So the idea of “buy it for life” is to buy items that are durable and last for a long time, things you could buy once and have your whole life, which can save money and be good for the environment
What are some of the top items you recommend for this?
Quality tools in general. Be disciplined in storing them well and in one place.
A good chef’s knife and gear to keep it sharp. You will never want to go back.
Cast iron pan has been said. A good multi layered stainless steel pan (so layers all the way, not disc bottom). Indestructible and doesnt give you cancer like teflon.
A leatherman or similar multitool.
Good binoculars, if you’re into that kind of stuff.
In addition to the chef’s knife, a good sturdy butcher block style cutting board. Oil it regularly.
And soft wood is good wood. The butcher block is there to protect the knife
Just going to emphasise a negative here: no Teflon. In fact if you have some already you should plan to dispose of it as soon as you can afford another pan.
Ideally your local municipality can advise you on how to safely dispose of them.
True words right here. Say no to cancer pans.
AFAIK seasoning is just burnt oil, how is that not dangerous? Honest question, since quality studies are not seem to be available in this field.
I actually found this an interesting read.
https://examine.com/articles/are-cast-iron-pans-unsafe/
Thanks, it was indeed an interesting read, but sadly it has the same non-scientific fuzziness around my key question: “Nobody knows exactly how much comes off over time, nor do they know what the health effects are of eating tiny bits of this type of broken down fat.” “The risks, if any, of eating tiny amounts of seasoning every day for years is unknown. But they’re probably not very large.”
It’s not burned, it’s polymerized. It’s not dangerous because there’s nothing fundamentally dangerous about the oil to begin with.
Oil contains carbon atoms, so when it gets heated and the molecules break down, some of the carbon gets set free. This is what makes used oil darker than the fresh stuff. And that carbon is the same as the one on burnt food, which is a known carcinogen. I’d love to find a study about the concrete amounts of probable or proven carcinogens transferred to foods cooked in seasoned cast iron vs teflon, because I’d prefer the everlasting quality of cast iron - but convincing a doctor who works with cancer patients every day requires solid evidence.
Recommend looking into cast carbon pans!