Cast Iron vs Non-Stick – Which is Better for Cooking?

One of the most common debates home cooks have when outfitting their kitchens is whether to opt for cast iron or nonstick cookware. One promises natural durability and versatility, while the other touts effortless food release. Behind the decision between these two pan materials lie in factors such as longevity, ease of use, heat tolerance, health safety, and more. Before making your next cookware purchase to whip up everything from eggs to seared steaks, it pays to understand the core distinctions between cast iron and nonstick.

Non-stick utensils often have harmful PFAs/Teflon coatings, which are harmful and can damage your health over time. In contrast, cast iron utensils provide an excellent cooking surface, are 100% natural, and add essential iron nutrients to your food. Cook healthy, eat healthy!"

While the easy-clean nature of nonstick holds wide appeal for beginner home chefs, cast iron offers unmatched searing capability, environmentally friendly properties, and the potential to become naturally nonstick over time and with care. By examining the key differences between cast iron and nonstick, you can determine the right cookware to match your needs and cooking style. So, let's get started.

What is Cast Iron?

Cast iron cookware distributes heat evenly and retains heat very well compared to other materials. Cast iron must be seasoned appropriately to create a natural nonstick surface. Stahl Kitchens makes great cast iron pots and pans. Their "Blacksmith" skillets get hot enough to sear steaks. The special "Hybrid Series" can work on any stovetop. So, cast iron is excellent for frying and searing when using high heat. The natural non-stick quality also helps. And since it is so sturdy, one cast iron pan can last many years if cared for properly!

For more information check out our guide on benefits of cast iron cookware.

What is Non Stick?

Nonstick cookware has a coating on its surface to prevent food from sticking. This coating is usually made from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a synthetic chemical known as Teflon. The nonstick surface allows you to cook with little to no oil, making cooking and cleanup much easier. Nonstick pans are also lighter weight than most cast iron. However, nonstick surfaces scratch easily, lose effectiveness over time, and have raised health concerns regarding coating toxicity at high heat. Additionally, nonstick pans are ideal for quick high protein wraps and meals since foods release easily without sticking.

Difference Between Cast Iron and Non Stick

Mentioned below are the major differences between cast iron vs non-stick:

1. Weight

One main difference is weight. Cast iron skillets and pots are much heavier than nonstick ones due to the solid iron material. While this makes cast iron more durable, it also makes the cookware much heavier to handle. Nonstick pans are lighter since they are made from materials like aluminium or stainless steel that apply nonstick coatings.

2. Versatility

While nonstick pans work well for eggs, pancakes, and other delicate foods, they are less versatile for high-heat cooking methods like searing meat. Cast iron retains and conducts heat efficiently, making it ideal for searing, frying, baking, broiling, and more. You can also prepare your subway dish on cast iron cookware.

3. Heat Distribution

Cast iron heats gradually and evenly. Once hot, it retains heat very well to maintain interior temperatures. Stahl's Blacksmith cast iron cookware tops at heating food evenly. The thick iron pan absorbs heat all through, then locks it in. This lets you cook meat with perfect sear marks and juicy flavours. Nonstick cookware generally conducts heat less evenly, resulting in hot spots.

4. Cooking Purpose

Nonstick cookware is best suited for low to medium-heat cooking, baking, and delicate foods where easy release from the pan is desired. Cast iron excels at high heat for searing, frying, broiling, braising and any cooking method requiring even heat distribution.

5. Durability

The durability of cast iron versus nonstick cookware is stark. When properly cared for, a cast iron pan can be passed down for generations without wearing out. The thick, heavy material of true cast iron makes it extremely long-lasting. On the other hand, Nonstick pans use thinner metals coated with synthetic nonstick finishes. These coatings inevitably scratch, chip, and deteriorate after just a few years of regular cooking.

6. Heat Tolerance

The cast iron frying pan can crank up the heat to levels that would utterly destroy a nonstick pan. Cast iron is fine at the extremely high stovetop and oven temperatures. But nonstick coatings start to break down above 500°F, releasing noxious fumes. This means you can fearlessly use cast iron pans for searing, broiling, stir-frying, and more intense cooking that typical nonstick can’t withstand.

