Best skillets in lieu of Teflon

They are sticky because you are leaving oil in them. I clean mine with soap and water then warm them on the stove to make sure they are dry. They are slicker than teflon pans when using them.

Cast iron is great.


I really like my stainless.



As mentioned above, I also have enameled cast iron and also bought Staub- I think I’d describe it more as a pretty direct competitor to Le Creuset than a cheaper alternative. And their finishes are more subtle.
If you want cheaper alternatives, Lodge and Tramontina would probably fit the bill. And if you want to find one for cheap, there is almost always 1-2 options in a Marshall’s/HomeGoods/TJ Max of the “cheaper” alternatives. They hold up pretty well, but if you go this route, I’d recommend the Le Creuset bi-material utensils to use on them- they’re black nylon with a silicone tip (red or blue). I use them for almost all of my cooking, including on stainless, unless I need a tool I don’t have (tongs, fork)- I really like the way they work. Another very nice set of silicone tools is made by Henckels, but they’re a step down from the Le Creuset in performance. Maybe a slightly better look though.

quote:

---

I only wipe them down and just rinse them out after use, keep a sheen of olive oil on them, but they're still sticky and not easy to use as Teflon is.

---

The key to cast iron is the seasoning. You are trying to polymerize the oil with high heat and an oil with a high smoke point. After that, you can wash it, despite what others may say. Just use a little mild soap and a sponge or brush, not steel wool. Dry it thoroughly and use light oil on the inside of the skillet. Buff out excess oil to avoid stickiness. I personally wouldn't bother with putting oil other than on the inside area of the pan.

That is my advice, for what it is worth (which is probably not much)

Y’all aren't talking about these coated (on the cooking area) type cast iron?

I was just talking about the below type cast iron.
Is one better to have than another?

Both of those are good but I assumed you were talking about

A good and simple explanation from Lodge

https://www.lodgecastiron.com/discover/cleaning-and-care/cast-iron/how-clean-cast-iron

I use soap on my cast iron and never have a problem. You can strip it down and reseason it properly and you shouldn't have any issues with sticking, even using soap. Scrub it with some steel wool and barkeeper's friend, dry it really well, then put a coat of oil so thin that you'd think there's not any on it. Put it in the oven upside down at 425 for an hour, turn the oven off and let it cool.

quote:

---

put a coat of oil so thin that you'd think there's not any on it. Put it in the oven upside down at 425 for an hour, turn the oven off and let it cool.

---

That will definitely cure the stickiness. I'd suggest putting it on the middle rack and putting a cookie sheet or foil on the rack below it.

Sams… Member Mark Skillets… in the restaurant supply stuff… they are about $12/$15 bucks… non stick… when they lose their “non-stick” character… chunk them and buy another one. Can’t beat ‘em for the money.

That enamel coated pan is not going to be as slick as a non coated cast iron pan. Stop oiling after cooking and make sure it is dry when you put it up and cast iron is the best thing out there.

quote:

---

I clean mine with soap and water

---

Your cast iron?