Replaced the Nonstick Pan

I did finally replace my nonstick pan, as I claimed I would. Except I realized that apparently I don't have a six-inch pan but an eight-inch pan because those are the smallest pans I can find.

Summary: so far so good.

I decided to try one of the newfangled ceramic lined pans, in spite of inconsistent reviews, and I decided to check out some stores that get rid of overstocks and discontinued items to get a lower price, in case these turn out to stink and I want to buy another pan. Going to one of those stores might be asking for trouble, but companies discontinue items for all kinds of reasons.

So first I went to Marshall's and wrote down the names of some that felt and looked good and looked up reviews. The reviews again were either half amazing and half horrible or just nonexistent. Then I went to Ross. Same thing.

Finally I settled on an Oneida because of the following features:

* not ugly (a nice red on the outside, white on the inside) (all the Oneidas I see online have black inside; so this one is probably discontinued rather than overstock)
* easy to clean - no rivets; also, a lot of the pans had circular grooves on the bottom (exterior), but this one is smooth

It's also:
* low-cost ($10) (all the 8-inch pans were between $10 and $13, so this wasn't a deciding factor)
* lightweight with a hole in the handle for hanging it up

The outside of the packaging claims:
* easy-to-clean stain-resistant nonstick interior
* bright white surface improves view to better monitor food
* PFOA- and PTFE-free ceramic interior

The inside of the packaging has lots more writing, including the most hilarious warning I've seen in a very long time: "For safety, please keep pet birds out of the kitchen." Um, what?

Then it explains, "Birds' respiratory systems are sensitive to many kinds of household fumes, including the fumes from extremely overheated non-stick pans." That's a little creepy--so it's poisonous after all. I can't help thinking of canaries in coal mines (which actually improved safety, though not for the birds).

As expected, it is to be hand washed.

Unexpectedly, you can put it in the oven so long as it's not over 400 degrees in there. And "High heat is recommended ..." (What?) "... for boiling only. Use Medium-High for frying, sauteing and searing. Low temperature setting is recommended for simmering and warming foods." Oh, I see, don't let it get hot.

They say you can use metal utensils though "[u]sing high temperature nylon, silicone or wood tools is recommended." I use plastic. Uh, oh. I'm not using metal, though, in spite of what they say; I'm sticking with my plastic.

Another surprise: it's got a ten-year warranty.

**

I tried using my new pan to make a one-egg omelet. First I poured a little oil in and rubbed it around with my finger as usual (since I stopped using cooking sprays when I started feeling poor after quitting my job). The oil beaded up on the surface a little in a way that it did not do with my teflon pan.

Then I poured in the beaten egg. The egg seemed to push the oil to the edges of the pan. I wonder if I really don't need any oil at all even for eggs. Weird. The egg did not all run to the edges but acted as though the pan were nice and flat, unlike some of the pans on which I'd read some reviews.

This pan is definitely bigger than my old one. So I decided to measure. My new 8-inch pan is 8 inches across the top. My old pan is 7 inches across the top. The flat part at the bottom of my new pan is 6 inches. For my old pan, it's 5.25 inches. Huh.

Normally I like to flip the egg like a pancake once the top is almost dry to make sure that it gets fully cooked. Then I add the omelet filling (usually cheese like today). However this time, the egg was too thin and too likely to tear for me to flip. Well, at least there were no worries about having raw egg--it was too thin to be cooked on the bottom but also raw on the top. But it didn't really brown. Do eggs not brown in this pan, or was it just too thin for me to leave in long enough?

So then I made a two-egg omelet, without adding any additional oil. This worked perfectly, though the pan is a lot more slippery inside than I'm used to. Flipping the egg is not exactly the same skill, though my current skills did transfer fairly well. And then I really could just hold the pan sideways over the plate and the omelet slid out. Cool.

The two-egg omelet did brown a bit, so that's good. I like it a little golden brown, though I also don't mind if it's not brown. Robin loves it golden brown, though.

I'm not sure if having a white pan made it easier to monitor my food. Even my yellow-egg omelet contrasts better with black than with white. But it's fine.

And I like two-egg omelets better than one-egg omelets (unless I just had a one-egg omelet), so that's cool, too.

I think I might have to try crepes again. The way the bottom of the pan is curved, I think it will be easier than with my old pan, and being extra slippery will probably help, too.

The gleaming white interior of the pan has not yet browned (as it did for some reviewers of white ceramic pans) and there is not yet any chipping. Of course many reviewers loved their pans the first few times they used them, but found they didn't hold up at all. So I may have to give you an update in a year or so if I remember.

If it stays like it is now, I think I like it better than my old pan even its heyday! Even if it doesn't work out, I do like the idea of switching from a seven- to an eight-inch pan.