Been waiting for these, and unlike their last cast iron cookware these aren't enameled which I don't like as they stain.
I love thrifty German supermarketeers.
I didn’t ask for a criminal conviction
it was self defence your honour.
Cattle prod. No bruises.
you'd only need to discipline them once..
Low setting only though guys.
If you had more than one kid, just use it once on the one you least love. Make sure the others watch.
You're a good parent.
I was expecting jumper cables
Not usually recommended for young children as they have small nipples.
hahhahahhahha… cant stop laughing.. seriously ROFLMAO.. like seriously, awesome humor !! both u and @tuzii
settle down… I've heard of getting out of the right side of the bed but you must have levitated out this morning while having a morning root
Hell yeah it is. One hit kill.
Nice. Love my cast iron pans, but I don't need ant more (although the stripey 'grill' would be new for me)
IMHO the trick to cast iron cookware is:
1. season it, most easily done by cooking fatty bacon
2. never use detergent to wash, since it removes the seasoning. I just scrub under running hot water, to maintain the nice shiny black patina. As good as teflon for non-stickingness
Leave the seasoning? Well you better be on the lookout for a good pest control bargain
Call me crazy but I clean it like you would any other greasy pan in the kitchen, but give it a light rub of peanut oil to stop the rust oxidising.
ahh peanut oil, it's the Lynx of the pots & pan world
You're crazy!
When you season cast iron a thin layer of oil essentially becomes like a plastic coating. That thin coating is the only thing you want to leave on cast iron.. You're not leaving rotten food or anything else, just that plastic like coating.
I baked a few thin layers of oil onto my pan. As the poster above described, it literally becomes like a hard coating on the cast iron pan. It's good, and tough, stuff!
the stripey 'grill' would be new for me
They're actually pretty good, I'm using a shitty one at the moment until I get this one but they keep the steak raised so it doesn't broil in the juices/fat.
Also great for char lines so I can look like a professional even though I can't cook for shit.
I find though that you can't use as high a heat as the ridges can burn the meat.
never use detergent to wash, since it removes the seasoning.
That's actually a myth, the oil used for seasoning if done properly is polymerized which is a chemical reaction and soap alone can't remove it.
Is this just for cast iron? My wok would rust in a day if I tried washing out with detergent.
Woks are generally roll steel not cast iron, to a much smoother surface that the patina can't cling to so well.
Plus using a wok tool to stir fry tends to scrape a lot more aggressively than using a frypan
Both cast iron and steel will rust. So it's the same treatment for both.
Most of my cooking is done with either a cast iron frypan or a wok.
I've heard/read TV chefs say they do. e.g. Kylie Kwong says she washes her wok in soapy water depending on food residue.
It's a bit of an old wives tale you're not meant to use soapy water. The real reason is because it: a) hasn't been seasoned well-enough, or b) hasn't built-up a thick enough coating over a long period.
i.e. If the coating is so thin that it comes off with a little soapy water, then it's not been seasoned good enough/long enough yet. (If they rust with a splash of typical mild soapy water used to wash dishes, then they'll rust with plain water too. So the more accurate thing to say is, most people have too thin a seasoning. (Or perhaps they're leaving it soaking in the soapy water which would even rust metal covered in axle grease.)
When done cooking I put a little water in to soften any food from hardening. When it's time to wash up, I just hold the pan/wok half in the sink and swish around with a cloth using the same soapy water as the rest of the dishes. (The outside rim of a wok in particular often needs it.) Then rinse, and a light coat of oil wiped with a paper towel or tissue to stop rust in any scratches made through the coating using cooking utensils.
It's scrubbing through the coating - down to metal - that removes the coating and causes rust - not using soapy water. (Unless some people leave them sitting IN the soapy water… that will of course cause rust.)
it's a half-myth, if the soap contains lye (some do) it'll break down the seasoning.
similarly if you ever need to remove the seasoning you can just dump a cast iron pan into a bucket of lye
'bucket of lye' sounds ugly.
last time I wanted to clean up a cast iron poffertjespan I put it in the open fire until it glowed, then pulled it out and let it cool slowly. Came out perfectly clean, light grey, looking like the day it was cast.
Disagree completely, I've been using carbon steel and cast iron pans for 8+ years. Soap absolutely destroyed the non stick qualities of one of my pans for a good month.
It depends how it's seasoned. If you just coat it in fat between cooking then it's not a real season. Still works but soap will strip it.
If you polymerise the oil then it's like glass and soap doesn't effect it. Steel wool though.
Just speaking from experience. If I don't take over the washing up and clean the frypans "my way", they first lose their gloss, then the cast iron starts showing through, and stuff sticks.
