Ceramic non-stick pan recommendations?


(G. Andrew Duthie) #1

Looking to pick up one or two non-stick frying pans, but I’m done with teflon, so I figured that I might try ceramic.

I took a look at Amazon, but most of the pans there seem to have a significant number of 1-star reviews (11-13% worth), most of which suggest that the pans lose their non-stick properties in a fairly short time.

Would love to hear from folks who’ve used ceramic whether this is just an issue with those pans in general, or if there are better/worse brands.

Per other threads, I know that a lot of folks swear by cast iron. I’m not ready to take on the care and feeding of cast iron cookware at the moment, so please stick with your experiences (good or bad) with ceramic. :slight_smile:

Thanks!


(Ren) #2

If you don’t mind spending money Le Creuset is cast iron that is enamel coated so you do not have to season them.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_6?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=le+crusette+cookware&sprefix=le+cru%2Caps%2C134&crid=1KARMRXDESYHH


(eschor) #3

why non stick? fat is a non issue …and stainless steel is excellent. sorry not getting it


#4

100% agree - totally worth it.


(G. Andrew Duthie) #5

Fat isn’t an issue. I regularly cook in bacon nectar. But I nonetheless find that my scrambled eggs stick like crazy, and it’s a pain to have to scrape the worst of it out before using a scrubber to get the rest.

Why would I ask for recommendations if stainless pans worked for me?


(matt ) #6

I bought this one and love it…but it might not be what you are looking for. I don’t see Teflon mentioned but it says its “non PFOA”

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009OZAAC0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


(Steve) #7

We just bought a ceramic Calphalon classic 10" pan that I really like, but have not had it long enough to judge if it will last. First ceramic we’ve used, and it is great for eggs. In some ways it is almost too slick.


#8

Andrew,
the trick with stainless cookwear isn’t that they stick, but the temperature at which the food is cooked at. Non stick pans (like Teflon) are more forgiving, so you can turn up the heat, and nothing will stick anyway.

But, the downside is that the food comes out more rubbery and leathery because of not cooking at the right temperature.

An example of cooking a fried egg without any sticking in a stainless steel pan is shown in this recipe:

Once you get a handle on temperature control with food (and not sticking) you will notice that the texture and cooked point of the food is optimal. Eggs come out nice and soft, for example.

But, if you do want to go with a ceramic lined pans, Le Creuset is really great. Warning…they are not entirely non stick…just better for temperature control. You can still stick in a ceramic pan.

Also, something else that will help you is that thickness of the base of the pan. A nice thick base will give you great temperature control and prevent scorching/sticking.

Hope this helps!


(Sophie) #9

I agree with the above concerning stainless steel pans. Once I figured out how to actually cook with them, I ditched all my teflon. I was really happy that I held on to an entire set for over 25yrs and never got rid of them. Now all of my pots/pans are back in commission with great sucess. Proper heating is called the Leidenfrost Effect (or Mercury Ball Effect). Clean up is as simple as deglazing with some hot water…eazy-peazy.

https://youtu.be/8ye1hqMjV5k


(Dany Bolduc) #10

The best non-stick I ever owns is called “The Rock”. I’ve had 10’s of T-Fal over the years and 2 ceramic. But I still prefer “The Rock”


(roxanna) #11

I love the copper chef pans.


(Ren) #12

I love my stainless steel pots and pans. There was a learning curve to cooking with them, but since I have learned the ways, I love them.

Some of the biggest things to know when cooking with stainless steel and also cast iron

  1. Preheat the pans - Throw them on the stove for 2-5 minutes prior to cooking. I will put the pans on medium to medium low to preheat the pans. This helps with food not sticking.

  2. Heat up your fat before you put anything in the pan - Butter or oil, doesn’t matter. Add it to the pan and allow it to heat for a minute or two. This also helps with food not sticking

  3. Stove typically needs to be at a lower temperature than “normal” cooking pans - The thick bottomed stainless steel and the cast iron do a great job in holding heat. Since you are preheating them and they hold heat, you don’t have to cook at the higher temperature typically.

  4. When you put anything in the pan, make sure to keep it moving. When you put anything in the pan you want to keep it moving for the initialy 10-20 seconds to prevent it from sticking. If throwing in garlic, onions, or other veggies I just shake or swirl the pan around once I drop in the food. If I am adding meats to the pan, I will drag the meats through the fats first a couple times, then place it in the pan and move the meat around with my fingers for a few seconds. This is the last step to keep food from sticking.

  5. Eggs - trying using a cooking spray on the sides so that the eggs don’t stick. Hot pan, hot fat, room temperature egg and there will be no sticking.


(Arlene) #13

Have you tried a well-seasoned cast iron fry pan? It’s the best non-stick pan I know of. My scrambled eggs NEVER stick, in fact when I make an oven omelet I just tilt the pan over my plate and the omelet slides out onto the plate. Now THAT’S non stick.


(jketoscribe) #14

I grew up only with non-stick pans, my mom always had to have the latest and greatest iteration of non-stick and even though we got some uncoated Calphalon for wedding gifts my husband and I tended to use non-stick, too, until I got tired of having to constantly replace them and alarmed at potential health issues. My husband had an old set of cast iron frying pans and I did a lot of research on how to restore them and use them and season them properly. I LOVE these pans. I also purchased for a great price a triple clad SS pan from Ikea and learned how to use that too. To my great surprise, these are far more “non-stick” than any non-stick pan I’ve ever used, once I learned how to use and care for them properly. And they will last forever–legacies for my children!


(G. Andrew Duthie) #15

@fiorellas and @JustPeachy

Made scrambled eggs this morning, using the technique from the video.

No sticking at all on the bottom of the pan, and very minimal on the sides. HUGE difference.

One word of warning…using spray coconut oil on a hot pan is a bad idea. Basically instant smoke. Fan is still running to clear the air. :smile:

Thankfully, no fire. Next time, I’ll stick with avocado oil or bacon nectar.


(Sophie) #16

Honestly, I learn something new everyday, and sometimes it’s not the tools, but the technique! :thumbsup:


(Mike Keathley) #17

I bought this set and I love them. Just wait for a 20% coupon and you got an 8-inch and 10-inch pan for $80. Great deal.


#18

I bought these from WalMart:

I bought a large one then liked it so much that I bought a smaller one too. I don’t think you have to buy from Wal-Mart, but I was just wandering around looking for something better than that awful Teflon.

I do have a cast iron skillet that I love, but when it comes to eggs and similar items, I love these.

I really want stainless steel pots and pans in the near future. But for now, these are the bomb.


(Julian Lane) #19

Whatever your choice, i.e stainless steel cookware or non-stick pans, you can never go wrong with the no sticking of your foods using these frying pans and skillets.
http://www.thejuzz.com/Stainless-Steel-Cookware/


(Brian) #20

My wife and I were browsing through the frying pan section at Walmart (I know, not the best place to shop, but that’s about as good as this town gets), and looking at getting a new non-stick pan. She looked at several and then picked up one probably thinking it was another teflon pan. But it turned out that she didn’t look all that carefully and instead picked up a pan with a ceramic coating.

Got it home and realized but figured, why not give it a try. It’s been our most used pan for several months now. It has never, ever, had anything stuck to it. The need for oil or butter is mostly for flavor. It seems “slicker” than our previous teflon pans and things just slide right out of it. It hasn’t developed that “grainy” texture that our teflon pans have slowly put on over time.

I was reluctant to try one but glad we did. Not sure about durability yet, we’ll have to see about that.