Breakfast Skillets Work

[W. Hilditch]

All you have to do is get your heat, portions, timing and placement right so your hash browns are not swimming in bacon grease. Practice counts.



Hilditch

[Jeffrey F]

Very nice !

[W. Hilditch]

Thank you. The breakfast skillets reminded me of how portions of food have gotten out of control. Pre 1960 breakfasts often included one egg - one medium sized egg. A typical US breakfast was one egg, two strips of bacon, a half cup of potatoes or grits and toast. This is what the breakfast skillet was designed to cook. Once you add more it becomes tricky to get one to work right.

If you start with 3 strips of streaky bacon, a cup of potatoes and 2 extra large eggs (what Australians call Bumbusters), you will have to play games to make a breakfast skillet work for you. Sensible portions, no problem. I had to play games above. Not next time.

Hilditch

[EdP]

W.Hilditch - great pic! I have a Wagner breakfast skillet like this in about the same size. One caveat to this type of skillet is grease splattering all over counter top and stove while frying bacon or sausages. I use a splatter screen on my regular skillets when frying. You right about the serving portions. Today, everything is jumbo sized at fast foods and chain restaurants. BTW, on side note, I remember 10 cent soda pop in 10 oz glass bottles and returning them to grocery store. Then, 12 oz cans came along then 20 oz plastic bottles.

[W. Hilditch]

EC, here is where temp experience comes in to play. I made less of a splatter mess with the above than with a normal skillet or two. Most of us are used to cooking bacon and eggs at a moderate temperature. (If it was an electric griddle we would set it on 325° F.) We know how to do it and how long it will take. The bacon spitting and eggs popping are part of the deal.

Now, if we lower the heat to low (The electric griddle would be set at 275°.) the bacon will sizzle, not spit, and the eggs don’t pop. The down side is that you will think the food will never get cooked when your conditioned clock says it should be done. Patience. Don’t turn up the heat. Give it a few minutes. The bacon will brown and the eggs will cook. The potatoes will brown too.

It is a time verses mess tradeoff. I like my bacon/sausage to sizzle, not spit or pop. Thus requiring an adjustment in timing as well as heat. This also works on griddles. Cook your meats on low and then go higher for your pancakes. Less mess.

When the 5¢ sodas went from 6 1/2 oz. to 10 oz. I remember thinking how stupid that was because a 6 1/2 oz. bottle of Coke, 7 Up or Squirt was all that one needed.

Hilditch

[EdP]

I have a conventional electric stove (not ceramic) and have no way of accurately knowing what the temperature setting would be for the 1-10 graduating scale on the knob switches for each burner. Any ideas to get an accurate measurement?

[W. Hilditch]

No, and it will vary per cooking piece used. I have the same situation with a gas stovetop. Forget exact temp and work with low, moderate and hot like with a wood stove. With experience you will learn too low, too hot and just right. You can remember the settings later.

Hilditch

[EdP]

Originally Posted by W. Hilditch

No, and it will vary per cooking piece used. I have the same situation with a gas stovetop. Forget exact temp and work with low, moderate and hot like with a wood stove. With experience you will learn too low, too hot and just right. You can remember the settings later.

Hilditch

Ok, yea I tried it at a low heat setting and fried bacon and 2 eggs perfectly. I have exceeded my quota for pics, so I can't post a pic.

[EdP]

A few images of my Wagner #1101 breakfast griddle. http://imgur.com/a/erDQ4