Cookware (frying pan) for a glass cooktop?

[z91]

We always buy nonstick pans from Amazon or the local grocery store and they last 6-9 months (as I expect) and we buy a new one. I'm trying to move away from nonstick due to the coating and it looks like stainless steel is probably the way to go, but I don't know which one to buy. We have an All-Clad with a 12" lid, and I love the size, but the D3 ones from All-Clad don't look as deep (can't find a depth spec, but judging from pics it looks more shallow).

We typically cook stir fry dishes and need the depth. I understand with stainless we need to use oil/butter which is just fine for me, but I can't seem to find the right pan size online. As much as I'd like to see them in person, I won't take the risk with going outside unnecessarily.

FWIW this is the pan we have now that we are replacing:
https://www.all-clad.com/Cookware/Fry-P ... 2100090552

[ballons]

If you want perfect non-stick stainless, just use spray oil like PAM. Use Bar Keepers Friend for deep cleaning.

If you are going all-clad, call or email them the question about depths. They should be able to tell you exactly which one fits your needs.

[Lalamimi]

get an electric wok!

[mecht3ach]

Do you think that you have the arm strength to move on to cast iron? If so, the way that it heats up is amazing for stir fry dishes, among many other things. A lot of people are also intimidated by the idea of seasoning and cleaning it, but there are a couple of models that come with a quality pre-seasoning, and cleaning usually just requires water and maybe a stiff brush (and you can use dish soap from time to time, as heretical as that seems, as long as you don't leave it soaking!). We also have a glass top stove fwiw.

Our two go-to pieces are the 14-inch Lodge Pro-Logic Wok (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00063RXQK/), at around $49, and the Signature Skillet (10.25") from Le Creuset (Bloomingdales, of all places, often has this on sale for $100). We use those two pieces for almost everything - stir fries, of course, but also eggs, quesadillas, bistro-style filets (the WSJ recipe), shakshuka, a modified dol sot bibimbap, etc. - they are very flexible.

I do like stainless steel, and I have some All Clad SS pieces that we pull out occasionally (including a 5 qt copper core saute pan that is great for sauces, chilis, etc.), but the Lodge and the Le Creuset are the ones that end up on the top of the stove most of the time.

[mjk280]

I find it takes too much oil to cook eggs and other foods in stainless. Get a carbon steel pan. One from lodge de buyer or mauviel will last a lifetime and be as nonstick as Teflon after a good season. Use stainless for water or acidic foods and carbon for frying.

[Lee_WSP]

How much do you want to spend? How much weight can you handle?

In descending order of quality:

2.5 mm + copper (Mauviel 250, Falk)
5 mm aluminum (Ballarini 4000) - Unfortunately no one makes a bi metal or tri metal with 5 mm aluminum core.
2 mm copper (Falk Copper Couer)
3.7 mm aluminum - Demeyere Proline
1.5 mm copper (Mauviel 150 series)
2 mm aluminum - Demeyere Industry 5 AKA 5 Plus; Zwilling Aurora
1.7 mm aluminum - All Clad; Cuisinart Multiclad; et al
4mm of cast iron or carbon steel (except for high heat searing, carbon steel excels at searing)


See this website for a chart of measurements of cookware.
https://www.centurylife.org/how-thick-i ... -warranty/

[stan1]

We bought a ceramic "Green Pan" at Williams Sonoma which is a different non stick surface that you've probably bought at the grocery store. Happy with it so far. Works nicely on our induction cooktop.

Here's a link to the 12" pan with lid:
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/product ... sx=0.0.272

No need for butter, oil, or Pam. Washes out very easily.

[adamthesmythe]

Cast iron is not recommended for glass ceramic cooktops because of scratching. As far as I am concerned, one of many reasons not to have a ceramic cooktop. (I changed mine to gas).

Strange to use cheap disposable nonstick pans and a ridiculously expensive All-clad (in my opinion anyway).

I have decent quality nonstick that have lasted several years now. Some things are only practical in non-stick pans.

[mrsbetsy]

I've had a glass cooktop since 2010 and use cast iron and have no scratches. I just don't shake it around I guess? I have a son with autism and there's no way in hell I"m having a gas stove in my house.

Cast iron is the best and I'll never cook without one. Stirfry gets the perfect seer without the mush/steam. You don't even need much oil at all if you keep your pan seasoned well.

Avoid Pam and get an oil spritzer for better delivery and health.

[prairieman]

I would never give up either my cast iron pan or my glass-top stove and they seem to get along with each other just fine. It is counter-intuitive, but cast iron pans are easy to clean and never wear out.

[stimulacra]

I have a glass cooktop. I use cast iron almost exclusively with only a couple of pieces of blued steel and enamel cookware.

I have every size between 4-inch egg pans to 14 inch heavy skillet.

You have to let it pre-heat on medium before adding oil but heat retention is simply amazing.

