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Perfect home made hash browns

Started by DECI4, January 17, 2012, 10:03:11 PM

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Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: The Freeky of SCIENCE! on January 19, 2012, 07:28:15 AM
The Dark Empress Nigel left lard at The Wall.


Tucson hasn't been the same since.

I hear it's time for me to come back and do it again. I don't know how I could manage it, but if an opportunity comes up I totally will.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Freeky

Quote from: Nigel on January 19, 2012, 07:44:11 AM
Quote from: The Freeky of SCIENCE! on January 19, 2012, 07:28:15 AM
The Dark Empress Nigel left lard at The Wall.


Tucson hasn't been the same since.

I hear it's time for me to come back and do it again. I don't know how I could manage it, but if an opportunity comes up I totally will.

YES.

Triple Zero

On the subject of non-stick pans, and actually pans in general. Cause I'm looking to buy some new pans and I want good ones, because really, it's just a pleasure to cook with if you got quality tools. Even though it'll spoil you for whenever you cook at somebody else's place and kind of tempts you to bring your own knife with you :P

Anyway. Nigel said Teflon coating is completely impractical in a production setting. Why is that, I'm curious?

And ECH said
Quote from: Fuck You One-Eye on January 18, 2012, 01:39:41 PMAnyway, when it comes to non-stick pans, Calphalon or GTFO.

I looked that up and it turns out Calphalon is an entire brand of kitchenware, not a particular type of coating material? So what are Calphalon non-stick pans coated with, and why are they so superior?

Anyway, I'm looking for a medium-small frying pan (a skillet is the same thing right?) and a larger one with higher curved/sloped edges, which is apparently "called a sauteuse (literally a sauté pan in the female gender), an evasée (denoting a pan with sloping sides), or a fait-tout (does everything)".

I'm checking whether the bottoms of the pans are sufficiently thick and heavy, and what material they're coated with.

Currently I'm looking at regular non-stick coating, though I'm not sure if it's still all Teflon? The typical smooth dark-grey coating that used to scratch and flake off and you pretended it was black pepper material, I only see that on the cheapest models, which I'm not buying. The other non-stick surfaces are a lot rougher, a bit like fine sandpaper, except the non-stick material makes them rough but slippery and the most important bit is that it won't flake into your food. I wonder if you could even use metal spatulas on those. Anyone know is that also Teflon? The ones from BK are rough dark grey and Tefal's are dark grey brown with a greenish hue.

(BK and Tefal are the two most common brands I've seen in typical houseware stores. I haven't checked real kitchen stores yet because they're often much more expensive, but not always for quality, but for being extra fancy--though there's a new one which seems to be a bit more reasonable in that respect)

Another material I've seen from BK is ceramic coating. It's advertised as being able to withstand much higher temperatures than Teflon, which is nice. One big wok-frying-pan model even had a heat proof handle so you could put it in the oven. And the ceramic models are heavier and thicker so I guess they keep/distribute heat better. They're blueish light-grey in colour. Only problem is they're generally almost twice as pricey as the same basic non-stick models. Is that worth it? Looking at $53 for a 9.5 inch ceramic frying pan and $84 for that big 12 inch ceramic wok-frying-pan thing which *does* look pretty awesome. But it's a kinda hefty price IMO.

Finally I'm still looking for a nice cast iron Dutch oven. But they're hard to find, especially big ones and not quite cheap either. I found a 9 inch cast iron pot new for $52 which is not a bad deal, but I kind of would like to have one a bit bigger than that. I should probably go looking for cast iron in second hand stores, but when they have some, they're probably gone real quick because I hardly ever spotted them :)

BTW anyone know what's up with those pans that are suitable for induction cooking? I use gas, of course, so I suppose I could use either one and it would not matter?
Ex-Soviet Bloc Sexual Attack Swede of Tomorrow™
e-prime disclaimer: let it seem fairly unclear I understand the apparent subjectivity of the above statements. maybe.

INFORMATION SO POWERFUL, YOU ACTUALLY NEED LESS.

Eater of Clowns

Quote from: Fuck You One-Eye on January 18, 2012, 11:55:37 PM
Quote from: Iptuous on January 18, 2012, 03:53:45 PM
although i didn't do it on my cast iron pan, i have heard that you get a much better non stick surface (and more quickly seasoned) if you take an orbital sander to it to get it as smooth as possible before you start the process.
i can totally see that, since the pan i got, and all the others i've seen in the store since hearing that, have a fairly rough surface at purchase.

you know anything about that, Hustle?

