Is There A Non-Stick Skillet That Actually Works??!!

fmdog44

fmdog44

Well-known Member
Location
Houston, Texas
I must have 10 skillets, some non-stick and none of them live up to their claim. Can anyone recommend one that does?
 

The T-fal ceramic skillet works great, no sticking. I have probably used it at least 5 times a week for the last six months, so lots of use, and it is just now starting to stick. I have the one with the lid so it makes it good for simmering or frying.

I have also tried the Heritage Rock, it's good but only for about 3 months or so.
 
The last one I bought was a Green+Life. It has a white finish and nothing sticks.

My main set of pots and pans are by Cuisinart. No Teflon but they don't stick either. Very very heavy and thick, which is good for cooking but sometimes are just too heavy for my achy wrists when they're full.

I have a set of Farberware cookware that I retired to use in the camper. I got it in 1974 and it's still in great shape and cooks well. I'd still be using that set at home but the Spousal Equivalent got me the Cuisinart set a few Christmases ago and he likes that set. So.....
 
I agree that some of the old stainless steel sets are still the best but they do stick. I have a set of Lagostina that has to be over 20 years old. Good heavy duty stuff but I still use the non stick for stuff like frying bacon & eggs.
 
If you use rubber spatulas and nothing metal that will scratch the surface, a non stick pan will stay non stick.

When it gets full of scratches it has lost it's coating and will stick.

I'm looking for one of those Ceramic non stick myself now.

The one I have is five years old. It still works but I just want to try those ceramic ones.
 
Camper, mine has no scratches, I think it is just the constant heating that causes the finish to lose it's coating over time.
 
I have now read several reviews of the "best" non-sticks and too many say the pans have lost the not stick property. I never used metal utensils but I have used a Scrub Daddy and perhaps that is the reason but it is nonmetallic so it should not harm the surfaces.
 
From my experience as a chef: Properly seasoned/broken in cast iron skillet=no stick. Properly seasoned/broken in stainless steel high-end skillet=no-stick. You need to know how to treat your cookware. I use wooden spatulas, rarely metal, pancakes being the exception. I pan flip foods, most of the time, eschewing the use of spatulas, entirely. I never use soap on mine, never scour with pads that scratch, always rub with the press/roll patterns of the steel, on stainless, when cleaning. You can see them, upon inspection. I would never use the chemically derived no-stick pans. You are applying high heat, at times, to chemical compounds that may not be good for your continued good health.
 
Another vote for cast iron, I have 4 that I rescued from charity shops and flea markets.

A 6" that I use for eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches.

A 9" that I use for everything else including cornbread and pineapple upside down cakes.

A 12" and a 14" that are now too big and too heavy for me to use safely when they are full.
 
I'm curious about this seasoning of cast iron skillets. Do you mean floating in grease? It probably won't stick if it floats. (Just kidding... :))

8e20933813a0e12ba9a1f2812964492e.jpg
 
I also need to carry a straight edge with me to check for a flat surface instead of a curved surface so the eggs don't run to the rims of the pans when I crack them. So far the best ones out there are TRamontins but it is aluminum so it won't work with induction heat. All-Clad and T-Fal are highly ranked but T-Fal is made in China.
 
@NancyNGA

No, seasoning a cast iron skillet does not mean "floating in grease".

from google:

How To Season Your Cast-Iron Skillet:

  • Scrub skillet well in hot soapy water.
  • Dry thoroughly.
  • Spread a thin layer of melted shortening or vegetable oil over the skillet.
  • Place it upside down on a middle oven rack at 375°. (Place foil on a lower rack to catch drips.)
  • Bake 1 hour; let cool in the oven.
​
 
applecruncher said:
@NancyNGA

No, seasoning a cast iron skillet does not mean "floating in grease".

from google:

How To Season Your Cast-Iron Skillet:

  • Scrub skillet well in hot soapy water.
  • Dry thoroughly.
  • Spread a thin layer of melted shortening or vegetable oil over the skillet.
  • Place it upside down on a middle oven rack at 375°. (Place foil on a lower rack to catch drips.)
  • Bake 1 hour; let cool in the oven.
​
Click to expand...

and continuing care: never put in dishwasher or allow to air-dry. After I wash mine it goes into a warm oven or on a hot burner until thoroughly dry
 
fmdog44 said:
I also need to carry a straight edge with me to check for a flat surface
Click to expand...