Which goes towards proving my point above… the seasoning/coating is too thin. My frypan has a seasoning coating so thick from frequent use, it would require car degreaser (or maybe a sandblaster) to get through. The problem isn't soap - it's that the low heat source of most home appliances is too low to season bare iron and steel cookware correctly. I clean a cast iron frypan and a steel wok in soapy dishwater. And if I don't remember to soak with water after cooking, I'll need to use a green scourer - which old wives tales also say not to use - yet neither of them rust.
… and soap alone can't remove it.
Looking at the burnt oil marks on my (formerly) nonstick pan, I agree 100%!
Thanks wa freaking me out how you're suppose to effectively clean these thigns
How do these compare to Lodge cast iron?
I doubt these will become a family heirloom but price is attractive.
From my personal experience I've found Aldi cast iron to be a little lacking. The cast iron feels cheap and weak compared to a good cast iron pan (almost feels like there's aluminium mixed in). The set is usually pretty terrible (the pan is full of tiny bumps instead of being smooth). The seasoning isn't very good.
After using one cast iron pan and one cast iron pot for a couple of weeks I ended up stripping the seasoning and re-seasoning them myself. Much better now but still have those tiny bumps that get annoying. It's also a lot of work to fully strip the seasoning from a pan.
How did you strip it? Also is it good enough as a basic bacon & egg pan?
A good long soak in vinegar and a good hard scrub with a steel brush and steel wool.
It's probably decent enough for bacon and eggs. One issue you get with the eggs is that they stick between the little bumps which can make it tricky. If you use plenty of oil the first 7 or 8 times you cool then it'll work better after that.
@GunnerMcDagget: Exactly - I hate the modern cast iron cookware. I have an old cast iron frypan that has a very smooth cooking surface - no pits. And it's just got: "Taiwan" on it - so it's not some high-end brand. Like everything nowdays, things went from "we must make a quality product that lasts to build a reputation and guarantee everyone buys from us", to: "how can we makes this so it breaks/people get disappointed with it, so it breaks or they buy another one".
@thedude23: Read today the new apple phone is going to have face recognition to unlock it to make calls, etc. So when government finally forces manufacturers to provide backdoors to every device, you'll have zero privacy left.
@GregMonarch: Off topic from cast iron lol but its mind bending that our identities/info are being sold to the highest bidder.
there are youtube vids on how to sand back the little bumps, you basically just use a sander, then season it
Cast iron is great for camping and open flames. Might be a bit heavy for some folks.
You should do your own camping and cooking show, like Russell Coight.
Aussie Prepper's All Aussie Adventures.
Maybe you can meet up with your good country mates while you're at it.
Is there an Aldi in Pochinki?
Pretty sure I saw one near the school. Bad luck if you work at the Military Base.
There should be one at Georgopol.
Yes, cast iron is superb - I've a relatively cheap set which I bought on a whim and have used for 95% of my 'pan' duties since having - despite having a couple of very expensive Scanpan frying pans.
Word of warning to the uninitiated, you need to know how to use properly BEFORE you use them - not rocket science but whilst other pans are 'plug & play' cast iron needs a lil TLC and guidelines for use.
There's plenty of info out there on it - but my tips would be apply multiple layers of seasoning (best done with VERY thin coating of oil/fat and burning on BEFORE adding another one - one thick layer is NOT better than many thin ones). Don't fret over which oil to use, they're all about the same
Wherever you can ONLY wipe out with paper towel/newspaper - for most oil based cooking this is ample cleaning as there should be no sticky residue.
For residue - Clean your pan out whilst it's still warm - any residue is generally easily removed by adding a small amount of water (which will boil instantly) and then use a pot brush. Wipe excess water off with towel and the residual heat should evaporate this - I then keep a scrunched up bit of greaseproof paper in the cupboard, and this has a lil oil on it - apply a thin wipe of this over the pans interior base. Is optional BUT provides extra protection.
And despite folks saying so even the best seasoned pan is NOT as good as teflon pans - so you still need to know what foods work best in what cookware. I have cast iron, enamelled cast iron (my least fave), stainless steel and teflon coated…..each will suit certain foods better. A tad of trial and error + common sense BUT allows best results to be attained.
apply multiple layers of seasoning
This says it's pre-seasoned, did you still do it to these ones?
Stove or oven?
@Scab: Oven is best as the heat is totally around the item - whereas on stovetop you often burn the stuff on the base off and the stuff on the top edges isn't heated enough.
Just be aware you will get a bit of smoke so make sure wherever you do it suits or have windows open etc.
Is PITA but if done well can last forever and only takes a few hours to do a bunch of layers….apply, burn on, allow to cool a lil, reapply and repeat.
