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Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
Did you try repeating the test, with the two pans switched on the burners? Stoves are notoriously inconsistent. Granted, the hot and uncomfortably shaped handles won't change, but the rate of heating and burning of butter might.
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
My cheap pans ALWAYS plink, and freak me out!
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
hehe, this is like an episode of america's test kitchen.
ditto on what jperlow said. went to target to buy one of those chefmate copper bottom fry pans maybe half a year ago. 17.99 or something and it's pretty good. handle doesn't really get super hot, but i've never tried to fry an egg in it b/c i'm an amateur that uses teflon pans for eggs. (mmm.. teflon in my tummy. damn dupont to hell)
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
As I understand, the All-Clad that is currently sold is no longer certified for professional use in restaurant kitchens. I think that's something people should consider when spending that kind of money on a pan with a "name".
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
The speed with which the pan heats is of less concern to me than how evenly the pan heats. Aluminumm is a good conductor of heat; copper is even better; steel is not as good and stainless steel is very poor conductor among metals. A heavy aluminum pan with a thin stainless steel lining is going to be a better frying pan over time than a stainless steel pan with a thin layer of aluminum. It's hard to tell if the butter burns in one spot first or all over at once. Nevetheless, a pan that responds quickly to heat is good, especially if it also cools down as quickly as it heats up. Hot spots can, and often do, develop over time. The plinking would lead me to suspect the pan was heating or cooling evenly. I'd worry about both hot spots and warpage over time, but I don't have the scientific background to provide good reasons for my worry.
Sometimes it's more economical to buy a cheap tool and replace it when it wears out than to buy a good tool once, but I find I tend to keep on getting by with the cheap tool long after it's stopped functioning properly. To protect myself, I've learned to buy better tools in the first place. On the other hand, it's often as easy to abuse good pans as cheap ones and the low cost pans may be good first choices for beginners learning to cook.
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
I might not have used an egg for this test. I might have seared red meat. Eggs are a good test of heat distribution but the searing of meat is the true test.
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
@thebkk: Correct, I wan't clear enough. The MC2 is actually three layers sandwiched : "Brushed aluminum exterior; 18/10 stainless-steel interior; pure aluminum inner core." The plinking could well be due to quality of metal.
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
Megnut, the All-Clad has an aluminum core with Stainless Steel on the cooking surface (and the exterior, if Stainless line, raw alum, if M2). The Aluminum core significantly improves the heat distribution, but I am willing to bet that the metal on the Crestware was lower quality than the All-Clad, leading to too-fast heating and maybe to the "plinking." Still intrigued!
I do believe that the stainless layer adds resistance, helping for more even distribution. I want to get a sliced pan, cut in half to see the clad strata!
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
For some reason, I find the All-Clad pans a lot easier to clean, particularly with eggs, cheese and burnt matter. With a bit of soaking, even the worst stuff comes off easily.
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
Did you try repeating the test, with the two pans switched on the burners?
I didn't, but my stove is new and the flames were at the same height. Also, I use my stove all the time, and I've never noticed any difference between the two burners. But you make a valid point, and if this were a real, scientific study, I would have been more careful about such things.
Also to answer the other questions. The All-Clad is old and "broken-in", the Crestware was new and never used. I think the Crestware got hotter because it was entirely aluminum, whereas the All-Clad had a stainless-steel core. Knowing your pans, and being familiar with them and how they handle, will yield much more consistent (and better) cooking results. That seems more important to me than simply buying an expensive pan.
I like the weight of the All-Clad more, it felt better in the hand. The plinking really freaked me out. I might use it some more and see if that always happens. Both were easy to clean, but I didn't really burn anything on there.
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
Me for the heavier pan; I tend to forget things on the stove, and a slower heating means less burned food. But the cheap pan is also useable as long as you remember tp provide for its cheapness. Next bout: try frying an egg on the sidewalk in August.
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
Awesome study! It would have been even cooler to see two videos of the eggs cooking side by side.
I would reason that you get to know your pan over time and how much heat it will take to get up to cooking temperature.
Seconded. And, how well do the pans stand up over time? How well do perform after a few months of heavy use?
I'm not a cooking expert, but in evaluating pans, I would probably prefer the All-Clad because of the weight and handle. But so many other factors matter to: how much space it takes up, how easy it is to clean, how light or heavy it is (because I'm a wimp), if I'm going to bang it up easily because I'm a klutz...
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
Kudos on the study. I would reason that you get to know your pan over time and how much heat it will take to get up to cooking temperature.
To me, if I can cook an egg on medium low rather than medium high, that's a good thing in terms of taste and energy consumption (maybe not for one egg, but for 1000 eggs...) Plus the Bowery pan heats quick--better in a restaurant kitchen than waiting around for butter to melt.
If you have the budget, it'd be interesting to get a super fancy chef's frying pan (like say, a Sur la table model) for like $80. Something a restaurant would never use but a kitchen dandy might convince themselves is the only pan their maid should ever use to cook an egg.
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
Target has a line of All-Clad knockoffs that worked pretty good.
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=16259
I bought a whole bunch of them as gifts at one point, and still use them on a prosumer stove (Garland). They hold up very well.
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
huh! I am intrigued by the "plink"! insufficient thermal transfer? seems like this would cause warping over time. Well, I took thermodynamics pass/fail, so I am not the one to answer this, but will continue to research.
Are Expensive Pans Necessarily Better?
Were both of these pans completely unused before the test?
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Did you try repeating the test, with the two pans switched on the burners? Stoves are notoriously inconsistent. Granted, the hot and uncomfortably shaped handles won't change, but the rate of heating and burning of butter might.