Until recently, I used traditional non-stick pans: I thought that iron pans were from another time, when women went to the river to do the washing! But my colleagues insisted, so I gave them a try…
Before working at Tompress, I thought that iron pans were from the days when women washed clothes in the river! I certainly didn´t imagine that you could still use such archaic utensils. I am a mum and my days are pretty full - I don´t have time for folklore. But here we have these handsome pans and my colleagues were very insistent, with arguments such as ""sick and tired of non-stick pans that have to be replaced all the time"". So I went for it.
First test with a blini pan. The first pan I bought was for blinis. The feature (*) in one hand and my little pan in the other, convinced that this would be the only one, I was already planning to complain about this utensil. All those complicated preparations are not for me. I would try it out of curiosity, but that would be it. Anyway, if these pans are so great, then why did our grandmothers stop using them?
Observations: Firstly, the seasoning was not a problem.
It´s easy and if something goes wrong you can just start again. My father, thinking he was doing me a favour, spent ages scrubbing at my seasoning ""to get rid of the brown stains"". Obviously, the next day I wanted to make blinis, I discovered a rusty pan and I thought that all was lost. If this kind of accident happens to you, clean it with hot water and the scrubbing side of a sponge. Once it is clean, start the seasoning again. It´s magic!
The more you use it, the better it works. After several uses, the pan darkens. The seasoning becomes more resistant and smoother. You can even clean your pan after using it with a drop of detergent and some gently scrubbing to make the cooking surface smooth. Rinse with hot water and oil it with kitchen paper: it´s ready for the next time.
A real plus in the kitchen. I can´t deny that it took me a little while to adapt. It´s a little like changing ovens: you need to get used to it. Once you get the hang of it, it´s fantastic. The food does not react in the same way. It browns more quickly and is more tender. There is a kind of sensuality to cooking with steel. The exchange is not aseptic with a coat of heat resistant plastic and it´s all the better for it.
I am from the teflon generation, but I didn´t throw my oven away when I got a microwave. Steel pans are real cooking instruments. You just need to get to know them!
My advice and info Do not heat too much. At first, I thought that I always had to work with a very hot pan. This was a mistake. Too hot, and it will burn in any cooking fat. You can rub gently. Seasoning is not a build up of dirt. When your pan begins to get dark, you can rub it with the scrubbing side of the sponge if it is soft or old. Rub gently, the way you would rub something that scratches easily. For smells Bruno Tenailleau has pans that are only for fish and you can read his advice feature about this. I use my pans for everything. I clean them carefully and there is no smell. Vinegar and lemon. If you have glazed with vinegar or other acidic products such as lemon, wash it quickly and oil your pan because the acid will make it rust. Induction +++ There´s nothing like induction for steel pans! Refer to the feature ""Seasoning a metal pan""