Oven is best as the heat is totally around the item - whereas on stovetop you often burn the stuff on the base off
That's what I thought, thanks.
Will take the batteries out of my smoke detector prior.
Yes, thanks, I've seen a few videos on how to do it and they all say to use a really thin layer.
Oh heck yeah - that just means they've applied one layer of seasoning at the factory - but I'd highly recommend applying a couple more before you use it - either that or for the first month or so's use stick with ONLY frying greasy stuff like bacon etc.
The factory seasoning layer is really only to get it sold without it corroding - if you look at this as it's ok to use AS NORMAL you'll end up getting corrosion happening. Any cast iron owner will tell you that they perform best after quite a bit of use and thats because the seasoning layers (if done right) build up and work 'better'.
If I'm reasoning stuff I'll do a whole bunch at once - either heat up the oven or out outside covered BBQ to as hot as you can get it - and only apply the smallest layer of oil all over that you can manage. Like waxing a car LESS is better. :-)
They look dead sexy when done well with many layers, nice black shiny coating.
Best plans for frying KFC style chicken imo.
I would still remove any seasoning done by the factory and do it again. Reason is, who knows what they used. Pre-seasoned simply means they've done what needed doing anyway, that all manufacturers have to do, to stop them rusting before sale. They could have used some industrial machine oil!
Just watch several youtube videos how to do it, to get a better understanding depending on your heat source. e.g. If I ever need to season a wok, I do it on an outside gas burner. But I can also do it on an electric induction burner inside, if I tilt the wok and slowly move it until the entire surface is seasoned.
Yup, enamelled cast iron is horrible. Wish I had access to a sandblaster to remove the enamel from mine,
Thanks for the wisdom brosef.
What are everyone's opinions on Kmart pans?
I have the $19 32cm Ceramic Frypan and I'm amazed by it. It's huge, lightweight, only needs a few drops of oil, and meat slides over it beautifully. There doesn't seem to be a catch.
aluminium pans can't hold as much heat as cast-iron pans, and hence aren't as good when you want as much heat as you can possibly get to do something like sear a steak (or two).
Sure, but I have a cast iron grill pan for steaks.
The ceramic aluminium one has been great for most other cooking including stir-fries, bacon and eggs, fish and sausages.
Nice price. I already have one with the lines/griddle so I will be going to check these out and if the base is thick enough, buy a few and run through the CNC Mill at work to make a few more "flat" pans :D
This I will be waiting at the door for. Thanks OP.
Aldi doesn't deliver.
Unless he means waiting at the door of Aldi when it opens on Saturday.
He should really be going there on Friday night, most Aldi i go to start putting out their saturday special on friday night. That is why they all seem to be gone even if you come first thing in the morning.
Its a 10 minute walk, i will risk it, and rely on my charm.
@smpantsonfire: How come i just bought it 2pm on a Friday avo?
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/60750/51691/20170825_1…
Hmmm scrap Chinese steel being recycled into cooking equipment.
Damn, there's no fooling you, you should be promoted to Power User.
Don't think so, these are cast iron
Carbon (C) ranging from 1.8–4 wt%, and silicon (Si) 1–3 wt% are the main alloying elements of cast iron. Iron alloys with lower carbon content (~0.8%) are known as steel.
It's very easy to make cast iron from steel, you just need to add a dash of carbon and silicon. (Steel is actually closer to elemental iron than cast iron is, medieval metallurgists were not good at naming things)
Of course, you'd probably be better off recycling your steel into steel, and making your cast iron from pig iron (because cast iron is less refined than steel and hence less processing of the pig iron), but the sensible thing is not always the done thing, especially in China…
They buy all the rubble from collapsed buildings ect and recycle it.
i prefer japan made - added colbalt 60
Have had one of these for about 6 years now. We bought a pot at the same time and the enamel on the outside has chipped a bit, but the grill pan is still perfect.
What do you mainly use it for
Grilling veggies (eggplant etc) and sometimes steaks, instead of having to go outside to the BBQ.
When you buy a new cast iron skillet, it almost always comes from the factory with some degree of pre-seasoning on it, but you'll generally want to lay down a few more on top of that to make sure it's good.
The Truth About Cast Iron Pans: 7 Myths That Need To Go Away
How to Season a Cast Iron Pan
How heavy are these things?
Are these okay for oven use as well? Couldn't get a clear view of the handles.
If they're like other Crofton cast iron pans then they will be absolutely fine for use in the oven
The handle is also iron.
Yes, they are one piece cast iron.
Great, thanks guys - I'll go try my luck on Saturday.
Is this good to use to discipline your kids?