Generally I don't like to buy the cheap stuff, since I think there's often truth to the adage "buy cheap, buy twice"
However, I've bought expensive non stick fry pans in the past, but they never seem to last that long.
Maybe this is an item that just can't last 10 years, and you need to replace regularly.
Any thoughts?
Non Stick Pan Strategy - Is It Best to Buy an Expensive One, or Cheap Ones and Replace Every 12 Months
AlexG on 27/02/2017 - 10:38
Poll Options
- 23Buy expensive and take care of them
- 11Buy cheap and replace often
- 8Other
Comments
And i should say that with the sales it probably brought them down to roughly $40-60 per pan and weve got a set of 3
Agree with above - the non-stick coating will wear away over time no matter what you do (such as avoiding metal utensils and steel wool scrubbers, not overheating the pan etc)
Don't go too cheap - a $10 would be horrendous - but a mid-range option for say $30-50 should still last a good 5 years at least.
When we had a costco membership about 3-4 years ago we bought their 15-piece set (something like 4 pans and 4 pots) for $200 and their non-stick coating is still doing great so you definitely don't need to buy "expensive" to get good quality.
Remember there's more to a pan than the quality of the non-stick. It will wear off over time no matter how much you spend, so paying $300 for a non-stick pan is probably a bad idea. Buying a $10 pan will drive you up the wall in other ways, like the bottom not being flat, or the handle getting hot on the stove.
My favourite pan is a Tefal one which I think we paid ~$100 for 5 years ago. I pretty much just use that one frying pan (we have 3 others, one is ok the other 2 are terrible). It goes in the oven and in the dishwasher, I don't use metal tools but I'm not super careful with it. It will probably last another year or 2 if I'm lucky, and then need replacing. I'm okay with that.
My favourite frypan is a cast iron pan with no non-stick coating. Properly seasoned, nothing sticks to it.
+1 for Cast iron pan.
https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/59yw7u/how_to_cook_…
Cast iron pans can last for decades when treated properly, and they only get better with age.
Cast iron for me as well. No non-stick. If properly cleaned and oiled after each use a cast iron pan will last forever. Had mine (secondhand - in true OzBargain fashion!) for over 12 years and it's bloody great. The only downside is it's heavy!
I compare buying frying pans like buying denim jeans. High prices doesn't necessarily mean durability and quality construction.
Will a $500 pair of denim outlast a $50 pair? Not noticeably.
Will a $50 pair of denim outlast a $5 pair? Almost definitely.My buying preference is to buy 6-10 piece cooking sets with at least 1 interesting feature like glass lids, copper bottoms, etc. A big downside of shopping based on features is they add weight.
The crofton ones at Aldi are like $17 we just throw them away after 12 months. Have had expensive non stick ones before which are nicer and last longer, but still need to be thrown away after a few years, I don't think the extra money is worth it. Saucepans without the non stick, I would go for good quality as they should last decades.
Sorry probably a stupid question but what happens when a non stick pan starts going bad
Erm,, stuff starts to stick.
So a Teflon or Non stick pan should never stick right no matter what but even died burnt cheese or like over fried potatoes?
it will stick once cooled down, but during cooking it will only have a small level of "stickiness". So you wont need to scrape at it to get it off. It also makes it easier to clean once cooled down
naturally yes, but not to the level it would be on a non-(non-stick) pan. TBH it is still very easy to clean it off
Ah I see, cheers thanks
I only ask because I have had several times on my newish coles branded pan bits of fried potato and bread stick to it at the level of a grill plate or more after a good long frying with some scraping required so it must not be a very good or maybe not even at all a non stick pan
Cheers thanks just wanted to clear that up since it had no name or labelling just pan so I wasn't completely a hundred percent sure.. now at least I am more so
Have a great night bye
Sorry probably a stupid question but what happens when a non stick pan starts going bad
Well, first it stops talking to you and almost completely shuts you out of it's life, any attempt to re-connect at this stage will most likely result in an argument. Before you know it, it's wagging school and dry roasting herbs with the 'bad pans' down the back of the oval. From there it's all downhill, but with proper care you can prevent this from happening to your non stick pan.
