$11.96 (save $2.99) for a 25cm Cast Iron Skillet at Rays outdoors.
Picked up a few today in store, they look pretty decent.
Sick of paying $100 plus for a 'non stick' bran name fry pan. So this seems a decent alternative.
Cheapest price I could find for pickup in Melbourne.
Enjoy :)
Shipping seems to be $9.80 flat rate (to Melbourne) so unless buying quite a few, it's probably better to just pick up in store.
theres a reason why you pay money for a non stick though…cast iron is a B… to clean
like the OP ive been converted from shit non stick that you only have to look at the wrong way and it gets scratched and destroyed… most things just need a simple wipe out after use with cast iron and pretty much no way to hurt the surface.
its not for everyone or every situation i agree, but cast iron is great once you know how to cook with them.
+100!
Better for you as well. Cast iron adds iron to your food. Non stick (and a lesser extent stainless) adds chemicals and other metals to your food.
You know nothing. Cast iron needs to be seasoned and then will be far better non-stick than shitty chemical non-stick. It'll also handle a greater temperature.
Amen. Cast iron FTW. Season it properly and regularly, don't leave anything sitting in it for long periods (including water), and if you're really keen wash it without soap and it'll be more non stick in 50 years than any teflon frying pan will be after 5 years.
Absolutely. I use non-stick for delicate egg dishes (like omelettes). Cast iron for everything else.
EDIT: oh, and I've been using the same pair of cast iron frying pans for more than a decade now. They are un-killable.
nairdajun,
Cast iron rules.
Permit me to explain.
If you like food that actually tastes better, is not harmful to your health (no cancers from the toxic materials used on non-stick frypans) and almost never has serious food-sticking issues (yes), read on.
Health effects of non-stick surfaces
Widespread knowledge is out there for those who care about their health. Google away.
Better cooking
The heat transfer properties of cast iron rule.
Tastier food
Cast iron - to me - cooks far tastier food (it has no "non-stick taste") is easier to maintain than non-stick garbage - I never wash it with detergent. I can never go back to non-stick garbage on taste alone.
Price
Non-stick offerings sell at this price too; have you been shopping lately? What they get you is comparatively low-value! At this price (and hundreds above it) I'd still choose cast iron!
If you want a dense and good skillet/pan, prepare to pay in non-stick world. Not so with cast iron; it's mostly ignored by the masses and as such is supreme value which should last a lifetime with some basic care, and not give you cancer.
Maintenance
At most, I wash it with some running water and give it a light brush, then re-apply oil.
I never use detergent on cast iron when cleaning - ever. So to me it's easier to keep and care for.
As you know cast iron is best stored with a thin layer of oil on it to prevent rust; and that's exactly how mine is kept (though I'm often lazy/forgetful to oil the bottom of the skillet…no big deal). Usually, after cooking I just put the skillet away; oil from the previous cook is just left around on the top surface. If it needs cleaning, a bit of water will do, and a light brush, before being oiled (or water added again) for cooking, just as you would a normal pan/skillet.
Mine has wooden handles with a hook at the end which I prefer over non-wooden handle, so this deal isn't outstanding but it's good anyway.
Stickyness
A good 95% of what I cook on it hardly sticks anyway. And when it does it's relatively easy to brush off with some water and a small brush or spatula. If you've really borked things, a simple soak with some water will soften anything and everything up; but I can't remember the last time I've done this.
Just about everything comes off quite easily. Yes; cast iron, the original non-stick! (without the cancer)
The masses are wrong (again)
After using cast iron for the first time (a $14 2.5KG skillet from the Kmart camping section) I wondered why on earth this non-stick garbage was selling. I was converted. Totally converted. Such a hefty and fine skillet selling for such a low price.
The heat transmission properties of cast iron rule.
The food from it tastes better.
And I don't get cancer?
No non-stick toxins in your bloodstream. It's simply better in every way, to me.
See the light!
:)
1 - non stick is great for frying eggs. Foar a thick rare steak with a nice crust on the outside, you can't beat a heavy cast iron pan. It has more thermal mass, and it has no coating that you have to worry about burning so you can heat it as much as you like.
2 - there are plenty of branded cast iron pans that are way more expensive than a lot of non-sticks.
also handy for unwanted intruders.
Does this have a flat bottom? I want to be able to use it on an induction cooktop as well.
I bought one a few weeks ago for $15. It did not have a perfectly flat bottom; the kookaburra logo and name was embossed in the bottom. However I used it on an induction cook top and it worked very well.
thanks!
looks very heavy!!!
how many kg?
Many. Cast iron ain't light.
The heaviness is one of the features! A heavy pan holds heat much better. slap a thick steak on it it will sizzle and continue sizzling, creating that nice crust on the outside.
try the same with a thin, light pan and it will stop sizzling quite quickly as the cold meat cools the pan down.. then you'll have to wait for the pan and the meat to heat back up together.. which means a longer cooking time, and grey, lifeless meat.
"Outdoors Instore" - wait where is this sale?
Thought this had to do with the band for a second. :((((((