Good non stick fry pan

Shop Knives and stones on ebay
Japanese Knives - by Tokushu Knife
Advertise with us
Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Kippington said:
It turns out that Teflon (at a high temperature) breaks down into nasty gases that destroys the lungs of parrots - I'm talking death within a few minutes - and it's not so crash hot for humans either.
birds-turkey-fumes.jpg

Also, Google "Teflon Baby".
I don't like to use the stuff. And besides, I can get really good non-stick results on a stainless steel surface.
Teflon_Can_t_Take_The_Heat_1024x1024.jpg
Click to expand...
Hi Kipp, can I ask how you get good non-stick results on stainless? I find it to be almost the stickiest.

What type of oil/butter/lard do you use to fry an egg or cook a steak?

Regards Rob.
 
rob said:
Hi Kipp, can I ask how you get good non-stick results on stainless? I find it to be almost the stickiest.

What type of oil/butter/lard do you use to fry an egg or cook a steak?

Regards Rob.
Click to expand...
I made a clip of frying some eggs to show the results I get on stainless.
I didn't bother editing any of the video, so you can skip to 4:30 to see the end results - everything prior to that is only included just to prove I didn't pre-cook the eggs on a different pan or something. Near the end of the video, the eggs went into the grill for about a minute to cook the raw top.



I wish I had remembered to wipe out the surface at the end with some paper towel. Everything would've come right off...

You can reset your stainless surface to make it behave like this by scrubbing it with something fine and mildly abrasive, then heating the surface up to a straw colour, about 200-250°C (don't do this with Teflon!). This forms a smooth oxide layer on the surface of the steel. Let the pan cool to just above your cooking temp, add oil (the oxide layer soaks some of it in) and you're ready to go. The type of oil isn't all that important.

I cook steak differently, I tend to want it to stick to the pan, at least a little bit, to make a pan sauce out of the fond left behind.
Difference-Between-Tempering-and-Austempering_Figure-1-768x413.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Thanks everyone for the feedback, I'm starting to remember why I hated non-stick pans.

Can anyone suggest a decent frypan for acidic sauces/eggs? I love my cast iron pans but they take a while to heat up and even then they need special attention to prevent food sticking.
 
Had to replace some pans when I got an induction range. Got a Madein cookware 10inch non stick frying pan(not ceramic or PTFE). Best non stick cookware that I've used, Use mostly for eggs and searing fish. After about a year and a half it still performs like it did new. Think I'll get twelve inch when it's back in stock. Was a little dubious because their marketing reminded me of Misen knives but i'm happy wit the pans I've bought from them. Good quality and fair price. Wouldn't buy a knife from them though.
 
Kippington said:
I made a clip of frying some eggs to show the results I get on stainless.
I didn't bother editing any of the video, so you can skip to 4:30 to see the end results - everything prior to that is only included just to prove I didn't pre-cook the eggs on a different pan or something. Near the end of the video, the eggs went into the grill for about a minute to cook the raw top.



I wish I had remembered to wipe out the surface at the end with some paper towel. Everything would've come right off...

You can reset your stainless surface to make it behave like this by scrubbing it with something fine and mildly abrasive, then heating the surface up to a straw colour, about 200-250°C (don't do this with Teflon!). This forms a smooth oxide layer on the surface of the steel. Let the pan cool to just above your cooking temp, add oil (the oxide layer soaks some of it in) and you're ready to go. The type of oil isn't all that important.

I cook steak differently, I tend to want it to stick to the pan, at least a little bit, to make a pan sauce out of the fond left behind.
Difference-Between-Tempering-and-Austempering_Figure-1-768x413.jpeg
Click to expand...

Thank you.
 
Buy a good stainless and a good carbon steel pan and keep them the decades to come. Teflon is toxic when you warm it and the concept of buying a pan that lasts 6 months is just an environmental aberration.
 
rob said:
Hi Kipp, can I ask how you get good non-stick results on stainless? I find it to be almost the stickiest.

What type of oil/butter/lard do you use to fry an egg or cook a steak?

Regards Rob.
Click to expand...



(Ignore the marketing fluff, this is actually a great technique video!)
For many things you don't need oil actually (most meat, oily fish, etc.). Just the right temperature and patience not to try to turn too soon. Then you get a wicked fond to deglaze!
 
