PAM - non stick cooking spray.

I might be imagining things. But I think this stuff is actually slicker than cooking oil.

Reading the weird science ingredients, it lists silicon as an ingredient. Hmmmm. I bought some last night. It’s been years since I’ve had a spray can of that stuff in my kitchen. ( I like wiping my grill grates with the stuff when I grill fish).

This morning my wife wanted homemade “egg McMuffins “. I serously think this stuff is freakishly slippery. Using two similar cast iron pans, the one lightly sprayed w PAM, was more nonstick that the one I gave a squirt of avocado oil.

I know my experiment is rather haphazard.

Any idea from you pro cooks?

Not a pro but I don't like the idea of freakish ingredients near something I want to eat...but maybe that's just my weirdness

The dimethyl silicone is an "anti foaming" agent, and probably not a large enough percentage of the ingredient to cause an additional nonstick effect. The nonstick is probably mainly from the soybean lecithin. It's used in many things as a food release agent. Maybe some concentrated pesticide risk there, because it's a waste product from soybean processing.

I wouldn't use Pam as a replacement for peanut or olive oil, at least for everyday cooking. You'd be eating a fair amount of the nastier ingredients that way. For very infrequent and minor use, it may not be too bad. I'll occasionally use it for misting a ceramic bowl for bread or pizza dough rising, because it's just so damned convenient. And I don't bake that often.

FWIW, I've tried using those nice-looking stainless pump sprayers loaded up with olive or peanut oil. It works, but not for long. The sprayer starts to clog up as as the oil congeals inside it, and they're nasty to clean.

There is a spray product called Vegalene that I haven't tried, maybe I'll pick up a can. The ingredient list seems relatively benign -- vegetable oil (canola, sunflower, soybean), soy lecithin, natural flavor, beta-carotene (color), propellant. Has anyone here used Vegalene?

A lot of pans recommend NOT using non-stick cooking sprays, as there will eventually be a build up that is very difficult to remove.

I've found that with long term and frequent use part of the coating will "polymerize" to the pan. Can't imagine that being a good thing. I used polymerize but don't really know what causes the effect - but a film will build on the pan. I don't want to eat said film.

The only spray on I will use is a product like "Baker's Joy" that contains a small amount of flour and it's use is limited to baking pans and goods.

I always have a can around, but rarely use it, only sometimes for baking.

I use it when I roast potatoes in the oven. I put extra heavy duty foil in the tray and spray it once. I find that even oiled potatoes tend to leg go easier and I don't have to precook them.

I also maybe use it once a month at most ...

The only thing we use cooking spray for in our kitchen is when putting meat on the grill, to help it release easier.

I use something similar to daveb's Baker's Joy when not using olive oil or peanut oil. I do keep several large spray cans of PAM on hand though.They are out in the garage for when I want to spray the snow blade on my tractor.That stuff is unbelievable for shedding snow off the blade.

dizzyingheights said:

The only thing we use cooking spray for in our kitchen is when putting meat on the grill, to help it release easier.

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I dip scrunched up paper towel in oil and then rub the grates with it. Works like a charm.

Thanks. This isn’t a frequent use thing. Call it insurance.

Slow baking carmalized onions, yes. It will save your enamel pot. Most times I wipe on a time layer of olive oils.