you’ve got a skillet that can retain heat for maximum browning and will distribute that heat evenly over its entire surface, eliminating hot and cold spots All-Clad is the benchmark for great tri-ply cookware, but it can be prohibitively expensive In side-by-side tests, I’ve found that Tramontina-brand All-Clad knockoffs perform almost as well for every task, at about a third of the price The choice is a no-brainer A 10-Inch Cast-Iron Skillet Nothing beats cast iron for searing a steak or a nice skin-on, bone-in chicken breast I actually keep a collection of castiron skillets in all sizes so that I can everything from frying a single egg and serving it directly from its tiny skillet to baking pies, but the one I use most is my 10-inch pan It’s just the right size to sear a couple of steaks for me and the wife (I’ll sear in batches or use two pans and two burners if I’ve got more people to cook for, to maximize heat transfer to the steaks), it’s just the right size for corn bread, it’s a beautiful serving vessel The possibilities are really limitless If you don’t have a well-seasoned cast-iron pan passed down by thoughtful grandparents, Lodge brand is the easiest to find If you’re hunting at antique stores and flea markets, Griswold and Wagner are the best A 10-Inch Anodized Aluminum or Tri-Ply Nonstick Skillet People will tell you that a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet that’s properly seasoned will be as slick as a true nonstick skillet Heck, I’ve probably said the same thing myself Maybe even right here in this book Well, here’s the sad news: that ain’t really true Even the very best cast-iron skillets will never be as slick as a nonstick skillet Any materials-science engineer can tell you that Not only that, but unlike a cast-iron skillet, a nonstick pan can be light enough to maneuver easily when, say, rolling an omelet or flipping a couple of sunny-side-ups And that’s why a medium nonstick skillet is a must in your arsenal It’s the best vessel for all kinds of egg cookery, from perfect golden omelets to fluffy scrambles to crisp-edged fried eggs Brunches would be a much messier, more hectic, and altogether less pleasurable affair in my apartment without one The only downside to nonstick? You can’t heat it past 500°F or so, as the coating will begin to vaporize, sending toxic fumes into the room Newer materials are far safer, but even with them, you’re at a disadvantage: it’s tough to form a good, meaty crust on food cooked on a nonstick surface, and you’re limited by the types of utensils you can use Metal will scratch off the coating Stick with wood, nylon, or silicone utensils made specifically for working with nonstick pans Here’s the thing with nonstick: unlike other pans, these aren’t going to last you your whole life, which means that spending a boatload of money on one is not a wise move You want a midrange pan: something with enough heft that it retains heat fairly well, but not one that you’ll be so scared of scratching that it ends up sitting in the corner of kitchen cabinet I currently have a Cuisinart stainless steel nonstick skillet, but I’m not heavily committed to it You should ... apartment without one The only downside to nonstick? You can’t heat it past 500°F or so, as the coating will begin to vaporize, sending toxic fumes into the room Newer materials are far safer, but even with them, you’re at a disadvantage: it’s tough to form... here in this book Well, here’s the sad news: that ain’t really true Even the very best cast-iron skillets will never be as slick as a nonstick skillet Any materials -science engineer can tell you... even with them, you’re at a disadvantage: it’s tough to form a good, meaty crust on food cooked on a nonstick surface, and you’re limited by the types of utensils you can use Metal will scratch off the coating Stick with wood, nylon, or