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We Tested Nonstick Cookware: Coatings Don't Need to Look Worn to Shed Particles

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Re: We Tested Nonstick Cookware: Coatings Don't Need to Look Worn to Shed Particles

#21

Post by petronic »

bloke_zero wrote: post #10
dfxm12 wrote: post #5

If you're looking to switch, difficulty around cooking technique for stainless steel, carbon steel & cast iron is overblown. Same with seasoning/cleaning the latter two. Trust me, if I can figure it out, you can too.

Carbon steel is amazing - durable self repairing non-stick surface that after the inital seasoning is trivial to maintain: wash the pan with a brush when its still hot without any detergent - cleans in seconds. Cast iron is good too but takes longer to heat the pan. You only have to look in any professional kitchen - they don't use non-stick pans.

My current favorite pan is the best of all worlds - stainless clad outer layer, aluminum internal layer for efficiency in spreading heat and a carbon steel interior to develop non-stick seasoning with use.

Strata makes them, they're priced competitively with standard carbon steel pans.

Chris Young turned me onto them in his video about a $4,200 silver frying pan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdORIBH3R88

Re: We Tested Nonstick Cookware: Coatings Don't Need to Look Worn to Shed Particles

#22

Post by seemaze »

Yuck, get some cast iron. At yard sale if necessary, their useful lifetimes are measured in (human) generations.

Chris young has a great comparison of the physical differences between various metals used in pans. [0]. Maybe if you're on the right side of the AI bubble, you could spring for a solid silver version[1]

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdORIBH3R88

[1] https://duparquet.com/products/solid-silver-cookware

Re: We Tested Nonstick Cookware: Coatings Don't Need to Look Worn to Shed Particles

#23

Post by Fire-Dragon-DoL »

bloke_zero wrote: post #10
dfxm12 wrote: post #5

If you're looking to switch, difficulty around cooking technique for stainless steel, carbon steel & cast iron is overblown. Same with seasoning/cleaning the latter two. Trust me, if I can figure it out, you can too.

Carbon steel is amazing - durable self repairing non-stick surface that after the inital seasoning is trivial to maintain: wash the pan with a brush when its still hot without any detergent - cleans in seconds. Cast iron is good too but takes longer to heat the pan. You only have to look in any professional kitchen - they don't use non-stick pans.

The cast iron is a pain to maintain though

Re: We Tested Nonstick Cookware: Coatings Don't Need to Look Worn to Shed Particles

#24

Post by dfxm12 »

stephenbez wrote: post #17
ndr wrote: post #9

Thank you for these tests! I've recently tossed all my coated pans (my favourite were the Anolon, but those too shed) and moved to stainless steel, save for a cast iron and carbon steel pan. In the journey here the best I could find was a Hestan nanobond pan, which unfortunately laminated and has shown some pits after few months of use. They refunded me but titaniums isn't yet where stainless steel is. Now I'm using…

If you cook with extra virgin olive oil, having the pan temperature reach the Leidenfrost effect will lead to the oil smoking.

Simple fix: don't cook with extra virgin olive oil on high heat. The smoke point is one reason. Flavor is another. Cost is a third (less expensive fats are better suited for this task)

Re: We Tested Nonstick Cookware: Coatings Don't Need to Look Worn to Shed Particles

#25

Post by soco »

bob1029 wrote: post #3

PTFE is not the only way to get "nonstick" cookware. The amount of stickiness perceived is 99% a skill / procedural issue. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OFaFgg4P6QI

Indeed I don't see much talk about non-PTFE non-stick: I have a set of enamel pans which work for me just fine, and for the eggs a granite pan (which I have no idea how's actually made). I must say that as nice the cast iron might be when cooking, I didn't like the cleaning part so I ditched them (also the "seasoning" sounded yuck), and for the love of me I couldn't get the stainless steel to not awfully stick.

Re: We Tested Nonstick Cookware: Coatings Don't Need to Look Worn to Shed Particles

#26

Post by sodapopcan »

Noaidi wrote: post #16
elevation wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Leidenfrost effect Okay for a steak, not great for eggs!

If you cannot cook eggs that do not stick in stainless steel you are doing it wrong. I never have an issue. Over easy, non-stick, every time. The trick I found is to take the pan off the heat after the droplets start jumping and add a bunch of butter and then add the eggs and put it back on low heat.

Yep! And I don't even bother taking it off or lowering the heat! As soon as the water drops bounce, I throw everything in the pan and it works every time. I make sunny side up and scrambled (and poached, but obviously that doesn't apply here).

Re: We Tested Nonstick Cookware: Coatings Don't Need to Look Worn to Shed Particles

#27

Post by darkstar999 »

Fire-Dragon-DoL wrote: post #23
bloke_zero wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Carbon steel is amazing - durable self repairing non-stick surface that after the inital seasoning is trivial to maintain: wash the pan with a brush when its still hot without any detergent - cleans in seconds. Cast iron is good too but takes longer to heat the pan. You only have to look in any professional kitchen - they don't use non-stick pans.

The cast iron is a pain to maintain though

It really isn't. I stopped trying to keep it looking perfectly seasoned and it performs just as well.

Re: We Tested Nonstick Cookware: Coatings Don't Need to Look Worn to Shed Particles

#28

Post by SoftTalker »

ndr wrote: post #19
stephenbez wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you cook with extra virgin olive oil, having the pan temperature reach the Leidenfrost effect will lead to the oil smoking.

Yes, EVO smokes at ~190C, and you need 200C-230C for Leidenfrost. Heating up good EVO is a waste anyways. I do mostly cook in ghee, beef tallow and coconut oil. If you're ok with refined/seed oils there's plenty more you can use.

Avocado oil is good, it has a high smoke point.

Re: We Tested Nonstick Cookware: Coatings Don't Need to Look Worn to Shed Particles

#29

Post by breakyerself »

I don't have any nonstick. It's not that hard to cook anything or to clean stainless or cast iron. For cast iron/carbon steel 99% of the time I run it under water and rub it with my hand and it comes clean in 30 seconds. Rarely I use some soap.

Stainless comes clean easiest right after you use it. Especially if you pour a little water on it while it's still hot. I do occasionally use an SOS on stainless.

There's nothing I'm unable to cook with my pans. I make french omelettes in stainless steel pans and they come out perfect.

Re: We Tested Nonstick Cookware: Coatings Don't Need to Look Worn to Shed Particles

#30

Post by SoftTalker »

ortusdux wrote: post #20
ndr wrote: post #9

Thank you for these tests! I've recently tossed all my coated pans (my favourite were the Anolon, but those too shed) and moved to stainless steel, save for a cast iron and carbon steel pan. In the journey here the best I could find was a Hestan nanobond pan, which unfortunately laminated and has shown some pits after few months of use. They refunded me but titaniums isn't yet where stainless steel is. Now I'm using…

Rare (but not outlandish) warning - A friend's entire family had ongoing symptoms of fatigue and upset stomach. They ran blood panels and found that everyone had off the charts iron levels. They had switched to cast iron only in the kitchen a few years back, and switching to stainless pans solved the problem.

I wonder if they were scouring the cast iron every time they cleaned it? Normally a layer of carbon "seasoning" develops and I would think that would limit the direct contact of food and iron.

I clean my cast iron pans with hot water and a brush or scraper only. No detergent (or maybe a small amount to break up oil if I cooked something really greasy). No scouring.

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