What is the advantage of a steel skillet over a cast iron one? I currently use cast iron for most everything and am curious what I might be missing.
Pan sauces made with wine, vinegar, or any other acid are better in stainless steel. If you put any acid in cast-iron, you are harming your seasoning, and leeching iron into your food. This will affect the taste of your sauces, I find pan sauces taste metallic when made in cast iron.
Stainless steel also heats up and cools down much faster than cast-iron. This is great when you need quick heat, or fine control of your heat. You can also plunge a piping hot stainless pan into an ice-bath without cracking it in half.
If there's an advantage to getting a steel skillet as well, what would be recommended?
Go with a a bonded stainless-steel pan with an aluminum core. The most well known manufacturer is All-Clad. The stainless steel exterior is great due to it's non reactivity, you can literally put anything in it. The aluminum core distributes the heat much more quickly and evenly, minimizing hot-spots.
Is a steel skillet good for cooking omelettes?
Not in my opinion. I go with a non-stick pan every time.
I have to recommend sticking with a nonstick pan for eggs. There's simply nothing better, although well seasoned cast iron comes awful close. If you're spending more than $20 for a nonstick egg pan, you're doing it wrong. You don't need Calphalon, or any other big name for a good nonstick pan. Go to a restaurant supply store if you can and buy a cheap one there. With care it should last you 2-5 years depending on use. I found my current one at a Bed Bath & Beyond.
America's Test Kitchen published a review of eight models in the April 2010 issue of Cook's Country.
Their test covered several common tasks for an immersion blender:
- Mayonnaise emulsification
- Making soup
- Whipping cream
- Making smoothies with frozen ingredients
- Making pesto
They evaluated the blenders on three criteria: performance, usability, and ease of cleaning. The only blender to perform at the highest level across all three, and the only to win their top honors of "highly recommended" is the Kalorik Sunny Morning Stick Mixer.
The model that I use is the KitchenAid Hand Blender. I have never had a problem with it, and it was the only other model reviewed to be recommended. It was dinged a few points in the soup & whipped cream tests.
The remaining models were either recommended "with reservations", or outright not recommended. The reasons for these included:
- No cup included. The cup is important for ensuring optimal mixing.
- Battery powered
- Having to hold two buttons to use
- Ridiculously loud
- Excessive vibrations
- General discomfort & fatigue
- Poor performance with one or more of the food tasks. This was typically attributed to either a weak motor, or a poor blade cage design. A poorly designed cage can restrict the circulation of food resulting in portions being over blended.
None of the models reviewed included a Sunbeam or Braun. However, the Cuisinart model was, and received the lowest marks of all.
Best Answer
I think it's hard to find this online. You better check your kitchen appliance store.
I did find this that is compatible with these plates, but I don't think they'll ship to where you live. Plus they are quite expensive and I have no idea about their quality.