Non-stick Pans Review: High Heat a No No

Fish with Panko bread crumbs, sauteed in non-stick skillet

Chances are, you have a non-stick pan in your kitchen arsenal. But which non-stick pans are worth the money? And which will last the longest?

Over the past 10 years, I’ve owned a few different non-stick pans. First, my pet peeve about non-stick pans: most take longer than a cast iron or stainless steel pan to heat up. When you’re trying to get a meal together, that can irk you!

Great for Fish!

However, I love using non-stick pans for sauteeing fish! The trick to making a non-stick pan last longer is not putting it on high heat; it can wear off the non-stick coating quickly. Also, don’t use non-stick spray on a non-stick pan; instead, use a little bit of oil. Non-stick spray leaves a residue on the pan that is hard to clean and can damage it.

I remember seeing Tyler Florence use a T-Fal years ago on a Food Network show. I bought one, and was surprised at the good value. It lasted a couple years; until my husband used it to cook something over high heat. After that, it wasn’t non-stick anymore. But, for about the cost of lunch for four at Qdoba (one of our favorite places to lunch occasionally), you can buy a T-Fal Flexi-Grip Hard Anodized 12.5 Inch Fry Pan (aff.).

All Clad Faster

If you spend more on a non-stick and go with an All Clad skillet (we were given a small one as a wedding gift years ago), it does heat up faster than, say, a T-Fal non-stick skillet. But as far as being more non-stick, I didn’t notice a remarkable difference. One thing I will say is the All Clad skillet metal handles took longer to get hot (a plus if you forget to use your cooking mitt)!

Metal Handles a Plus

Calphalon also offers a non-stick skillet, and when we need to buy another non-stick pan, I’ll be going with Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 10- and 12-Inch Omelet Pans, Set of 2 (aff.). The only downside (for me) to these non-stick pans from Calphalon is they tend to be heavier than T-Fal. I do like the metal handles better than the T-Fal plastic ones.

Regardless of which brand of non-stick pan you choose, remember not to put it in the dishwasher. The high heat of the water in the dishwasher is hard on the non-stick finish.

So, do you use non-stick pans? Or do you only use cast iron or stainless steel to cook?

Top photo by Kelly Estes