No Nonsense: How to Avoid Ruining Your Nonstick Pans The New York Times

Nonstick pans and skillets are still some of the easiest pieces of cookware to work with, especially for beginner cooks just starting to learn their way around a kitchen. But as NY Times writer Alina Tugend discovered to her dismay, that doesn't mean that they're completely foolproof.

She called up several makers of nonstick cookware and shares her findings for how not to ruin a nonstick pan so we can avoid the same fate. Some of her tips really surprised us!

The most surprising thing we learned is that nonstick pans need to be seasoned, similar to cast iron. The first time you use one, you should clean the pan, dry it, and then rub it with a little oil or grease. Even after pre-seasoning, the director for Nordic Ware recommends oiling the pan after each use.

Less surprising, but still a good reminder, is that nonstick cookware shouldn't be used over very high heat. We always thought this was simply a safety precaution to avoid heating Teflon to the point of releasing toxic chemicals. Tugend explains that it's more because high cooking temperatures can crack the Teflon coating and also don't cook the food as well.

Tugend has many other good tips for those of us who regularly cook with nonstick pans. Take a look at the full article for all her advice:

• How Not To Wreck a Nonstick Pan by Alina Tugend from The New York Times

Do you cook with nonstick? Any disaster stories or bits of advice to share?

(Image: Flickr member jules:stonesoup licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (14)

While I don't do the obvious such as using metal tools or sticking it in the dishwasher, I have never thought to "pre-season" the pan and I often use it over high heat.

@rosebud obvious to you...but when your set of pans comes with four metal utensils... I know, it's baffling.

Didn't know they're not meant to go in the dishwasher. No wonder mine don't last long before the nonstick surface starts to come off.

My AllClad nonstick instructions said nothing about pre-seasoning, just wash with soap and water before first use. They DID say NOT to use cooking spray (Pam). They also said, if you get a buildup over time, make a paste of baking soda and use it as an abrasive to scour the nonstick surface. I did this with an older AllClad nonstick pan I had, and it worked a treat.

Most pans I have, nonstick or otherwise, in the manuals have always suggested for built up crud or burned marks you just cant scrub off, or so as not to scratch delicate coatings, dump a tbsp or so of dishwasher (detergent (the powdered kind like Cascade) in with enough water to cover the bottom and simmer on the stove for a few minutes. All that gunk wipes clean with a sponge or just a drop of elbow grease (if its really bad) I've saved botched nonstick pans this way.

If you have to continuously season it, why not just use cast iron? I have a great nonstick pan that I never season. I don't see the point.

I would agree with just sticking to stainless steel and cast iron, except that nonstick pans are the bees knees when it comes to eggs, crepes, and delicate flatbreads that drastically change texture and color if made with butter or oil.

I always knew about the metal utensils, and was so upset when a visiting friend stirred oatmeal with a metal spoon and ruined my pot.

The high heat I found out about myself, the hard way, over heating my non-stick fry pan! Cooking is all about patience...lesson learned!

Just a quick word, but nonstick (Teflon) pans are incredibly toxic and have been banned in Europe.

http://www.ewg.org/kid-safe-chemicals-act-blog/2009/05/toxic-teflon/

What about the stuck-on gunk on the outside of the pot? The outside of my pots are blue, and I don't think it's enamel, so I'm afraid steel wool will get rid of the blue as well as the gunk.

HazelStone: Non-Stick pans haven't been banned in Europe at all, you can buy them everywhere. Opinions on how toxic they are differ though.

Teflon has been banned, other non PFC/PFOA nonstick surfaces like ceramics have not been banned. Much of the stuff available in the US is toxic.

Teflon is definitely here in France at the very least (there's even a Teflon Europe website http://www.tefloneu.com/cat.asp?c=100185) Maybe more so than the US. Not sure if they're actually Teflon, but definitely NOT just ceramic - they're all just like the awful non-stick pans that I hated back in the US.

I love the new calphalon slide non stick pans (the ones Michael Simon advertises). They're heavier and they can go in the dishwasher!! (The instructions do say to season the first time.)