It'll last much longer than 9 months. I have some pieces over 50 years old in my collection.

For $20, you can get the Lodge 12" pre-seasoned almost anywhere (Walmart, Target, Academy).
https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/lodge- ... atid=27844

[Patzer]

I really like
Anolon Nouvelle Stainless Stainless Steel

Couple of vendors that carry it:
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/ ... et/5329623
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DZX469Y/

[Lee_WSP]

Cast iron is not recommended for glass ceramic cooktops because of scratching. As far as I am concerned, one of many reasons not to have a ceramic cooktop. (I changed mine to gas).

Only if you move it, and to be frank, it's very heavy and not meant to be tossed like a French skillet in the first place. It should function more like a griddle than a frying pan.

[Boglegirl81]

We bought a ceramic "Green Pan" at Williams Sonoma which is a different non stick surface that you've probably bought at the grocery store. Happy with it so far. Works nicely on our induction cooktop.

Here's a link to the 12" pan with lid:
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/product ... sx=0.0.272

No need for butter, oil, or Pam. Washes out very easily.

I bought a Green Pan set when they had them at Costco, and we’ve been very pleased with them too.

[sean2724]

Stainless

Set to medium low with a tablespoon of oil. As the oil thins thoroughly coat the pan. This part is critical - make the oil smoke. When it smokes you’re good. Dump any excess oil. Cook your eggs and watch them slide out of the pan. I haven’t used Teflon in years. Cast iron is preferred for steak. But stainless is awesome when seasoned each use. A soak will clean it ...or scrub that sucker down with barkeeps friend. Be abusive if you need to be. I don’t have the patience for anything but stainless. There is no special care to worry about. Just smoke that oil. It’ll last forever and it’s easier than the rest.

[mroe800]

Do you think that you have the arm strength to move on to cast iron? If so, the way that it heats up is amazing for stir fry dishes, among many other things. A lot of people are also intimidated by the idea of seasoning and cleaning it, but there are a couple of models that come with a quality pre-seasoning, and cleaning usually just requires water and maybe a stiff brush (and you can use dish soap from time to time, as heretical as that seems, as long as you don't leave it soaking!). We also have a glass top stove fwiw.

Our two go-to pieces are the 14-inch Lodge Pro-Logic Wok (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00063RXQK/), at around $49, and the Signature Skillet (10.25") from Le Creuset (Bloomingdales, of all places, often has this on sale for $100). We use those two pieces for almost everything - stir fries, of course, but also eggs, quesadillas, bistro-style filets (the WSJ recipe), shakshuka, a modified dol sot bibimbap, etc. - they are very flexible.

I do like stainless steel, and I have some All Clad SS pieces that we pull out occasionally (including a 5 qt copper core saute pan that is great for sauces, chilis, etc.), but the Lodge and the Le Creuset are the ones that end up on the top of the stove most of the time.

Skip any cast iron you have to season and go straight to Le Creuset/Staub pieces that are enameled.

I have Le Creuset (Signature square griddle skillet w/ panini press top), Staub (12" steam grill), and Demeyere (Atlantis)...they're all quite heavy, though the stainless steel obviously less so than cast iron. You will need strength to work with any of them without tiring/it becoming a chore.

Stainless

Set to medium low with a tablespoon of oil. As the oil thins thoroughly coat the pan. This part is critical - make the oil smoke. When it smokes you’re good. Dump any excess oil. Cook your eggs and watch them slide out of the pan. I haven’t used Teflon in years. Cast iron is preferred for steak. But stainless is awesome when seasoned each use. A soak will clean it ...or scrub that sucker down with barkeeps friend. Be abusive if you need to be. I don’t have the patience for anything but stainless. There is no special care to worry about. Just smoke that oil. It’ll last forever and it’s easier than the rest.

Aren't you polymerizing the oil onto the skillet at that point? I've had bad luck with that. I either heat to Leidenfrost without oil or 90% heat with oil until I see it ripple then reduce to proper cooking heat, pretty good success either way. When I fail to get the pan hot enough, well...the pan lets me know and I don't forget it.

[wallygator]

Do you think that you have the arm strength to move on to cast iron? I

I have read that on most glass tops you shouldn't use cast iron. The heat retention can cause the glass to crack.

We love our Breville electric Wok. Have had it 10 years and no wear to the non stick.

We have had copper pans for years with no wear to the non stick. They heat up quick and are easy to clean.

Good Luck,

Wally

[SquirrelEater]

Lodge Cast iron.
USA made.
Hasn’t scratched my glass cooktop.
We use cast iron more than other options.
If we could go 100% cast iron here we would.
Will likely last for generations; Extremely durable.

[lthenderson]

We have an All-Clad with a 12" lid, and I love the size, but the D3 ones from All-Clad don't look as deep (can't find a depth spec, but judging from pics it looks more shallow).

