Do Non-Stick Pans That Weld Food Actually Exist?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the effectiveness of non-stick pans, particularly in relation to cooking pancakes and other foods. Participants share their experiences with various types of cookware, including Teflon-coated, hard-anodized, and cast iron pans, exploring the factors that influence food adhesion and cooking success.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants report strong adhesion of food to their non-stick pans, questioning the existence of effective non-stick options.
  • Others suggest that cooking technique, such as heat management and oil use, significantly affects food release from pans.
  • A few participants advocate for the superiority of cast iron pans when properly seasoned, claiming they can outperform Teflon-coated pans.
  • Some argue that the quality of non-stick coatings varies, with experiences differing based on specific brands and types of cookware.
  • There are mixed opinions on the effectiveness of Calphalon hard-anodized pans, with some users reporting success while others express frustration with sticking issues.
  • Several participants emphasize the importance of temperature control and timing in preventing food from sticking, particularly when cooking pancakes.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the effectiveness of non-stick pans, with no consensus on which type is superior. Disagreements exist regarding the performance of specific brands and the role of cooking techniques in achieving non-stick results.

Contextual Notes

Limitations in the discussion include varying definitions of "non-stick," differing personal experiences with specific cookware, and unresolved questions about optimal cooking techniques and temperatures.

leroyjenkens
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Do they exist? I just tried to cook pancakes on this non-stick pan I have and I have never witnessed a stronger adhesion in my life.
However, if this pan promised to weld food to itself, and if people actually wanted to do that, I would buy stock in this product.
 
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:smile:

Maybe you tried to turn it too soon?

I've noticed with pancakes, the higher the heat, the better the release from the pan.
 
Maybe I'm weird, but currently I have nothing non-stick, so I back my pancakes instead.
 
I've noticed with pancakes, the higher the heat, the better the release from the pan.
Actually, it's not that easy. My research shows that the best oil temperature for potato pancakes is about 180-200 Celsius. High temperature is good for pancakes themselves, but you must ensure that there is still some oil between a pancake being fried and a pan. That is, when the temperature is too high, the water from the cake evaporates too rapidly and pushes the oil away.

The best tactics is to increase temperature while frying. You start when the oil is still around 120-150 Celsius, then you turn it up to 200.

I successfully have fried hundreds of potato pancakes with a plain iron pan, no teflon or other rocket technology.

And the best method of the best is to make someone other to prepare pancakes for you. Maximum pleasure, zero effort.
 
haael said:
And the best method of the best is to make someone other to prepare pancakes for you. Maximum pleasure, zero effort.

Best recipe for a cake - take flour, eggs, sugar and aunt. Selection of aunt is crucial.
 
It's really half technique, half equipment. I've used some cheap teflon coated cookware, and they work really well, for about minutes. After that, I end up eating teflon like frosted flakes.

I currently have a set of Calphalon One Hard Anodized cookware, and it's...unbelievable. There's really no coating, but it's stick-resistant. In order to be non-stick, make sure your pan is hot before you put the food in, and that you have a little bit of oil in it.
 
leroyjenkens said:
Do they exist? I just tried to cook pancakes on this non-stick pan I have and I have never witnessed a stronger adhesion in my life.
However, if this pan promised to weld food to itself, and if people actually wanted to do that, I would buy stock in this product.

Yes! Yes.

I made grilled cheese in a non-stick pan. Might as well have buttered it with Crazy Glue.

My son knew exactly what I was going through and showed me the secret.
 
minger said:
It's really half technique, half equipment. I've used some cheap teflon coated cookware, and they work really well, for about minutes. After that, I end up eating teflon like frosted flakes.

I currently have a set of Calphalon One Hard Anodized cookware, and it's...unbelievable. There's really no coating, but it's stick-resistant. In order to be non-stick, make sure your pan is hot before you put the food in, and that you have a little bit of oil in it.
I use calphalon hard anodized and it's the best nonstick. But I also have wonderful Revere Ware stainless steel that I can cook completely stick free in if I cook it right.
 
