Deep Dive
Non-stick and stainless steel — the everyday workhorses
Fallow opens by challenging how home cooks misuse non-stick pans. In professional kitchens, non-stick exists for one purpose only: breakfast service, specifically eggs. The technique is simple — once bubbles form, draw the egg to the center in a circular motion using the pan's frictionless surface. Stainless steel pans, by contrast, are the biggest workhorse of any kitchen. They excel at searing because they're super responsive to heat — you can whack the temperature high, then drop it instantly if something threatens to burn. Five-ply construction (alternating layers of steel and aluminum) is the secret. Aluminum conducts heat incredibly fast, steel stays hardwearing. The result is a pan that won't warp, can be used roughly with metal tongs, and builds fond on the bottom, which matters for sauces. Fallow demonstrates this on salmon skin, showing how the fish lifts off perfectly once ready, never sticking if you respect the pan's heat signals.
Carbon steel — the sear specialist
Fallow describes carbon steel as the Lamborghini of the pan world. It heats from cold to smoking hot in seconds because it's treated steel mixed with iron ore — the same material used in skyscrapers. The payoff is ruthless searing capability. For a steak, Fallow starts with a massive fat cap, flips every twenty seconds, reduces heat slightly, then finishes with basting butter. Carbon steel's genius is that despite getting even hotter, it has a hollow handle that stays cool because air doesn't conduct heat like metal does. Unlike cast iron, which holds heat indefinitely and will burn shallots placed in after a steak, carbon steel chills out quickly, letting you build a pan sauce without charring. The more you cook in it, the better the seasoned non-stick layer becomes. Fallow notes his Made In pans, purchased two years ago, are the best they've ever been. For Steak Diane, the fond reduction is second to none because of how aggressively the pan responds.
Cast iron and copper — the specialists
Cast iron's thick mass makes it perfect for duck breast. Start in a cold pan so fat renders out naturally with zero added oil. The thickness means you can sear skin-side down, flip, then leave it resting off heat for six minutes while it continues cooking from residual warmth — critical for a perfectly cooked 56-degree medium-rare without gray lines around the meat. Copper pans are the old-school choice for classical sauces. They boil and heat with perfect consistency across the entire surface, making them essential for beurre blanc, which splits instantly if heat is uneven. Fallow demonstrates: white wine and vinegar reduce aggressively and evenly, cream stops the split, then cold butter is whisked on and off heat using the pan's sloped sides to help emulsification. The trade-off is the handles get extremely hot, requiring a kitchen cloth.
Sauté, saucier, and enamel pans — the shape specialists
The sauté pan's sloped sides enable mantakare — rocking the pan back and forward — which develops starch in pasta water and emulsifies Cacio e Pepe into a glossy sauce. The shape lets you fold pasta gently, almost like dough, rather than violently tossing with tongs. The saucier pan is larger with steeper edges, perfect for braising and caramelizing simultaneously, like a chicken fricassee where you build fond, render fat, and reduce cream all in one vessel. The five-ply stainless steel construction ensures even heat across all pieces of chicken. The enamel-coated cast iron pot is Fallow's weapon against slow cookers. It braises meat better because the lid's weight seals steam that circulates and breaks down collagen at 85°C held for hours. A slow cooker just boils meat in water; an enamel pot gets heat from top and bottom, with sauce reduction happening all around, never tasting boiled.