In our disposable age, we change our cell phone every two years, our clothes every season, and, unfortunately, our cookware as frequently. The poor non-stick frying pan is meant to fail. It performs flawlessly for six months, passably for another six months, and then begins to flake off, and you are left no choice but to discard it and purchase another one.
It’s an expensive and wasteful cycle. The solution to all of this is “heirloom cookware.” This refers to the heavy, expensive pieces of copper and iron cookware that have stood the test of time. They’re not just cookware; they’re investments. They’re the only things that’ll actually be better in fifty years than they are today.
Here are reasons why you should ditch renting cookware and purchase it.
read more: The Scandalous History of the Fork: Why It Was Once Considered Demonic
Cast Iron: The Indestructible Witness
If you go to an antique store, you are bound to see a cast iron skillet that is black from the 1920s. If you go home, clean it, and use it, it will fry an egg better than a brand-new pan at a big-box store.
Cast iron is a old technology. Essentially, it’s a liquid metal poured into a sand mold. This makes it nearly impossible to break. You can throw it, scratch it up real good, throw it in a campfire, and it’ll be fine. The reason it’s worth spending money on, despite it usually being cheap, has to do with a “seasoning” process.
Seasoning is not flavor but polymerization. As you heat the oil on the iron surface, it bonds metallic properties to itself, which creates a natural and non-stick surface. Seasoning is different because it self-renews itself, unlike most chemical coatings whose effects wear off quickly. Each time you cook your bacon or sear your steak, you maintain your pan’s longevity. It is a product that ends up rewarding you back for usage.
Copper: The Precision Instrument
Cast iron could be considered a tank, while copper represents a sports car. The material is much pricier; however, it costs much due to the laws of physics.
Copper is one of the finest heat conductors in the world. As soon as you turn up the flame, the pan heats up, and when you turn off the flame, the pan cools down. It’s excellent control for the cook. That’s why the sauce will never break, and chocolates will never seize in a copper pan.
Here, the investment is in the performance. A good copper pot transfers the same degree of warmth to the sides as to the surface, offering a homogeneous temperature that is no match at all to stainless steel. Though its polishing is required if you’re particular about its look, its performance is unparalleled.
The Economics of Permanence
The sticker shock of a $300 copper pot or a high-end enameled Dutch oven can be significant. Yet, one has to consider the “cost per use.”
Now, assume you purchase a $30 non-stick skillet. You replace the pan every two years. So, in 40 years of cooking, you will have spent $600 on pans and discarded 20 pans in the landfill.
Conversely, you pay for one $200 cast iron or copper item. You use it for 40 years. Spend $0 on replacement. After 40 years, you don’t dispose of it. Instead, you pass it along to your kids.
The Verdict
It’s a different experience cooking with heirloom cookware. There’s weight that comes with these cookware pieces that roots you in the kitchen. They require a different kind of care that you would not be able to put into the dishwasher, but this is a relationship that forges respect. When you cook with something that could potentially outlive you, you pay more attention to the dish you are making.
read more: Linen & Textiles: Selecting and Caring for High-Quality Napkins & Cloths
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