Stainless Steel Pan vs Cast Iron Skillet Steak Experiment

In today's steak experiment we're testing a stainless steel pan vs cast iron skillet and we were quite surprised with the outcome!
Cooking Gear:
Primo Ceramic Grill - Found at a local retailer near you
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet: amzn.to/2tWH4ro
Duxtop Countertop Burner: amzn.to/3gIscDe
Weber Kettle Grill: amzn.to/2Tmf3Zy
Grill Grate - Custom Grill Grate: www.grillgrate.com?aff=46
- Results in awesome, perfect sear marks, even heat across the grates, and no flare-ups
Weber Gourmet BBQ Hinged Grate: amzn.to/2EW9c4m
Sous Vide: amzn.to/2IZHfwi
Rockwood Charcoal: amzn.to/2JxvrSg
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- Wide variety of Rubs, Sauces, Accessories and MORE!
Thermometers:
Wireless Meater Thermometer: amzn.to/38KPkhF
Instant Read Lavatools Thermometer: amzn.to/2Ur9YeV
Thermopro Waterproof Instant Read Thermometer: amzn.to/2DsmcQT
Dual Probe Maverick Wireless Thermometer: amzn.to/2Tn2zAB
- Perfect for BBQ & Smoking - a probe for the meat and a probe to gauge pit temp
Kitchen Gear:
Boos Cutting Board: amzn.to/3gCSUwY
Sheesham Wood Cutting Board: amzn.to/2IXsDxF
Vacuum Sealer: amzn.to/2tVIpPe
MB01CDVGFTX952O

[@BillHartCooks.]

Pork and beef. Cast iron. Fish, Stainless. Fried rice Stainless. Bacon... Cast iron. Always.

[@Redmeatlover]

Great tip!

[@marvinprado1700]

What about chicken?

[@richardbowles7690]

Great vid. Answered persistent question. Like the insight about "mercury ball effect". Have not seen such comparison before. Thanks much.

[@Redmeatlover]

Thanks for the feedback and your support of the channel! - Joey

[@ccbowers]

The sticking for stainless steel is a positive if you are planning on making a pan sauce after searing- for deglazing the deliciousness.

[@Redmeatlover]

Absolutely agree

[@rcrobertson9563]

I have an extensive cast iron cookware collection and some stainless that I never use. For steaks I always use carbon steel...it works best for me. Great video as always, have a great day

[@Win52D]

Been using a cast iron skillet as my main pan for the last 27 years. The teflon skillet is used for frying eggs, sauteeing, and making gravy. Hardly ever use the SS skillets, though the pots and pans get used regularly

[@antoniopecina1906]

This is great! Team cast iron here. I love the scientific approach and experimental observations. Maybe using a FLIR camera can give a visual reference for temperature reading along with the other devices. The FLiR may also be affected by the reflective surface of SS BUT (big butt here), you can read the temperature ad different angles for an average. Thanks for doing this✌️

[@hdoglesby]

In my 20s I couldn't cook a steak to save my life. It wasn't until I got a cast iron skillet did my steak game improve. That, along with a good instant thermometer, and my familiarity with the stovetop I was using, made all the difference in the world. I will say it does take more effort to clean the cast iron but I can see the appeal of cooking on stainless. Good video, well presented info 👌

[@j_merlotte5467]

Great video that covers alot of maybe beginner questions like, when is the pan really heated; look out for smoke; and add oil AFTER its heated. That said, I have no idea how you're bare handing that cast iron pan handle - seriously what am I missing? It has to be hot enough that your palm should be getting scorched....

[@jerrymurray1031]

Have you,or can you do a three-way? Cast v. SS v. Carbon? I love your methodology and would accept your results as definitive.

[@bikeny]

A year ago, I had moved and I was able to buy a quarter of a cow. So the first thing I cooked was the T-BONE. As it was winter and South Dakota, yes, I'm doing this indoors. I get the oven ready at about 250 but first get the cast iron nice and hot, yes, smoking. I put the oiled up steak on the skillet and no surprise it starts smoking. Timed for 2 minutes. Flip. 2 more minutes. By now, the kitchen and living room are looking like a firefighter's training environment, as it was really smoking. Mind you, I had the exhaust fan cranking. I opened the kitchen door which leads to the garage and the smoke goes out there. I call my landlord downstairs and he comes up asking what am I doing? I tell him, and by now the skillet and steak are in the oven. He has me open the living room door direct to the South Dakota outdoors to let the smoke out. He's wondering why the smoke detectors haven't gone off. But he then looks at the exhaust fan set-up. Turns out it was NOT vented to the outside and it just pulled the smoke up from the stove top and back over my head. So, if you plan to move, be sure to check the exhaust fan so you don't do that. He hadn't checked because he doesn't really cook. And before I made an offer on my new house here in NYS, I had my real estate agent and my brother confirm that the exhaust fan vented. And, yes it was. Oh, my landlord did order a bunch of new smoke detectors that night. I just couldn't do any more high temp cooking.

[@danas7418]

Going out on a limb with my choice B4 I watch... CAST IRON!

[@mbugg3110]

What is the brand of your burner and stainless steel skillet? Thanks - I have an ancient electric stove that heats horribly...

