Your golden .
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Why? I have nonstick cookware, not just skillets, that are easily 15 years old and still in perfect condition.
Just looking for an alternative, thanks.
Well, here’s an article. You do know that “teflon” is safe, right?
That’s not the question I was asking, but thanks for the link. Specifically, I wanted to know about enamel coated cast iron. From emglow101’s response, it sounds like I’m good.
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I have a variety of enameled cast iron cookware, but for eggs I use nonstick.
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As do I - on both counts - and the CI is a whole lot heavier. Still unsure of what “alternative” means.
Nshwill - great to know that about Magnalite! I have a Magnalite 5 quart dutch oven I picked up at a thrift shop that I adore.
Now I know why! : )
When nashwill speaks I listen. He’s the best.
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If you believe that, will you also believe that I have ONE All-Clad pan, a big wok pan that was the first item of cookware Tania bought for me, and even in the mid-Eighties it was about $200 ON SALE!! And you know what else? I pretty much hate it (which we have discussed among ourselves, and are at peace). I do like it for oily/buttery sautés, and what passes for stir-fries around here, but I have broken an egg into it ONCE. And after I finally got that scraped off, I won’t even use the thing for Pad Thai.
I believe very firmly that the design philosophy behind it is deeply flawed, in that while its core is highly transmissive of heat, its outer surfaces still act like stainless steel, i.e. eager to bond almost at the molecular level with any wet protein put onto it.
The VERY best material I have cooked with is tinned copper, of which I have several pieces (and would like more). I would not touch any of the stainless-lined pans such as Mauviel is selling now, for the reasons outlined above re: All-Clad. Magnalite is stickier than tin, but scraping won’t hurt it, and another upside is that my 18" Mag skillet is something I can still lift with one hand, even full of sausage and potatoes, whereas the same sized iron one, even empty … ? Forget it!
Oh, and as for nonstick, my mentor re: those is a guy my bro-in-law and I join on our semiannual E Clampus Vitus outings, a real live chef named Jimmy, in whose company I often wield that Mag skillet full of breakfast. I leave the eggs to Jimmy, who uses only cheap nonstick pans. I asked him about that, and he said no nonstick pan lasts more than a year with hard constant use, but they’re all great for a while … so when one gets a little gnarly he just pitches it and drops ten or twelve bucks on another. So I went to Target and got a set of Farberware coated-aluminum skillets, 9" to 12", and I love them. 9" is perfect for two eggs scrambled or over, 12" does a lovely 3-egg omelet.
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I swear that all of you must be PIGS - and I say that in the most loving way 
I have nonstick skillets that are easily ten years old and in perfect condition. I ONLY use wood utensils and I don’t put them in the DW (simply because of space). And they weren’t expensive to begin with. What gives, WO? (nashwill and I go way back so I call him WO.)
If we are going to switch and talk copper. I LOVE Falk
Cath -
I am a careful cook and only use plastic or wood utensils in my non stick pans - but they only last a few years (I tend to buy the Taramontina from Costco.)
https://www.costco.com/Tramontina-3-piece-Nonstick-Saute-Pans.product.100403378.html
I do put them in the dishwasher but still…
I have a circulon non-stick everything pan that has lasted over 5 years and is still fab, but I think that is also because I don’t use it every week.
I wonder if it’s the dishwasher.
Could be. Hope not as, some days the ability to just throw them in there is the most important thing : |
Haven’t used our dishwasher in over 12 years except to store odd-shaped kitchen stuff. I only use non-metal utensils (except metal tongs used carefully) for cooking as well. But I still go through non-sticks every few years.
I am pretty sure it’s excessive heat in the case of our household. I am careful about not exceeding medium high on the flame for nonstick - the rest of the family is not. I have a bad habit of overseeing others in the kitchen. When I do this while others are using the stove, the heat is almost always on high. I repeatedly reprimand them while turning down the heat. It’s like Ground Hog’s Day.
Same with the hot water. We have a tankless heater. The quickest way to kill one of these units is to constantly initiate the heater via turning on the hot water on the taps. I’ve explained this to each family member multiple times. Yet they continue to do this out of habit. Replacing pans - not that big a deal. Replacing a tankless water heater - ouch.
That’s a point that’s good for me to remember. Other people. Our sink is ceramic which is fine because it’s just the two of us using it. Our previous house had stainless steel which was way better when family came to visit.
There’s never a day (or maybe two) that I don’t need to hand wash something. With just the two of us it’s generally three days, I’m guessing, between running the DW. And there are a few things I use every day or are just too bulky or have sticky stuff on them…you get the picture. PS: I’m a VERY good dishwasher
