Topic: Is 11 inches too big?

[chriswg]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a couple of nice steel frying pans as I keep scratching all the non stick off our usual ones with my chefs spoon while curry cooking. They seem to be very expensive for a decent one, but then I found these:

http://www.nisbets.co.uk/products/productdetail.asp?productCode=Y321

I saw them initially on Ebay for about ?50 delivered so ?17.99 as an overstock price seemed excellent with free delivery for orders over ?30! The only trouble is that they are 11 inch diameter which I'm concerned could be too large, it might reduce the sauce down too quickly. The smaller 9.5 inch ones aren't reduced so are ?26.99. It seems a lot to pay an extra ?9 each for smaller pans.

Any help would be appreciated. If the larger ones are fine then I'll go for them. What size pans do most people use?

Thanks
Chris

[Cory Ander]

As you undoubtedly know, Chris, it's not how big it is but what you do with it that counts! 

I often use a 15 inch non-stick Scanpan (it's actually a paella pan with deep sides) and I love it.  I use a plastic chefs spoon with it, though the manufacturer claims metal is also OK to use (I'd rather not test their claim!)

I otherwise generally use 12 inch cast iron woks (for when I want to get the heat up!) and I think these are an ideal size for one to two servings at a time.  Cast iron is also a great material for heat uniformity and retention.

I also use cheap aluminium pans (like the BIRs generally use) but they are exactly that, cheap (though a good conductor of heat).  I'm not keen on the fact that they are soft and who knows how much aluminium is coming off them into your food!

Steel is not a good material for cooking pans, as far as I'm concerned.  It looks nice but is a poor conductor of heat and scratches easily.  I have one that mostly stays in the cupboard.  Steel sandwiched with other materials (as these ones are) is a fair compromise though (though scratching and tarnishing remains a problem).

I'm not sure that the pan can be too big (aside from the fact that pyrotechnics - i.e. flames licking up the side - might be a bit limited, or nonexistent) but I think a pan that is too small can definitely be a problem with the food boiling rather than frying if the pan is overloaded.

Anyway, to answer your question, I think 11 inches is a good size (provided you're happy with the steel). The pans themselves appear to have nice deep sides and a robust handles.

18 quid for an 11 inch one or 27 quid for a 9.5 inch one?  No brainer Chris!

[JerryM]

chriswg,

i bought a cast steel pan (10 inch top rim , 8" base). it works pretty good. the only niggle is that the area around the rivets is hard to clean. on performance it's spot on.  it only really does 1 off portion though (200ml finished).

i think the depth of the rim is important - the flames need to wrap around it. there's a photo in this link of the pan but the link to the supplier no longer works (i'm not sure where u would get one from).

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2604.msg22928#msg22928

i think an 11" would work fine.

i have toyed with ali (my local Asian store has loads) but not found the need since getting the cast steel.

this is a good read if u've got the inclination http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1302.0

[chriswg]

Thanks for the advice guys, 11 inches it is. It will be interesting to find out how different an identical curry tastes cooked in a steel pan as opposed to non-stick. Do you think this will effect the flavour?

[Cory Ander]

It will be interesting to find out how different an identical curry tastes cooked in a steel pan as opposed to non-stick. Do you think this will effect the flavour?

No (all other things being equal, like heat). 

Only porous pans (e.g. cast iron) can conceivably affect the flavour of what you're cooking.  Other than that, acidic substances (e.g. tomatoes) can react with aluminium and cast iron and thereby possibly affect the flavour too.

[Cory Ander]

i bought a cast steel pan

I think you mean either cast iron (which is cast) or carbon steel (which is pressed, rolled or hammered and not cast) Jerry?

They are different materials.

[parker21]

hi guys just to put in my twopeneth i think what he is trying to say is black steel! i have 1 and use it most of the time but it cost me 9gbp. it is not however the 1 shown on www.eurocatering.co.uk, as it actually came from their shop just at the back of brick lane. there is a picture in the galllery of the pans i use and there is also a picture of the aluminium pan i got in the taj store in brick lane and that cost a meger 9gbp as well and to top it off they use both of the in the kitchens at the Mouchak restaurant i use. apparently they get there pans from Ghandi stores also near brick lane. cheap as chips the norm or these pans about 8,9 or 10 inches larger would be for the 2-3 portions in the same pan( saves time ) as i have seen on a video.
hope this helps
regards
gary

[JerryM]

black cast steel is my pan (i aimed to get same as parker21). it started life like the one in the pic (eurocatering) ie silver. u season it with oil which turns it black except the inside surface of the base (the cooking seems to keep it from turning black).

it's very different to a non stick pan and also a cast iron pan (i have both). the heat distribution is uniform and very good - when the heat hits the pan it's hot straight away.

the pan material itself does not give a different taste just the characteristics and conditions of cooking. for me u want the heat transfer to be good and the flames to wrap around the rim and peak over the top. this for me produces the best taste - see CA's post on smokiness for the background http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1851.0
. Haldi has pointed out previously the importance of the flames.

the only thing i've not tried is the ali pan (my local TA don't use anything else other than a wok to cook rice). i may try in the future but it's not a priority.

[chriswg]

The new pans arrived today and I'm planning on Christening them this afternoon. They look excellent although the handles are very skinny and they are bloody heavy! The angles of the sides seem to follow the exact same curve as my chefs spoon which should make it very easy to use.

[Cory Ander]

black cast steel is my pan

I shamefully admit that, from a materials point of view, I have no idea what "black cast steel" or "black steel" or "black iron" is 

I can only presume that it is low carbon steel (e.g. mild steel), that is probably pressed rather than cast, with some form of surface treatment.