My old roomie had a bad habit of always cranking the flame on the stove up too high. There was nothing non-stick in the house when he was trying to cook.
 
  • #10
My sister has a set of Calphalon hard-anodized -- I HATE IT! After my first experience with frying eggs resulted in more egg stuck to the pan than on my plate, I found the care instructions and followed it to the letter. Minor improvement, but short of flooding the pans with oil (basically deep frying), everything sticks.

She also has a couple of Calphalon "non-stick" pans (some form of Teflon). The 12" omelet pan is weird -- it feels rough, and is moderately better then the hard-anodized. The other pan has a more common, very slick Teflon coating. It's the only one that comes close to matching the non-stick quality of my favorite WearEver pan.
 
  • #11
High-quality cast iron (smooth interior) pans are pretty non-stick when properly seasoned. We have no "non-stick" coated pans. Copper-clad SS Revere Ware, SS stock pots, and a large SS KitchenAid "wok", plus lots of cast iron. After having non-stick coatings de-laminate many years ago, my wife and I reverted to the old-fashioned stuff. As others have stated, temperature control is a big factor. We have always had gas ranges - electric cook-tops overheat easily if you're impatient, and they cool down slowly. The mass of the cast-iron pans is a big plus, as it moderates the temperature swings.
 
  • #12
turbo-1 said:
High-quality cast iron (smooth interior) pans are pretty non-stick when properly seasoned. We have no "non-stick" coated pans.

THIS!

A well cared for and seasoned cast iron pan beats teflon any day, plus teflon coated pans have crappy plastic handles meaning they don't do ovens.
 
  • #13
xxChrisxx said:
THIS!

A well cared for and seasoned cast iron pan beats teflon any day, plus teflon coated pans have crappy plastic handles meaning they don't do ovens.
That's a big one. When we have a thick steak to cook (and I'm not grilling), I like to sear the steak in a cast-iron pan on the stove-top, then pop the pan into the preheated oven for a few minutes for the steak to finish cooking. If skillets, frying pans, etc are not oven-safe, you lose a lot of flexibility.
 
  • #14
My family has a few non-stick pans, all which work properly :smile:. Never had a problem with food sticking to them while cooking. We also have cast iron pans and woks which if you butter up nicely are the same as non-stick (don't let the butter burn).

When your cooking pancakes the most important things are heat and time. If you are cooking at too low a temperature the outside of the pancake won't 'sear shut' and if it's too high it will just burn (this might cause sticking to the pan even though it's non-stick.) If you try to flip to early of course the pancake will still be stuck to the pan regardless what type of pan it is and if you flip too late it will burn. The perfect time to flip ANYTHING when you are cooking is the moment that it is able to be picked up off the source of heat with no troubles. So if you're cooking a BBQ and you don't know if you should flip those steaks, try to pick it up if it's still sticking to the grill it's not ready. (assuming your using proper temperatures)
 
  • #15
xxChrisxx said:
plus teflon coated pans have crappy plastic handles meaning they don't do ovens.
No, cheap pans with poorly sprayed on teflon might have some. I have some heavy duty teflon pans with metal handles. My favorite though is the hard anodized calphalon, it's not teflon, and extremely durable. I use my pans daily and they stil look like new.

Pantaz, Calphalon has different levels of pans, not all are the same quality.

This is the type I have.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000162NWQ/?tag=pfamazon01-20
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #16
pantaz said:
My sister has a set of Calphalon hard-anodized -- I HATE IT! After my first experience with frying eggs resulted in more egg stuck to the pan than on my plate, I found the care instructions and followed it to the letter. Minor improvement, but short of flooding the pans with oil (basically deep frying), everything sticks.

Sorry, you must be doing it wrong. I regularly cook omelettes using my Calphalon hard-anodized pan, and I can get the eggs floating on a friction-free surface.

If you're cooking eggs, and you are not using butter, you are doing it wrong. Don't blame the Calphalon!
 
  • #17
Chi Meson said:
If you're cooking eggs, and you are not using butter, you are doing it wrong. Don't blame the Calphalon!

:smile: +1.
 

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