Non-Stick pans? Does true non stick exist?

[Shelydon]

I would love to find true non-stick pans.  The kind  you see on TV where eggs don't stick and you can wipe it clean with a paper towel. LOL

My current non-stick is soaking in the sink with egg firmly adhered to it. I have an induction stove, so that limits the options somewhat.  I purchased my current non-stick from the Consumer Reports list of top 3 non-stick pans, so clearly, they do not know what they are talking about or we have really sticky eggs around here.  Any suggestions?

 

 

[Indigo Blue]

Your grandmother’s well-seasoned cast iron skillet, lol. I joke, but it’s really the truth. If you take care of it properly, that is. 🙃

[Selkie]

This Ozeri pan is truly nonstick and and the best pan I've ever had. I actually have two of them - they're pricey but worth it. They're hand cast in Germany and made of ceramic with no scary chemicals. Super easy to wash.

I don't have an induction stove, so don't know if these would work with one.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0851M22X9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Indigo Blue]

@Selkiethose are nice. They truly are non toxic?

[itsheresomewhere]

I have a ceramic coating cusiniart pan just for eggs.  They slide off the pan and so does cheese.  It was about 22 on sale and three years going strong. 
 

Consumer reports is kind of a joke.  Wasn’t it a few years ago, they got caught with the car seat scandal?

[Selkie]

3 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

@Selkiethose are nice. They truly are non toxic?

This is what Ozeri says about it:

Belonging to Ozeri’s Professional Series, the Ceramic Earth Fry Pan was developed with the uncompromising goal of the safest and healthiest cooking and utilizes an environmentally conscious coating that delivers long-lasting performance and non-stick perfection. This special coating exceeds all European Union guidelines for safe cooking and is absolutely free of substances such as GenX fluorinated chemicals, PFBS, PFOS, PFOA, bisphenols such as BPA, BPS and BPF, as well as APEO, and the lesser known chemicals NMP and NEP. According to the FDA, many of these chemicals constitute a worrisome class of nonstick and stain-resistant compounds that have found their way into the food chain, including grocery store meats and seafood. A federal toxicology report has linked a number of health concerns to the presence of these compounds in people’s blood. Although the harmful acid PFOA, and to a certain extent PFOS, have been generally phased out of production, non-stick coatings today are often made with the aid of a new generation of advanced fluoropolymers, known as GenX fluorinated chemicals and PFBS. According to EPA studies on these chemicals, the “data are suggestive of cancer” and when orally consumed, these chemicals may be capable of affecting the kidneys, blood, immune system, liver and developing fetuses. Also of concern are APEO chemicals (Alkylphenol ethoxylates), which are under restricted use in Germany due to concerns about their poor biodegradability and toxicity. Labelled ‘forever chemicals’ due to their poor degradability and tendency to accumulate in people’s bodies, the EPA and FDA have cited consistent studies of people exposed to many of these compounds that suggest associations with several kinds of cancers, liver problems, low birth weight and other issues, concluding that many of these compounds are more dangerous than previously thought. With the Professional Series Ceramic Earth Fry Pan, no such chemicals are ever released. In addition, the pan utilizes an inert coating that is also free of the potentially harmful chemicals NMP (N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone) and NEP (N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone), sometimes found in traditional cookware. 

[skimomma]

8 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

Your grandmother’s well-seasoned cast iron skillet, lol. I joke, but it’s really the truth. If you take care of it properly, that is. 🙃

It doesn't even have to be your grandmother's.  I have a collection of cast ion ranging in age from 50 years to brand new.  The new works as well as the old once it was properly seasons.  I really do just rinse off eggs, then wipe clean.  I only use cast iron for non-stick cooking.

[KSera]

1 hour ago, skimomma said:

It doesn't even have to be your grandmother's.  I have a collection of cast ion ranging in age from 50 years to brand new.  The new works as well as the old once it was properly seasons.  I really do just rinse off eggs, then wipe clean.  I only use cast iron for non-stick cooking.

Agree. We have inexpensive Lodge cast iron from Amazon and it's SO easy to keep clean. By far my favorite pans to clean up. The only sticking I've had has been occasionally with scrambled eggs if they are cooked without and oil or butter. Even then, it has been easy to clean off with the plastic scraper. Fried eggs always slide right off though.

[busymama7]

Following because I need new pans and we are having a hard time deciding.  

We do have cast iron but my health issues make it difficult because it is so heavy. And I don't let my kids wash it so it will sit there all day until I can get to it.  There are enough downsides that I am looking for something else. 

[Kanin]

11 minutes ago, busymama7 said:

Following because I need new pans and we are having a hard time deciding.  

We do have cast iron but my health issues make it difficult because it is so heavy. And I don't let my kids wash it so it will sit there all day until I can get to it.  There are enough downsides that I am looking for something else. 

I saw an ad on facebook for Misen carbon steel pans. They claim to be very nonstick with no toxic chemicals. Carbon steel is also lighter than cast iron. I'm curious about it. 

