How Much Should You Spend on a Good Pan

"The best pans-typically made from stainless steel, cast iron, or carbon steel-are nearly indestructible. That's great news when calculating their value, but bad news for my kitchen storage. As a kitchen gearhead, I'm excited to snag the latest and greatest skillet. The issue? Since my pans never need to be replaced, I'm running out of cupboard storage. But while I was pondering what it would look like to institute a new "one in, one out" policy, I started thinking more about the value question."

"Unlike nonstick pans, which come with a sell-by date after which their coatings start to wear off (and become a potential safety issue), pans made of stainless steel, cast iron, and carbon steel are all built to last. High-quality pans have solid construction that resists warping under heat, leaving rust and as the only enemy of these types of pans. Even then, it's rare for a high-quality stainless steel pan to ever encounter rust,"

"Here's how those differences shake out and how much you should expect to pay for a reliable pan. Cast-iron pans have a reputation for being among the least expensive pieces of cookware you can get. One of the reasons they have such low price tags is the manufacturing process behind them. The casting process is fairly simple: molds are formed in sand, creating a negative space in the pan's shape, and molten iron (and some other metals,"

Stainless steel, cast iron, and carbon steel pans are nearly indestructible and can outlast decades of use. Nonstick pans have a sell-by date when coatings wear and can pose safety issues. High-quality stainless, cast iron, and carbon steel resist warping under heat; rust is the primary threat, and cast iron and carbon steel can be restored by buffing and reseasoning. Price variation among durable pans stems primarily from manufacturing processes, design choices, and performance differences. Casting cast-iron is relatively simple and inexpensive, contributing to lower price points for many cast-iron skillets. Expect to pay more for refined manufacturing and performance.

Read at Bon Appetit