Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Nonstick Cookware

There are a lot of varieties of nonstick coatings out there, and the great thing is that a lot of them don't contain PFOAs. Teflon has even bounced back from their name being dug through the dirt* and producing nonstick for some of the top brand names again. Unfortunately, in my experience, no matter how much you spend on nonstick cookware, it will always end up “sticking” and eventually chipping or peeling off. At least it’s not toxic anymore, though, right? ;)

A way to keep your nonstick lasting longer is to give it a baking soda or Barkeeper’s Friend “bath” every now and again. Nonstick cookware is porous, so even though you think you’ve cleaned it, there is stuff down in those pores. Baking soda sucks everything out of the pores.

CIA 10" Nonstick...a little worn out already.
Stainless steel with nonstick interior pans will usually still have rivets (see above photo), but on a lot of cheaper nonstick lines you can find rivet-less cookware, which is nice. You can also find some pretty cheap sets, making it a little easier on the wallet to have to replace every 4-5 years. You can’t use metal utensils on nonstick cookware, either.

Paula Deen 11" Nonstick Grill Pan; need to replace soon!

Another thing you want to avoid with nonstick cookware is aerosol cooking sprays because the propellant in it causes the nonstick to break down. You'll also get a sticky residue on the pan. Oil misters can work, but it's easier to use a brush or swirl oil in a pan if you need to use it.

Click here to return to "Buying Cookware" to compare to other types of cookware!


*In researching this article, I discovered that by Google searching "Teflon", everything below DuPont's website being first related to articles about how PFOA and Teflon are two different things!

7 comments:

  1. So is the pan in the picture no good any more?

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    1. It's totally fine but it definitely needs a little oil or butter. It was free to me but it's a really expensive pan, so I have tried to use it sparingly over the few years I've owned it and mostly only use it to make home fries on the weekends. It was black on the interior when purchased and that nonstick coating has worn out with what I consider very light use. I may have put it in the dishwasher once or twice, but mainly it's been hand-washed. I just like to emphasize that no matter how much you spend on the nonstick, it will wear out! However, these brands have lifetime warranties generally, so you can attempt to get it replaced but you'll probably have to pay to ship it to the manufacturer, not take it back to whatever store you purchased it at. And yes, cookware does sometimes come with a warranty card, so fill it out!

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  2. Also, how do you give a baking soda bath? Dry baking soda or make a paste?

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    1. Well, I was going to do a whole "cleaning tips" blog post, but basically just sprinkle the baking soda or Barkeeper's Friend all over the surface, and get it wet if it isn't already to make a paste almost. Make sure it's spread all over and let it sit for a few minutes, then scrub it off. I recommend washing it in soapy water after doing so. :)

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    2. Better do the cleaning blog - I just bought a stainless steel clad pan and a hard anodized one. I have no clue how to take care of them! Also, is it necessary to put protectors between your pans?

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  3. I would recommend putting protectors between your nonstick cookware, yes. I would also say if you have to stack a LOT of pans that you might consider it, particularly if you notice a pan is getting a lot of surface scratches from pulling others in and out of the pile. Surface scratches do not affect cooking by any means, but for people like me who crazily attempt to try and keep the cookware looking brand-new (it's meant to cook with, not look pretty!), you would want to. I use old potholders; at the kitchen store we used cork trivets and a lot of people loved that idea and purchased the cork trivets for that sole purpose. You can find other specific covers and whatnot for pans, but I think just something that keeps the base lifted up off the pan below it is good enough.

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  4. non stick cookware is PFOA free cookware. Always i prefere nonstick cookware thats you help to check this rachael ray cookware review

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