7. Maintenance

Maintaining both cast iron and nonstick requires some care but of different types. Cast iron relies on periodic re-seasoning – where oils are heated onto the metal to refresh its natural nonstick patina. This seasoning process is vital for cast iron performance. Nonstick coatings don't require this type of maintenance, but they only need gentle hand washing. Harsher scrubbing can damage the slippery coating. Nonstick must be discarded if damaged, while cast iron can be revived with re-seasoning.

Pros and Cons of Cast Iron vs. Nonstick

Cast Iron

Nonstick

How is Non-Stick Cookware on Stahl Different from Other Non-Stick Cookware?

When considering the safety and health impacts of non-stick cookware, Stahl’s innovative designs stand out by eliminating the harmful effects associated with traditional PFAS/Teflon coatings. Stahl’s non-stick cookware uses advanced technology to ensure a healthier cooking experience.

The Artisan Hybrid series pans feature HexaRidge technology, a honeycomb structure inspired by German engineering. This design minimizes contact between the spatula and the pan surface, making the coating incredibly durable, able to withstand metal spatulas and even knives.

On the other hand, the Blacksmith Hybrid series pans incorporate an enamel layer on cast iron, providing excellent stick resistance. These pans offer the benefits of cast iron, such as superior heat retention and distribution, while also being rust-proof and non-stick. They are easy to maintain and don’t require extensive scrubbing to clean.

Both series deliver outstanding non-stick properties and durability. The Artisan Hybrid’s HexaRidge technology combined with Greblon coating ensures exceptional scratch resistance. The Blacksmith Hybrid combines the traditional cast iron cooking experience with modern convenience through its protective enamel coating.

Cast Iron vs. Non-Stick: Which is Better for Cooking?

Cast iron is generally the best option for high-heat cooking and versatility across cooking methods. If you deep fry foods, make pan sauces, sear meats, bake pizza, or broil in the oven, cast iron is the clear winner. For those focused on low- to medium-heat cooking, nonstick pans may be more user-friendly and require less maintenance. Keeping cooking requirements in mind allows you to choose the best cookware for your kitchen.

FAQs

1. Is nonstick better than cast iron?

While nonstick pans provide an exceptionally slippery cooking surface that allows delicate foods like eggs and pancakes to release very easily, cast iron is vastly superior in terms of durability at extremely high cooking heats and versatility across many cooking applications, from searing steaks to frying chicken to baking pizza.

2. What are the disadvantages of cast iron?

Cast iron cookware's extremely heavy weight can make it difficult to handle compared to other lighter pans. It requires some degree of regular maintenance, like seasoning, to keep the patina. It typically won't be as instantly nonstick smooth as artificial coatings right away, and acidic foods like tomatoes can cause reactions with the metal over time.

3. What is the healthiest cookware to use?

Cast iron and stainless steel pans are very healthy to cook with. They don't put chemicals into your food as you cook. And if you treat cast iron right, oiling it over time, it makes its own natural nonstick surface.

4. Is cast iron healthy to cook with?

Yes, seasoned cast iron is very healthy to cook with. Its inert cooking surface leeches no chemicals, and it can add dietary iron to foods. Cast iron and stainless steel, like the triply options from Stahl Kitchens, are very healthy cookware choices because they don't leach chemicals during cooking and are perfect for all your meal preparation needs.

5. What are the disadvantages of cast iron cookware?

Cast iron cookware's disadvantages include its heavy weight, the need for seasoning and maintenance, potential reaction with acidic foods, and lack of slickness for delicate cooking tasks.

6. Why use cast iron over non-stick?

Cast iron has become more durable over the decades. When seasoned, it provides an excellent natural nonstick surface, retains heat, withstands very high temperatures, and excels across almost all cooking methods. These advantages make cast iron superior for most cooking purposes.