Non Stick Pans
Written By Dan Price
Non stick pans. I haven’t taken Chemistry since college….a LONG time ago, so will try and keep a complicated subject fairly simple. So, non-stick pans have come a long way from the PTFE, PTFOA laden spray on coatings from Teflon et al. The chemistry is complicated, but with Teflon – the simple version is – most molecules don’t like to be near it, and avoid it at all costs, so food doesn’t stick. Current PTFE technology no longer includes PTFOA, a chemical used in the original processes, with serious health concerns, but the PTFE will leech harmful chemicals if heated higher than 575 degrees ( kind of unlikely, but still), so it still scares people. If you have any nonstick pans that are older than 2015– I would say toss them. They contain PTFOA, which is not a good thing. The new technology is pretty impressive – and really quite affordable.
Primarily now, you will find ceramic coatings. While they are the latest thing, it remains to be seen if they last longer than the traditional PTFE “Teflon ( name brand)” coating. But the old chemicals make people nervous, and the Ceramic is hard, and seems more healthy. They are made of 100% organic materials with NO heavy metals or chemicals, and no PTFE or PTFOA. This is pretty much what it sounds like – a very hard ceramic coating is bonded with a pan – usually aluminum or cast aluminum in the less expensive varieties, but also stainless steel. These coatings are tough and work quite well. Essentially, with a PTFE pan ( most black coated pans)the surface of the pan, even though it seems smooth, looks like a microscopic waffle, with surface points of the chemical supporting the food. The voids give space so the food doesn’t stick. With proper care, they will last for several years. Eventually the coating thins, and those voids fill with cooked food, and that’s what the stuff you are cooking tonight is sticking to. Ceramic pans are a super hard smooth surface. With time, heat and scratches, it looses its non stick capabilities. What is proper care you ask? First off, ignore everything they say on the box. Proper care means hand wash only, no super high heat, no metal utensils. Many non stick lines these days say you can use metal utensils, and they are even dishwasher safe. Sure, you can use metal utensils and run them through the dishwasher – but don’t be disappointed when your pan doesn’t work as well after a year or two. Metal utensils even scratch tough stainless steel, let alone non stick coatings, and scratches cause food to settle in and stick. I don’t even want to get into how hard the heat and detergent of a dishwasher is on the coatings (and your knives… NEVER knives!!) NO non stick pan will last forever– they just don’t. Heat, time, people burn things in them, the coating thins, and they just will eventually loose their non stick properties. This is something you have to accept up front. That said – there are some very high quality lines out there that will last for 10 or 15 years or more if they are taken care of. So the trade off is a $120 pan that will last 15+ years, or 3 $50 pans that will last 3 or 4….. it’s pretty much that simple.
There are proprietary coatings out there as well – Swiss Diamond – pretty much the top of the line (yeah, THAT $120 pan…lol) has a diamond infused ( yes, real but man made diamonds, no, not the kinds that are in earrings….lol) This is a super tough coating, no PTFE or PTFOA, that can take very high heat ( up to 500 degrees in the oven, but again, I would NEVER recommend that) This line says you can use metal utensils, and even dishwasher safe ( a common claim on pans these days). That said, Swiss Diamond is seriously the best non stick pan out there, and will give you incredibly good service for decades. There are other versions of combo’s of ceramic and other materials, like the “granitium” which is actual Granite mixed with ceramics in our Ballarini line that are incredibly tough, and work very well as well. I am in the process of trying to kill my Ballarini tester, and it is holding up remarkably well!
At Kitch, we have three lines right now, a 3 ply stainless ceramic coated line from Zwilling that I really like, and the aforementioned really cool line by Ballerini out of Italy that is also very good, and of course the top of the line Swiss Diamond. The benefit to the ceramic coating of the Zwilling over some of the other ceramic coatings, is they claim it is 50% harder and will last longer – plus, unusually for a nonstick pan, they are a nice 3 ply stainless, and will work with Induction. It is a solid well made line that is very affordable. Ballarini out of Italy has a unique proprietary coating that almost looks like stone , which is appropriate since it’s a combination of Granite and ceramics – and is SUPER tough. I took the edge of a table spoon to the sample, and scrubbed hard, and still could not get it to scratch. Very affordable, and works like a dream. Swiss Diamond is our best seller, because, frankly, it’s the best! Everyone who buys one, loves it!
Lastly, I have never been a huge fan of non stick, but man, it is fun to cook 4 fried eggs and flip them with a flip of the pan, no spatula involved! I get it. This old dog is learning that time moves on, and there might be some things better than my classic 7 ply stainless!! Oh, NEVER use Pam spray on a non stick – it will ruin the surface of many pans and in some cases void the warrantee. Its not the oil in Pam, it’s the propellant that does the damage.
Happy non stick cooking!!!
