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I wanted to get a cast iron for some time now, but my apartment has one of those glass covered stoves...dunno what they are called in English. Is there anything I should/have to look for in a cast iron pan that helps me not gently caress up my stovetop?
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Jan 19, 2015 09:34
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 18:42 |
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I had to look it up, it is in fact ceramic. We Germans colloquially call it "Ceran", because Ceran is the trademark of one type of glass ceramics stovetop. The standard expression is actually "Glaskeramik" (glass ceramics) That explains it. So I have a ceramic stovetop I do not want to scratch/damage with a cast iron pan. What do I have to look out for aside from the obvious "flat, mostly smooth bottom".
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Jan 19, 2015 12:11
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Mr. Wookums posted:Every time that's posted, why don't people just scratch the poo poo out of a cooking top? That's what it's for, almost always a rental, and it's not as if you are keying it. Well, technically this would be my main way to go about it, it is a tool that's there to be used after all. However, replacing a stovetop in my rental apartment - while moderately cost effective - will be a bitch to do without having to replace the entire countertop it is fit in snuggly. You can't easily remove it and replace it without lifting up the countertop, which is a very large L-shaped piece of really heavy countertop. And the last thing I want to do before moving out is rip apart the entire kitchen... only to then potentially find that the new stovetop has slightly smaller dimensions underneath and requires me to replace the kitchen counter as well, which will be anywhere between expensive and madly expensive. If it was up to me, I'd rip that poo poo out and place a gas oven...but we don't have pipes/gas connections for that. Butch Cassidy posted:What's the whole appeal of ceramic stovetops, anyway? Easy cleanup and sealed burners? In Europe we used to have 3 stovetop variants mainly, including induction it is now 4: standard, old version plates that are hardly used any more, ceramic stovetops, gas burners and induction plates. The old rear end plates are basically coils covered by a fixed plate above them, they are energy inefficient apparently and usually take ages to warm up. Ceramic is a little better, gas and induction are a lot faster of course. I don't think I have ever seen open coil stoves in Germany in my 34 years on this planet. We just don't have them. My guess is most people don't get a choice of stovetop, it is already there when they move in. Typically gas is not an option any more since the majority of houses and apartments do not use gas for heating/cooking any more. This leaves you with the relatively prohibitively expensive induction or the ceramic. And the ceramic is a plane of glass, so people tend to use it as countertop extension when it is not used. Having dirt or smudges of oil etc on there means it transfers onto your bowls, plates etc. or scratches up the surface when you leave it on and place a large pot on it. Hence the clean freak thing. End of derail. tl;dr I wish I had a gas stove. Hopper fucked around with this message at 16:27 on Jan 19, 2015 |
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Jan 19, 2015 16:15
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^^^Do you use cast iron pans on it?spankmeister posted:I thought Germans generally took their appliances with them when moving? Really? This is my second apartment and the kitchen was fully equipped with fridge and stove both times, my best friend has had kitchens in his 4 or 5 flats as well. If you buy a place of course you use your own stuff, not so sure about when renting.
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Jan 19, 2015 16:29
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After I could not bring a cast iron skillet from the US in my hand luggage (~50% chance the TSA officers will What are the pros and cons of a 26 cm (10 inch) vs. a 30 cm (12 inch). I gravitate heavily towards the 12 inch because I mainly plan to use it for roast potatoes and steaks, so bigger may be better. Any reason to buy the smaller one?
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Apr 6, 2015 00:06
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Weight is not an issue, I held both and the difference is not that big. I don't plan to one hand it (I want to get one that has that small squareish second "handle" opposite the handle) so it should be fine. The thing is I want to avoid buying the smaller one only to then realize I need a bigger one and buy a second one. My kitchen storage space is limited, especially for heavy items like that.
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Apr 6, 2015 00:28
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So I am in the market for a cast iron dutch oven. They are prohibitivly expensive but stainless steel is a bitch to clean, aluminum doesn't get hot enough properly to brown stuff in and is also always coated with some poo poo that will poison you, and glass top ones can't go into the oven above 180 degrees C it seems. Now that I decided to pay 200 € on a dutch oven (either le creuset or Staub) I am unsure which size and shape to go for. Our household has 2 people me and the GF, but I like to cook for friends. I want to use it for beef, poultry and pork roasts, maybe also use it on the stovetop for large helping of chili, curry (is that a good idea) and stews and it should fit an entire chicken. (For roasting stuff that doesn't need a lid I have a large aluminum roasting tin for pork roast with crusty rinds and large turkey.) Questions: 1. Should I go for a round or oval? What are the advantages of either? 2. What size would be a good middle ground? (do I have to find one that is max the size of my heating coils (I have a glass ceramic stovetop?)
