Why non-stick pan still sells so well

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kenny1999

Senior Cook
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I always believe that consumers will always come up to better prices and quality and products will end up going this way.

However, I really don't quite understand why non-stick pan is still selling so well and still selling everywhere.

The risk of non-stick items can start on day 1 when it is touched and scratched
by other irresponsible people in the shop with their sharp nails.

In the past, stainless steel things were more expensive so I understand why non-stick was getting popular but today I think stainless steel has dropped its price a lot...

I, as someone who isn't able to make too many dishes but I can also handle my stainless steel pan so well without any stick, just heat the oil hot enough and then fry with low or moderate heat, while controlling the heat, it's all the secret, then it will never stick.

Why so many people still like non-stick? They don't know the health risk of non-stick or they don't even know how to cook without stick? Or does stainless steel also have its potential risk that I don't know? (I think stainless steel is super safe)

Just asking out of curiosity
 
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I have several kinds of pans: cast iron, enamelled cast iron, stainless steel, and one non-stick pan. My non-stick pan is from ScanPan. The coating is some sort of ceramic. It doesn't scratch easily. It's great for cooking eggs. I often use for other things too. It washes up more easily than any of the other pans. Only one other person uses the same kitchen. That's my husband. He is also careful with it. It's still in great shape after three years and we are thinking of getting another one, but larger. There is no health risk that is specific to using this type of non-stick pan. In fact, as I understand it, there is no extra health risk to other modern, decent quality non-stick pans.
 
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I have several kinds of pans: cast iron, enamelled cast iron, stainless steel, and one non-stick pan. My non-stick pan is from ScanPan. The coating is some sort of ceramic. It doesn't scratch easily. It's great for cooking eggs. I often use for other things too. It washes up more easily than any of the other pans. Only one other person uses the same kitchen. That's my husband. He is also careful with it. It's still in great shape after three years and we are thinking of getting another one, but larger. There is no health risk that is specific to using this type of non-stick pan. In fact, as I understand it, there is no extra health risk to other modern, decent quality non-stick pans.

ceramic coating??? I'll also get a ceramic non-stick but unfortunately almost 99% of non-stick pans here I see in the market are those black coating, I don't believe they are ceramic
 
I have several kinds of pans: cast iron, enamelled cast iron, stainless steel, and one non-stick pan. My non-stick pan is from ScanPan. The coating is some sort of ceramic. It doesn't scratch easily. It's great for cooking eggs. I often use for other things too. It washes up more easily than any of the other pans. Only one other person uses the same kitchen. That's my husband. He is also careful with it. It's still in great shape after three years and we are thinking of getting another one, but larger. There is no health risk that is specific to using this type of non-stick pan. In fact, as I understand it, there is no extra health risk to other modern, decent quality non-stick pans.

by the way you have to use wooden or silicone fryer rather than anything metallic on non-stick pans
 
There are a lot of misconceptions about non-stick pans. You mentioned scratching. Scratched teflon is harmless. There is no danger in cooking with it or even eating it. It will simply pass through your digestive system unchanged and come out the other end.

Potentially harmful chemicals are used in the manufacture of these pans but they are not present in the finished product.

The only issue to the consumer is accidentally overheating an empty pan. If an empty pan is over heated, the coating will begin to break down and release a gas that could cause flu-like symptoms in the user. However, the temperatures needed to cause this are hundreds of degrees higher that normal cooking temperatures!

In other words, if you use the pan as directed, you will never have a problem.

THIS is why non-stick pans are still selling.
 
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There are a lot of misconceptions about non-stick pans. You mentioned scratching. Scratched teflon is harmless. There is no danger in cooking with it or even eating it. It will simply pass through your digestive system unchanged and come out the other end.

Potentially harmful chemicals are used in the manufacture of these pans but they are not present in the finished product.

The only issue to the consumer is accidentally overheating an empty pan. If an empty pan is over heated, the coating will begin to break down and release a gas that could cause flu-like symptoms in the user. However, the temperatures needed to cause this are hundreds of degrees higher that normal cooking temperatures!

In other words, if you use the pan as directed, you will never have a problem.

THIS is why non-stick pans are still selling.
+1. Was just about to say that.
 
+1. Was just about to say that.
+2!



I also have 2 - 8" ScanPans that I purchased in 2006. I like making crêpes and eggs in them. One is used more than the other, and I will probably replace it soon (it's still good for other things, but over easy eggs are starting to stick a bit). That is a nice run for a non-stick pan. I did, recently, buy a 12" ScanPan, and we love it. DD likes making a mess of silver dollar pancakes at once in it.
 
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There are a lot of misconceptions about non-stick pans. You mentioned scratching. Scratched teflon is harmless. There is no danger in cooking with it or even eating it. It will simply pass through your digestive system unchanged and come out the other end.

Potentially harmful chemicals are used in the manufacture of these pans but they are not present in the finished product.

The only issue to the consumer is accidentally overheating an empty pan. If an empty pan is over heated, the coating will begin to break down and release a gas that could cause flu-like symptoms in the user. However, the temperatures needed to cause this are hundreds of degrees higher that normal cooking temperatures!

In other words, if you use the pan as directed, you will never have a problem.

THIS is why non-stick pans are still selling.

I heard thousands of people told me scratched non-stick surface will release carcinogenic materials into the food! Was it fake?
 