Yah, was a bit of a silly question mate ;)
I guess my real true proper question should have been will a non stick pan stick to anything? Like say you really burnt or overcooked some stuff.. Will a non stick pan still not stick to that stuff or is it just for having simple light sticky stuff not stick to the pan and not heavy duty holy crap overkill stuff e.g. eggs fried potatoes etc
In my experience the non-stick effect always diminishes over time, but it'll depend on how often you use it and how well you look after it.
So when it's brand new it's fairly easy to keep clean, but over time you'll find stuff like eggs will begin to stick around the edges. I bought a new set of non-stick cookware about 4 years ago and the frying pan (by far the most used item from the set) is pretty much cactus and needs a light coating of spray oil so that things don't get too messy.
Hmm, a bit of a silly question… so why nobody answered it correctly?
No, it is not that stuff starts to stick. It is that the bottom is NOT FLAT anymore. A bad pan may actually still have pretty intact non-stick surface. But if the materials used to manufacture it were thin, not multi-layered and generally poorly designed, the bottom is not flat, and the pan is unusable: food is fried unevenly, oil collects in the middle. The most important frying pan parameter is flatness of the bottom (even if you gas cook).
Ah fair enough thanks this answer my "silly" question properly. A zillion thanks and a zillion more in gratitude.
An close alternative is to get a carbon steel wok and season it to make it non-stick. Will last forever if you take care of it and costs < $10.
i bought 2 aldi non stick frying pans. 30 cm - $20 and a smaller size one - $15. very good quality. just make sure you wash it properly and don't scratch the non stick surface and it'll last for ages. almost 2 years and still going strong.
I've switch from Teflon non-stick pans to a Cast Iron Lodge brand. Got it on sale for about $60 for a 30cm one.
I use more oil but hopefully it will become more non-stick in future.
It's not too bad at the moment, can make scrambled eggs on without too much oil so I'm happy. Should last a lifetime.
Much better to sear/cook steaks on as it retains a lot of heat.
We used to buy $20 frypans for Coles. They would last a year or two and then we would replace them. However, during that time we had to be very careful when using them not to scratch the coating. The handles also became too hot to touch. Even worse was the time it took to clean them, as the non-stick coating wasn't that great.
This time around we've spent $80 for a Tefal and couldn't be happier. The handle doesn't get hot, we use any utensil that we like and it so much easier and quicker to clean. Even though we've only owned this frypan for a few months, I get the feeling it will certainly last quite a few years.a good quality steel wok. My mum uses hers for cooking for almost everything. Frying,steaming, boiling etc. Oiled right, food doesnt stick and if it does, just take a scourer to it without worrying about scraping coatings etc :) ours is about… 20 years old at the moment and still going strong.
Many years ago, I bought a Berndes non-stick pan which was not cheap, and has lifetime warranty. After some time, the non-stick surface became ineffective, and in a year or two, it was all gone. Technically, I suppose I could go and get a replacement; but I could not be bothered.
I am also wondering if the non-stick surface material that has degraded has in fact gone into the food. So I don't use non-stick anymore.
So coming back to the issue, I would say buying an expensive one does not necessarily mean the non-stick pan will last a lot longer. If you do not mind chasing up to get replacements, arguably, the lifetime warranty ones allow you to keep getting replacements forever, and might justify the cost(?) But if that sounds like too much trouble, perhaps getting a cheaper one, and replace more often is a better alternative.
Get one of those "stone" ones that don't get scratched up (unless you really try)
or buy a decent stainless one. I bought one almost 20 years ago, and sure it means cooking can be more fun, but it's outlasted anything non stick by a long margin.
Just tip some water in when you are done cooking, give it a quick scrape and chuck it in the dishwasher, if anything still sticks get stuck into it with the steel wool. I reckon I'll be using it in another 20 years too.
That's an interesting comment. There certainly is a camp in favour of stainless. Two concerns: 1. You need to use a lot more oil to cook(?), and 2. One day I would do something stupid, and there would end up being a cheesy, tomatoey mess that is blackened onto the surface, that would just not come off. Are those valid concerns?
you prob need to use more oil. But its not like you are shallow frying.
The most important with stainless is getting it to the right temp. Once its there, you can cook anything and it wont stick.
If you have a layer of crap which has burnt on, it couldnt be easier to remove it. Let the pan cool completely. Fill it up with water, let it heat on the stove and simmer for a while (5mins). Then let it cool completely again. Everything just wipes away with ease.