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Nov 27, 2015 01:40
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I know, it is loving super expensive here in europe. I am not really sure whether to buy one or just say gently caress it. Alledgedly the cast iron price is so high. The 12" Lodge Logic pan that I saw for 24 USD in New Orleans and could not take with me on the plane cost 35€ here back then, I did not buy It because I didn't need it immediately and now it costs 55€. Prices over here are poo poo because they think people can afford it, Germans are rich anyway. That regularly screws us over.
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Nov 27, 2015 02:08
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Woah after checking prices in the US I am NOT buying that stuff over here. Period. That is a plain ripoff at double the price. I might check prices on Amazon US after thanksgiving weekend and order it form there, even with shipping, it will be cheaper. It's really sad that both my grandmas couldn't cook for poo poo. The most useful thing I inherited from my grandmas kitchen was her 1 hour timer. I am not even joking. Unlike other people my family hasn't passed down cast iron cookware and thankfully my mum will still need hers for years :-)
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Nov 27, 2015 02:26
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Yeah, I lifted a couple. I went to a store and had a good look and talk to a lady about materials etc. there. I was just unsure regarding size. I was even going to buy it there as Amazon.de is exactly the same prices. But seeing that it is all just overpriced, I think I will scour ebay and the like. It doesn't have to be le creuset but non-name ones at the same size were only 20€ cheaper, so I though might as well go for the branded ones that are known good.
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Nov 27, 2015 02:46
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Much appreciated, but yeah shipping is too expensive. I have checked with local donation stores like Oxfam. No luck. But turns out you get them on eBay for relatively cheap. I just lost an auction for a 4.7 liter (about 5 quart I guess) because I couldn't snipe as I was sitting in Swedish lessons. It would have been an old le creuset from the 70ies or older that went for 45 euros, my bid was 42 which I entered when it was at 16 initially. Seems they are actually cheap when people want to get rid of them. Who knew. Ebay is mostly poo poo these days.
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Dec 1, 2015 00:58
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Alright. Lucky me. 6.5 liter (6.8 quart) cast iron dutch oven oven, enameled (inside creme, outside red) 33x24 cm for 59.95 € Tchibo Germany: http://www.tchibo.de/gusseisen-braeter-p400078876.html Also available at Tchibo in Austria, Hungary, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey, Czech Republic and Slowakia. Prices may vary. A few days after complaining about the prices of cast iron dutch ovens, local coffee chain and kitchen utensils/living accessoires store Tchibo has a cast iron dutch oven on offer in their monthly product portfolio. It is their house branded TCM stuff, but that is usully OK quality. It was of course immediately sold out over the internet, they have nwo restocked. I went to their shop this morning to look before I buy. And I bought. The thing is cast Iron, even enamel layers, got a bunch of these "drip pins" in the lid, that are supposed to make the condensed water drop back down onto the roast. Looks like it is well worth €60. May not be your 30 year guarantee Le Creuset, but if it chips and you bin it after 5 years, at least it was only €60 not 200+. Well suited for beginners like me. Trip report will follow as soon as I decide what to cook this weekend.
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Dec 7, 2015 11:55
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I finished my first ever sous vide steak in my literally smoking hot Lodge today. It got an amazing sear by adding some smoked salt butter to the pan but holy moly that was a smokey affair. Good thing I had the window wide open. A+ will sear again
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Jun 18, 2016 23:59
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Horse Clocks posted:What does an oven cleaning cycle actually do? I had never heard of this and it seems it only recently is a thing that ovens do cleaning cycles in Germany. There seems to be a big fuss about the doors having to self lock until temperatures are safe again, so maybe that's the reason most run of the mill ovens do not have it over here.
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Jun 22, 2016 00:17
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 18:42 |
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moller posted:I actually have an apartment with an electric range for once - Boo! But on the upside, I now have an electric oven and access to a self clean cycle. I am wondering however - the electric oven has a heating element that covers the "floor" and I'm led to believe you have to remove the oven racks for the self clean cycle or they warp. All I know is that you should never ever put anything directly on the floor of your oven.
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Sep 21, 2016 23:19
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