[@straker454]

I prefer stainless over teflon, but a well seasoned cast iron is going to do an excellent job on a sear for sure. I have glass stove tops so I can't REALLY use cast iron without damaging it so it's stainless for me, BUT, if you get a pan with a good thick bottom for better heat retention and distribution you can get some really great results still. Allclad makes a great pan for that and I even can bake with it in the oven, which is how I make a roast beef with a mushroom pan gravy recipe that Chef John has on his channel. Usually though, I use the method you showed for broiling a steak in an electric oven. I did that last weekend with a few boneless New York strip steaks and they were perfect. Great crust and perfect medium rare color.

[@robertttttt716]

I use my old cowboy Skillet love that thing.

[@bikeny]

Please pretty please with sugar on top, do not play any music while you are talking. It is distracting to your dialogue. Thanks.

[@windermere2330]

I use cast iron for my steaks. Great video as always! I don’t think I’m even gonna bother trying the stainless steel pan. By the way, I still use your chicken wing technique to this day. 30 minutes at 250° and then 45 minutes at 4:25°. Delicious!

[@Redmeatlover]

Thanks for the great feedback and support of our channel, truly appreciated! I had no idea that wing video would be one of the most viewed on our channel and glad you enjoy the recipe - Joey

[@bdr518]

Mercury ball effect is officially called the leidenfrost effect

[@biblebelter9772]

Not all stainless steel is created equal. I use a full body tri-ply stainless steel skillet. It is heavier than most stainless steel. I prefer it over cast iron as another commenter mentioned, it allows for a great pan sauce. In my experience the full body tri-ply cleans up better than other stainless steel as well.

[@polisheagle1858]

I can't keep my cast iron in good condition, so I've given up using them. Going to get a good ss pan. However, for simple indoor steaks I usually use the broiler about 4 min on each side.

[@jamesjulson9710]

Buy a Lodge one. Made in America.

[@Redmeatlover]

Agree def bit more maintenance but versatile from stove to oven, grill to campfire, etc. I have several Lodge’s as other poster recommended and they’re pretty good

[@GT1Vette]

I recommend Stargazer. My stargazer has seasoned way better than my lodge & I've had the lodge 10 yrs longer.

[@gregoryanderson3280]

Your steaks always look great. Where do you get them?

[@Redmeatlover]

Thanks brother, Walmart is the #1 seller of beef in the US and that’s where we get most of ours. And remember, make it either choice or prime or don’t wast your time!

[@felixgarcia9063]

I don't think I would go with the same temperatures on the pans giving the different characteristics of the material. Given that, the stainless steel pan will be heated a bit hotter, then I would just make sure the internal temp would be equal on both steaks.

[@nicholassanders9514]

Why flip them every minute??

[@UnifyYourMarketing]

I just finished cleaning my cast iron, and worked up a sweat. 😅

[@Jdoughty6616]

Cook a steak in a cast iorn pan its the LAW! Don't disrespect the steak with anything else

[@jakemode]

Just started regularly using my stainless steel pan. I always get a nice crust on the stainless, not sure what happened in this video lol

[@sumho7532]

Same. SS sears both side super well normaly

[@ericburgos]

Demeyere Atlantis has entered the chat.

[@Truths_Sayer]

I like the hat🎩.

[@goldenshatter]

Stainless

[@camfritz1449]

Permanent cooked on shit in corners after cookingn3 sirloin fillets. Steak came out great . Pan didn’t.

[@camfritz1449]

Stainless steel pan.

[@jaredstone6758]

Definitely team cast iron

[@FromTheRightAngle]

I would prefer the taste testing to be done blind. Other than that, great video!

[@bgclarinet]

Yep, carbon steel next.

[@chrismurphy5779]

It’s not Teflon….

[@Doxboi]

Cast Iron all day, if you don't have that use carbon steel! Oh before all that, get a GAS stove!

[@specialagentzeus]

120°C or 120°F ?

[@goldenshatter]

130°f

[@buckhammer5897]

I eat steak probably 3 times a week... I feel like such a minority since I have never really cared for having a good char, less char the better for me.

[@patmo131]

You need to use gas. Gas heat is real heat.

[@Mike-wh9dq]

Great video BUT.....Teflon has been outlawed for hazardess health reasons years sgo. Am thinking you mean "non-stick". While I am sure that you are really referring to "non-stick", any references to Teflon could cause some people to think they can or should use Grandma's old Teflon. Ultimately, while your cooking info is helpful the reference to Teflon takes away from your trustworthness.😮

[@frequentguest3051]

your face vs your face

[@kimhillegas2534]

Both steaks are over cooked.

[@FlameH0t]

You're overcooked.

[@GT1Vette]

You heated the cast iron incorrectly. I always bring it up to heat in the oven 1st.

[@cilantro6941]

That is nonsense and pointless. Does your stove top not heat? Lol because that's just completely unnecessary.

[@GT1Vette]

@@cilantro6941 no hot spots

[@cilantro6941]

@@GT1Vette huh?

[@GT1Vette]

@@cilantro6941 the cast iron skillet is placed in the oven it heats up evenly then I put it on the gas burner.

[@cilantro6941]

@@GT1Vette thats completely unnecessary. I mean by all means do you but there's no benefits to doing that. Cast iron has been around long before ovens so to say the op heated his cast iron incorrectly is just foolish. If your cast iron isn't heating efficiently on your stove top then you may want to replace your stove top.

[@davidfuqua3941]

If he's going to be doing this "professionally" he should learn to pronounce words he uses correctly.