# Did I ruin my non-stick skillet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 13, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125 "2009-01-13T18:46:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [January 13, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/1 "2009-01-13T18:46:07Z")
I have a lovely, deep non-stick skillet my girlfriend bought for me. Recently, in searing a small roast before putting it in the oven, I seem to have marred its surface. There are now pronounced black streaks with what appear to be “spatter” marks in them. Think bubbles in the surf that let you see through to the sand below: black smears with circular spots that are the color of the plain non-stick surface. These stains don’t seem to be scrub-out-able. Maybe I’m just not trying hard enough, or … maybe I’ve ruined the non-stick surface? Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/2 "2009-01-13T19:39:14Z")
Sorry son. Ya done kilt 't skillet. Get you a bare metal Dutch oven fer such bidness. It can go in the oven right after high heat searing. ---
**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:** [January 13, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/3 "2009-01-13T19:50:09Z")
Yeah, I forgot to mention that I had the skillet on high heat for a total of about 10 minutes. Afterward, but before I found the damage to the surface, I remembered Alton saying to use stainless pans for searing. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/4 "2009-01-13T19:56:13Z")
I’m afraid **Carson** ’s right, **Knead**. But you don’t need to go so far as to get a dutch oven, unless you’ve got money to spare. Just a good cast-iron replacement. Non-stick surfaces are not only unnecessary–they don’t distribute heat or cooking oil evenly, making it a pain in the neck to cook well. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/5 "2009-01-13T20:01:01Z")
Forget the skillet - you don’t have any [birds](http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=15+1829&aid=2874)do you? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/6 "2009-01-13T20:03:23Z")
You can actually kill more than birds heating an empty nonstick skillet like that. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/7 "2009-01-13T20:12:54Z")
> [@Carson\_O\_Genic](#): > > Sorry son. Ya done kilt 't skillet. > Get you a bare metal Dutch oven fer such bidness. It can go in the oven right after high heat searing. Great username/topic combo! ---
**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:** [January 13, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/8 "2009-01-13T20:16:43Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I’m afraid **Carson** ’s right, **Knead**. Well, I’ll try to take some solace in the fact that I’m pretty good at learning from my mistakes. > [@WhyNot](#): > > Forget the skillet - you don’t have any [birds](http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=15+1829&aid=2874)do you? > [@Zsofia](#): > > You can actually kill more than birds heating an empty nonstick skillet like that. Yeah, I knew about the bird thing. The pan wasn’t empty for the entire ten minutes. I’d guess I preheated it for about three to five minutes. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/9 "2009-01-13T20:20:54Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Yeah, I knew about the bird thing. The pan wasn’t empty for the entire ten minutes. I’d guess I preheated it for about three to five minutes. Right, but if it burned the teflon, dangerous vapors were released into the air. Overheating full or empty is irrelevant - it’s just easier to overheat when it’s empty. Not heating it empty is one thing you can do to reduce your chances of overheating it; it’s not the only thing you have to avoid. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/10 "2009-01-13T20:57:10Z")
Teflon is for eggs, pancakes and any other gently cooked item that sticks like the dickens. If you’re searing, stir-frying, sauteing, etc. use something that can take high heat, like cast iron or heavy stainless steel. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/11 "2009-01-13T21:06:06Z")
After buying a large non-stick cooking set I wish I bought cast iron. You can’t hurt it and it gets better seasoned with every use. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/12 "2009-01-13T23:54:13Z")
In my experience, the pan will be fine. My trusty 10" coated aluminum skillet has been with me for at least 6 years of pretty heavy use. And not just me: roomates before and after college and family members. I have certainly personally overheated it at least a dozen times and in fact, the bottom is sort of misshapen from softening. Accidentally buring the noxious deathcloud from your teflon pans can be liberating. The damage is done and you can finally start using the thing! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/13 "2009-01-14T00:30:46Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > **Teflon is for eggs, pancakes and any other gently cooked item that sticks like the dickens.** > > If you’re searing, stir-frying, sauteing, etc. use something that can take high heat, like cast iron or heavy stainless steel. > [@Magiver](#): > > After buying a large non-stick cooking set I wish I bought cast iron. You can’t hurt it and it gets better seasoned with every use. Our cast iron pans are well seasoned, even eggs and pancakes slide around like they’re on ice. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-ruin-my-non-stick-skillet/481125/14 "2009-01-14T00:38:05Z")
Nobody’s suggested baking soda? Bring some water to a boil, dump in a bunch of baking soda, and let it continue to boil. A splatter screen is good because otherwise you’ll have a white stove top as it boils. After a few minutes, turn off the heat, let it cool. I don’t know what the chemical reaction is but it will liberate some of the black junk, make some of it easier to get out, etc. I’m not saying it’s going to rescue your pan, but it might. I’ve saved a few that way. If you don’t get it all out but are sufficiently encouraged by the results, repeat the process.