[Spryte]

We have the Scan Pan Haptiq pans and they are really, truly non-stick. We bought a set of two from Macy’s, on a big sale. They are pricey, but eggs don’t stick and neither does anything else. I saw that Costco has a set of three right now, but you can probably find a better deal elsewhere, if you only want one.

We eat eggs every day, and hand washing takes all of 30 seconds.

[mmasc]

I’ve had these since Dec 2019. My main goal was a pan for eggs. These work very well and are still going strong. I do use a bit of butter for my eggs, but they don’t stick at all and I can wipe the pan clean with a paper towel easily. 
 

eta: darn it! It says is doesn’t work for induction. Sorry! 😞

Edited February 22, 2022 by mmasc

[Shelydon]

Thanks all!  I'll look up links.  We have several cast iron, but I just hate how heavy they are.  I have to be VERY careful using them on my glass induction top. 

[Indigo Blue]

The little secret about cast iron….most of them today come from the factory with a rough cooking surface. The vintage ones (your grandmother’s) are like smooth glass. You can still buy some smooth ones today, but they are expensive. 
 

The smoother finish is a bit more prone to being stripped off with metal utensils, but is much more non stick. If you can get a smooth cast iron pan and dedicate it to only eggs, potatoes, pancakes, all you will need to do is wipe it out with a paper towel. I have a small skillet that I do this with. Carbon steel is awesome, too, but they are a little more fussy in the beginning when they are new. I put acidic foods in my stainless steel. 

There is one affordable smooth surface skillet….Greater Goods makes a smooth surface, inexpensive cast iron skillet (on Amazon). 
 

Sorry. I know you’re asking about nonstick pans, but  just wanted to share this information in case it helped at all.
 

[Indigo Blue]

22 minutes ago, Shelydon said:

Thanks all!  I'll look up links.  We have several cast iron, but I just hate how heavy they are.  I have to be VERY careful using them on my glass induction top. 

This is true. 

[gardenmom5]

I think it also depends what you're cooking.

I've had a lot of non-stick over the years.  most don't hold up.  I have an All-Clad nonstick that I only use for sauces that are prone to burning.  It's a dream to work with.   (I had to ban dh from using it for soup . . . we have plenty of regular heavy pots he can use.)

[Clarita]

3 hours ago, Indigo Blue said:

Your grandmother’s well-seasoned cast iron skillet, lol. I joke, but it’s really the truth. If you take care of it properly, that is. 🙃

By properly take care, it means you use it with at least a little bit of oil and don't leave acidic stuff sitting in it. Seriously easy maintenance and after a few years of routine use nothing sticks to that cast iron skillet. 

The glazed cast irons are also non-stick, and can handle acidic foods.

Downside is cast iron is heavy.

[gardenmom5]

35 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

The little secret about cast iron….most of them today come from the factory with a rough cooking surface. The vintage ones (your grandmother’s) are like smooth glass. You can still buy some smooth ones today, but they are expensive. 
 

The smoother finish is a bit more prone to being stripped off with metal utensils, but is much more non stick. If you can get a smooth cast iron pan and dedicate it to only eggs, potatoes, pancakes, all you will need to do is wipe it out with a paper towel. I have a small skillet that I do this with. Carbon steel is awesome, too, but they are a little more fussy in the beginning when they are new. I put acidic foods in my stainless steel. 

There is one affordable smooth surface skillet….Greater Goods makes a smooth surface, inexpensive cast iron skillet (on Amazon). 
 

Sorry. I know you’re asking about nonstick pans, but  just wanted to share this information in case it helped at all.
 

It's amazing how expensive USED cast iron is!  and going into the 1800s - people would bestow their cast iron pots in their wills.

 

as for the "new stuff" - i've run them through the oven clean cycle, then seasoned them myself.  And we always add oil every time I use them.  I love my cast iron griddle.

NEVER use soap (it gets in the pores), just hot water then 'reseason'.  dh is also a stickler about putting them on the burner to dry so they don't rust.

[Carrie12345]

I have a Food Network ceramic pan that I use for eggs at least 3-4 times a week, and it is AMAZING. 

I do love my cast iron, but I don’t lug it out just to make breakfast for myself.

[Clarita]

Some other tricks to avoiding non-stick pans. Or to using stainless steel with out things sticking.

1) Use enough oil and heat. Foods don't always soak up the oil so you aren't really ingesting it unless you sit and drink the oil on the bottom of your pan.

2) Make a pan sauce after cooking. Essentially keep the pan hot and put some water/alcohol in while scraping up the frond (bits of food on the bottom of the pan).  You don't have to use the "sauce" if you don't want to.

3) Don't stir your food so much. Let it sit in the heat a bit to form that cooked food crust which also prevents sticking.

Essentially the oil is your non-stick surface. Once your food like eggs are more solidified it won't as readily get stick in the small/miniscule bumpiness of your pan.  