Never tried it myself but it makes sense to me.

I was under the impression that the rough surface of the pan is what allows it to absorb the fats to be seasoned?
Quote from: Pippa Twiddleton on December 22, 2012, 01:06:36 AM
EoC, you are the bane of my existence.

Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on March 07, 2014, 01:18:23 AM
EoC doesn't make creepy.

EoC makes creepy worse.

Quote
the afflicted persons get hold of and consume carrots even in socially quite unacceptable situations.

Eater of Clowns

BTW GUYS DID YOU HEAR ABOUT MY HASH BROWN RECIPE?  YOU'LL NEED THIS.

Salt
Pepper
Oil

You stick those things into a pan and let them cook for a while and then you get this:

Quote from: Pippa Twiddleton on December 22, 2012, 01:06:36 AM
EoC, you are the bane of my existence.

Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on March 07, 2014, 01:18:23 AM
EoC doesn't make creepy.

EoC makes creepy worse.

Quote
the afflicted persons get hold of and consume carrots even in socially quite unacceptable situations.

Dysfunctional Cunt

Quote from: Eater of Clowns on January 19, 2012, 03:18:48 PM
BTW GUYS DID YOU HEAR ABOUT MY HASH BROWN RECIPE?  YOU'LL NEED THIS.

Salt
Pepper
Oil

You stick those things into a pan and let them cook for a while and then you get this:



Dude I don't know how you did that without potatos but fucking RAH!!!

:mittens:

:lulz:

Eater of Clowns

Sekrit chef techniques.

You think that's impressive, though?  You should see what Alty can do without yams.
Quote from: Pippa Twiddleton on December 22, 2012, 01:06:36 AM
EoC, you are the bane of my existence.

Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on March 07, 2014, 01:18:23 AM
EoC doesn't make creepy.

EoC makes creepy worse.

Quote
the afflicted persons get hold of and consume carrots even in socially quite unacceptable situations.

Dysfunctional Cunt

Quote from: Eater of Clowns on January 19, 2012, 03:15:48 PM
Quote from: Fuck You One-Eye on January 18, 2012, 11:55:37 PM
Quote from: Iptuous on January 18, 2012, 03:53:45 PM
although i didn't do it on my cast iron pan, i have heard that you get a much better non stick surface (and more quickly seasoned) if you take an orbital sander to it to get it as smooth as possible before you start the process.
i can totally see that, since the pan i got, and all the others i've seen in the store since hearing that, have a fairly rough surface at purchase.

you know anything about that, Hustle?

Never tried it myself but it makes sense to me.

I was under the impression that the rough surface of the pan is what allows it to absorb the fats to be seasoned?

No the bumps make little pockets and will, if left, cause the pan to eventually have hotspots.  You should ever so often sand your cast iron and re-season it to keep it smooth and avoid places where food will stick.

I do it about once a year with mine.

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: Eater of Clowns on January 19, 2012, 03:18:48 PM
BTW GUYS DID YOU HEAR ABOUT MY HASH BROWN RECIPE?  YOU'LL NEED THIS.

Salt
Pepper
Oil

You stick those things into a pan and let them cook for a while and then you get this:



:mittens:
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: Triple Zero on January 19, 2012, 03:13:18 PM
On the subject of non-stick pans, and actually pans in general. Cause I'm looking to buy some new pans and I want good ones, because really, it's just a pleasure to cook with if you got quality tools. Even though it'll spoil you for whenever you cook at somebody else's place and kind of tempts you to bring your own knife with you :P

Anyway. Nigel said Teflon coating is completely impractical in a production setting. Why is that, I'm curious?

And ECH said
Quote from: Fuck You One-Eye on January 18, 2012, 01:39:41 PMAnyway, when it comes to non-stick pans, Calphalon or GTFO.

I looked that up and it turns out Calphalon is an entire brand of kitchenware, not a particular type of coating material? So what are Calphalon non-stick pans coated with, and why are they so superior?

Anyway, I'm looking for a medium-small frying pan (a skillet is the same thing right?) and a larger one with higher curved/sloped edges, which is apparently "called a sauteuse (literally a sauté pan in the female gender), an evasée (denoting a pan with sloping sides), or a fait-tout (does everything)".

