[neverdem]

Lars Klove for The New York Times
THE STICK TEST The enameled cast-iron pan by Le Creuset, above, performed the best and was easy to clean, too.

J. Carrier for The New York Times
The carbon-steel skillet by De Buyer, above, cooked most foods well.

[diamond6]

Yum!

[metmom]

I've smelled overheated teflon. Not very pleasant.

[Bogey78O]

Without reading the argument IMO, Aluminum is garbage except for making throwaway dishes for people you don't care about. Iron is an age old standard.

[doesnt suffer fools gladly]

I saw a piece on tv with a story how cooking with Teflon killed pet birds. The woman profiled lost a gorgeous bird that way.

[MadelineZapeezda]

I've owned my All-Clad since 1979. IMO, they are the best.

[31R1O]

If you don't want food to stick all you have to do is make sure that is adequately heated with a small amount of oil. This will work with almost all foods, except maybe eggs.

[MarineBrat]

Back when I was a bachellor I fell asleep with SPAM! cooking on the skillet. I woke up about 6 hours later to an incredible stench. Believe it or not, SPAM! smells like fish if you burn it long enough!

[ncountylee]

Wouldn't trade my decades aged cast iron pans for any other type.

[rbudd]

The best material is cast iron. It's the most flavorful and easiest to clean (cast iron builds up a natural non-stick surface). The cast iron pans in the review are heavy. A better solution is a lightweight cast iron wok.
I cook omelettes in a 14", 3 pound wok (the shape makes it function like an "adjustable" omelette pan). We use it for EVERYTHING. It's the only pan we use.

Check it out--> http://www.eleanorhoh.com

[spunkets]

There's nothing wrong with teflon pans. It's the cook.

[garyhope]

It depends on what you're cooking and how. Cheap, thin pans with cheap Teflon are not good.

Teflon coated pans are not good for browning and crisping some food. A good thick pan with Teflon is OK for quick crepes or omelette's. No pan should be left unattended for very long. Heat the pan, add your cooking oil, let the oil heat, then add your foods to be cooked.

Cast iron is great for browning and sauteing some foods. All Clad and Le Creuset is good for cooking many things.

Buy good quality and heavy pots and pans, they'll last a lifetime. If you like to cook and eat, they're worth the investment.

Now, everybody, all you Freepers, over to my house for dinner. Bring beer, wine and wimmen!

[tortoise]

Heavy Caphalon anodized is about the minimum that is actually useful in the kitchen, and then only for certain things. Le Creuset is fabulous and cooks very, very nicely but will cost a bundle. It will also last you forever.

Aluminum kinda sucks, but if it is heavy enough it works reasonably well -- I am not a purist. It moves heat far too easily, so it really does benefit from teflon coatings (evil chemical blah blah blah notwithstanding) and I will admit to having some heavy aluminum cookware with a teflon liner that is very useful, though I do not use high heat with those. Seasoned iron (or steel) makes an excellent cooking surface but takes a longer to heat up, which can be a nuisance some times if you are engaged in serious kitchen-fu.

The great thing about kitchenware is that if you buy really good basics, it will last you a lifetime.

[diamond6]

bump

[Sam Cree]

Old fashioned cast iron skillets are the best. Properly cured, which is easy, they are non stick, easy to clean, easy to maintain. And they distribute heat wonderfully evenly. If you really do burn something on so it won't come off, put skillet on high heat 'til the offending mess turns to ash, then recure, problem solved.

Old fashioned technology, superior to anything modern on the market.