# Non-Stick Fry Pans - What Do You Use?



## Bill M (29 September 2009)

I've received some good advice on non financial matters on this forum before so I thought I'd ask for another.

My wife and I are good in the kitchen, we both love cooking but we are getting let down by so called non stick fry pans.

We've tried quite a few non stick fry pans both no name and name brands but eventually they have all let us down.

The last one we bought was a Anodized "signature series" (10 year guarantee) that was supposed to work well with both gas and electric. The claims of it's non stick superiority however, was after 2 years of use just BS. Everything now sticks to it just like any old fry pan, horrible

Could any of you please inform me of any brand that is truly non stick? I mean you put in a couple of drops of oil, cook your egg and it just slides out of the pan on top of your toast? I'm looking at Jamie Olivers Tefal or Scan Pan but I don't have any evidence of how good they are. If you have been using something for 3 years or more I'd love to hear your success stories and recommendations, thanks for any help.

Bill


----------



## springhill (29 September 2009)

*Re: Non Stick Fry Pans - What Do You Use?*



Bill M said:


> I've received some good advice on non financial matters on this forum before so I thought I'd ask for another.
> 
> My wife and I are good in the kitchen, we both love cooking but we are getting let down by so called non stick fry pans.
> 
> ...




Awww cripes, lucky my Bro-in-law isn't on this site!
He's one of those '......w@nkers'. Wine w@anker, food w@nker, iphone w@nker and apparently now a frying pan w@nker. Bought a scan pan set and NEVER stops talking about it, refuses to cook in anything else. Even says food tastes better cooked in a Scan Pan 
I swear he sneaks it into bed after my sis falls asleep.
Can't vouch for the longevity of them, but at this point it'd be fair to say he's rapt.


----------



## derty (29 September 2009)

Scanpans are great - nice and heavy, the non-stick is tough and hard wearing, but the non stick can be damaged by excessive heat.

When I cook my steaks I oil the steak and not the pan and heat the pan right up before slapping the steak in to the hot dry pan. Apparently this wrecks them quite well


----------



## roland (29 September 2009)

we use a chinese wok. Once "seasoned" nothing sticks - no nasty chemical coatings to leach into your food


----------



## Robb (29 September 2009)

Scan Pan non stick here, found it to be great so far. Had it for about a year now. I've never really had a non stick pan last too long, eventually the teflon/coating seems to start to flake away and its time to start again. Sure stuff isn't sticking, but as soon as that coating is coming off, its time to throw away IMO.. I think you have to be very carefull in how you treat it, ie. we only use soft silicon utensils and soft clothes to clean/dry it, no scrowing pads etc.

Also have a cast iron pan for grilling up steaks on the stove instead of heating up a non stick. Also leaves good grill lines..
Funny story, when I was young my parents went away and I was staying at a mates place. We came down to my house to cook some pancakes etc and then left. My parents came home a day and a half later to find the cast iron frying pan on a wok burner, left on full, glowing blue.... Thankfully this was before non stick pans were popular, otherwise im sure the house would no longer be here.


----------



## roland (29 September 2009)

here is a little guide on what to look for that I found whilst googling around:



> One of the biggest problems faced while selecting nonstick cookware is that in most every pan the nonstick coating always seems to scrape off despite using all the cooking and cleaning instructions. So I decided to so some online research, and picked up some pointers on how to pick up a really good nonstick pan.
> 
> It seems that all good nonstick coatings are made with the basic ingredient, PTFE, or polytetrafluoroethylene. Though this is supposed to have excellent nonstick properties, it's also very soft and therefore scratches easily. Which is why it has to be mixed with other materials in order to make it harder. The difference between different nonstick brands lies in the proportions in which PTFE is blended with other materials.
> 
> ...


----------



## GumbyLearner (29 September 2009)

Bill M said:


> I've received some good advice on non financial matters on this forum before so I thought I'd ask for another.
> 
> My wife and I are good in the kitchen, we both love cooking but we are getting let down by so called non stick fry pans.
> 
> ...




I use these Bill.

They are great but good quality olive oil is just as essential.

http://www.ballarini.it/


----------



## So_Cynical (30 September 2009)

I got a Tefal really cheap a few months ago....there careful not to use the words Teflon etc on 
the packaging so u get the impression they are the "new" non stick type pans...but there not, there 
of the nasty PTFE variety, im very fussy when using it and always use plastic or wood utensils and 
never get it too hot...and use the non scratch sponge when washing.

