Grandma Dahl Used Cast Iron,
but when I grew up and she wanted to pass on the Aebelskiever tradition, she bought me a used Aluminum pan. I thanked her very much, left the pan at my parent's house and off to college I went.
Five years, a degree in Biology and a teaching credential later, I found that pan my Grandma gave me and gave it try. I used it just once, the batter stuck to that pan no matter what I did, so I soaked it in the kitchen sink and never used it again. The pan got shoved to the back of the cabinet and I have no idea how or when I got rid of the horrible thing, but I'm sure that I never told Grandma Dahl.
Fast forward ten years and I found myself at a swap meet in Riverside California. I hate swap meets, but there I was, not anticipating buying anyone's junk. Then it caught my eye. There was a man sitting on the ground and in front of him were probably 300 or so cast iron pans, pots, dutch ovens, skillets, and one Aebelskiever pan. My eye went right to it. "How much for this one?" I asked pointing. "I have no idea what that one's for!" the man looked at me, obviously frustrated, like he'd lugged that pan around far longer than he originally intended. "Two Dollars", he came back. I couldn't argue with that, heck, even Grandma Dahl who loved garage sales wouldn't have argued with that price. I paid him and the pan was mine.
Only as I picked up that dusty, rusty old thing did I realize why my aluminum pan failed so miserably, thermal mass. The aluminum simply didn't didn't have enough material/metal to hold and transfer enough heat to properly cook the batter. Aluminum tends to be either too hot(burned Aebels) or too cold (stuck on mess).
Five years, a degree in Biology and a teaching credential later, I found that pan my Grandma gave me and gave it try. I used it just once, the batter stuck to that pan no matter what I did, so I soaked it in the kitchen sink and never used it again. The pan got shoved to the back of the cabinet and I have no idea how or when I got rid of the horrible thing, but I'm sure that I never told Grandma Dahl.
Fast forward ten years and I found myself at a swap meet in Riverside California. I hate swap meets, but there I was, not anticipating buying anyone's junk. Then it caught my eye. There was a man sitting on the ground and in front of him were probably 300 or so cast iron pans, pots, dutch ovens, skillets, and one Aebelskiever pan. My eye went right to it. "How much for this one?" I asked pointing. "I have no idea what that one's for!" the man looked at me, obviously frustrated, like he'd lugged that pan around far longer than he originally intended. "Two Dollars", he came back. I couldn't argue with that, heck, even Grandma Dahl who loved garage sales wouldn't have argued with that price. I paid him and the pan was mine.
Only as I picked up that dusty, rusty old thing did I realize why my aluminum pan failed so miserably, thermal mass. The aluminum simply didn't didn't have enough material/metal to hold and transfer enough heat to properly cook the batter. Aluminum tends to be either too hot(burned Aebels) or too cold (stuck on mess).
The Jotul Pan from Norway
That cast iron pan was the real deal, it was stamped "JOTUL" with a slanty cross through the O. It was from Norway, and I was back on the road to making exceptional Aebelskiever!
This pan worked, but I could never seem to get the heat just right. I use a gas stove and I'm convinced that my original cast iron pan was meant to be used on a flat cooking surface, an electric stove or a wood stove. After figuring this out, I went in search of the best Aebelskiever pan I could find that would work well with gas.
This pan worked, but I could never seem to get the heat just right. I use a gas stove and I'm convinced that my original cast iron pan was meant to be used on a flat cooking surface, an electric stove or a wood stove. After figuring this out, I went in search of the best Aebelskiever pan I could find that would work well with gas.
Lodge Cast Iron - Simply the Best Pan