Some information from a reliable source (as best as I know):

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/teflon-and-perfluorooctanoic-acid-pfoa.html
Many manufacturers make non-stick pans that are PFOA-free. My experience with non-stick pans has been that they last a lot longer than six months. My Tefal pan is about three years old and as good as new. My very cheap Ikea non-stick pan is about two years old and also as good as new. Both get used a lot, almost daily.

The risk with non-stick pans is overheating. Above 260 ºC (500 ºF), they emit gasses that are suspected to be harmful to people. The way to avoid that is simple: don't overheat the pan.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/co...eviews/a17426/nonstick-cookware-safety-facts/
I love my cast iron and stainless steel pans. And I love my non-stick pans, too. They each have their place. If I want something ripping hot, I don't use non-stick. Simple, and problem solved.
 
Last edited:
Yea... carbon and cast iron and stainless can be sort of nonstick. There’s Kip’s nice vid for stainless, and if I’m frying an egg I’ll use carbon and it’ll just slide all over the place. But if you want to make soft well scrambled eggs or something and don’t want to bother with scraping the stuff out of the pan at the end, it’s hard to beat nonstick. Yes, you can make scrambled eggs in the other pans, but it’s just easier in nonstick.
 
Last edited:
Michi said:
Many manufacturers make non-stick pans that are PFOA-free. My experience with non-stick pans has been that they last a lot longer than six months.
Click to expand...

I think most of the "disposable" discussion re non-stick was in a segue into pro use. My home non-stick works find, lasts a long time. Swiss Diamond and now Vollrath - used only for fish and eggs. The 2 - 6 month lifespan in a pro kitchen I think is largely due to the commercial dish machines these cycle through several times a day as well as the high temp use.
 
Kippington said:
I made a clip of frying some eggs to show the results I get on stainless.
I didn't bother editing any of the video, so you can skip to 4:30 to see the end results - everything prior to that is only included just to prove I didn't pre-cook the eggs on a different pan or something. Near the end of the video, the eggs went into the grill for about a minute to cook the raw top.


I wish I had remembered to wipe out the surface at the end with some paper towel. Everything would've come right off...

You can reset your stainless surface to make it behave like this by scrubbing it with something fine and mildly abrasive, then heating the surface up to a straw colour, about 200-250°C (don't do this with Teflon!). This forms a smooth oxide layer on the surface of the steel. Let the pan cool to just above your cooking temp, add oil (the oxide layer soaks some of it in) and you're ready to go. The type of oil isn't all that important.

I cook steak differently, I tend to want it to stick to the pan, at least a little bit, to make a pan sauce out of the fond left behind.
Click to expand...
kipp. Did that pan come into the video preheated? If not, it got hot fast!

thanks for the vid.
 
I just did potstickers on my carbon pan. I’m delighted. It wiped clean. I thought I was screwed, but a hard jiggle at the end set them free.

the potstickers browned all mottled tho. Whatever. I was eating solo.
 
Apart from health concerns... I have an aversion to pans that need throwing away at some point, be it 6 months or 5 years. A solidly built metal pan should literally last a lifetime. Second to that... if something does stick to the surface it is nice to know I can whale down on the surface without seriously damaging it! On metal pans you can use a stiff scrubbing brush, paint-scraper or even steel wool!


madelinez said:
Can anyone suggest a decent frypan for acidic sauces/eggs?
Click to expand...

For pans, I am a cast-iron zealot (though all this talk is making me thing seriously about carbon pans). Don't worry too much about acidic stuff. I don't think twice. Seasoning waxes and wanes - it is organic and something that you need to maintain. If you make an acidic sauce... just replenish the seasoning afterwards!

There are probably better pans out there... but all the stainless in our house are Essteel. Australian owned, manufactured in Italy... if you like that sort of thing? They are well made and have solid, heavy bottoms. Zero complaints!

Not mad about their frying pans though.


Michi said:
It cleans up so easily that I rather wash it in the sink than taking up a huge amount of space in the dishwasher.
Click to expand...

We don't put our pots or pans in the dishwasher - also to save space. The outside surface of Essteel are so nice and shiny that it would be a shame to dull it in the dishwasher!
 
There are also non-stick pans that are coated with something that looks like dark ceramic. (It looks a little like fine polished granite.) I don't know whether they contain Teflon, and I've never used one of those. But, from watching videos, they seem to work well. Anyone want to chime in with their experiences?
 
Luftmensch said:
Apart from health concerns... I have an aversion to pans that need throwing away at some point, be it 6 months or 5 years. A solidly built metal pan should literally last a lifetime. Second to that... if something does stick to the surface it is nice to know I can whale down on the surface without seriously damaging it! On metal pans you can use a stiff scrubbing brush, paint-scraper or even steel wool!




