Suggestions on a non stick fry pan

[Macktechie]

Looking for a decent not stick frying pan. I struggle keeping a good one. It either gets damage in non stick or gets this strange caked layer that doesn't come off. I have had cusinart, faberware, kirkland, and members mark. I feel like there is more but drawing a blank. I want to spend less than 50 unless we are talking a lifetime pan or set. Any help would be awesome. When I can't cook outside. Like it for eggs , sausage, chicken, and any other meat that needs a quick brown.

[ComfortablyNumb]

Cast iron.

[Oak Smoke]

+1

[Mr. Bones]

Buy Cast Iron.

Season th ever lovin Hail outta it...

Poof. Yer THERE!!!!

[JGo37]

The best you can get is simple:



To 'unscrew' my wise butt but totally sincere reply, other than CI I only have one set of non-stick stuff these days, the 'copper' colored stuff. The manufacturer suggests not using oil or butter - that's a pipe dream - but use Very Little and always clean thoroughly immediately after use while still warm - that will prevent the cakey buildup.

[Macktechie]

How do you clean something that they suggest not using soap for? Mainly because I don't know

[mnavarre]

Mostly just wipe 'em out with hot water and a dishcloth, if there's stuff stuck on a stiff scrub brush or a nylon scraper. If there's really stubborn stuff use a chainmail hanky. If it's properly seasoned it'll clean pretty easily. And the soap thing is B.S., you ain't gonna hurt your seasoning with dish soap, use it if you need it. Just don't soak it and don't go to town on it with a Chore-Boy. It'll be fine. It's cast iron, not rocket surgery.

[JGo37]

Agree completely with mnavarre set your hot water heater on 120F, get a stiff nylon dish brush - you'll never need more than a drop or two of Dawn. I will say I put a drop or two (at MOST) of grape oil on my CI every time after cleaning and rub it in by hand. That said, my CI is seasoned so well that after rubbing in ONE DROP I usually need to dab up the excess with a paper towel.

[mnavarre]

Gonna agree with the cast iron recs, but if you need a regular old non-stick just realize that they're basically disposable. I wouldn't spend more than $30 for a 10 inch non stick. Faberware and OxO have skillets in that price range, or if you have a restaurant supply store you can just get whatever's around that range. Just avoid the super cheap stuff from Wally World.

[LA Pork Butt]

A tip on making nonstick frying pans last longer is to never use them on heat higher than medium heat. High heat shortens their life.

[JGo37]

Yep - you want to use them with anything that doesn't brown due to it's flash point. You need to be able to 'swirl around' the food, flip it, slide it, slip it out - if you can't, it's too hot or the wrong pan. Macktechie

[Dewesq55]

I bought a 2 pan set of T-fal which was recommended by America's Test Kitchen. They weren't expensive and have held up pretty well.

[Jerod Broussard]

That's what I'm talking about, 98.2% of my genetics come from France.

[RonB]

A food site I can't remember said that there are really no long lasting non-stick coated pans. Their suggestion was to buy cheap and replace as needed...

[mnavarre]

Serious Eats

https://www.seriouseats.com/2017/02/why-cheap-nonstick-skillets-are-best.html

[Cheef]

Tramontina Pro.

[grantgallagher]

+1 to this

[Sweaty Paul]

Cast Iron or carbon steel which are well seasoned are awesome. Last December all of our "non-stick" pans were trashed. I purchased non-stick skillets (small, medium, and large) from Made In Cookware. They were reasonably priced. They get used frequently and have withstood lots of cooking of a variety of things. Highly recommend them. Good luck on your search.

[JP7794]

I have used T-fal as well. This is rated #1 by Americas Test Kitchen and is $40.

[jfmorris]

Aside from seconding the suggestions for a good 12" cast iron skillet (I have a Lodge), I really like my Oxo 12" non-stick, which is highly rated in this article, which I found extremely helpful in building a new set of kitchen cookware for us:

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/art...h_experience_3

They suggest this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PCI6XP6/?tag=cioarticle-20

I have the Pro, which has gone up $20 since I bought it (probably COVID).

Great non-stick.

[rickgregory]

Here's the reason I don't like non-stick pans... when the coating wears out... where do you think it's going? Yeah... into the food.

[Red Man]

Non stick pans are cheap and disposable...they don’t last long. The non stick coating will end up in your food. Get some cast iron.

[LDimick]

Actually, most of it may come off in the washing and scrubbing and it ends up down the sink.

[Bkhuna]

Cast iron, cast iron, cast iron... yada, yada, yada....

I have a non-stick pan that I use pretty much for eggs and omelettes. I'm not going to break my back trying to make a rolled french style omelette or delicate crepes with a cast iron skillet. Too heavy and the wrong shape.

For most everything else, yes, cast iron wins.

[JackJ]

For crepes and omelettes I like carbon steel for the reasons you state: lighter and most have a better shape with a shallower slope to the sides.

[TripleB]

Spot on. Love my CI and use it all the time, but for omelets and quick poached eggs, I go with my inexpensive (not thin and cheap) Smart & Final non-stick pan.