I've been using stainless exclusively. The chemicals in the non stick surface is just something i dont want to risk.
You should try barkeeper's friend! you can get it from coles - just use it with slightly damp green scouring pad - or soak it overnight in a strong 1mm deep solution
Yes stainless can stick and stain like a MFer.
And your right to be concerned about non-stick coating going into your food as Teflon has been proven to be highly toxic
Teafal use a different kind of coating not yet proven to be a problem but they recommend not getting the pan too hot so the coating comes off
Cast iron sounds good, where are people picking them up from
I had a very large corrugated one for cooking steak that came with the wood fired stove in the house I grew up in, but I dropped it and it broke in twoYep, stainless can stick. Maybe I use a bit more oil than I would in a non stick, but in reality I think I'd rather a spoon full of edible, and arguably natural oil in a meal for 5 than toxins from non stick.
Tip in a cup full of water while the pan is still hot and pretty much anything comes off that I've cooked, even the stuck on stuff from last time! Makes a big cloud of steam though so keep the exhaust fan on.
stainless only sticks if you dont get it to the right temp.
There is a simple test you can do. Put some droplets on the pan. If it sizzles, its still too cool. If it beads like a ball and rolls around, you are good to go.
Also cleaning them is super simple too
Cast iron sounds good, where are people picking them up from
The reasonably-priced Crofton range from Aldi - like the ones described in this deal. It also has an enamel outer layer.
My problem was the non-stick grill pans. I tried most of the expensive brands over the years and all of them would only last 2 years tops. It was driving me mad! Now I buy medium priced Baccarat when they are on $40% off sale at House.
With the non-stick fry pans my vote goes to tefal too. I've got two that have lasted for a while but I do take care of them. Season them with oil occasionally and when stacking them put some paper towel between them to avoid scratching
i once bought a cheap non-stick from ikea about 15 years ago. they outlasted every other frpan I have owned including scanpans.
Oh this is my fav love-hate topic, I find myself going a big round circle…
During childhood parents only owned one wok: cast iron, round bottom, 2 handles. It cooked everything from deep fry banana fritters to fried rice to steamed fish. When are t burned, just soaked overnight, cleaned and good as gold.
Then I had my own home and became westernised and bought flat-bottom non-stick frying pans. Would had gone thru 20 all sizes and brands. Some lost coating, some got bent, more got burnt…
Now I am contemplating to go back to round bottom, cut down on frying, and say no to coating. Buy more grease-proof paper, use oven or grill or steamer. Really, what meal are we cooking that we need the non-stock pans for? Much happier now.
T-bone
So to recap the best options:
1: Buy $50 tefal use it for 24-36 months, repeat.
2a: buy cast iron and use forever (with tons of oil);
2b: buy wok and use forever (with tons of oil (Asian version of 2a))Under "other"
I would suggest:
1- Scanpan impact Stainless Steel frying pan 20 to 28cm rrp $70 to $90 - but can be easily found on sale at 40 to 60% off
2- Bar keepers friend (from the Good old USA)- which can now be purchased from Coles for about $6 will last for months - this stuff is amazing - you just soak a burnt frying pan in a strong solution of this stuff overnight and it just wipes off with minimal effort or just apply the powder onto a slightly moist green pan cleaner and it comes off with a just a modest amount of effort if you don't have time to wait- its derived from Rhubarb so its safe - can also be used to clean rust marks and stains off other stainless steel objects (very ubiquitous - used this on my rusty out door features lights) - am surprised that Australia hasn't caught onto it yet!I have being doing this with 2 scanpan frying pans and a stainless steel electric frying pan for the past 4 years and they are nearly immaculate!!
I use cast iron pans for most things and carbon steel for more delicate things like fried eggs and crepes. Each pan cost about $50 and six years later they are both in better than new condition. Have a look at a de buyer carbon steel pans - excellent quality
What do you class as long lasting? What is cheap or expensive to you too? I think in any case no matter what you buy, gradually over time and use the non-stick-ness will wear away no matter how expensive, but it depends on the person how long they are happy with..
I have a set of non stick Tefal ones from Harris scarfe that i am super happy with.. If you can pick them up on 40-50% off then i think it makes them pretty cheap. We have had them for over 2 years now and they get regular use and are almost as good as the day we bought them