For those looking for a good non-stick skillet I HIGHLY suggest the T-fal Signature series, or any of T-Fal's higher end pans, I have had mine for two years,take great care of them and they still look and perform like brand new, Americas Test Kitchen on PBS also tested about a dozen pans under $30 and the T-Fal was by far the winner. They had to stop the test after frying 76 eggs consecutively with no oil and still NONE stuck, the runner up pan stalled at 42. As mentioned by JS though, DO NOT cook on high heat and DO NOT use metal utensils and these pans will last forever and are, in my opinion, 100x less aggravating than cooking with cast iron.

Excellent advice - and I love my cast iron skillet!

I have to disagree with you about chopping boards, though. I live in a fishing village, in which the word came down from on high, a few years ago. EU bureaucrats, in their wisdom, had decided that all wooden filleting stations, wooden filleting knives and wooden fish boxes must go, and be replaced by plastic. Unfortunately, this led to fish processing areas that were much more difficult to decontaminate and to de-"smell", as it turns out the traditional wooden tools and filleting boards were naturally antiseptic and antibacterial, certainly far more so than plastic, especially once it has been scored by a knife. (Also, apparently, the unriveted plastic handled knives wouldn't hold their edge as long as the wooden handled ones - anecdotally from fish filleters paid piecework rates).

I never oil my wooden butcher block kitchen counters - yes, my whole kitchen is one big wooden chopping board! I just wipe with a damp cloth, and, if any residues remain, scrape with a dry kitchen "scratchie". I always make sure the surface is bone dry before each new use.

Re: non-stick pans: I just got a Green Pan (mineral-based non-stick coating) and I LOVE it. You can use it on high heat, won't blister or peel. I usually use cast iron for steaks, but tried searing in this pan and it worked great (though, I still prefer cast iron for meat). Wipes clean with a paper towel - just awesome.

I would say another item that is essential for the kitchen is a ramekin (well, ramekins) - great for holding herbs, spices, veggies etc that you've cut up during prep, great for serving small side dishes, great for lots fo things... and you can get 'em at a dollar store.

Another - a silicone muffin pan. Why? For freezing 'pucks' of bone broth. Pour 1/4 - 1/2 cup of broth in each muffin cup, stick in freezer, then pop out the pucks when frozen and store in a big ziploc in the freezer (they'll peel right out of the cup). Super easy to grab a puck or two when you need them and chuck them in a pot. They are also great for freezing single servings of, say, chicken liver mousse.

J,

Quick question: Any thoughts on Chris Kresser's cookware post?

I love my anodized aluminum pan (per your recommendation!) and am loathe to toss it. Any thoughts on the absolute risk of my pan? Any thoughts on alternatives?

(FYI: I have cast iron and treat it well, but it doesn't compared to my anodized skillet in non-stick-iness and low-maintenance-iness. Also, I have family members (who I hope aren't reading this post!) who aren't diligent about pan care when it comes to my cast iron.)

Thanks!
@

I get the convenience of non-stick pans but can't trust the chemical processes used for any of the surfaces; I do not want to be a chemistry experiment. I prefer the traditional cast iron, and I am so used to them that I find the seasoning on balance no more time consuming than the effort to avoid using the wrong utensil with the non-sticks.

Another benefit (or so I have heard) of cast iron is that thye provide an extra source of iron in the diet. Not so important in the grass fed red meat paleo world but still a plus, especially for menstrating women.

Hey...just wanted to put in my 2 cents on the nonstick/cast iron/steel thing in the comments here.

There are other options for those who don't like either...Real Pyrex CorningWare and Pyrex Visions are ceramic and glass that is safe for oven, microwave, and stovetop...in fact the Pyrex Visions glass that I have is resistant enough to heat shock that it can go from freezer to oven (or at least was advertised as such back in the day!)

Digging this site, by the way!

What about grilling? Doesn't the smaller direct contact between the meat and the hot metal have its advantages too? 🙂

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