For pans, I am a cast-iron zealot (though all this talk is making me thing seriously about carbon pans). Don't worry too much about acidic stuff. I don't think twice. Seasoning waxes and wanes - it is organic and something that you need to maintain. If you make an acidic sauce... just replenish the seasoning afterwards!

There are probably better pans out there... but all the stainless in our house are Essteel. Australian owned, manufactured in Italy... if you like that sort of thing? They are well made and have solid, heavy bottoms. Zero complaints!

Not mad about their frying pans though.




We don't put our pots or pans in the dishwasher - also to save space. The outside surface of Essteel are so nice and shiny that it would be a shame to dull it in the dishwasher!
Click to expand...
solid points!! pulling the chute on my carbon pan seasoning was an easy decision. i used 200 grit wet/dry sandpaper. i did it to my cast pan also.

Acidic sauces in carbon never works for me. my carbon paella pan. it's like groundhog day every time i use it for a paella. it strips the seasoning i develop using it as a big meat sear pan. i did one small Sharshuka in my carbon pan and took it to zero.

in cast iron, they are more forgivable.
 
The issue with acidic pans in carbon isn't just the pain in the ass of reseasoning it, but the fact that the existing seasoning ends up in your food. Who wants to eat a bunch of heat-damaged polymerized oil? And while it's nice to be able to "whale down" on your pan with sandpaper or whatever, it's even nicer to never have to. Carbon steel and cast iron are good for what they're good for, but they're not the only pans worth using. Especially for things like slow scrambled eggs.
 
I have a ton of cast iron, a bunch of stainless, a few carbon steel, and a couple of non stick. For non stick i use anolon nouvelle copper. Really good pans, last a long time and cook better than most of what i have.
 
btbyrd said:
The issue with acidic pans in carbon isn't just the pain in the ass of reseasoning it, but the fact that the existing seasoning ends up in your food. Who wants to eat a bunch of heat-damaged polymerized oil? And while it's nice to be able to "whale down" on your pan with sandpaper or whatever, it's even nicer to never have to. Carbon steel and cast iron are good for what they're good for, but they're not the only pans worth using. Especially for things like slow scrambled eggs.
Click to expand...
True. I had to clean my pan after , I can’t remember, but it was a disaster. A sugary one. The sides are still a bit crunchy and has some buildup. But im cool with it. And I have done soft scrambled eggs with it fine.
 
btbyrd said:
The issue with acidic pans in carbon isn't just the pain in the ass of reseasoning it, but the fact that the existing seasoning ends up in your food. Who wants to eat a bunch of heat-damaged polymerized oil? And while it's nice to be able to "whale down" on your pan with sandpaper or whatever, it's even nicer to never have to. Carbon steel and cast iron are good for what they're good for, but they're not the only pans worth using. Especially for things like slow scrambled eggs.
Click to expand...
+1
 
Check out Hestan - it's not non-stick, but because it's so smooth and much harder finish, I consider it semi non-stick.

https://www.hestanculinary.com/
They are expensive, but they are my favourite pans of all time, with none of the potential 'bad' side effects of non-stick coatings, including the very short life.
 
sudsy9977 said:
I’ll second the nonstick all clad from marshalls
Click to expand...
I'll third it. Marshalls seems to always have the decent calphalons for twenty bucks. The problem with a lot of the other cheapo nonstick is that the pans are too thin. My thinking is that the coating is pretty much the same for most pans, so best to get a heavier pan. Vollrath are good too if you have a restaurant supply store nearby.
 
btbyrd said:
The issue with acidic pans in carbon isn't just the pain in the ass of reseasoning it, but the fact that the existing seasoning ends up in your food. Who wants to eat a bunch of heat-damaged polymerized oil? And while it's nice to be able to "whale down" on your pan with sandpaper or whatever, it's even nicer to never have to.
Click to expand...

True.... I guess there is no perfect pan? Or rather... every pan should be used 'correctly'?

While your logic is undeniable... I can't help but think I am exposing myself to nastier things in the food I love to caramelise or sear. Or even just in red and processed meats! At least on this... I am willing to expose myself to minuscule doses of known toxins... because they taste great 😋
 
I always go with cheapo Ross egg pans, I've never found the expensive ones coating to last longer and I'm less likely to hold onto a sticky cheap pan. I only use these pans for eggs and pompano.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top