I'm mot a noob cook, but it's the first time I'm buying myself a proper kitchenware. I have a hard time deciding which frying pan would be the best form me. In fact I'm pretty much set on buying 2 pans, as it seems there is no one pan that cover all the situations.
I cook pretty lot of italian food. I don't do meat too often (and I plan stopping eating it at all very soon), rather many vegetable/flour dishes. Usually I cook for myself (sometimes for 2), but often do big portions of the dish that will last me for 2-3 days. Of course sometimes I fry myself an egg or just need to fry some onion for some other dish.
I want a solid and versatile solution. I can and am willing to take care for it, so I don't mind if it needs seasonig or cannot be cleaned with soap.
Though I don't want to pay only for a brand name, budget is not that big of a problem, as I think it'll be a profitable investition.
After doing pretty extensive reading on my own it seems stainless steel, regular (non-enameled) cast-iron and enameled cast-iron are the most commonly advised. I'm pretty much set on that one of the pans I'll be buying will be cast iron, as it's said to be very solid and good for everything other than acids.
Questions:
Which one do you think would make a better addition to a cast-iron pan: stainless steel or enameled cast-iron? If stainless steel, then pure steel or one with non-stick/copper coating?
What sized do you think would be the best? I'm thinking about 26cm (10 inches) diameter. Should I go for a slightly bigger 28cm? I have even bigger problem with the depth. Should I buy a shallow frying pan (like this one: http://www.skeppshult.com/en/sortiment/professional/frying-pans/0260-2/) or deep pan (like this: http://www.skeppshult.com/en/sortiment/professional/deep-pans/deep-pan-25-cm/)?
Do you think a lid for the pan is a must-have?
What are the best materials for handles? Many manufacturers do wooden handles, but I doubt it being a good solution, as you cannot put a pan in the oven then. Are steel handles okay?
What brands would you recommend? (I'm living in Poland, so no US-only brands please) I heard Skeepshult makes very good cast-iron, but I also read that it's not use in buying expensive brand cast iron pan, as the cheaper solutions aren't any worse. For enameled cast iron people recommended Chasseur and Le Creuset (this one also makes stainless steel pans). What would you recommend for stainless steel?
Best Answer
If I could only have two pans, those pans would be a high quality 12 inch stainless steel skillet, and an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven. Both pans would have a lid. Tempered glass lids are nice on the skillet/fry pan, but the quality of the skillet is more important.
Fantasy Skillet
Fantasy Dutch Oven
Dutch ovens come in a huge range of sizes. Consider the size you want carefully, this pan should outlive you. Are you likely to be cooking for a larger number of people at some point in time? For someone to whom both are available, there is no way I would recommend paying $300 or more for the Le Creuset brand, when Lodge makes virtually the same pan for $60. I'll have some more info for you in a bit (note: we later discussed it at length in chat), but I probably won't recommend a specific brand unless I happen to find a credible source for such a recommendation.