We typically cook stir fry dishes and need the depth.

We have the All-Clad D3 and it is certainly able to do a stir-fry but we by far prefer to use a carbon steel wok for them. By having a narrower surface area on the actual burner allows you to cook certain things faster by having them on the bottom and certain things slower by having them around the edges. Plus a wok is four or five inches deep so wilting down a head of cabbage for example is quite easy to do without spilling. Our wok also comes with a glass lid too.

[mecht3ach]

Do you think that you have the arm strength to move on to cast iron? I

I have read that on most glass tops you shouldn't use cast iron. The heat retention can cause the glass to crack.

I've used the cast iron on our glass top for the 4+ years we've lived in this current house without a problem, but I suppose that issue is somewhat dependent on the quality of the stove top?

[Lee_WSP]

Do you think that you have the arm strength to move on to cast iron? I

I have read that on most glass tops you shouldn't use cast iron. The heat retention can cause the glass to crack.

I've used the cast iron on our glass top for the 4+ years we've lived in this current house without a problem, but I suppose that issue is somewhat dependent on the quality of the stove top?

Glass cracks due to a severe change in temperature. You'd have to take the super hot pan & put it on one of the cold areas of the glass. It would happen with any very hot & heavy pan. It's also not terribly common, but when it does happen people shout it from the rooftops because it's an exceptional experience.

[Halicar]

Cast iron is not recommended for glass ceramic cooktops because of scratching. As far as I am concerned, one of many reasons not to have a ceramic cooktop. (I changed mine to gas).

I've seen this warning countless times, but I think it's a bit overblown. I've been using cast iron on my glass top stove for 15 years now and I have a tiny bit of barely-noticeable scratching.

[John88]

Recently picked up an 10 in AKI ceramic pan at Grocery Outlet for $15, it is safe non stick and works great. We also have stainless and cast iron. Wife does most of the indoor cooking and this is her "go to" pan.

[goflyers13]

This might be outside the scope of the original question, but I'll give my two cents on cookware. I'd consider myself an advanced home cook, and I've done a lot of research and experimentation with different products.

I don't think you don't need to worry about cast iron scratching your glass cooktop. The glass in those cooktops is much harder than cast iron, so the iron literally can't scratch the glass. Perhaps the pan could drag a hard particle across the stove, but that could happen with any material. I also wouldn't be too concerned about cast iron cracking your cooktop. A crack is most likely to occur when you have a sudden change in temperature inducing thermal stress. Cast iron probably won't heat or cool the cooktop quickly enough to crack it. Try dousing a hot cooktop with ice water if you want to crack it. And as others have mentioned, don't be intimidated by cast iron care/seasoning. Contrary to popular belief, you can wash it with soap and water. Check out seriouseats.com for info on cast iron care.

I understand your concerns about the coatings on non-stick pans, but you can mitigate the issue if you properly care for your pans. Firstly, don't let them get too hot. The non-stick coating begins to break down and emit noxious fumes around 450F, so your pan shouldn't exceed that temperature. If you don't have and infrared thermometer to measure surface temperature, put a teaspoon of peanut or corn oil in a pan. The oil will begin to smoke around 450F. This will help you gauge the maximum safe temperature for your non-stick pans. Secondly, never put a non-stick pan in a dishwasher. The abrasive detergent will damage the non-stick surface. I use my non-stick skillets mostly for eggs and low-heat applications like melting chocolate and butter. I've had the same inexpensive non-stick skillets for almost 4 years, and they're in good shape despite nearly daily use.

If you do a lot of stir-fry dishes on an electric cooktop, a flat-bottomed carbon steel wok is good to have but can be a hassle to properly season. Don't bother with a wok made of anything but carbon steel. I won't delve into the materials science, but a carbon steel wok at maximum heat on your stove will help you achieve beautifully crisp veggies and perfectly seared meats in your stir fry. If you don't want to mess with a carbon steel wok, a cast iron skillet is the next best thing.

And without further ado, here's my list of essential pots and pans for a home cook. You can make almost anything if you have these pots and pans:
1. 10-inch cast iron skillet(s) (highly versatile, very affordable; Lodge is a good inexpensive brand; doesn't hurt to have an 8-incher too)
2. a couple of cheap stainless steel pots of different sizes (use primarily for steaming/boiling)
3. 8-inch non-stick skillet (use primarily for eggs, low-heat applications)
4. 3-quart stainless steel saucier (basically a saucepan with rounded sides so you don't have a corner that a whisk can't get to)
5. 6-quart enameled dutch oven (good for roasts, baked beans, etc.; Lodge is a good inexpensive brand)
6. Heavy-bottomed stock pot (mostly for soup/stock)

[anoop]

These guys have a variety of frying/saute pans.
https://www.fissler.com/us/products/product-list/pots/

and woks
https://www.fissler.com/us/products/pro ... ess-steel/