For the skillet, if you like the one you have there's no need to upgrade, won't net you much. You can add a pan of a different shape or size if you'd like. Griddles are great for making pancakes or breakfast sandwiches, smaller skillets are great for smaller serving desserts or sauces. If you want to buy another pan, I'd look at a different size or shape than the one you like ready. For the spatula, I bought a cheap fish spatula on Amazon last year and I love it. I only hand wash it to protect the wooden handle, but it's great on cast iron. Link Here
here is a link to one https://www.amazon.com/New-Star-Foodservice-43068-6-5-Inch/dp/B019R31DJC/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=AWGK881TXFJX&keywords=fish+spatula&qid=1657763814&sprefix=fish+sp%2Caps%2C157&sr=8-4
Basically they are designed to flip really delicate pieces of very thin fish so they don't break apart. The front is offset and tipped at an angle to make it easier to lift the food up to flip. For eggs this allows you to more easily get your spatula entirely under the yolk and also helps move the whites over the yolk instead of making them spread like a regular spatula when you flip them. The added "padding" helps keep the yolk in tact. The keys to fried eggs is providing stability to the egg white so the yolk doesn't break or cook through. Cooking the top slightly by basting it with butter as the bottom cook does a good job of assisting and then using the right tool finishes the job! In this case the butter also helps give the toast that nice chewey texture to provide some balance against the soft eggwhite and the runny yolk.
I like these because they’re dirt cheap, I don’t worry about them getting fucked up. Only complaint is that the edges can be a little sharp and they mess up my sponge when washing.
This one I can highly recommend. I use it in both ceramic and hard anodized cookware.
My wife turned her nose when it 1st arrived like "great, another kitchen utensil 🙄". Fast forward 3 months later and she now sees the value.
New Star Foodservice 43068 Wood Handle Fish Spatula, 6.5" Blade, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019R31DJC/ref=cm_sw_r_u_apa_glt_fabc_QMS1H6706ZVRE83ARNTR
Use fresh eggs, they'll spread less. If you want them for something like, say, an egg sandwich, you can use a ring from a mason jar lid or a cookie/biscuit cutter to keep them in shape, removing the ring once the bottom is set. Use butter or bacon grease in the pan. Nonstick pans are useful for beginners, but not necessary. I use cast iron. Make sure the pan is hot before you add the egg. Use a very thin spatula for turning (a fish turner is perfect), inserting it quickly between the egg and the pan in one sharp motion, then flip gently, keeping close to the pan. You can alternately add a bit of water to the pan and cover it to steam the top of the egg without flipping.
I love this one and it was pretty cheap. I just bought the same one for our young adult son who is almost finished with college and enjoys to cook..... I feel like it is for a left-handed cook, but yet they all seem to be angled that way. But I can grab it strain pasta, stir something, even has an edge on it, so I can cook a pizza in a pan like this and then cut it before using the turner to lift it out. I only paid attention to this kitchen tool like a year or so ago, but I imagine they have been around for years, but it's my most used tool now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019R31DJC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I usually use a fish spatula like this for delicate work over heat.
I got this one! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019R31DJC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_WHtcr4OF4ICln it does work really well
Eh, I stick around here because while some people do care for their CI religiously, for the most part this sub's advice is to put some bacon on it.
Here's the deal: the only way to really ruin CI is to let it get wet and leave it that way or do things so obviously wrong to it it'd break any pan. Think like, "I left it on the grill for 6 hours" or "I put it in the dishwasher".
Here's the things I think intimidate new people and why it's not so bad, it'll either make it better or worse for you :p
The first seasoning. Whatever. If it's Lodge or otherwise says it's "pre-seasoned" it's probably fine. Put some oil in it, wipe that layer of oil thin, then fire it up and cook something on it. Does the skillet look black? It's seasoned. If it doesn't look shiny enough, wipe it down with some oil to make yourself feel better. I've got some skillets that water beads off of but they've never been shiny! It's just a thing. If you want to do the whole "an hour in the oven or on the grill" thing go for it, I haven't done it with my last two skillets and they're fine!
Soap. Whatever. Does your soap have lye and require you to wear gloves? If not it's not too terrible for the CI. I use soap every now and then if something's being stubborn. For the most part nothing's that stubborn, because...
Utensils. Get a fish spatula, something like this. Metal utensils supposedly help wear down the bumps in your CI, but honestly this is just a good dang spatula for everything I've cooked in it. Sometimes my bacon or sausage leaves little burnt-on brown bits. I scrape at it liberally and it usually goes away. I don't use silicone or wood tools in the CI because I just like the sound of the metal. But uh probably don't use silicone for steak anyway, you're going to get this skillet so hot it'll melt the silicone.
Cleanup. You were astonished about chain mail in another comment thread, I have one of these and it's amazing. What the fish spatula doesn't scrape off, this devours. I find cleanup goes best if I get my sink faucet running hot and deal with my messy pan while it's still sort of warm. Rinse, scrub, rinse, dry. Get it good and dry because rust is the enemy. Some people scrub a thin layer of oil on the skillet after drying. It can't hurt! Try not to let stuff sit in it for like, hours. It's not always bad for it but I find the longer stuff sits the harder it is to clean.
All said and done I find it more difficult to care for my stainless steel stuff as it is to do the CI, because I have to worry about damaging the finish on stainless steel.