Current Non-Stick fry pans Advice Needed

[xraytech]

In my kitchen I cook with a mix of vintage Farberware and Club Aluminum, with the exception of a few non-stick skillets.

I currently have some T-Fal ones that were made inFrance, but the Teflon is peeling very badly so it's time for replacement.

It seems to be hard to find ones not made inChina.
I have noticed a few that I'd consider,
Calphalon is made inUSA
Williams-Sonoma has some made inFrance
Scan Pan I believe is made in Switzerland

And the ones I liked best from looking at them are from BerhHoff, however from looking around I can't find where they are made, I see most products are made in various countries in Europe, but some items are fromChina

Does anyone have thoughts or recommendations?

 

[vacerator]

Sam,

Calphalon is also now made in China. I think the parent company is Meyer. There are only a few main companies who make cookware left. The others just market it differently. Kitchen Aid is Meyer, also made in China.
I have Calphalon stainless and hard anodized, and I like the performance.
I have only seen Scan Pan at Sur Le Tab so far.
There is also a German company that makes expensive high end and restaurant cook ware.
Of course, you can still buy All Clad made in Cannonsburgh Pa, but their US made line is expensive. They also have a Chinese made line at a lower price point.

 

[rp2813]

Sam,

We have one Scan Pan, but I've noticed some light brown scuffing in its surface even though I never use metal utensils with any of our non-stick pans.  For what they cost, I was expecting the finish on the pan to hold up better, even if those scuff marks may not signify a compromised coating.

 

Within the last year, I bought a set of Henkel non-stick pans at BB&B, and I'm very happy with them.  The selling point was that they can be machine washed.  They see far more use than the Scan Pan and still look like new.  I don't know if they're made in China, but even if they are, they have performed well.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

If ypu consider, From my own Personal Experience:

If you buy Orgreenic, buyer beware: You will find yourself with an ordinary non-stick that you will have to use oil for, or at least use with water, and not necessarily fry, after all...

 

[xraytech]

The Calphalon that I looked at online said it was made in USA, I wonder of certain lines are still made here.

I'm not considering All-Clad because even at the factory seconds sale they are too pricey for me for a Teflon pan I'll ultimately ruin in time.

I looked at the Henkels pans too, but they are made in China

 

[vacerator]

Lodge

cast iron is till American made. Not non stick, but if you season it correctly, it is the best for frying anything in oil.
There are also some dept. store brands which are made by the same makers of pricier pans.
Kohl's has some, and the heavier Rachel Ray hard anodized pans are good quality for the money.
Try Boscov's. There is a brand at our local one stop shopping chain store called Grand Gourmet. Nice weight, solid riveted handles, comparable to Calphalon.
A 14 inch skillet sells for $40, but doesn't come with a lid. Seems to be par for the course for a size over 12 inches. Then the lid is at least another $20.
I have one I got on clearance, along with a 7 quart cast iron dutch oven I use only for cooking foods in that stain the light cream color interior, like wine.
It cooks as good as my LeCruset from France.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

My favorite material by far is stainless steel. I've had three iterations of Belgique 'Tools of the Trade" sold by Macy's and Jordan Marsh before Macy's bought it. They're dishwasher safe and oven safe to 450F. First set in 1988, second around 2000, and just got my third as a Christmas gift. AFAIK, the older sets are still in use and nothing has broken or loosened over the years.

 

They are more 'non-stick' than any of the high tech, super non-stick wares I've tried over the years.

 

I'm afraid I don't have a single negative thing to say about them.

My vote is for Belgique

 

Here's another thread in the topic:

 

Cleaning non-stick ceramic pans

I have a set of Green Pan cookware. Overall they are high quality and perform well. However I've been noticing that there's been some buildup of hard to remove crud on them which of course impairs their non-stick capability. It's probably not coincidental that I started using non-stick cooking...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

Hope this helps,

 

Jim

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/belgique-stainless-steel-11-pc.-cookware-set?ID=687996

 

[washingpowder]

I'd look for All-Clad at TJ Maxx, they usually have plenty of those at ridiculously low prices.
Anything non-stick will peel at one point or another, so as long as it distributes heat evenly it's good to go.
The Ikea ones are pretty inexpensive, cook very evenly and actually withstand dishwashers better than T-Fal. Had one survive 3 years of constant, every day use with no issues whatsoever until a guest decided to slice chicken with a serrated knife right in it.
Have one small pan from Il Mulino that's in constant use for eggs and bacon. Paid exactly $9 at TJ Maxx and it's going smooth and strong

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50292096/

 

[abcomatic]

I have Salad Master pots and pans, made in America.

 

[petek]

For some inexplicable reason I can't resist buying a new fry pan whenever I see one on sale for a bargain price. The last one I bought I can't remember the name but it's one of those ceramic non sticks and it works quite well. No matter what non stick you have you pretty much always have to use a tiny bit of oil or spray. Most instructions even for this ceramic one I got say to.. even though on the commercials it looks like they don't use anything. I find the best deals at as the TJ Maxx/Winners type stores. One thing for sure with cookware, never pay the regular prices, just like mattresses. 

 

[stricklybojack]

.
Webstaurantstore.com is a great place to find a quality pan. I wanted a big heavy indestructible steel skillet, with the removable rubber handle cover i had seen in restaurants i've worked at, and they had one at a good price.
Here is a link to their non-stick offerings...

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/2705/non-stick-fry-pans.html

 

[sudsmaster]

I avoid teflon coated pans because of the limited lifespan as well as the toxic fumes they will emit if overheated.

