Here's a good question from Elizabeth, and we actually found a great answer for her at the Home and Housewares Show this week. Read on for our answer...
I need a new nonstick pan - what kind should I get? The coating on my All-Clad LTD 12-inch pan is gone. I'm not a huge fan of knowing that my family and I essentially ate the coating in our food, so I might prefer to get something that's nonstick without a coating like that.
If I got one pan, what kind should it be? Is it worth the heft to get cast-iron? Should I just get another All-Clad? What are the other options? I use the pan at least once a day - sometimes 3x - and it really is the workhorse of my kitchen.
Thanks!
Elizabeth, usually we would advise against a nonstick pan for reasons connected both with cooking and with health. Most nonstick pans contain polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) - which both have serious health-related concerns, and are suspected to be carcinogens. Also, you usually can't heat nonstick pans at high enough heat to get the dark browning and crusts we prefer.
A new material that several manufacturers are using is Thermolon, a coating that is PTFE and PFOA free. We met one Belgian company at the Housewares show who is using this on their GreenPan products. Their skillets and pans are carried on HSN (branded under Todd English's brand) and at Macy's in Martha Stewart's line.
We like the price point - just $25 to $40 - but they have received some mixed reviews. See the Cook's Illustrated and Chowhound boards for some talk about reactions to these pans.
If you're interested in these, we do feel that they are a step in the right direction. They also can be heated to higher heats than traditional nonstick pans. We haven't cooked with them, though, so our review here is based solely on company materials and their supposedly healthier properties.
We do like the design of these particular pans, too; they are not too heavy, but not too light, either. We have photos of some other pans from the company we'll show you later - all organic curved shapes. They also explained how they've changed styling to cut down on tooling and energy used in their factories, which we appreciate as a whole other side to "green" product life cycles.
Here's the Macy's info on these pans:
• Martha Stewart Collection GreenPan™ Cookware
Anyone used Thermolon? Thoughts? Other recommendations for Elizabeth?
(Photo: Faith Hopler for The Kitchn)
Check out Scan Pan, their pans are PFOA free. You can find them on Amazon.
view bubble's profile
I've been trying to figure out this same question for over a year now as I'm sick of spending $10-20 on a non-stick pan, only to have to replace it every year. I found this at Sur La Table's website and am curious if anyone has tried it yet. I am a weekend crepe maker, but would use it for eggs and other non-stick cooking needs. The Amazon description of this blue steel says "Pan is naturally non-stick when seasoned and used properly."
http://www.surlatable.com/product/cookware/specialty cookware/de buyer blue steel crepe pans.do?search=basic&keyword=crepe pan&sortby=gsa&asc=true&page=1
view edava72's profile
I use a plain old T-Fal nonstick pan for things like eggs or crepes, and a stainless steel All-Clad pan for sauteeing or searing meats and veggies. Since the T-Fal is pretty cheap, I plan to replace it when it starts to look ragged, but given that I'm using it only for pretty low intensity cooking, I think it should last me a while.
view jazzybel's profile
After putting it off for many years, I finally purchased a cast-iron skillet (a preseasoned Lodge) and will never go back. It is the best pan, cooks everything really well, and in just a few short days became completely nonstick. I was worried that it would need to much upkeep, but a simple wipe with a little oil at the end of cooking, and you're done. I can't recommend it enough.
view staratlas's profile
Actually, Cook's Illustrated recommended the Cuisinart Non-Stick Chef's Classic (I think that's what the line is called) last year, so I bought one of those in the omelette size, which is also great for fried eggs. I've got to admit, it works as well as my All-Clad 12" Non-stick (which I didn't buy but was stuck with from a bad seller on ebay, long story). I think I got mine from Amazon, but it could also have been BB&B with a 20% off coupon too. I've had it a year already, it gets lots of use, and still looks brand new. I think it was around $20.
view Peggasus's profile
Cast-Iron truly is amazing. You can torture those pans. They last FOREVER. and in my opinion are much more environmentally friendly than any non-stick could be. Lodge is a great company too, family-owned and supports their local West Virginia economy.
view GO_Vegan's profile
I cannot say enough good things about my Swiss Diamond nonstick pan. It was a bit expensive, but you can you use metal utensils in it, there is no coating to scratch off, and it isn't as fussy as a cast iron skillet. Also it heats really evenly. Absolutely one of my favorite pans......
view kathrine's profile
i have a 12" cast iron preseasoned lodge pan - but i am afraid to try fried eggs in it, as i fear it will only cause me to have to reseason it after my husband tries to clean it.
anyone have tips??
view alexia's profile
Alexia--have you tried a different husband? (just kidding)
I heart all my cast iron and hope to use it as long as I am able to lift it.
view girlmonk's profile
All-Clad non-stick is crap.