Edited February 22, 2022 by Clarita
Add #3 tip. And scientific reasoning.

[gardenmom5]

13 minutes ago, Clarita said:

 

2) Make a pan sauce after cooking. Essentially keep the pan hot and put some water/alcohol in while scraping up the frond (bits of food on the bottom of the pan).  

also known as: deglazing.

I have to use water method on the stove top to clean the mess from my sons hamburgers in the cast iron pans . . . of course, they don't clean them . . . 

[Clarita]

Just now, gardenmom5 said:

also known as: deglazing.

Yes, deglaze just sounds so fancy especially for stuff you may not use in your dish.

[Grace Hopper]

4 hours ago, Indigo Blue said:

Your grandmother’s well-seasoned cast iron skillet, lol. I joke, but it’s really the truth. If you take care of it properly, that is. 🙃

I agree but can it be used on an induction cooktop? I have no idea. 

[Indigo Blue]

28 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

I agree but can it be used on an induction cooktop? I have no idea. 

Gosh, that I don’t know. 

[prairiewindmomma]

50 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

I agree but can it be used on an induction cooktop? I have no idea. 

It's theoretically safe but you've got to be careful about scratching.  People will tell you not to use cast iron on smooth top conventional stovetops for the same reason, but many do.

[alisoncooks]

I hate cast iron. DH loves it but I can’t deal with it. 
 

My favorite nonstick/cooking eggs pan is this:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Original-Copper-Pan-12-Round-Nonstick-Fry-Pan/55537487
(I’m pretty sure this is what we have.  I have other pans I use for other things…but this one wins out for eggs!)

[Melissa in Australia]

I also have cast iron frying pan. We love it. Nothing sticks at all. 

[gardenmom5]

3 hours ago, Clarita said:

Yes, deglaze just sounds so fancy especially for stuff you may not use in your dish.

It's a technical term that conveys precise information.  

[Emba]

5 hours ago, alisoncooks said:

I hate cast iron. DH loves it but I can’t deal with it. 
 

My favorite nonstick/cooking eggs pan is this:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Original-Copper-Pan-12-Round-Nonstick-Fry-Pan/55537487
(I’m pretty sure this is what we have.  I have other pans I use for other things…but this one wins out for eggs!)

I use a pan like that for eggs. It worked great before DS charcoaled some food in it. Now it is not as nonstick, but still not bad.

[Shelydon]

19 hours ago, Clarita said:

Some other tricks to avoiding non-stick pans. Or to using stainless steel with out things sticking.

1) Use enough oil and heat. Foods don't always soak up the oil so you aren't really ingesting it unless you sit and drink the oil on the bottom of your pan.

2) Make a pan sauce after cooking. Essentially keep the pan hot and put some water/alcohol in while scraping up the frond (bits of food on the bottom of the pan).  You don't have to use the "sauce" if you don't want to.

3) Don't stir your food so much. Let it sit in the heat a bit to form that cooked food crust which also prevents sticking.

Essentially the oil is your non-stick surface. Once your food like eggs are more solidified it won't as readily get stick in the small/miniscule bumpiness of your pan.  

I have a full set of stainless steel, but eggs stick like crazy, even with a large amount of oil or butter. 

[Shelydon]

Thanks all.  It looks like most listed are aluminum, which won't work on non-stick.  I search through the brands listed and see if any have something that would work for an induction style stove.

 

I bought these 2 years ago and they have never been truly non-stick and now take hours of soaking to peel eggs off.

https://www.zwilling.com/us/zwilling-spirit-ceramic-nonstick-10-pc-pots-and-pans-set-64080-001/64080-001-0.html

 

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by Shelydon

[Clarita]

2 hours ago, Shelydon said:

I have a full set of stainless steel, but eggs stick like crazy, even with a large amount of oil or butter. 

Sounds weird but once the pan and oil is hot enough then drop in the eggs (should hear a big sizzle when the eggs hit the pan like you are in a diner). Leave for a while before any flipping. I get impatient so I don't wait for the pan to be hot enough so I do have to wash off egg bits from the pan (never need a soak though). My husband is better about not touching them for a while so he can slide the eggs right off and the only thing to wash off the pans is the oil. 

[lmrich]

I start my skillet with water in it and then when it starts to simmer, I know it is hot enough. I dump the water, spray with oil and then crack the eggs.

[MercyA]

We can't use non-stick pans because they are so very dangerous for our canary. When we adopted her, the woman at the rescue told us about one poor woman who heated up a non-stick pan to make grilled cheese, forgot about it, and then found her two birds dead in their cage. There are many, many similar stories out there. If you have birds, don't use them!!! (And I figure if the fumes are so deadly for them, they're likely not good for us, either. Canary in a coal mine and all that...)

I use and like these: GreenLife cookware.

They work well for eggs. They are not expensive and I don't expect them to last forever. They will last longer if used over medium heat rather than high. The colors are fun, too.