen accessories roughly, it is better to select cast-iron pans. They are ideal for rough use.
- Another advantage of using cast iron is these pans can withstand any high temperature.
- It is good to invest in cast iron pans because you can use them for multipurpose uses and works. This is not applicable for non-stick pans.
- As the cast iron can tolerate any high temperature, you can use it for grilling pizzas.
- You can also use the cast iron pans for making foods during the campfire.
- It does not have any Teflon cover that may deteriorate with time and use.
- It is a cost-effective product for your kitchen. It means that within a nominal price you can cook your food. You can also use the pan for decades.
- You can use cast iron pans of several sizes without damaging your pocket. They are user-friendly tools for your kitchen.
Which are better cast iron pans or the non-stick pans?
Here comes a vital question. Which one would you choose for your use in the kitchen? You will get the basic difference between these two irons in the next few lines. This will help in the easy distinction process.
Heating capacity
The primary factor of a pan is distinguished as per its heating factors. While you attempt to buy a pan, you must consider which one heats better and faster. Cast iron pans are best known for their heating capacity. It heats well and evenly throughout the surface. You have seen that cast iron pans are always used for sautéing and searing the food. On the other part, you can use the non-stick pans for medium and low heating purposes. However, you may have noticed that the Teflon coating found on the upper part of the pan gets removed after use. So cooking on such a pan is not allowed for an extended period. If you consider both these pans, you will find that the cast iron pans are much better and have a good heating capacity. This is not applicable in the case of non-stick pans. They are sometimes used for enhancing the kitchen’s beauty. If you heat the non-stick pan for a specific time, it will burn.
Safety level of the pans
It is also considered that the safety of the pan is a primary concern for the users. If you heat the non-stick pans up to 500 degrees the pan will start emitting a toxic gas that is harmful for your health. But this is not the problem with the cast iron pans. They are much safer and better. These pans are always great in making or preparing healthy foods. When planning to buy a pan, you must always consider the health benefits. This is why most people prefer to buy traditional cast iron pans.
Heat distribution capacity
On the other part, non-stick pans have an aluminum coating. Aluminum is a good conductor of heat. This helps in the quick and even heat distribution all over the surface. But the retention power of the non-stick pans is much lower. This means it takes a long time to cool down. As it heats quickly, it does not have any preheating time. But cast iron pans have much preheating time. Cast iron pans are a bad conductor of heat. It takes about 10minutes of time to preheat. Once it gets heated, it becomes evenly heated.
Maintenance facility
If you buy a pan, you must consider its maintenance policies and guidelines. In the case of non-stick pans, it requires special care for maintaining the pan, you cannot scrub the pan. You have to wash it with a mild soap gently. But you can rough use a cast iron pan. It requires less or little maintenance. If the pan’s lifetime is considered, it will be found that cast iron can give you the best support you lifelong. You can wash it with any scrubber or materials. It will provide you with the best service.
Induction or oven-safe
It would help if you always remembered that you cannot use non-stick pans be used on induction cooktops. You can get a few of them which are compatible with induction. But you can use the cast iron pans on the induction oven or stoves. You can also use cast iron pans on high heat or flames. It will never get burnt. But if you place the non-stick pans on high heat or flames, you will soon find that it is getting burnt and becomes tough to handle. You can cook on non-stick pans in a medium or low flame. High flame is unfavorable for the non-stick pans. You must have observed most delicious dishes are made on cast iron pans.
Thoughts
It is now found that pans are an essential kitchen tool. It is vehemently used for making a wide number of dishes. But the issue arises which one to choose? Most of you may get concerned about it this matter. It is okay to go with the non-stick pans but if durability and maintenance are a matter, it is okay to go with the cast iron pans. They were in use for an extended period and have slightly lost their importance with the emergence of the non-stick pans. But they are the perfect ones in all aspects.
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Hi, my name is Ashley Robinson. I’m a food blogger and a part time chef in Food & Drink Junction, Denver. With my blog I’m sharing information & tutorials about different kinds of cooking pans.
