Okay, so I need to get my mom a frying pan for Christmas, but I am having trouble working through the multitude of variations. These are my criteria —
Weight. It must be lightweight, or she won’t be able to lift it
It must have no coating. My mom will not pay any attention to advice on what kinds of utensils to use with pans and thus all her coated pans are scratched up.
It must be a nonstick surface that is easy to clean —or she won’t use it
Your pan does not exist. #2 and #3 are pretty much mutually exclusive.
A cast iron pan can fit 2, 3, and 4 but does not meet criteria 1.
A stainless steel pan meets 1,2 but not 3 and 4.
You could try one of these new “ceramic” non stick pans. I have no experience with them so YMMV.
I have a stainless steel frying pan that comes close - if you got an 8" one it’d be reasonably light, it doesn’t matter what utensils you use and it’s relatively easy to clean.
I think that might be as close as you get.
Forget about #2 and make this an annual gift. Bonus: you won’t have to worry about figuring out what to get her next year.
Otherwise, what they said about stainless steel.
ETA: I’ve tried the new “green” ceramic nonstick and it’s crap. Stickier than stainless. Go with good ol’ teflon over aluminium for really lightweight, or anodized nonstick if she can handle a little bit of weight.
I’m with Rick. Your pan does not exist. I’d agree with WhyNot except for the fact that if your mother is truly as utensil-blind as you say, she could end up eating a lot of teflon, which can’t be good for her.
If you could throw away all her metal spatulas and replace them with plastic, then WhyNot’s advise is right on the money. I always buy cheapish (~$30) teflon pans at the local restaurant supply store and replace them every year or two. I’ve had the pricey ones, and they last longer, but they, too, wear out eventually. So cheap is the way to go.
I have purchase the new ceramic pans and like them. They are as good as the adverts claim. They are low maintenance - clean up nicely with little need for special care.
I considered that, but after an admittedly cursory search, I can’t find any studies actually showing any harm from eating teflon flakes. I can find lots of “OMG, they use a cancer causing chemical in the production of teflon!” and “We’re all going to die from teflon fumes!” fearmongering out there, but nothing at all concrete or reputable.
The reason I don’t generally recommend teflon coated aluminium for most cooking is that it’s the exact opposite of what a good cook wants in a pan - heavy, dense, even heat transfer with lots of browning capacity - but when you’re older and have muscle weakness, arthritis and/or other conditions which limit strength, mobility and coordination, they’re better choices than they otherwise would be.
Plus, y’know, not to be harsh but…how old is Mom? Are we really that concerned with the potential theoretical possibility of a slow growing tumor, or are we more concerned that she could drop a heavy pan full of hot food on herself?
Heh. Mom is nearly 70 and she has been feeding us teflon nearly our whole lives. So I’m not sure that it’s the idea of being poisoned by teflon that concerns me so much as that conceptually I’d rather just not have them (and us, when we’re there) eating the non-stick coating.
So, it seems like my choice is between aluminum and the new ceramic. Does anyone have a link to one of the ceramic pans? I’m guessing I can find them at Kroger or Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
Some anodized aluminum pans come pretty close to matching the OPs requirements. We are quite happy with Analon brand pans and skillets. But note that some of their anodized products aren’t non-stick. Read the label carefully.
It does require seasoning before the first use, kind of like cast iron. The non-stick aspect is iffy; many things do stick a bit while cooking but it is very easy to clean – the stuck bits don’t stick tight, they wipe right out. You can use metal utensils in it.
I’d rate it as OK, not great and not bad. I think it might be a good choice for your mom.
Excellent pan! That thing is slicker than shit! The ceramic will chip and pit if you really abuse it but nothing close to really ruining it. I’ve had one for 3 years and it gets abused pretty well ans still works like a champ. There are a few chips and pits but for the most part it’s still in very good shape given the way my wife treats it.
Agree. I picked up an Anolon Novelle copper pan, and it has quickly become one of my favorite. Not quite as non-stick as teflon, but still very non-stick. Heats evenly, and I don’t have to care about real high temps like with teflon. And so far(~8 months) is holding up better and any non-stick I have had before.
But when I see professional chefs in restaurants on television, it always seems like they’re using light aluminum pans, or do they just look like that?
If you have a CostCo card, they have a set of three nice, thick aluminum pans by Tramontina - 8" 10" and 12". They were $26.99 last I checked. I use mine every day and love them, and CostCo’s return policy would allow you to exchange them if she really abuses them.
I have had good luck with this from Target. They usually have an 8 inch in the stores.
In my experience, all non-stick coatings eventually wear out for repeated heat/cool cycles. As far as Mom using the wrong utensils, replace them all with wood, nylon and silicone versions.
I believe teflon only emits toxic fume,s when it is heated with nothing in it…supposedly many people lost their indoor caged birds this way. Remember how miners took birds with them in mining pits, as they would die at the first trace of dangerous emissions?
Also, i have those Ogreenic pans…problem is, any pan that will not attract a magnet, such as these aluminum Ogreenics or other light weight pans, will not work on these newer induction systems, like the NuWave PIC…look on the pans box for the induction capable symbol, found on all steel and iron pans…symbol looks like a coil
I believe that induction will be the way all electric range builders will go…uses a fraction of the electricity, and even when on max, its top surface stays cold until a pan is placed on it…no more kids or cats will get their paws burned.
A friend bought me a ScanPan ( http://www.scanpancookware.com/ ) - There have been many times that I would have hugged it (the pan) if it were not so hot. Their advice is to not use knives in the pan because it will dull the knives.
The pan is NOT super light weight, but I have a smaller sized pan. I do believe that it would be hard for me to find something that sticks to it (and I’ve indulged in fried cheese and tried frying mashed potatoes – both without using any sort of oil).
ScanPans are heavy aluminum so won’t work on induction systems. The coating is some sort of Titanium and is safe up to 600 degrees F.
They are not really cheap (but I doubt you’ll have to buy replacements anytime soon). I didn’t have to do anything special before first use, I haven’t used even a drop of any sort of oil in it since I’ve had it and I have managed to overcook a couple things that just slid out.
Doesn’t really match your criteria, but there are non-stick pans out there that don’t scratch up.