Cooking question: What's the best No-Stick Fry Pan?

[Wapsie B]

I've seen good reviews about Cuisinart's cookware. But I've never had good luck trying to find a decent 12" no-stick pan that holds up at all.

[grasswire]

1. post your question over in the cooking forum

there are people over there who are knowledgeable about cookware.

[supernova]

2. A well-seasoned cast iron skillet

is the best nonstick surface.

Calphalon is supposed to be good, too.

[Wapsie B]

3. Yeah I do like cast iron.

Never tried Calphalon though.

[Maineiac]

8. Seasoned cast iron gets my vote

It's the only way to get a good sear.

[Wapsie B]

10. Yeah for searing meat

or blackening fish gotta have something that'll do the job.

[qwertyMike]

9. Yup n/tt

[MissB]

18. The best ever.

[mwdem]

4. Calphalon's great.

very durable.

[Wapsie B]

7. Is there a brand and model

that you prefer?

[mwdem]

11. Calphalon 1 infused anodized.

Very flexible, and durable. The pans are heavy and conduct heat very well.

[Wapsie B]

12. Thanks for the tip!

[mopinko]

5. none

non stick coatings are very dangerous, and should have been outlawed a long time ago.

[Wapsie B]

6. I see your point.

They never have been able to get a surface that holds up to day to day use even if you're careful with it. I can remember when Silverstone first came out and seeing TV commercials with someone making an omlet with nuts and bolt. Yeah right. :eyes:

[mopinko]

16. the worst part is, you can't avoid it.

if you have pet birds, do not buy it. even if you don't, the people who work with this shit are having horrendous health problems.
they would probably be out of business today if the had to list "made with teflon" on all the things that they put it on now. ever wonder why the don't brag about it much any more? because people know teflon kills. they don't want it.

[Kali]

13. cast iron

[Wapsie B]

14. You don't own a Silverstone or Caphalon pan at all?

[MissB]

20. I don't

Because of the toxic shit in silverstone. I switched over to all cast iron a few years ago.

[Kali]

23. Long ago I had a small teflon fry pan for doing fried eggs, but now I have

a small cast iron for the job. Also have a 9 or 10 incher, a pancake griddle (just a single burner round one - not one of those big rectangle ones that go over two burners - I want one, but all the ones I have seen are too thin), and big 14 incher for frying chicken. The 10 incher was my grandmother's and it has the best finish of them all, the big one is getting there and the egg pan was in great shape until one of my sons left the flame on under it one day and now it has a sticky spot on one edge gggrrrrr.

I also have a square fry pan but it is thin and never had a very good finish, don't use it much and then the prize - a huge dutch oven that my grandfather used to take to these annual picnics of old historical pioneer families. I like to imagine that it is even older from cattle drive days but I'm not really sure of its real history, know it is at least 50 years old. It is too big for indoor use and I really should learn to cook over a fire with it. Have done fried potatoes a few times, but never anything fancy like biscuits or cobbler - mmmmmm

The pancake griddle and egg pan never see water, the fry pans will get a brief soak in HOT water if something can't be wiped out with a paper towel, then scrubbed with my bamboo wok brush. NO DETERGENT. EVER. Dried with a paper towel and a smear of crisco and back to the hangers. (I think hanging them instead of stacking in a cupboard helps keep them being used a lot - and that is how the finish gets built up)

edit - bunch o' typos

[Wapsie B]

24. How much shortening do you use to make eggs or pancakes?

Those seem to be the worst at potentially sticking.

[Kali]

27. when the pan is new, quite a bit

enough so that they don't stick (sorry not to be more specific - just keep experimenting) after a while you can go several times with no oil or fat at all - but it is a good idea to give a light coating for storage, especially if you are in a humid climate.

Very important to properly season the pan if new or rusty - scrub well with a brillo or something similar (the ONLY time to ever use soap), grease well and bake in oven for an hour or so (I forget temp 300 I think - follow manufacturers directions if new or probably it is in google. I think Joy of Cooking has good instructions too.

[Wapsie B]

28. That's one thing I've been doing wrong.

I haven't scrubbed it with brillo or sos pads but have soaked them in dishwater and then rinsing. I've probably ruined the seasoning doing that. Thanks for the tip!

[reyd reid reed]

15. Well-seasoned cast iron

Can't beat it.

[electron_blue]

17. I do love my cast iron, but have a hard time making eggs or pancakes with them.

Do you have a secret for those two?

[MissB]

19. A well-seasoned cast iron pan will cook perfect pancakes and eggs.

And you can re-season them.

My dh bought me this wonderful (and probably under $20) round cast iron griddle about two years ago. It came pre-seasoned. It cooks perfect pancakes and eggs a couple of times a week.

[electron_blue]

31. I'll try it again. I thought I was doing everything right, but maybe not enough grease?

[dysfunctional press]

26. i use a flat griddle, rather than my skillet.

it goes across two burners.

[bullwinkle428]

21. DON'T waste your money on an Emerilware non-stick product...

I received a nice 12" skillet as a birthday gift a couple of years ago, and had been using it fairly regularly since. A couple of weeks back, I was making scrambled eggs, and noticed a grey haze on the bottom of the eggs when I scooped them onto the plate! I have NOT abused the pan in any way; no scratches in the Teflon surface...it just appears that the surface has degraded. On the other hand, I have Calphalon non-stick wok that I got from Target a good 6-7 years back, and that thing sees regularly use almost weekly, at high temperatures. No Teflon degradation, and it still cooks beautifully. I'm sure I didn't pay more than $40, so it was a great value. I have a cast iron skillet which I should try and work with some more, but I think I'd have to be a sorcerer to keep eggs in particular from sticking.

[Wapsie B]

22. I've seen the Calphalon at Target

and have always wondered how it held up. Yeah I've got a cast iron skillet too. It seems that every time I think I've got it seasoned just right something sticks.

[dysfunctional press]

25. anything without teflon or similar- i use cast iron.

nt

[Poiuyt]

29. The trick to keeping food from sticking is to get the pan hot before you put the food in

As Jeff Smith (The Frugal Gourmet) used to say: "Hot pan, cold oil, meat don't stick." I don't know about the cold oil part, it would heat up pretty quickly if the pan is hot.

I do have some Anolon cookware, but I don't use it that much. I use my cast iron or copper skillets the most Non-stick cookware will only last a few years, and cast iron cookware will only last a few generations.

[Wapsie B]

30. I remember someone telling of finding an old skillet

in the charred remains of a house that had burned down. They went through the whole seasoning process and it works like a charm.
I think this one has more than a few generations in it.