The Wiki was kinda reassuring  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytetrafluoroethylene


----------



## plankton (30 September 2009)

Get the $8 dollar ones from Woolies. Replace as needed ie every 3-6months depending on how often you dishwasher which is what realy screws em imo.

Effective usage compared to a $200 flash one 6.25years if you replace every 3 months and you don't have to care, metal tongs, cut a steak in one, rooted just replace it......


----------



## dbcok (30 September 2009)

Back to stainless steel- after feeling like I was being ripped off by the non-stick con -I feel better now.


----------



## satanoperca (30 September 2009)

Spent many hundreds of dollars on non stick scan pans, after several months of use everything sticks.

In frustration bought a very cheap non stick pan from Coles, nothing sticks after 6 months of use.

Have returned to my original stainless steel scan pan after having them all polished to a mirror finish. A little oil and nothing sticks.

In my opinion, non stick is overrated. Agree with a previous poster, nothing like a well seasoned wok.

Cheers


----------



## schnootle (30 September 2009)

Scanpan stuff doesn't last any where near as long as they suggest it does, starts flaking after a couple of years and then your start eating the wonderful non stick stuff.


----------



## Awesomandy (30 September 2009)

I have a scan pan for about 6 months, and it's starting to stick. Perhaps I shouldn't use it anymore, as I'm probably eating the non-stick chemicals. I haven't bought a stainless steel pans before, but stainless steel stuff worked quite well when I used them previously.


----------



## bowman (30 September 2009)

These new Chinese military woks are cheap and cheerful, and great for eggs.

Once you season your wok, only wash it with hot water after cooking, and sticking won't be a problem.


----------



## sagitar (30 September 2009)

Hi all,
Although not a financial thread, it is certainly a very interesting topic. We recently went shopping for a non-teflon pan free of producing any carcinogenic vapours. We were sold by the salesperson a solid deep dish pan costing $178 & manufactured by Swiss Diamond, who promote their diamond inlayed non-stick cookware as containing no Teflon.  

We were royally duped!  

We have since found out that cookware manufactured and promoted by Swiss Diamond do indeed contain Teflon.  The problem is that they don't state Teflon on their labelling because the name 'Teflon' itself is trademarked by Dupont. Teflon is in essence polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE, and that is the principle component of Swiss Diamond cookware. Clearly, a case of promoting very misleading (and I hesitate to say perhaps fraudulent) information.

For those out there who may be health concious it certainly pays to check out what products you are cooking with.  To end the story though, we explained our situation to the store we purchased the item from and they were quick to provide us with a refund.

I suppose this is a case of buyer beware. Our quest continues for another healthy cooking pan....

Good luck all.
S

ps. For those interested, I found more info here: http://www.naturalnews.com/021059.html


----------



## kenny (30 September 2009)

My dear missus is keen to avoid the PTFE issue but non sticks are very convenient while they still work.

I came across this brand "Earth Pan" a while ago that showed promise but haven't purchased one yet. We had recently bought a Calphalon PTFE free one that so far seems fine.



Cheers,

Kenny

+1 for the ol' seasoned wok like the old days.


----------



## motorway (30 September 2009)

I use Cast Iron

use macadamia oil or virgin coconut with it

For very acid type things that will be in it a long time then
stainless

teflon
damages too easy
 and high heat You seem to breath it

Cast Iron is a terrific cooking material

motorway


----------



## Ageo (30 September 2009)

My bessemer skillet is holding up well and i thrash the thing. The only downfall is the weight as they are very heavy.


----------



## wayneL (30 September 2009)

motorway said:


> I use Cast Iron
> 
> use macadamia oil or virgin coconut with it
> 
> ...




I like cast iron too. 

We do have a Scan Pan which was good when new, but didn't take to kindly to a Keith Floyd style thrashing. It now sits unused in the cupboard.

Only cast iron survives cheap Tempranilla inspired abuse.


----------



## derty (30 September 2009)

In scanpan's defence we have had several pots and two frypans for over 3 or 4 years now and they all still work fine except for the one that I use to cook steaks. There are no signs of any coating flaking off, even on the pan I wrecked all I see is some mottled discolouration and a dulling of the surface. I believe the PTFE/teflon is incorporated into a titanium ceramic which is why they cost so much and why they don't flake. While they say you can use metal utensils with the Scanpans we never do. 