I've gone through 5 pans...babied them, nursed them, never used anything but soft spatulas and spoons...and the finish flakes off.
view hdtex's profile
I also recommend the cast iron. I have one frying pan bought at a flea market as well as a lodge pre-seasoned pizza pan (it really is the best pizza pan ever!) Caring for cast iron is really not that difficult, just wipe it out and give it a coating of oil when you're done. Making sure the pan is hot enough really helps with things like eggs.
view laura c's profile
I love my lodge cast iron, too! They're so inexpensive and I have great results.
view J-fer Rose's profile
I would also check these links that reveal the very shady tactics used by GreenPan. The Martha Stewart line seems to be the exact same product only sold by Martha Stewart and not Todd English.
http://forums.cooking.com/showthread.php?t=1642
http://forums.cooking.com/showthread.php?t=2156
I have tried the original GreenPan with Thermolon coating and they were a total waste of money. The coating didn't even last a month. As to whether it's greener than PTFE or other chemicals used to achieve non-stick qualities, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest this new "green" product is any healthier than other non-stick pans. All I know is that whatever was used to make the pan non-stick at first, has likely been transfered to our food as the pan quickly lost it's properties. I can't say I'm too happy with that especially when there is no proof this is any less dangerous than Teflon.
You can read what this scientist had to say about them:
http://www.exisle.net/mb/index.php?showtopic=49547&hl=thermolon
view joebelt's profile
Cast-iron is indestructible and really is non-stick if you use it right. It needs to be hot enough and have some oil in it (if you're concerned about the fat/calories you can heat up the oil and then wipe out the pan with a paper towel before putting your food in). another benefit is you get a little extra iron in your food - a known, necessary nutrient. The same can not be said for the chemicals in a non-stick coating!
view theregoes's profile
Cast iron is fine, but there are times you just want a slippery non-stick surface. I've also bought numerous cheap non-stick pans and had to replace them every year or two. A gift certificate nudged me to splurge on a high-end non-stick pan, a deep one with a glass lid. You know what? After a year or two, it stopped being very non-stick. Now I use it as a fine, heavy pan when I don't need non-stick. But I've learned my lesson about spending too much on non-stick. Buy something cheap but with enough heft to it that the pan is obviously thick. Use it 'til it wears out, then replace it.
view Terry B's profile
The German company Berndes makes very heavy-duty non-stick pans with a coating that appears to be indestructible. I have the sauté pan w/ glass lid and a square grill pan, and I love them.
view irksomecushion's profile
I've had a set of Scan Pans since 2001, cooking with them nearly every night, often on high heat. They are truly non-stick, and seven years on, hardly look used and work just as well as they did on day one. Bonus: you can even use metal tools on them! They do a a PTFE coating but no PFOA. It is the lesser evil of the two chemicals. Chefs catalog sells them at a ridiculous discount. The 10 piece set I bought from Chefs was only 299, and retails at my local kitchen store for 699. Otherwise, a well seasoned cast iron pan is your best bet.
view kennjamin's profile
I have never liked non-stick pans - the coating always flakes off and they are a pain to clean as you can't use scourers on stuck-on food.
I would say go for a cast-iron or stainless steel pan - pay a bit more for heavy quality and it should last you a lifetime - much better than a non-stick!
view Violetsrose's profile
i don't know if it is true, but my mother says that cooking acids, like frying tomato, spoils iron pansmaking them sticky. She uses one old just for acid items or "sticky" issues.
view i/i's profile
Wow! thanks, joebelt-that link saved me from buying those things. Shame on Martha!
view passsy's profile