The One Kind of Pan Jacques Pépin Swears By
A quick YouTube search of Jacques Pépin, French culinary master, making eggs will reveal a very noticeable pattern. Aside from the obvious (his omelets always result in unmatched perfection!), there’s a certain kind of gadget that he uses to nail the dish every single time: a nonstick pan.
Many professional chefs turn their noses up at the thought of nonstick cookware. According to their reasoning, coated nonstick pans aren’t as durable as other high-quality metal pans, can’t withstand super-high heat, and are typically not ovenproof. But interestingly enough, nonstick is the cookware of choice for a majority of American home cooks.
If we’re being honest, the divide here makes sense. Nonstick cookware helps home cooks avoid classic cooking pitfalls that professional chefs would never fall victim to (like eggs sticking to the pan).
But why is the Jacques Pépin on the home cook’s side of the debate? We reached out to his team, but Pépin is remaining mum on the topic. His actions speak louder than words, though, and the proof is in the eggs.
So, what kind of nonstick pan should you buy to achieve Jacques Pépin-level omelets? Pépin isn’t naming names, but the Kitchn team has a few suggestions.
Our Favorite Nonstick Picks
We’ve already sung the praises of the Anolon Authority nonstick skillet, and our team officially declared it a must-have pick. And Assistant Food Editor Sheela Fiorenzo swears by The Scanpan: “They’re a little pricey and I know people tell you to go cheap when it comes to nonstick. That’s mostly true because they do wear out over time, but I’ve just never found a cheap one that’s also eco-friendly and gets the job done from the get-go. Sur la Table often has sales on Scanpans and they are 100 percent worth it, in my option. I have an 8- and a 10-inch — I use the smaller when I am just frying up an egg for myself and the 10-inch when we’re making scrambles over the weekend.”