My grandmother's cast iron skillet vs the nonstick pan I bought 3 years ago in Pittsburgh

I found my grandmother's old cast iron skillet in her basement last spring. It was rusted and gross, but I spent a weekend scrubbing it down with salt and oil. Now I fry chicken in it and nothing sticks, plus it cost me zero dollars. That $40 nonstick pan I bought from Target started peeling after 6 months. Has anyone else gone back to old cookware and saved money?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley_price4d ago

Oh man, I gotta disagree a little here. I tried going back to cast iron and it was just too heavy and finicky for me, plus I couldn't get the seasoning right no matter what I did. My nonstick pans usually last me a couple years too, but I only ever use wooden or silicone utensils in them and never put them in the dishwasher. Maybe it's just me but I think a lot of the peeling comes from people stacking them or using metal spatulas.

juliahall4d ago

Notice how people act like there's only one right way to do something in the kitchen and everything else is wrong. Cast iron works great for some folks but it's not a magic bullet for everyone, just like how nonstick has its place too. I've seen people get so caught up in what's trendy or "proper" that they forget cooking is supposed to be about what works for you and your life. It's the same thing with all those kitchen gadgets that everyone says you absolutely need to have, when really most of us get by fine with just a few solid basics. Maybe the real trick isn't which pan is better, but learning to use whatever you've got without breaking it.