Spec me non stick cookware

Merlin5

Merlin5

Merlin5

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Joined
17 Aug 2009
Posts
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Location
Finchley, London
Having seared meat on high heat in a cheap frying pan (part of a really cheap set of pans that was bought for me at xmas), the bottom of the pan was coated in dried on crud. I probably should have let it soak for a few hours but instead I lightly scoured the bottom and got it off but there's minute scratches which look like metal showing through the non stick coating. Shall I throw it or keep it for a bit longer? What frying pan, and saucepan for that matter, would have the strongest non stick coating that can take some light scrubbing? Also, I'm worried about what I've read about 'teflon fever' so should I avoid non stick cookware or is it worth going for pans with alternative coatings? I'm not sure I can be bothered to buy pans where I need to keep seasoning them. I need easy maintenance but decent quality.
 
Check debenhams sale, I bought just some Thermospot ones and they were far better than the crap ones I had.

Still wanting the circulon elites or Anolons when I get the cash tho :(

Think it was This
 one I bought, but was a 2 pack for like £12, 1 large 1 small
 
Cast iron seasoned skillet, £30 from Amazon and you can season it yourself afterwards to improve the non-stick element further. Nothing cooks food like cast iron :).

Now that I've seasoned it further, my skillet (which is basically the same as the hilariously over-priced Le Creuset), can cook a fried egg with no sticking problems.

Downsides: not dishwasher-friendly, flipping heavy.
 
Robbie G said:
Cast iron seasoned skillet, £30 from Amazon and you can season it yourself afterwards to improve the non-stick element further. Nothing cooks food like cast iron :).

Now that I've seasoned it further, my skillet (which is basically the same as the hilariously over-priced Le Creuset), can cook a fried egg with no sticking problems.

Downsides: not dishwasher-friendly, flipping heavy.
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Now THAT I like, a pre seasoned cast iron pan. I've looked at two on amazon, a 12" Lodge Logic L10SK3 12-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet with two handles for £34.94 and a Universal PS177 Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron 12.5 Inch Skillet for £29.83. Were you referring to one of these? But they both have £14 shipping which puts the price up close to £50. Am I likely to find a pre seasoned cast iron for less?

About washing them, the universal one says to wash with soap and warm water and re-seasoning is required periodically to prevent oxidation and retain the natural non-stick properties of the pan. And a reviewer for the other says he only uses water. "I scrub it with hot water only, and dry it with an old rag and apply a thin layer of vegetable oil while the iron is still hot... a year and a half later, it's still rust-free"

So, just water and then always apply oil, all while the pan is hot, ie, still on the hob?
 
I got this, £30 delivered: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001VGYSIC/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's 11.5", if this is big enough for you. I did fantastic roast potatoes in it too; obviously it's oven safe so you can give a nice charring to a piece of meat then put it in a medium oven to finish. Also it should last forever, rather than Teflon pans where it's until the non-stick decides to start peeling off.

Another (minor imo) downside is obviously that the handle gets very hot.

I wash with warm soapy water and lightly agitate the crap on the pan with a nylon brush thing. Never bother with the scourer.

To season, apply a thin layer of vegetable oil and put upside down into a very hot oven for half an hour. Then switch off oven and allow everything to cool with the pan in the oven.

The other advantage of these is that they are entirely metal implement-friendly.
 
Robbie G said:
I got this, £30 delivered: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001VGYSIC/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's 11.5", if this is big enough for you. I did fantastic roast potatoes in it too; obviously it's oven safe so you can give a nice charring to a piece of meat then put it in a medium oven to finish. Also it should last forever, rather than Teflon pans where it's until the non-stick decides to start peeling off.

Another (minor imo) downside is obviously that the handle gets very hot.

I wash with warm soapy water and lightly agitate the crap on the pan with a nylon brush thing. Never bother with the scourer.

To season, apply a thin layer of vegetable oil and put upside down into a very hot oven for half an hour. Then switch off oven and allow everything to cool with the pan in the oven.

The other advantage of these is that they are entirely metal implement-friendly.
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That's a good price. And seems easy enough to season. I'll have to see if 11.5" is ok. I was in Asda just now and they have a Tefal Issencia for £17 and it's 32cm which is about 12.5" and it's a great size. http://direct.asda.com/Tefal-Issencia-Non-Stick-32cm-Frying-Pan/001416451,default,pd.html

It apparently has 5 layers of teflon making it a very strong coating. Hmm, I don't know, it's cheap, the right size, but I suppose it depends if I want to replace frying pans every year or so. Any thoughts on the Issencia?
 
Robbie, one other thing. Can it be used with my ceramic hob? One reviewer for the cast iron skillet says "the description of it is a bit misleading as it states it can be used with ALL types of hob heating/ cooking types INCLUDING ceramic. Instructions that came with the product also state this BUT include for ceramic hobs a *refer to manufacturers instructions. Having searched online regarding whether or not it can be used for ceramic hobs most sites say not to use cast iron on ceramic hobs - especially if the base has ridges on it (as this one does).With the risk of my ceramic hob scratching or worse I shall not be using it for anything other than oven or barbeque, which rather defeats the main reason for purchase, as I wanted to be able to use from hob to oven."


edit: ok, I've read the manual for my hob and it says "cast iron and cast aluminium cookware with damaged bases may scratch the ceramic surface if they're dragged across it." "You should not use saucepans with rough bottoms as this can scratch the ceramic surfacer". So assuming your skillet doesn't have a rough base, (does it?) looks like cast iron is ok.
 
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No idea. Mine's gas so I never bothered to look into it.

I'm sure the cheap pan replaced often is a perfectly good alternative, I just like cooking on cast iron as it does everything so well, cause its heat retention is great and you don't get such bad hot spots as you do on many cheap pans.
 
Robbie G said:
No idea. Mine's gas so I never bothered to look into it.

I'm sure the cheap pan replaced often is a perfectly good alternative, I just like cooking on cast iron as it does everything so well, cause its heat retention is great and you don't get such bad hot spots as you do on many cheap pans.
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I just put my tape measure over my hob and tbh, 11.5" is as big as I can go and that size is fine. Larger and it would mean some of the pan would be sitting over the edge of the front larger hob ring and creating heat over the laminate worktop, or at the back of the hob, it would hit the back wall and not be centred on the hob ring. I think I'll order that one you linked. Just tell me though, is the bottom of it completely smooth or rough?
 
Robbie G said:
The bottom is very much rough, sorry. It's got sharp circular ridges like tree rings from the centre to the outside.
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Thanks for checking Robbie. Damn, that's a shame. I'll see if I can find another cast iron with a smooth base. Don't want to risk damaging my new hob, I've only had it for a few months. ;)
 
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