What is the best non-stick frying pan?

We have a circulon pan set with lifetime guarantee; meant to be dishwasher proof etc. But they’re shit.

The surface can’t take the odd spoon strike, the non-stick properties disappear after a couple of dishwasher cycles (only ever in top rack), and they don’t like heat either….!

So, what is the hardest wearing, longest lasting, toughest son of a gun crying pan out there? Please give me experiences, and who to avoid.

Ta

Answer:

There isn’t one.

I was told (on a cookering course by a chef) to expect as a maximum two years from a non-stick pan then resign it to everyday duties.

I once spent 90 wuid on a berndes one, it was great, but only really got a couple of years, I just buy whatever one sainsbos have for about 10-20 quid noo

We’ve just got a new set of Green Pan pans.

Not expecting them to last for ever, but they’re not going in the dishwasher (non stick means they’re a piece of piss to wash up anyway) and my wife says she’s going to try a bit harder to turn down the heat if the oil starts smoking.

Main thing for us was to get some that don’t have nasties in the non-stick coating.

+1 for no dishwasher even if they say they can take it.

Had many years’ use out of various Tefals & supermarket own brand pans.

Ninja gives a long guarantee on non stick and you can buy direct. Basically double the cost but will cover you in guarantee. Total cost of ownership the same as cheaper ones probably but better for the environment if it actually lasts.

Tried going full on try ply copper or stainless but it requires a lot of attention with low margin for error. 100% get why a chef would want one for quick temp co trip etc but for the average person it’s a bit of a faff.

Handwash only, the heat of a dishwasher kills them. last one we bought was a supermarket one and its surprisingly good, I can’t see the appeal of really posh ones

We’ve just got a couple of the copperstone or whatever they’re called ones from Dunelm Mill. They’re pretty fab to be honest, other ‘ceramic’, I think they’re classed as, pans are available.

For traditional teflon-type ones, Ikea. Still using the one I got in a starter set about twenty years ago.

Had a Green Pan one few years back. Was crap, lasted a few months.

I do a lot of stir frying and have found the new Tefal ones totally brilliant. The take stir fry temps and don’t show any wear at all to the non-stick surface. Been through shit-loads of different brands and the non-stick always dies, but the Tefal ones are amazing. There is only one flaw and thats the screw holding the handle on holds water in the dishwasher and goes rusty. I’ve stuck some Sugru in to stop that.
This sort – https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7879045?clickSR=slp:term:tefal:6:6:1

This:

she’s going to try a bit harder to turn down the heat if the oil starts smoking.

Is the bane of my life..😩

It’s not just the Mrs – the kids… oh my God. It’s like the cooking version of spinal tap – our cooker goes to 9 but I think they’ve managed to get it to 11 😩

Their collective attitude is “it’s pan – it should cope with getting hot”

Which is the same as their attitude to doors “it’s a door – it should cope with getting slammed”

And many other things they all see fit to destroy. Even the pup has developed the attitude “it’s a tree – it should cope with being dug up” 😩

Excuse me everyone whilst I have a nervous breakdown..!!! You may have guessed that the pancakes went badly wrong today 😂

Conversely, I’ve had a Circulon frying pan for a couple of years now, and it’s the best I’ve ever had. Still very non-stick after near-daily use. I only use plastic and wood utensils with it. No non-stick pan lasts all that long anyway, with regular use. If you get more than a year out of one, you’re lucky.

Handwash only, the heat of a dishwasher kills them

Er, they’re meant to withstand very high temperatures from say a gas flame…

Might dishwashers kill non-stick pans because dishwasher powder stuff has fine abrasives in it? I don’t know. I’ve never owned a dishwasher. My wife already has one…

It comes down to a trade-off between a small amount of additional effort, or replacing a non-stick pan every year or two and all the enviornmental downsides which come with that.

Cooking with stainless-ply or carbon steel is not difficult, it just requires a bit of a change in approach. The absolute key is pre-heating the pan properly before adding any fat (and don’t expect to not use any fat at all with stainless or carbon) and then actually letting the food cook before trying to move it. Proteins will release themselves from the pan when they are cooked – it is the act of trying to move them round the pan too much before they area cooked that causes sticking. Even so, it will still leave some traces of ‘stuck’ food, but this is actually the bit that gives a lot of great flavour and is released incredibly easily by just adding a fluid (water, vinegar, wine – it just needs a little bit) to the hot pan, scrape up the stuck bits, let the fluid evaporate and then just add it to the dish. Carbon steel once it has built up a seasoning – which does take time – will become pretty much non-stick anyway but will last forever.

