Absolutely nothing to do with IT.........

Markverhyden

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Read an article today in the Wall Street Journal. Like to cook and a couple of skillets are getting long in the tooth so it piqued my interest. A commenter mentioned that Solidteknics hadn't been reviewed. Found out it's from Australia so was wondering if any members from down under have ever used them. Haven't used teflon pans in years but other non-stick alternatives leave me wanting. TIA.

 
@Markverhyden

Just curious about what attracts you to Solidtekniks? It appears they make good wrought iron pans, which are lighter than cast iron, but are very expensive and still require care that's akin to cast iron (which, in my opinion, once you've laid down a multi-layer seasoning, isn't onerous). Their stainless seems to me to be, well, stainless.

I love my well seasoned cast iron, but I am considering acquiring some carbon steel pans to reduce weight, but these require the same sort of initial seasoning as non-seasoned cast iron does (or it often does, anyway).

Nothing comes close to the PTFE (and derivatives) non-sticks, but well seasoned cast iron or carbon steel, with the use of very little oil can get mighty close.
 
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@britechguy

I do have and use cast iron. Works great for most tasks. Also have some stainless which I inherited from my mother. The biggest short coming is if I'm make something like blacken shrimp or salmon. That dictates heating the pan to very high temperatures before adding what ever. Inevitably I'll get a crust sticking to the pan. Stainless and anodized aluminum just need a little soak in hot soapy water. So that's the interest.

@GTP

I've owned many teflon skillets, including from TeFal. They just don't last no matter how careful one is. I've probably tossed 10+ over the years. And yes, teflon skillets are a lower cost. But a 12" stainless skillet from good brands are similarly priced.
 
@Markverhyden

Does your cast iron not release, and easily, when doing a sear/blackening?

Most cooks try to "check" and when doing very high heat sears things will remain "stuck" even on properly seasoned cast iron until the "crust is complete" and then they, almost like magic, will release. But there is no danger in using modern dish detergent for soaking the interior of a cast iron pan, at least if you don't let it soak for days. Back in the day, even before I was born, the lye-based soaps in use at the time would severely damage or remove the seasoning in the pan, and pretty quickly at that. The stuff we have now is great at getting rid of liquid fats, but terrible at removing the polymerized fat that is the seasoning on cast iron, which is precisely what you want if you get sticking because you didn't/can't use any oil for the task at hand. I have a large collection of cast iron, along with modern stainless (Analon Nouvelle), and some All-Clad non-stick (which does work wonderfully). I grew up with stainless cookware, and I still use it, but very seldom the fry pans. Either cast iron or modern non-stick are just much less work to clean up.
 
There is a brand of cookware that's made in Australia called "Made in."
Their stainless steel skillets are $600+ for a set of 3 sizes.

ScanPan are also highly regarded, as is Osmo and several others.

My mum has a cookware set she got from a door-to-door seller called Dickens and Carey in about 1976 -77?
I'm now 67 and the cookware is being used by my sister after mum passed a few weeks ago. I cant remember the brand (not sure it was even branded) but it's still in perfect condition.
ChatGPT tells me is was most certainly from either:

West Bend (USA)
Regal Ware (USA)
Silex or Corning (USA)
Or possibly Austral Cookware (Aus)

It's a really heavy set of stainless steel of pots and pans.
 
Personally I prefer a stainless steel as it can be a non-stick if you "grease" it right for each use and as easy to control as any non-stick vs Cast Iron which I struggle to use them and even more to to maintain them. Mostly just butter, olive oil, or tallow when I need to "grease" a pan which I tend to use regardless of if the pan is non-stick or stainless.
 
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