Cooking Resources

bobalooey · 01-05-2012, 11:26 AM

noob here.

hi everyone!
have a question on use of cookware. approximately a year ago, i purchased some 'Rachel Ray' cookware. not long after that, i cooked some of those frozen chicken breasts you find in the freezer section of the market in the one fry pan. ever since then, everything sticks to the pan.

i figure it had to be something in the chicken breasts that has had an effect on the pan surface. they were great until then!

just wonder if anyone had any comments?

thanks

**FrankZ** · 01-05-2012, 11:31 AM

Are these nonstick or stainless?

If nonstick you might have done something to damage the coating.

If stainless I can't see how a chicken breast would cause an issue unless you failed to clean the pan, which I am thinking is doubtful.

bobalooey · 01-05-2012, 05:11 PM

sorry 'bout that FrankZ---they are nonstick.

guess i was just curious if anyone had heard of such a thing. i enjoyed the pan till that happened. i am 99% sure it had to be the chicken breasts that damaged the pan. sure makes me wonder what the heck is in those chicken breasts. altho, i am no chemist, so, maybe it's something "natural"---but, i highly doubt it. btw, the George Foreman grill (nonstick) has the same problem now.

Andy M. · 01-05-2012, 05:27 PM

I can't imagine a scenario where chicken destroys a pan's nonstick coating. A more likely explanation is that the nonstick coating is defective.

Heating the pan to too high a temp could damage the coating but that doesn't explain the GF.

Hammster · 01-05-2012, 05:39 PM

Did you wash the nonstick pan, or GF grill plates (assuming they are removeable), in the dishwasher at some point after cooking those chicken breasts?

bobalooey · 01-06-2012, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hammster

Did you wash the nonstick pan, or GF grill plates (assuming they are removeable), in the dishwasher at some point after cooking those chicken breasts?

no, handwash the pans and grill---using Dawn dishsoap.

the chicken was not the "fresh" chicken breasts that you buy and maybe happen to throw in freezer---these were the chicken breasts you find in the freezer section of a store. there is like 5 in a plastic bag? well, anyway, was just curious if anyone might have had a similar problem. i was just wondering if there is something "funky" in these type of chicken breasts that might react to the nonstick surface. i know i am not a big fan of this type of chicken---they are a little different. i much prefer regular chicken breasts in the meat dept.

thank you for your comments!

bakechef · 01-06-2012, 09:08 AM

Could there be a buildup on the non-stick coating? Pam and other non-stick sprays can build up on the pan over time. Try putting a spot of dish soap in the pan and a small amount of water, then with a non-abrasive (plastic) scrubber, start gently scrubbing the pan, if the soapy water starts to turn brown, then there is a buildup. You often can't see this buildup, since it is the same color as the pan.

GLC · 01-06-2012, 09:41 AM

The point at which properly manufactured non-stick coating will break down is around 600F, far higher than any cooking temperature. You will only get that hot by negligently leaving an empty pan on a burner. It mostly happens when someone forgets and let all the water boil off. By the time the pan gets that hot, a plastic handle is likely melting.

The first thing I wold ask is if you used spray-on coating, like Pam. Those have low smoke points and can polymerize at relatively low temperatures, leaving an unwanted deposit. Obviously, plain use of a very low smoke point oil could also do it. Adding oil to an already hot pan could also lead to overheating the pan and smoking even a good oil. If that could have happened, you can use Barkeeper's Friend, which is non-abrasive, to gently work the pan. Check to see if you're taking up some burned deposit by weeing if it shows on the paper towel. If you see that you're getting a dark deposit raised from the cooking surface but not from high up on the side, you know you're onto the right track.

Caslon · 01-06-2012, 01:03 PM

From reading user reviews of that product line, I found out that the non-stick coating layer is very thin and will fail in about a year. What's telling is that everyones pans that now stick are about a year old.

Very seldom is cookware with celebrity names attached to them of high quality.

jusnikki · 01-06-2012, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobalooey

noob here.

hi everyone!
have a question on use of cookware. approximately a year ago, i purchased some 'Rachel Ray' cookware. not long after that, i cooked some of those frozen chicken breasts you find in the freezer section of the market in the one fry pan. ever since then, everything sticks to the pan.

i figure it had to be something in the chicken breasts that has had an effect on the pan surface. they were great until then!

just wonder if anyone had any comments?

thanks

I wouldn't doubt it one bit, lol. Food's not even fit for cookware anymore.
All this junk there giving animals now is eating through the coating in the pans....go figure! LOL (j/k...kinda)