Teflon and cooking oil amounts????

[mcc1961]

I have some 6 or 7 year old Reverware pans that are teflon coated that have been in the box till I opened them the other day and was wanting to know how much oil should be used in them?Do you need to coat the entire bottom of the pan in oil or or can some of it be dry?They are nice pans and I don't want to ruin them and I have heard not to use the spray like pam on them.Also I only cook with them on medium to low heat.

 

[Selkie]

The use of oil or butter isn't just to create a non-stick surface, but more often than not to aid in the frying/sauteing of the aromatic herbs (garlic, onion, celery, etc.), or other ingredients. Even then, just a tablespoon or so is more than sufficient, but let the recipe guide that decision.

 

[bakechef]

The reason that cooking spray like Pam isn't really great in a pan is that the propellant in it tends to brown and get gummy and can build up on the pan, it won't ruin the pan, but could make it look unattractive and take some elbow grease to remove.

You can use all of the oil that you want in a non-stick pan, it won't hurt it at all, heck you can even deep fry in a non-stick pot.

 

[GB]

Depending on what you are cooking, you could get away with no oil at all, but generally a little splash is a good idea for the reasons Selkie mentioned. I never measure but I use somewhere in between a teaspoon and tablespoon usually.

I also use my non-stick on high heat when I want to. I have never kept it as just med. I have never had a problem doing that.

 

[joesfolk]

In my experience high heat is okay if there is food in the pan but non-stick pans should never be overheated without something in them. Something about emissions I think.