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Carbon steel > cast iron. Lighter, basically the same heat properties, and you don't get peer pressured into unnecessarily babying a lump of solid metal.
Seriously no reason to dote on either of them so much. Only real care you need to take is that they can rust, so don't leave them wet. And don't needlessly scrub them with chain mail or angle grinders, or you might need to take a few minutes fixing them with cooking oil and the oven.
Does cast iron really take babying? I have a 12" cast iron skillet that's pretty much the only pan I use, and I just scrub it with steel wool, get it hot again, then throw in some avocado oil. It takes like 60 seconds of work
No, it doesn't. But people think it does and will get really vocal about it if you, god forbid, get it super gross and need to rinse it out with some soap and water.
That's why I specified that it was peer pressure, not necessity. :)
No, it doesn't. I don't even bother coating mine with oil, just a scrub with hot water and let it dry.
Also don't temp shock them, they can warp
Ah, true. That one's become so ingrained for cooking in general that I don't really think about it. Putpan on low/medium heat, toss in a bit of oil and let the heat get even then swirl the oil. Adjust heat to desired level and cook.
I also mean when cleaning, don't go from hot to under the sink stream
Oh God, do people do that? Shouldn't do that with any pan.
Toss a cup of water in the pan to deglaze it and scrape any crap up with your cooking tool. Dump the water in the sink and use some paper towels to wipe out any loose stuff.
This might be enough to clean it, but if not once it's cool clean as appropriate. If it's carbon or cast iron, reheat to cook off any water and wipe with a drop of oil you bring to smoking.
Inevitably leave on the stove until you need to use it next instead of putting it away properly.
I end up reseasoning mine every couple of years, inevitably somebody leaves it in the sink for a bit trying to soak off some burnt on stuff. It's really no big deal.
Babying it is pretty new and somewhat cultish behaviour, my grandfather just used it and washed as normal, the only babying it needs is a huge temperature differences can break it. Stainless steel and high carbon steel pans are better.
Carbon steel has the heat storage of cast iron but transfers it fast like aluminum. I thought a cast iron seared steak was great until I used carbon steel and omg is it so much better.