Frying pans

[chocolate-chip chooky]

I'm in the market for a new frying pan.

What do you use?

Do you avoid teflon? 

Any experiences with ceramic as an alternative?

 

Thank you 😊

[wintermom]

I have cast iron and teflon. I really like the cast iron. I got an opportunity to try out a ceramic fry pan last week, and it was lovely for frying eggs. 

Enjoy your shopping!

[lorilou]

We just switched to this carbon steel pan this summer Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel Fry Pan

I am loving it! You season it and treat it like cast iron. It's been lovely for frying my eggs!

[gardenmom5]

I have cast iron and all-clad (with and without teflon).  What I use, depends on what I'm cooking.

[Melissa in Australia]

I use cast iron. No coating 

But I have a slow combustion wood stove

[Ausmumof3]

The last one we got was one of those MasterChef ones you get when you buy groceries from coles. It was only little but great for eggs and stuff. The last bigger one I bought was Crofton from Aldi and it’s been ok. The Teflon coating or whatever it is is starting to die after three or four years though.

[Shelydon]

I have a ceramic one and everything started sticking after a couple of years. I really need to get something different

[Calm37]

Someone recommended an OXO frying pan on here a while back. I bought a small one for eggs/single sandwiches. It has been used almost daily for a year and 1/2 and is still very new and non-stick. I do baby my pans a bit and rarely use the dishwasher. Pleasantly surprised - but no matter how much I've spent on non-stick over the years, the finish has never lasted this long.

 

[Emba]

For eggs I use a Gotham Steel pan, one of those copper colored ones.  They are ceramic nonstick.  At first it was the best nonstick pan I’ve ever used. Then a kid who shall remain nameless burned food onto it, and it was not so great for a bit. But now it’s back to normal, though not as great as it was at first. But it has lasted way longer  (three years? Four years?) than any of my other nonstick pans, except one made in the USA by a now-defunct company.  When it gets too scratched, I’ll buy another Gotham Steel pan for sure.

[wisdomandtreasures]

A stainless steel copper-bottom Revere pan given to me from a friend who inherited it from her parents, who got it as a wedding gift in the early '50s. It's still going strong after 70 years and still looks new!

Edited August 18, 2023 by wisdomandtreasures

[Shoeless]

I have a cast iron pan, but always forget about it. I mostly use the all-clad or Tramontina tri-ply pans. 

[livetoread]

I mostly use cast iron, but have a 12" stainless steel all-clad for when I'm doing things with lots of tomato. I worry about acidic things and cast iron because I don't want the flavor changed, though I've never had it happen so far. Then again, I've rarely tested it. 

[Faith-manor]

No teflon. 

I have two heavy, stainless steal skillets, one large and one medium size. I have two cast iron skillet, one about 10" diameter, and then a little one that is only 5" or so. I have not had a non stick skillet of any kind for about 25 years.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

This is all very helpful, thank you 🌻

I'm hoping to avoid teflon, and likely avoid ceramic too. I've read mixed reviews about ceramic. Apparently they can have coatings that are no better than teflon 🤷‍♀️  And they aren't as non-stick as you'd hope (apparently).

Cast iron and carbon steel seem possible, but I've read that acidic foods will cause a metallic taste in your food. I just couldn't tolerate that.

So, maybe stainless steel?  Or cast iron and avoid acidic things? 

Hopefully cleaning stainless steel isn't too hard, but I'd rather scrub harder than worry about chemicals in my food.

[Faith-manor]

10 minutes ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

This is all very helpful, thank you 🌻

I'm hoping to avoid teflon, and likely avoid ceramic too. I've read mixed reviews about ceramic. Apparently they can have coatings that are no better than teflon 🤷‍♀️  And they aren't as non-stick as you'd hope (apparently).

Cast iron and carbon steel seem possible, but I've read that acidic foods will cause a metallic taste in your food. I just couldn't tolerate that.

So, maybe stainless steel?  Or cast iron and avoid acidic things? 

Hopefully cleaning stainless steel isn't too hard, but I'd rather scrub harder than worry about chemicals in my food.

When things are really stuck in my stainless, I boil for a couple of minutes with baking soda water. That seems to loosen it.

[City Mouse]

Other than my cast iron, I have decided to stop buying expensive pans. Nothing seems to hold up the way I  want it to, so if I buy cheap pans I can feel ok with replacing them as needed. I am experimenting with a $14 ceramic frying pan from Walmart. The coating does have a tiny nick in it now which is probably from my DH using metal utensils in it, but I don’t care now because it only cost $14. I had hoped to find something that would be non-stick without adding any oil at all but the ceramic pan needs some oil.

[J-rap]

I mostly use ceramic or a non-toxic non-stick.  Several of my family members have hemochromatosis, so I don't generally use cast iron. 

I do replace my ceramic/non-stick pans about every 5-10 years though.  I have one stainless steel frying pan and that one will probably last forever.  

Edited August 18, 2023 by J-rap

[chocolate-chip chooky]

51 minutes ago, J-rap said:

I mostly use ceramic or a non-toxic non-stick.  Several of my family members have hemochromatosis, so I don't generally use cast iron. 

I do replace my ceramic/non-stick pans about every 5-10 years though.  I have one stainless steel frying pan and that one will probably last forever.  

What is non-toxic and also non-stick?

 

[popmom]

I have a new induction range, so I had to get a couple of new (induction compatible) non stick skillets. I already had some cast iron and All Clad, but sometimes I just need something non stick. I happened upon this brand at Homegoods a few months ago, and I am liking it. The handle looks like wood, but it's plastic or something. No idea if this is available where you live. It's very, very non stick--better than the Teflon pans I had before. It says it is " pfoa, pfte, and pfos free". If it doesn't last forever, I won't be heartbroken for the price. 🙂

https://www.homegoods.com/us/store/jump/product/Ceramic-Non-stick-Speckled-Skillet/7000025130?cid=HOM:ShoppingFeeds:GGL:PMAX_Evergreen&utm_medium=shppng&utm_campaign=Feed&utm_source=Google&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrfymBhCTARIsADXTabnwpMkomWdpUu71sh5S4NfpRBBj6HJ6nef0Vm_wg4glUHHSMDFTyBsaAh6WEALw_wcB

[J-rap]

1 hour ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

What is non-toxic and also non-stick?

 

Apparently it is "anodized aluminum," which is aluminum that has been sealed so that no metal can leak out, and is considered non-toxic.  Currently I have Greenpan pans.  

[Clarita]

We use stainless steel, and cast iron. I have not had trouble with either one I try not to make acidic foods in the cast iron.

I don't have Teflon anything. At one point I contemplated those ceramic coated ones but even the seller website said you have to replace every 3 years or something so same issues as Teflon.

[Resilient]

It kind of depends on what you want to do with the frying pan.  Omelettes or oil-free meat cooking? Different answers.  :0)

 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

17 hours ago, Resilient said:

It kind of depends on what you want to do with the frying pan.  Omelettes or oil-free meat cooking? Different answers.  :0)

 

It's usually meat in the fry pan - steak, sausages, patties.  Also sometimes mince, bolognese sauce, vege patties, vege sausages. 

I have no issue with using a bit of oil. 

[Melissa in Australia]

That is exactly the things I cook in my non coated cast iron pan. 

I have been using it daily for 30 years

Edited August 20, 2023 by Melissa in Australia