We have a well seasoned wok that is great, though it has been much less used since the Scanpan purchase.

My next purchase will definitely be a cast iron pan.


----------



## Agentm (30 September 2009)

i always cook in stainless steel, and have 2 cast iron pans and an enamel pot which i use extensively

wont eat from nonstick ever, it will never be part of my diet

i dont have problems with food sticking at all, if you cook at the right temperatures then these things rarely happen..


http://www.ewg.org/reports/toxicteflon

http://www.ewg.org/node/18520

http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/Pandemonium-Over-Non--stick-Pans-18982-1/



    ASHINGTON, July 8 - The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday that it would fine the DuPont chemical company for failing to report test results on a chemical related to the manufacturing of Teflon.

    DuPont conducted tests that showed that the chemical, known as C-8, was transmitted from a pregnant DuPont worker to her fetus and that traces of it were found in public drinking water in communities near DuPont facilities, but the company did not reveal that it had done the tests, the agency said.

    Congress cannot mandate such testing by a chemical company, but if testing is conducted, the results must be made public, according to the Toxic Substance Control Act.

    The E.P.A. also found DuPont in violation for failing to provide all of the toxicological data it had gathered on the chemical after a 1997 request from the agency.

    DuPont said it would contest the fines. "We believe that we have complied with the guidelines and the reporting requirements," R. Clifton Webb, a company spokesman, said.

    A spokesman for the E.P.A. said the agency would impose a multi-million dollar fine, but he declined to be more specific.

    It is unclear whether C-8, or perfluorooctanoic acid, is harmful to humans. In one study, researchers concluded that it caused developmental defects in rats, but the results could not be replicated.

    In 1981, DuPont had results of blood tests conducted on pregnant workers, which showed that C-8 had been transmitted from a worker to her developing fetus, the E.P.A. said. The child appeared to be normal at birth, but the agency's complaint does not say if the child was monitored thereafter.

    In 1991, the agency said, DuPont compiled evidence that C-8 levels in drinking water in communities along the Ohio River, near the company's plant in Washington, W.Va., exceeded an exposure level set by company's internal guidelines.

    In March 2001, a lawyer representing residents along the river in a class-action lawsuit against DuPont sent copies of the test results to the agency.


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/09/politics/09pollute.html

love this one

http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=586983



possibly the best site on it all

http://www.communicationagents.com/sepp/2004/01/31/toxic_teflon_frying_pans.htm


----------



## plankton (30 September 2009)

Good Points about the carcinogenic fumes given off by teflon, when I worked in pet trade we had to advise people to keep their birds away from kitchen areas when cooking with non stick as 2nd hand evidence it was a killer of smaller birds.


----------



## Bill M (30 September 2009)

Lots of great ideas and opinions there everyone. Seems like everybody has their non stick cook ware fail on them at some time. Some even went back to stainless steel, I got one of those too. So how do you season a wok? I got a stainless steel wok too but it is not really practical for frying say 4 eggs at a time. Wasn't an easy question this one..... the search continues


----------



## Julia (30 September 2009)

How about trying grilling rather than frying, and being kind to your cardiovascular system?


----------



## nunthewiser (30 September 2009)

grilled eggs ?


----------



## Julia (30 September 2009)

nunthewiser said:


> grilled eggs ?



I've totally failed to come up with some smart response about how to grill eggs, nun.

They're pretty good baked in the oven though.  Or done in any number of ways other than fried in fat.

I was actually thinking more about cooking fish, meat etc.

Perhaps both you and I have a little too much time on our hands if we are devoting such consideration to minutiae, huh.


----------



## nunthewiser (30 September 2009)

Julia said:


> I've totally failed to come up with some smart response about how to grill eggs, nun.
> 
> They're pretty good baked in the oven though.  Or done in any number of ways other than fried in fat.
> 
> ...





 i knew exactly where you was coming from 

just being my normal smartypants self , lol totally agree i need to get out more


----------



## nunthewiser (30 September 2009)

FWIW 

i use a large cast iron frying pan for my frying ......... i do have and had various "non-stick" brands of various prices and have not found one i like to use as much as my ole heavyweight pan


----------



## derty (30 September 2009)

Bill M said:


> So how do you season a wok?



This website covers the process well: http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/wokcare.html

Might have to pull mine out and redo it. I definitely wasn't as thorough as this lady.


----------