 

I've been using Greenpan utensils for the past few years with good results. They have a ceramic coating, and while food eventually does tend to stick more in time, they also can be cleaned with a combination of dishwasher powder and a non-scratching abrasive sponge and much of their non-stick character restored.

 

What damage they have encountered has largely been due to mishandling.  I tend to nest pots and pans, and a careless bump can result in a small chip being ejected from the nonstick surface. I hang the fry pans so mostly this isn't an issue; it occurs with the bigger pots that I don't hang. So far the chips haven't resulted in corrosion of the underlying aluminum, anyway, and I barely notice it when cooking sauces and such.

 

I have tried stainless fry pans in the past and found them to very sticky. And as far as I know, they can't be seasoned. I've tried with horrendous results.

 

 

[rp2813]

I have zero luck with stainless.  Even Julia Child recommends non-stick for most of her stove-top recipes, but that could simply be because she knows there's learning curve to master stainless.

 

I forgot to mention the IKEA non-stick pan I found at a thrift store.  It's heavy and has a thick steel bottom plate that makes it induction-friendly as well.

 

 

 

[sudsmaster]

Stainless is fine for water based cooking.

 

 

 

[chachp]

Thoughts on All Clad...

 

<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Yes they are more expensive but with the life time guarantee you can't beat it.  I have an All Clad omelet pan that has been replaced three times because the non stick coating started to come away from the rim just a tiny bit.  It wasn't peeling it was as if you could grab the coating and just pull the whole thing off in one piece.  This third one has been fine for a while now.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">The pan performs really well and what I think I have found is if I put it on the bottom rack of the dishwasher (my KA that really moves some water) it will loosen over time or at least that's what I thought happened with the first two.  This is the third pan I've had and I haven't put it in the bottom rack and it's been fine.  I use this pan everyday to make our breakfast.  The warranty says don't put it in the dishwasher then other adverts say you can put it in.  </span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">They have replaced the pan both times without question.  I also have a couple of the calphalon that work really, really well.  The calphalon pans don't cool down as quickly as the stainless does if that's of any concern to you but I would recommend either of these.  They clean up beautifully in the dishwasher.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Be careful buying the calpalon though.  I bought these two frying pans (one small and one about twice the size) as a set at a kitchen store here in town and I think they were about $80 for the two.  They have some weight to them.  I was in Target not long ago and saw what LOOKED like the identical set for around $40.  I went to pick them up with the strength I would use to pick up mine and almost flung them across the store thinking they would be as heavy as the ones I have.  They are not, they don't weigh anything near the ones I have so I'm not sure they would perform as well.  </span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Pictured are the two I mentioned and I think either would be a great find it just depends on what you're making with them and if you have a preference over the materials.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">A hint on cleaning your Stainless pans.  Believe it or not one day I was in Kroger standing at that "As seen on TV" rack and saw this all purpose powder like cleaner that is supposed to clean everything.  It's called Simoniz Cleaning Secret.  It's in a tub and it's a powder.  The stuff is freaking amazing.  If you look at the bottom of this pan you'd never know it gets the use it does.  The stuff cleans off those little burn marks you get sometimes.  I was looking for something other than Bar Keepers friend because I wasn't sure if that was leaving little scratch marks or not.  Just last night the blade on my food processor looked stained or something.  It just had some dark spots that wouldn't come off.  This stuff took them right away.  I wish I would have thought to take some before and after pictures.</span>

 

[vacerator]

stainless

or cast iron gives the best sear, but you need more fat, butter, or oil in it than non stick.
Ralph, you get what you pay for with All Clad. Not in my budget though.
I can tell by the Calphalon handle and triple rivets that's an older made in Toledo Ohio pan as well.
I've had my Calphalon hard anodized and stainless non stick since about 2008. I don't think I will ever need to replace it. I paid about $250 for the large hybrid set.
I prefer a gas cook top, so I find it easier to control heat with stainless or cast iron that isn't non stick.
I've got a large stainless stir fry pan, and I can make a stir fry over medium heat without burning it.
Induction may be the next best thing to gas for me.

 

[chachp]

Gas cooktop....

 

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">I'd like to have one too.  In this house it would cost about $450 to run gas to the current location but there is one much closer to the opposite side of the kitchen.  If I ever redo the kitchen I'd likely move the cooktop anyway to the other side so I would do it then.  It's likely we'd move before I redid this kitchen.  </span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">I need more room for vintage dishwashers and hubby wants a proper Man Cave whatever that is.  What we really need is a basement which are few and far between in the South.</span>

 

[xraytech]

I have a few All-Clad LTD2 pans I've bought at the factory seconds sale they have at the fair grounds, I do not like the regular stainless pans.

Mostly all I use my non-stick skillets for are to fry eggs and occasionally brown ground meat.

I cook on a vintage GE electric range with the fixed heat settings and the sensi-temp burner.

I'm liking the look of these BergHOFF pans because they are cast aluminum and I think they would perform well like my Club Dutch oven.

But I also like the Williams-Sonoma ceramic non-stick pans and they are made in France.

 

[norgeway]

I stick with

Vintage, AristoCraft stainless and Vita Craft and West Bend FlavoSeal aluminum, I have tons of old cast iron which is far smoother and better made than the new stuff, all my Grandmothers is Griswold.but I also have some Wagner ware cast iron.but for everyday cooking aluminum is still the most even heating best cooking utensil in my book, I don't store food in it, and keep it spotless and im not afraid of it as a lot of people are.