# Best (preferably non-stick) frying pan? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 30, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865 "2011-12-30T19:49:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/21 "2011-12-31T15:03:16Z")
> [@Hilary\_Algar](#): > > 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. Like I said, somehow we found a pair for $30 on Amazon. It was the “bronze line” or something… even if it’s their low-rent product it still rocks. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/22 "2011-12-31T15:21:18Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > 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](http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L10SK3-12-Inch-Pre-Seasoned-Skillet/dp/B00006JSUB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325286929&sr=8-1) 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. You just have to keep it try at all times. They rust QUICK. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/23 "2011-12-31T15:46:45Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > 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. > > Earlier this year, [Olvida nickle-plated cast iron pans](http://www.olvidacookware.com/faq.html)came up in a thread. I haven’t use my old cast irons since they arrived. > > 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). Hmm. [They get really mixed reviews.](http://www.amazon.com/Olvida-Inch-Nickel-Plated-Skillet/dp/B000CD1C98/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1325345895&sr=8-2) I really want to love cast iron, but I’ve never been able to get it seasoned well enough that it isn’t a pain to clean. I cook fatty foods a lot, but it just doesn’t seem to work for me. I’ve followed tutorials and what not and…nope. I finally got an enameled cast iron frying pan, and that’s not too much trouble to clean, but I’d never try to make eggs in it or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/24 "2011-12-31T15:52:15Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > 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). It would be like buying car tires that never wear out. Yes they seem pricey but I can see buying one or two skillets. I myself still use the old copper bottom revere ware I inherited. And I cook eggs in them all the time. That’s what non-stick spray is for. Any burning on the stainless surface is removed by running it under cold water and hitting it with a little steel wool. Takes the burnt carbon right off. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/25 "2011-12-31T18:24:42Z")
Moving from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/26 "2011-12-31T19:15:40Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > You just have to keep it try at all times. They rust QUICK. Concur. I bought a Lodge grill pan a while back, found it a sickening pain to keep clean, set it aside where it promptly rusted, and shortly thereafter sold it at a profit to someone who apparently never shopped at Walmart or would’ve known what they sold for new. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/27 "2011-12-31T20:18:21Z")
[This stuff](http://www.surlatable.com/category/cat450431/Scanpan?columnsParam=&docSortOrderParam=&cleanMultipleFacets=true&pageSizeParam=&showMethodParam=¶mSizeParam=&docSortPropParam=&docSortParam=&queryMethod=get&modeParam=&howManyParam=&categoryIdClicked=cat450431&trailParam=SRCH%3Acat450431%3A14044%3A250.00-999.95%7CLAST&facetTrailParam=SRCH%3Acat450431%3A14044%3A250.00-999.95%7CLAST&requestChainTokenParam=0075650660) is supposed to be the shizzle, but I can buy a lot of T-fal for that much money, and it’s gotten markedly better in recent years. I have two Calphalon non-stick also, a set of stainless for meats, etc., and a cast iron pan that’s almost too heavy to use. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/28 "2011-12-31T20:21:04Z")
If your cast-iron rusts, it isn’t seasoned, or isn’t seasoned well. The seasoning forms a protective coating. A stripped-down unseasoned pan, however, will rust in about two seconds flat, which is why when you reseason a pan you don’t want to wait very long between stripping it and reseasoning it. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/29 "2011-12-31T20:39:47Z")
I just got [this](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GWG0T2/ref%3dpe_175190_21431760_cs_sce_dp_i1) T-Fal pan for my egg pan. I like it so far! ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/30 "2011-12-31T20:46:01Z")
Go to a restaurant supply shop and buy a couple. Toss when done. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/31 "2011-12-31T20:50:00Z")
So I was cooking something on my current generic nonstick today in the meantime. It had some brown marks on it in the center (I think it may be because I turned up the heat to 6 on it once) but seemed okay… and… then I notice in my food there was a piece of thin black torn up plastic. What I presume is part of the surface of the pan coming off into my food. Ugh. I’ve never used any metal utensils on it or anything and never mistreated it aside from one time taking it up a possibly one notch too high in heat. I’m kind of leery of getting anything with a coating now, so I might try that textured ceramic. Does anyone have experience with that? Or I suppose the coatings on the higher end pans probably won’t do what just happened. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/32 "2011-12-31T23:55:49Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > Hmm. [They get really mixed reviews.](http://www.amazon.com/Olvida-Inch-Nickel-Plated-Skillet/dp/B000CD1C98/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1325345895&sr=8-2) > > I really want to love cast iron, but I’ve never been able to get it seasoned well enough that it isn’t a pain to clean. I cook fatty foods a lot, but it just doesn’t seem to work for me. I’ve followed tutorials and what not and…nope. I finally got an enameled cast iron frying pan, and that’s not too much trouble to clean, but I’d never try to make eggs in it or anything. Saw those and it worried us at first. But figured we’d try our luck with the pan, the guarantee, and the return policy. It’s been close to a year of heavy use and not a spot of rust or hint of any problems. YMMV, of course, but the Pan of Awesomeness has been going strong. Again, _everything_ that’s great about cast iron but with even more benefits. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@Mister\_Owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Owl)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/33 "2012-01-01T01:21:39Z")
Haven’t bothered to read the thread so if this has already been said consider it to be a confirmation of any previous posts. Go to your nearest restaurant supply house and buy your non-stick skillets there. Oh and buy the cheapest, most likely they will meet your expectations. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865/34 "2012-01-08T20:18:53Z")
So I ended up getting the [T-fal professional one](http://www.amazon.com/T-Fal-Professional-Total-Nonstick-2-Inch/dp/B000GWG0T2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1326053713&sr=8-7) to start with. I figured I needed something like that for eggs either way, and I’d decide if it was good enough for other stuff or if I should get cast iron. So far it’s really nice - noticibly better than my generic one. The heat spreader plate on the bottom does a much better job of keeping the whole surface evenly heated, and the quality of the non-stick is very good. Happy with it. One question though - does the output of gas stoves vary significantly? All non-stick pans say to use medium heat at most, so I never turn my dial past 5, but it appears that the 5 on my stove isn’t that hot. It’s not enough to activate the pre-heat indicator on the pan (it half fades, when the package says it should fully fade) and after cooking a bit with it, things do seem somewhat undercooked. So am I safe for cranking it up to 6-8 under the assumption that my stove has less heat output than typical? I don’t want to damage the pan, of course, but things take at least twice as long to cook as typical. Although I don’t have that much cooking experience to have a good feel for how things should cook. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-preferably-non-stick-frying-pan/607865.md?page=1)