A proper non-stick pan is still very useful for things like eggs which will still stick to stainless/carbon-steel (although as above, a well used, seasoned, and looked after carbon steel is 90% as good as non-stick and clean-up is not difficult), but the benefit is that it is not used much so lasts for ages.

Cleanup of stainless and carbon-steel is easy but don’t expect to just chuck it in the dishwasher. Easiest way to clean is to add a small amount of water to the pan (just coating the bottom), bring it to a boil (which will take seconds) then scrape the bottom of the pan as the water is boiling and that is pretty much clean. For carbon steel just run a non-soapy cloth round it to get the worst off then heat it back up to get rid of any mositure. For stainless just got at it with a metal scourer if needs be and it will clean right up.

Might dishwashers kill non-stick pans because dishwasher powder stuff has fine abrasives in it?

I’ve always assumed it was the salt, but I’m not a fryingpanologist.

I have tefal titanium excel currently and it is like new condition at nearly 2 years old now. However I think this is probably more to do with care than quality. If you want your non-stick pan to last, the main thing is to avoid super high heat as the teflon coating expands at a different rate to the pan and slowly loses adhesion – I wouldn’t go above “4” on an electric hob unless the pan is really full of food. Also wash by hand and never let anything metal near it.

Because of all the compromises, I complement the non-stick pan with a john lewis carbon steel wok for those times when I want a big burner on full whack. It’s excellent and fully non-stick with a bit of oil and keeping the food moving – there’s no teflon, just builds up seasoning very quickly.

Vogue from Nisbetts, restaurant quality stuff that lasts ages.

My Wok is a high carbon steel, cost 7 Quid about 20 years ago, it’s brilliant. Just season it and off you go, no need for non stick.

Whatever the third cheapest one is in ASDA.

It’s like the cooking version of spinal tap – our cooker goes to 9 but I think they’ve managed to get it to 11

After several years of cooking on an IH stove, I discovered by accident that it goes up to 12. Every time I turn it up to max, I mutter “Suck that Nigel Tufnel!” Also, I have a cast iron skillet, I gave up on non-stick years ago and will never go back.

then resign it to everyday duties.

I’m confused by this comment. As opposed to what? Do you have a special frying pan for Sunday Best?

We have a couple of Scoville Neverstick ones – pretty cheap, from Dunelm I think. One is about 3+ years old and is still like new. Never put them in the dishwasher though, just a quick wipe with a soapy sponge.

Lifetime guarantee too, apparently.

Cheap and chips supermarket brand and replace it often.

I did get a fancy cast iron affair once, filled it with salt, brought the temperature right up to ‘season’ it but found after all that it did still stick. Thought I’d done it wrong and repeated putting it in the oven at maximum but still the same sticking problem.
Resigned to the cheap as chips supermarket brand and ive never had a problem since. Soon as it starts sticking, in the bin and buy a new one for a fiver(the cheapest is £2.50)
Fancy cast iron one is now used for sand shading duties for veneering marquetry.

I did get a fancy cast iron affair once, filled it with salt, brought the temperature right up to ‘season’ it but found after all that it did still stick. Thought I’d done it wrong and repeated putting it in the oven at maximum but still the same sticking problem.

That’s not how you season cast iron….

It needs to have multiple layers of fat – a neutral oil like rapeseed or vegetable is best – applied and heated to high temperature. After just a few coats it will be pretty good, but if you just keep using it and occasionally do some specific seasoning it will soon build up a super-slick layer of polymer that is far more robust than non-stick and only slightly less slippery.

Cheap and chips supermarket brand and replace it often.

Without wanting to get preachy – this is fine for the convenience factor but is environmentally horiffic. Not only is it a load of wastage (even if the pan can be recycled), but all that teflon being created and then disposed off is very very bad for the environment

Soon as it starts sticking, in the bin and buy a new one

I’m confused by this comment. As opposed to what? Do you have a special frying pan for Sunday Best?

