# Who Hates Pam Spray? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 17, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770 "2009-03-17T17:14:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/1 "2009-03-17T17:14:52Z")
Yes, cleanup is “better”, but the stuff itself … Goopy, uncontrollable (impossible-to-control-overspray), sticks to hands (ick!), messy (adheres to the can). Who uses this, and why? ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/2 "2009-03-17T17:18:01Z")
I dunno. She’s pretty nice. But seriously, I’m not much of a cook, but I use it. It’s just easier and cooks more cleanly than, say, butter. I hate the flavored varieties, though. Yuck. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/3 "2009-03-17T17:19:56Z")
If you have overspray problems, you’re not close enough to the surface you’re spraying. It does get a bit nasty if you bake it on too much…I had to forbid my wife from using it on our new cookie sheets 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/4 "2009-03-17T17:23:26Z")
My husband likes it. I’m not sure why–laziness is my best guess. Me, I use butter or oil, if anything at all. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/5 "2009-03-17T17:26:22Z")
I use Pam for two purposes. First, to grease a cake pan before flouring it. Second, to put little bit of grease on pan before cooking an egg or pancake. I don’t have trouble with over-spray–I don’t put that much on. And clean-up is no problem, it gets absorbed by the food. I’m not sure how you’d get some on your hands or the can itself. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/6 "2009-03-17T17:34:41Z")
One thing I’ve found frustrating is that ideally, I’d want to apply the Pam and spread it around with a paper towel or something to get it distributed thinly and evenly. But when I try to do that, it doesn’t work anywhere near as well. Weird. So, yeah, real oil or butter for me, for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/7 "2009-03-17T17:38:40Z")
The canola or olive oil versions seem less yucky than the original. I use it for stuff like muffin tins or eggs, if I don’t want to use butter. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/8 "2009-03-17T17:43:14Z")
I stopped using Pam because I can’t stand the smell. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/9 "2009-03-17T17:43:19Z")
If you’re having overspray issues, either keep it closer OR do it over the sink (or maybe even outside). Also, I love Pam For Grilling. ---
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/10 "2009-03-17T17:44:05Z")
Ugh, no Pam. It smells and tastes like chemicals. My mom bought a spray bottle last year that you fill with oil and pump, then it sprays out in a nice fine mist. Tastes better and you can use olive oil too. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/11 "2009-03-17T18:09:39Z")
Works fine. You usually blast a quick shot from 6-9 inches away in a circular motion to coat the pan surface. How the heck are you getting it all yourself? Re the ‘smell’ that’s the propellant. The oil itself has almost no smell. I think people tend to misuse PAM. It’s NOT best used as a cooking oil to be used in place of olive oil or butter where you want to add flavor. It’s for surface coating stuff like frying pans, or cake and muffin tins where you need an evenly applied quick release surface. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/12 "2009-03-17T19:34:19Z")
Eh, one more thing. If you’re moving a refrigerator cross-country in the back of a pickup truck or an open trailer, DON"T get the damnfool idea that spraying the leading side of it with PAM will make the dead bugs easier to remove.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/13 "2009-03-17T19:58:47Z")
I use it on muffin tins and the like. Haven’t had any problems with it and I’m far from the most skilled person in the kitchen. I also have an olive oil sprayer which I love but I don’t want the taste of olive oil on my muffins. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/14 "2009-03-17T20:28:52Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Works fine. You usually blast a quick shot from 6-9 inches away in a circular motion to coat the pan surface. How the heck are you getting it all yourself? > > Re the ‘smell’ that’s the propellant. The oil itself has almost no smell. I think people tend to misuse PAM. It’s NOT best used as a cooking oil to be used in place of olive oil or butter where you want to add flavor. It’s for surface coating stuff like frying pans, or cake and muffin tins where you need an evenly applied quick release surface. Exactly. Husband didn’t understand that - he used to complain about the taste and stuff until I explained that you aren’t supposed to fry your hot dogs in it! I use it mainly when I’m making something like Au Gratin potatoes in a casserole in the oven. Helps the clean up. ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/15 "2009-03-17T21:19:41Z")
They still \make\ Pam? No one in my family has heart, cholesterol or any kind of significant weight issues; so we don’t worry about fats too much and just use clarified butter or cooking oil for everything. I seriously wasn’t aware Pam was even still on the market, since I haven’t used or noticed it for a good 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/16 "2009-03-17T21:31:43Z")
Pam makes it easy and non-messy to put a thin, even film of grease on a surface. Well, at least for skilled practitioners of Pam. 🙂 But using a spray bottle with my oil of choice seems worth a shot. I’ll try that. Can you use a spray bottle designed for water, or does it take a special type for oil? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/17 "2009-03-17T21:52:24Z")
> [@FallenAngel](#): > > They still \make\ Pam? > > No one in my family has heart, cholesterol or any kind of significant weight issues; so we don’t worry about fats too much and just use clarified butter or cooking oil for everything. > > I seriously wasn’t aware Pam was even still on the market, since I haven’t used or noticed it for a good 20 years. Not only do they still make it, but there are now about 3 or 4 “flavors” (butter, olive oil, canola) and numerous generic knockoffs. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/18 "2009-03-17T21:55:43Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Pam makes it easy and non-messy to put a thin, even film of grease on a surface. Well, at least for skilled practitioners of Pam. 🙂 > > But using a spray bottle with my oil of choice seems worth a shot. I’ll try that. Can you use a spray bottle designed for water, or does it take a special type for oil? They’re containers that have built in pumps to [pressurize](http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=11318517) the spray (about $10). ---
**Author:** ![hekk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@hekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekk)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/19 "2009-03-18T00:45:45Z")
Crisco, or lard. Both are (way) cheaper and more effective. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770/20 "2009-03-18T08:10:57Z")
I’ve always used Pam or off-brand non-stick cooking spray and have never had a problem with it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hates-pam-spray/489770.md?page=2)