jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I have stainless steel pots - what chefs call saucepans - but my frying pans (skillets) are mostly non-stick (Teflon). These are great for cooking, but the coating wears away, we eat the Teflon, and I have to buy another one. My experience with skillets is that everything tends to stick to them. I'll keep the stainless pots, which I've had for about 50 years, but I'd like to get new skillets. I've read some online articles about different materials, and I've decided that I don't need a restaurant-quality $400 frying pan.

So, do any of you cooking experts have recommendations? I expect rpavich, our resident food photographer, to have some suggestions.

traveler90712 Loc: Lake Worth, Fl.

Cast Iron!!!!

http://www.lodgemfg.com/

Festus Loc: North Dakota

Jerry, the trouble with non-stick is that they will all wear over time, some worse than others. I tried several brands and returned them. I finally decided on Le Creuset. I have had them for about a year and have been satisfied so far.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Disclaimer: I'm not a cooking expert. But I do like to eat.

Personally, I prefer stainless fry pans. As you note, everything sticks to the pan eventually. The bright stainless will stand up to scrubbing with metal or plastic scrubbers and unlike the black cast iron, you can see when the burnt stuff is gone.

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

My wife swears by her Calphalon hard anodized pans. Non stick without the high heat hazards of teflon.

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

Lodge Cast Iron or if you want something you can wash with soap and water, enameled cast iron (Staub, LeCruset) are two good brands. The newest non stick cookware has a ceramic coating rather than Teflon. Kohl's Department Stores have great discounts on kitchen goods and a helpful staff in MI. I'd still use a small pat of butter or spray of olive oil with the non stick cookware for flavor and to lengthen the life of the ceramic coating. Chefs.com is a good online mail-order source with a catalog you can request too. Sur La Table and Williams Sonoma are too expensive IMHO.

Candy

Cordon Bleu trained I am experimenting with a 16 inch electric skillet (progressive) yesterday I did Pork Loin with cubed Potatoes, onions, peppers,carrots, minced garlic, two cans diced tomatoes 1 small can Tomatoe sauce, quarter c red wine, 200 for 1 hour, deliciouse. I am trying a Bain Marie for fun. Candy

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Isn't maintenance an issue with them? My main concern with non-non-stick is sticking.

muggins88 Loc: Inverness, Florida

These are very good. Avoid ruining them with high heat and use proper utensils. They will last.
The ceramic coated ones are suppose to be healthier but I have had not experience with their longivity.
Teflon after it is nicked is dangerous to your health.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I've tried several non-stick pans, and Chefs and Bakers has been the best so far, but our big pan has worn through a lot of the coating. We always use olive oil or butter in the pan, and we use plastic utensils.

I wonder if that enamel coating would chip away eventually.

We have a Kohl's nearby, so I'll take a look.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I've had some that were anodized, but nothing has lasted a long time - more than a year. I realize Teflon has become a generic term, and other coatings are being used, but they seem to be temporary, and I don't like eating them.

Candy

I stir food around half way through, food experts are erring off fat, and going to liquids, much healthier for all, this skillet thick Teflon coating heats very quickly, clean up not good to soak pans use only nylon cleaning pads and plastic/wood implements. If you insist in fryin cook on very, very low, you will be surprised at the retained flavor and texture of your protein in the meat with th Enzines it has to keep you healthy. Red meat should be used sparingly. :hunf:

teesquare Loc: USA

I am going to give you full disclosure - I own an on-line cooking forum ( www.letstalkbbq.com )....so I see this discussion on a regular basis.

There are several different perspectives that often come into these discussions.
Some emphasize ease of cleaning/non-stick - and indeed we all like that, but for some it is THE supreme issue.
Cast iron can be a great answer - as long you can handle the weight of it. It can become about as non-stick as teflon once it is seasoned correctly.

Other folks are more interested in the potential health concerns that may come from inadvertent consumption of the non-stick coatings in some cookware. Aluminum is another topic of potential concern by some.

The type of pans I am seeing more and more folks select are deBuyer ( duh-BOO-yay). They are a carbon steel, and are they type you find in many commercial kitchens.
The reasons are that they are not bad on cost, and lighter than cast iron ( probably less than 1/2 of the weight of cast iron ) and - again, with proper seasoning - can be almost as non-stick as teflon and similar coatings, but you have no coating to damage or one that can come off and get into your food.

I personally have a pretty good cast iron collection - but I do think that the deBuyer type pans offer the best bang for the buck. They are lighter, you will not wear them out, and they can go from stove top - to oven, and no coating.

Candy

I stir food around half way through, food experts are erring off fat, and going to liquids, much healthier for all, this skillet thick Teflon coating heats very quickly, clean up not good to soak pans use only nylon cleaning pads and plastic/wood implements. If you insist in fryin cook on very, very low, you will be surprised at the retained flavor and texture of your protein in the meat with th Enzines it has to keep you healthy. Red meat should be used sparingly. Candy.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

I use tri-ply stainless pans.

If you prep them correctly and use them correctly they won't stick.

Tramontina is the brand I use.