I'm checking whether the bottoms of the pans are sufficiently thick and heavy, and what material they're coated with.

Currently I'm looking at regular non-stick coating, though I'm not sure if it's still all Teflon? The typical smooth dark-grey coating that used to scratch and flake off and you pretended it was black pepper material, I only see that on the cheapest models, which I'm not buying. The other non-stick surfaces are a lot rougher, a bit like fine sandpaper, except the non-stick material makes them rough but slippery and the most important bit is that it won't flake into your food. I wonder if you could even use metal spatulas on those. Anyone know is that also Teflon? The ones from BK are rough dark grey and Tefal's are dark grey brown with a greenish hue.

(BK and Tefal are the two most common brands I've seen in typical houseware stores. I haven't checked real kitchen stores yet because they're often much more expensive, but not always for quality, but for being extra fancy--though there's a new one which seems to be a bit more reasonable in that respect)

Another material I've seen from BK is ceramic coating. It's advertised as being able to withstand much higher temperatures than Teflon, which is nice. One big wok-frying-pan model even had a heat proof handle so you could put it in the oven. And the ceramic models are heavier and thicker so I guess they keep/distribute heat better. They're blueish light-grey in colour. Only problem is they're generally almost twice as pricey as the same basic non-stick models. Is that worth it? Looking at $53 for a 9.5 inch ceramic frying pan and $84 for that big 12 inch ceramic wok-frying-pan thing which *does* look pretty awesome. But it's a kinda hefty price IMO.

Finally I'm still looking for a nice cast iron Dutch oven. But they're hard to find, especially big ones and not quite cheap either. I found a 9 inch cast iron pot new for $52 which is not a bad deal, but I kind of would like to have one a bit bigger than that. I should probably go looking for cast iron in second hand stores, but when they have some, they're probably gone real quick because I hardly ever spotted them :)

BTW anyone know what's up with those pans that are suitable for induction cooking? I use gas, of course, so I suppose I could use either one and it would not matter?

Calphalon was originally anodized aluminum, like so:



Once seasoned, it's fantastic.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Kai

I just buy the pre-shredded frozen Russet Burbank, heat it in a pan with a bit of oil, flip it all when it browns on one side, and then cut it up into portion sized chunks at the end, adding a little salt and pepper. It's not bourgeoisie, but it will do.
If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water. --Loren Eisley, The Immense Journey

Her Royal Majesty's Chief of Insect Genitalia Dissection
Grand Visser of the Six Legged Class
Chanticleer of the Holometabola Clade Church, Diptera Parish

Dysfunctional Cunt

Quote from: ZL 'Kai' Burington, M.S. on January 19, 2012, 10:59:41 PM
I just buy the pre-shredded frozen Russet Burbank, heat it in a pan with a bit of oil, flip it all when it browns on one side, and then cut it up into portion sized chunks at the end, adding a little salt and pepper. It's not bourgeoisie, but it will do.

Yeah, pretty much what I do as well.  I despise using a shredder and end up shredding at least one finger in the process.....  I do throw in chopped onion with mine, but I'm weird.

East Coast Hustle

This is where I would make noise about frozen potatoes not having any nutritional value, but the truth is that fresh potatoes don't have any nutritional value either.

They sure do a hell of a job of soaking up last night's cheap beer though!
Rabid Colostomy Hole Jammer of the Coming Apocalypse™

The Devil is in the details; God is in the nuance.


Some yahoo yelled at me, saying 'GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH', and I thought, "I'm feeling generous today.  Why not BOTH?"

Dysfunctional Cunt

Quote from: Fuck You One-Eye on January 20, 2012, 03:28:34 PM
This is where I would make noise about frozen potatoes not having any nutritional value, but the truth is that fresh potatoes don't have any nutritional value either.

They sure do a hell of a job of soaking up last night's cheap beer though!

:lulz:

The Waffle House cure? Scattered, smothered and covered?

East Coast Hustle

Top that with a couple of eggs over easy and it's a pretty unbeatable hangover cure.
Rabid Colostomy Hole Jammer of the Coming Apocalypse™

The Devil is in the details; God is in the nuance.


Some yahoo yelled at me, saying 'GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH', and I thought, "I'm feeling generous today.  Why not BOTH?"