Sort of – a frying pan can still be of use when the non-stick has stopped performing but I’d stop looking after it so much (ie, bung it in the dishwasher, abuse it more).

Bourgeat (from a catering supplier) is the best non stick pan I’ve had.

However; I’ve recently swapped to cast iron – and as speed12 says; season it properly with oil; and it’s as non-stick as any non-stick pan I’ve had. Cleaning is as simple as wiping it out with hot water and a scourer if there is anything really stubborn (no detergent); then back on the hob briefly to dry it out and a final quick wipe with oil.

I won’t be going back !

Conversely, I’ve had a Circulon frying pan for a couple of years now, and it’s the best I’ve ever had. Still very non-stick after near-daily use. I only use plastic and wood utensils with it.

Yeah, that’s been my experience too. I’ve been very happy with our Circulon pans. Ours go through the dishwasher all the time – I think it’s better for them. Less tempting to get a scouring pad out.

I’m confused by this comment. As opposed to what? Do you have a special frying pan for Sunday Best?

That 90 quid Berndes I mentioned gets used for pan roasting chicken breasts now, as the handle comes off, it’s not really non stick any more, but it does for this purpose, I’m guessing that’s what they mean? stuff that doesn’t really stick anyway.

Cheap £10 tefal or similar, hand wash only and low to medium heat. Still non stick at least three years later.

Just get one of these and get used to just giving it a scrub under some hot water (no soap/detergent/dishwasher or you’ll strip the seasoning) once you’re done with it:

https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/round-cast-iron-classic-skillet?sku=L10SK3

That’s not how you season cast iron…

I’m sure there are other ways. I got my info from the book i had to buy when starting to train as a chef at the Glasgow college of food technology. Theory of catering by Ceserani & Kinton.
Course its been a while and i gave up cooking in favour of entering the meat trade. But salt is used.
Yes oil or fat is a method, not saying you’re wrong, only i was given the instruction using salt.

Thanks also for the environmental notes, but i think youll find metal is recycled 😉

Haha! Clear as mud, just as I thought OP! 😀

That one that biggenge linked to is the one I bought after a recommendation on here. Very happy with it. Seasoning is extremely simple, just put some fat in it and heat it until it’s smoking hot. When it’s cool, wipe it with a paper towel. After that, it’s non-stick.

We got 10+ years from ProCook Professional Stainless, 25 year guarantee but as my son burnt it I didn’t think it was worth putting to the test. The only reason I didn’t buy another is they are proper heavy and mrsfoo wanted something lighter, so a cast iron one wasn’t going to the the answer either. From a previous STW thread I tried a Ninja alloy pan, actually the Sauté pan which is bigger with 2 handles and lid. It’s non stick like no other pan I’ve had, a wipe with a damp sponge it comes up sparkling. Advertised as dishwasher and metal utensil safe it then comes with a warning these will reduce life! It’ll only get hand washed and plastic utensils as did ProCook so hoping for years of service. Since replaced the wok with Ninja too, and the old stainless pans went in the council metal recycling.

We bought one of these a few months back. So far it’s been astonishingly good. I have a couple of proper cast iron pans as well, but the missus can barely lift them.

https://www.eaziglide.com

We got rid of cast iron pans when we moved house & went from gas to electric. They were just too heavy so went to stainless with non-stick coating. I don’t trust myself with heavy pans again, especially with a glass topped job.

We had a Raymond Blanc one which was hard anodised (whatever that is) rather than Teflon. It was great but my stepson liked it to glow white hot while using a metal spoon. It’s not non stick anymore.
Now use a Tefal which we’ve had ages.

Scoville never stick, or something like that. Best non-stick pan I ever used, cleans up lovely.

I can confirm that burning on layers of oil/fat is one way to season cookware. We used to make bakestones from 3/4″ boiler plate , very popular in Wales for making Welsh cakes. Burning layers of cooking oil onto them after sandblasting all the mill scale off gave the beautiful black finish that you get on old bakestones.

hardest wearing, longest lasting, toughest

This will be a cast iron pan. But per above requires a bit more maintenance, and definitely not one for the dishwasher.

I can confirm that burning on layers of oil/fat is one way to season cookware.

I still have that old pan, so I’ll look to giving it a good clean and try that method.