I’ve been using some generic non-stick frying pan I bought at the grocery store, I would assume teflon. But the surface is getting discolorations (brown and tan spots in the center) after relatively few uses, and I don’t think that’s normal. I also get paranoid about the surface peeling off onto my food - is that a health hazard?
The other limitation is that the pan said not to exceed medium heat, which can be restrictive at times.
So I was looking over amazon and there seems to be different types of non-stick pans. There are ones made from ceramic with micro-grooves cut into them, which can tolerate high heat. Others seem to advertise working just based on having a hard anodized surface.
Am I right to be a little concerned about the teflon coating potentially getting absorbed into food and being a health issue or is that just paranoid? Even so, if the non-teflon designs work just as well, I’d rather just go in that direction, especially since they’d give me the full range of heat options.
Mostly I’ll be using it to cook scrambled eggs, sirloin steak, grilled vegetables.
If you’ve got a few shekels to spare, I’d go with anything Calphalon. I got a complete set three Christmases ago and use the heck out of them. Not even a hint of wear.
I am guided by Alton Brown’s notion that all nonstick cookware be treated as disposable because no matter how much you baby them the coating will eventually come off. So when I need new ones, I buy the three-piece set they sell at Costco for like $25.
Personally, I’d take a pass on the non-stick and make the jump to stainless steel. I absolutely love mine. I’ve had them for 7 or 8 years and they still look like new (and I fry in them all the time). They’re damn near impossible to ruin unless you decide to use them to rip up your driveway.
Disclaimer: I don’t cook eggs and I’ve heard you really do need non-stick for that.
We have these Circulon pans, which have proven better than the Calphalon ones we used to have.
I’ve also used cheap non-stick, and there is a huge difference in quality with these pans. The good ones last much longer, and heat much more evenly. They’re definitely worth the extra money.
All of these non-stick pans listed as “hard anodized” and such - is it the hard surface itself that makes it non-stick, or is there still a teflon or teflon-like coating underneath it?
Those look good and seem highly rated - doesn’t seem to be available to just get the 12" one alone though, and I don’t think I need 2. Hmm.
It’s got a non-stick coating on it, too, which can be scratched, but is tougher than other non-stick. I’ve been using mine every day for about a year (I don’t put it in the dishwasher, though) and only have one minor scratch. It doesn’t get peel-y or flakey like cheap non-stick. I cook a ton, and these are the pans I use the most, just because cleaning them takes all of two seconds.
And btw, if you’re making your steaks and veggies in a nonstick, you’re doing it wrong. You WANT that nice browned coating on them, and you won’t get it in nonstick.
For eggs, however, absolutely. Gotta have nonstick for eggs unless you’re a masochist.
Very minimal effort. If properly seasoned, the finish on a cast-iron pan is similar to nonstick. After using it, simply take a damp washcloth and swab out the inside. You don’t need to scrub or even soap it.
The only real issue with cast iron is if you do something boneheaded like leave it empty on a hot burner for half an hour unattended and flake off all the seasoning. (Or if a well-meaning houseguest puts it in the dishwasher or something.) But then you just reseason it again and you’re good to go.
Anolon. We spent $30 on a pair of Anolon skillets three years ago. They’re still in great condition and heat evenly. Best nonstick skillets I’ve ever had.
Do you need to do regular maintenance to keep up the seasoning, or does it only come off if you screw something up? This one seems to be highly rated and claims to be factory seasoned. I don’t like to spend too much time doing food prep so low maintenance trumps best results for me - assuming the results are otherwise good enough.
Mrs. Devil used to get jealous of my relationship to my cast iron pans. I could stare lovingly at the seasoning for hours, gently rest my head in its lap (minor burns were worth it), and broke into tears when my well-meaning in-laws washed it (don’t ask for exactly what they did; it’s still too painful).
In other words, I have been a huge fan of cast iron.
I still am, except I have a new mistress. Er, mistresses, since there’s more than one.
There are a few reasons, but the primary two are their lack of memory and even easier ease of cleaning.
By lack of memory I mean I can sear steaks, deglaze, do whatever, then make extraordinarily light and delicate crepes in the same sitting with minimal cleaning between. Not something I could do with my well-seasoned cast irons.
By ease of cleaning, you have all the benefits of it being a cast iron and cleaning as easily. *Or just put it in the dishwasher. * It can take a beating with metal implements too without any fear of disturbing the surface.
Epilogue:
My in-laws just gave me a full set of Calphalon nonstick cookware (man cannot live on cast iron alone).
Ditto–Anolon is merely the best although quite the spendy. A 12" sauce pan with lid that I recently saw on ebay® was fetching > $100.00 US, but in its favor it was also oven-proof up to 400° F.
I just drooled all over that website. I’ve tried cast iron and never really got the hang of it (which is my nice way of saying I didn’t like it). I really liked that nickel plated stuff. Then I saw the price on it…yeah, that’s a bit pricey for me. I’m far too happy with my stainless steel to drop $100-$200 on it right now (though my SS was about $100 per piece).
You don’t really have to do anything special to maintain the seasoning, no. Every time you cook something in oil or fat, you’ll improve the seasoning a bit. Just don’t scrub it with soap or leave it empty on a burner.