Thermolon "Green Pan" Cookware

[sudsmaster]

I hadn't heard of it before, but the other day I saw a set of Green Pan aluminum cookware with Thermolon brand anti-stick coating. It is supposed to require less energy to produce, and doesn't contain any tetrafluorcarbons that can emit toxic gases if overheated.

It's supposed to be a ceramic type of coating that is much more heat and abrasion resistant than even the best Teflon coatings.

The reviews on Amazon are quite mixed. Some people love it, some people say it lost its anti-stick after a few months. Others say you have to treat it somewhat like cast iron: season it and only rinse it off, don't use soap and don't put it in the dishwasher.

The coating on the set at Costco is the latest, it would appear, the Rock type, which is supposed to be the most durable yet.

Anybody here tried this stuff?
[this post was last edited: 5/15/2011-00:03]

 

[rp2813]

Haven't tried it.  I'm curious about another type of revolutionary non-stick cookware that I have seen "Iron Chef" Michael Simon pitching, which can apparently go into the dishwasher.  I haven't seen the ad in a while and have forgotten what it's called. 

 

We have a lot of Magnalite and Calpalon, but I would love to have something of similar heft that can be machine washed, at least to replace the pieces we use most often.

 

I gave a large Scan Pan to Dave for a gift a couple of years ago.  I do like that stuff a lot, but it's way expensive.

 

[sudsmaster]

The Iron Chef stuff sounds like Calphalon "Non Stick" which has a "Slide" omelet pan and a "Sear" saute pan. The "Sear" pan can go in the oven, so it sounds like it's another ceramic type of coating similar to Thermolon.

Although of course Thermolon claims their version is the best.

I have a full set of Magnalite but unfortunately it was their teflon coated version. I've been using the 10" saute pan a lot, but it's lost most of its teflon. It's stainless steel coated underneath but even that has started to pit (I don't think stainless steel and aluminum are all that compatible), even in the pots that have only seen liquids. So anyway I think I'm in the market to get a new nonstick set and the Green Pan stuff sounds like an interesting compromise between safety and utility.

 

[sudsmaster]

Well, I broke down and got the set at Costco today. Unpacked the small fry pan and cooked up an egg (purchased from friends that raise their own chickens). It was similar to teflon in non-stickiness, although I did use an ample amount of cooking oil (olive to be precise). The oil tended to pool into islands, but quickly slipped under the egg. The pan was slick enough to allow me to flip the egg by tossing it.

Instructions say to hand wash only, to keep the pan scrupulously clean before storage, to preheat over medium (not high) heat and use oil. No metal utensils. Also, the nonstick character may eventually fade and then the pan can be used in a manner similar to enameled cast iron. High heat will fade the nonstick faster, as will use of harsh cleaners.

In terms of quality, the pans are very well made, with heavy bases and very solid cast and polished stainless steel handles. The lids are solid stainless (not glass, alas), but also very well made.

One thing I like about the set is that the 2 and 3 qt saucepans have wide bases, which work better on modern sealed gas burners than pots that are more narrow and high. The aluminum is also thicker than on many other similar sets of cookware.

Oddly, each pan says "Belgium" on the bottom, but the box says it's all made in China.

 

[sudsmaster]

Read something interesting on the www.green-pan.com site.

It says that teflon on pans is a poor heat conductor which is why teflon pans are not good for searing/browning foods. Interesting. Previous to this I had thought the problem was that teflon is not supposed to be heated over about 350F, but even that temp should probably be enough at least to brown some foods, if not sear them.

In any case I cooked up a nice dinner in the saute pan this evening - olive oil, regular chopped onion, hot pepper, sweet red pepper, green onion, cubed roast pork and gravy made from the roast pork, served over jasmine rice. Cleanup was a breeze.

I've noticed that one pan has a flaw - a little bump in the middle of the largest fry pan (11"), like something got caught on the surface during the coating process. It can't be flicked away with a fingernail, so I guess I'll have to get the pan replaced.