+2, for that good info, Andy

I have some of the ceramic type NS pans, as well as the traditional. I got a deal on some of the ceramics from Williams Sonoma, when I was trying to find some induction capable pans (all my teflon pans are aluminum), and something that I noticed was that many brands say they are safe up to 425°, or 450°. I thought that was the idea - these cook at higher temps??? And most of these had metal handles, like the ones I got, which are good to 525°. I have never used either type for "blackening", or any type of browning meats, but these lower temps seemed strange. The ceramics are often touted as being "non-destructible, or whatever terms they use, and that you can use metal utensils, but I don't do it - only plastic or silicone utensils, as with the teflon pans. The ceramic coated wok I have has some scratches - I don't know when or how they happened, but they don't affect it. I don't use that one, or another, slightly smaller teflon coated wok, for high heat stir-fries - I have some well seasoned carbon steel ones for those.

Something I have noticed on TV shows - some of them had switched over to the ceramic pans back when the teflon scare was at it's peak, but now, they are back to using the teflon coated pans for almost everything - including browning meats! And many of them use metal utensils - I guess if they didn't pay for the pans, why should they take care of it? It will be replaced. Hopefully, they don't do this with their own pans. :LOL:

Another thing about teflon - eventually, it looses some of the NS ability, because some of the grease stays on the surface, and eventually you can feel a sort of sticky coating. You can't "burn this on", as with CI or CS, to season it, but it sort of stays on. I especially noticed this with some loaf pans, but also with the omelet pan. So after trying a number of cleanings, unsuccessfully, I sprayed oven cleaner on them, and it removed it - they were like new! And it didn't affect the teflon coating.
 
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My scanpan wok is a marvel of non stickiness. Love that thing. Wish they made a bigger one.

I think the secret is to buy quality pans. Not 12 dollar Wally World pans.

If you do, just figure on replacing them often if you want them to work.
 
I switched to ScanPan because it's touted as lasting longer than the teflon ones. The one I got has already lasted long enough that is now cheaper in use than the previous, Tefal pan. That only lasted a year.
 
I heard thousands of people told me scratched non-stick surface will release carcinogenic materials into the food! Was it fake?
Do you actually know thousands of people, or are you exaggerating by, lets say a couple of zeros?

A scratched non-stick surface will not release anything, including the food you are cooking. This is why I buy a package of 3 cheap aluminium non-stick pans (8-inch, 10-inch, 12-inch) at Walmart or Target for around 18 bucks, and toss them into the recycle bin when they get scratched and buy new ones. I've tried the ceramic coated pans and they're great when they are new, just like the commercials show, but the non-stick ability wears out after a while and you just have a pan like any other pan.

BTW, I have heard several professional chefs, Gordon Ramsay, Bobby Flay and Emeril La Gasbag for instance, say that anyone who tries to cook eggs without a non-stick pan is an idiot!
 
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There was a scare a very long time ago that cooking in aluminum pans caused Alzheimer's. That scare received a great deal of publicity but, as always, the truth came out later that it was bunkum and that received no publicity at all.
 
Do you actually know thousands of people, or are you exaggerating by, lets say a couple of zeros?

A scratched non-stick surface will not release anything, including the food you are cooking. This is why I buy a package of 3 cheap aluminium non-stick pans (8-inch, 10-inch, 12-inch) at Walmart or Target for around 18 bucks, and toss them into the recycle bin when they get scratched and buy new ones. I've tried the ceramic coated pans and they're great when they are new, just like the commercials show, but the non-stick ability wears out after a while and you just have a pan like any other pan.

BTW, I have heard several professional chefs, Gordon Ramsay, Bobby Flay and Emeril La Gasbag for instance, say that anyone who tries to cook eggs without a non-stick pan is an idiot!

If a scratched non-stick surface will not release anything, why did you still toss a scratched one quickly?
 
There was a scare a very long time ago that cooking in aluminum pans caused Alzheimer's. That scare received a great deal of publicity but, as always, the truth came out later that it was bunkum and that received no publicity at all.

I am really surprised to know that scratched non-stick is safe. Then I come up an opposite question, why less convenient stainless steel is still selling? Exclusively for those who believe the non-stick is dangerous?
 
I am really surprised to know that scratched non-stick is safe. Then I come up an opposite question, why less convenient stainless steel is still selling? Exclusively for those who believe the non-stick is dangerous?

Some things are actually easier in stainless steel than in non-stick. The non-stick makes it hard to make crepes. The batter won't stick to the pan and the it all slides to the low end while you are try to spread it around. I know it can be done. It takes practice. I would rather just do it on stainless. It's easier to get a good fond on stainless.

Also, my non-stick can't tolerate as high of an oven temperature as the stainless. It's not the non-stick part that can't take it. It's the handle. The handles on my stainless stuff are stainless steel.
 
There was a scare a very long time ago that cooking in aluminum pans caused Alzheimer's. That scare received a great deal of publicity but, as always, the truth came out later that it was bunkum and that received no publicity at all.

I discovered it was bunk AFTER I replaced my beloved Club Aluminum. :unhappy:
 
...Also, my non-stick can't tolerate as high of an oven temperature as the stainless. It's not the non-stick part that can't take it. It's the handle. The handles on my stainless stuff are stainless steel.

Wrap the handle with aluminum foil. It's protects the handle to temperatures about 50° higher than the handle is rated. I used foil on all my non-stick pans with no problem. I even put them under the broiler and they were fine
 
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