I have used a bubble level in an attempt to get that flat surface on the range top. It's very difficult to accomplish that and my stove is now 4' - 5" taller than when I started from adding shims under one corner, then the other corner, then another corner... ;)

Back home on the farm, the only times we opened the Bible were when Mom wanted the kitchen table to be level. ;)
 
Over the last few years i've started using my cast iron cookware more, and i'm loving it. I find that stove temperature is a big key to keeping foods from sticking. I cooked fried potatoes and onions the other night in my cast iron...it didn't stick at all when I used about a medium heat, cooking them slowly. Yes, I used pig butter(bacon grease) to cook them in, lol.
 
The simplest, most effective way to season a new cast iron or stainless steel skillet, manufacturers instructions notwithstanding: Turn a stove top burner on full blast. Put the new skillet on it. Turn on your exhaust fan. Turn off your smoke alarm. Heat the skillet until the metal is seen to slightly discolor (on steel), or smoke (finishing oil on cast iron). Put in a tablespoon of canola oil. It'll smoke. Using a mitt, circulate the oil, evenly, by rotating and tilting the skillet. Turn down the heat to low. Allow smoking to subside. Turn off the burner. Let the skillet cool. Wipe it down with a cloth. You're done! You have, in the above, expanded the metal, allowing pits from the manufacturing process to expand and absorb some oil. When the metal cools, a bit of oil is retained as the pits shrink and close. When you cook, put the skillet on the burner, heat it up for about two minutes, lightly spray in some canola oil, allow to heat up another two minutes, place your foods, flip quickly in first five seconds, spray the top surface of the food, flip again, keep an eye on things, flipping as your food cooks and gets done. Not everyone can flip food in a skillet, I know. That being the case, keep a wooden spatula handy. To minimize scratching the surface, use metal only if the food being cooked needs the very thin blade to be turned. Once you're done cooking, remove your food, allow the skillet to cool down, put under some warm water, wipe down with a towel. That's it! If you've done everything correctly, you will have no food stuck tightly to your skillet and it will get sparkling clean from the simple wiping down.
 
wvnewbie said:
I have used a bubble level in an attempt to get that flat surface on the range top. It's very difficult to accomplish that and my stove is now 4' - 5" taller than when I started from adding shims under one corner, then the other corner, then another corner... ;)

Back home on the farm, the only times we opened the Bible were when Mom wanted the kitchen table to be level. ;)
Click to expand...

Your stove should have adjustable legs.
 
treeguy64 said:
The simplest, most effective way to season a new cast iron or stainless steel skillet, manufacturers instructions notwithstanding: Turn a stove top burner on full blast. Put the new skillet on it. Turn on your exhaust fan. Turn off your smoke alarm. Heat the skillet until the metal is seen to slightly discolor (on steel), or smoke (finishing oil on cast iron). Put in a tablespoon of canola oil. It'll smoke. Using a mitt, circulate the oil, evenly, by rotating and tilting the skillet. Turn down the heat to low. Allow smoking to subside. Turn off the burner. Let the skillet cool. Wipe it down with a cloth. You're done! You have, in the above, expanded the metal, allowing pits from the manufacturing process to expand and absorb some oil. When the metal cools, a bit of oil is retained as the pits shrink and close. When you cook, put the skillet on the burner, heat it up for about two minutes, lightly spray in some canola oil, allow to heat up another two minutes, place your foods, flip quickly in first five seconds, spray the top surface of the food, flip again, keep an eye on things, flipping as your food cooks and gets done. Not everyone can flip food in a skillet, I know. That being the case, keep a wooden spatula handy. To minimize scratching the surface, use metal only if the food being cooked needs the very thin blade to be turned. Once you're done cooking, remove your food, allow the skillet to cool down, put under some warm water, wipe down with a towel. That's it! If you've done everything correctly, you will have no food stuck tightly to your skillet and it will get sparkling clean from the simple wiping down.
Click to expand...

Skillets come pre-seasoned. I goofed by scrubbing one of my skillets with metal and it removed the non-stick layer.
 

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