Please recommend your favorite "safe" egg pan

[freestylemama]

Our Caphalon egg pan is on the fritz and I'm looking to replace it. I don't want anything non-stick. I'm thinking I want cast iron or enamel. We have a stainless steel one that came with a set and I hate it. It's really sticky and doesn't work well. What kind of small frying pans would you recommend for us?

Thanks!

[Drummer's Wife]

I just use stainless, and as long as I have a metal spatula and enough grease (either oil, butter, or bacon drippings), eggs turn out great.

But, I'd love a cast iron pan and wonder what others use as well...

[jeminijad]

I have just perfected doing eggs in stainless steel, and will just toss my 1 nonstick omelette pan when it gets scratched.

Low and slow and plenty of grease, w/room temperature eggs.

Besides that, you either need a well seasoned cast iron pan, which takes time, or the stainless steel technique on enamel.

IMO a single teflon pan, used only for eggs/crepes, never on higher than medium heat, unscratched, is not a health hazard.

[GiantGi]

We only use cast iron. We have all sizes, shapes, brands. My only negative comment is they are so darn heavy. Other than that we love them!

[freestylemama]

Thanks ladies! For those of you who have cast iron, do you have a brand that you recommend? We have a huge Lodge frying pan and a Le Crueset dutch oven. I like them both for different things which is why I'm having a tough time with this. The Lodge pan is super cheap, but I have a serious for gorgeous French cookware.

[painefaria]

We have a $10 small cast iron pan from a restaurant supply store. I-LOVE-IT. It did not take a long time to season, cook bacon in it. I have found that the pans that we cook bacon in are wonderful Cast iron is not as scary as many think it is .

[texmati]

cast iron here. non -enamled. Can't help with the brand though. I'd just make sure the inside was smooth and not pitted.

[hildare]

i'll take a well seasoned iron # 9 any day for eggies. i have even perfected frittata in it. i think ours are lodge brand but that should make no difference. i will say that many recipes i've seen are set for # 10's, though.

[BedHead]

Another vote for cast iron. Mine are bits and pieces I've collected over the years, including one from Goodwill and one from my grandma I have a mini frying pan that's perfect for eggs. If you get one new or preseasoned, I agree that cooking bacon in it is a great thing to get it seasoned right!

[jeminijad]

See, bacon ends up leaving little bits of the meat stuck to my cast iron... I have the best success seasoning by frying w/an inch or so of fat.

[mamadelbosque]

We use cast iron. Mine are fairly well seasoned, but I still prefer to use a goodly bit of butter to ensure they flip easily.

ETA: Most of my cast iron is Lodge, with some other random off-brand stuff thrown in that I've picked up here and there.

[MrsMike]

I do cast iron or stainless steel. Like a pp said, I make sure I have enough butter on the pan and keep the heat low. No problems with stick. I also have several cast iron pans. All are Lodge brand and I really like them. I haven't had any issues with seasoning. My brother and my mom cook bacon on them to season them. I just oil them up and either heat them stove top or bake them for a few minutes. Works well for me. :-)

[freestylemama]

Thanks again! I'm going to go with another Lodge. How do you care for yours? I think I've messed with my big one by using soap.

[sosurreal09]

i vote cast iron.

you dont use any detergent just a scrub brush and water nd before it dries rub a little oil on it

[Magelet]

I agree, a well seasoned cast iron with plenty of fat is the best by far. I have two lodge pans. they are pitted, and not smooth, but they're quite well seasoned now and work great. I have a little 8 in which I like for doing eggs for one person (I usually do eggs for one person, then eggs for the next).
I love my pans though if I were buying them again, I'd get something old and smooth.

[JamieCatheryn]

Time to brag a little...I have a Le Creuset cast iron frying pan handed down to us from DH's grandmother. It's perfect, so smooth from years and years of use, nothing better for frying eggs in the world. It just takes a little bit of butter or oil to cook in, and has to be good and hot when you begin. When it does get stuck-on stuff I just scrub under hot running water really quick and it's clean.

[CookiePie]

Well seasoned cast iron!!!

[Llyra]

My favorite pan for cooking eggs is an 80 year old cast iron pan handed down from DH's great-grandmother. I only cook in cast iron, except for a few saucepans that are stainless steel.

Start with a good hot pan, then add your fat. Don't be stingy with it. When the fat is good and hot, THEN add the egg, and you should have next to no sticking. After cooking, rinse the pan in some cold water, use a cloth or sponge or whatever I wipe away any solids stuff then rinse again, and wipe out the pan with a towel. If it does get gunky or something sticks, you can get it loosened with filling the pan with water and boiling for a few minutes.

[cristeen]

At home I use CI. At my grandmother's this morning I used stainless. Either way, it's the same method. My DH always questions why my eggs slide right out of the pan and his don't... but like a pp said - low and slow. I only heat the pan up enough to melt the butter and get it hot. Once I do that, I crack in the eggs and turn the temp down to low and cover it. It takes about 5 minutes or so, but with just a tiny bit of help, my eggs slide right out of the pan.

[texmati]

Originally Posted by cristeen

At home I use CI. At my grandmother's this morning I used stainless. Either way, it's the same method. My DH always questions why my eggs slide right out of the pan and his don't... but like a pp said - low and slow. I only heat the pan up enough to melt the butter and get it hot. Once I do that, I crack in the eggs and turn the temp down to low and cover it. It takes about 5 minutes or so, but with just a tiny bit of help, my eggs slide right out of the pan.

totally trying this tomorrow morning!