Time to Replace the Non-stick Pan

[livingdeb]

The problem with non-stick pans is that they have to be replaced periodically. Oh, yeah, and something about poisons.

My pan has suddenly started to stick, so I guess it's time to replace it. After only about fifteen years! Since non-stick pans never last that long, I am not allowed to complain.

My current pan

Still, it's time to figure out what to get next. Things I liked about my pan (some sort of 6-inch T-fal teflon skillet):

* non-stick, even for eggs (which is pretty much all I use it for: scrambled eggs, omelets, fried rice, French toast, and the occasional crepe)
* lightweight
* no rivets - keeps it easy to clean
* pretty (mostly black)
* the perfect size for a one-egg omelette or a crepe, and big enough for two scrambled eggs or a piece of French toast
* the bottom is flat, so the raw egg is about the same thickness, so long as my burner is flat
* has a hole in the handle, so I can hang it from a nail

Things I didn't like:

* I guess there was poison, but since I don't use high heat or metal spatulas, maybe it wasn't so bad
* needs replacing periodically

Other negatives I didn't mind:

* not safe for dishwashers (I don't have a dishwasher)
* easily scratched - I totally didn't scratch up this one (I'm out of the habit of using metal utensils on this pan and I store it buy itself hanging off a nail rather than nested with other pans)
* supposedly it's too lightweight for even heating, but I never noticed a problem with that
* Supposedly using something besides rivets weakens the handle connection, but maybe if you have a lightweight pan and don't hit people over the head with it, you don't need a super strong handle connection.

Cast iron

So I've read over and over again that the obvious choice for someone like me is cast iron--buy it once, season it, and there you go. Just don't buy a cheaply made one that's not smooth inside.

Except many, many people say that it's only perfectly nonstick for everything except eggs. A small minority of people say it works fine with eggs. Maybe it works fine with eggs if you season it right. Many of the people for whom it didn't work with eggs felt that they had seasoned their pans right and sounded very convincing when they listed their steps. That alone is turning me against this option.

It also squicks me out a bit that you are supposed to keep it covered in baked on grease and never use soap, but I could probably get used to that.

Also, it's too heavy to hang off a nail, so I'd need to find a better hook or just find a whole different place to store it.

Environmentally nicer nonstick pans

I see mixed reviews on these. Anyone have one they like? Examples I've seen in my brief online search:

* T-Fal Professional Total Nonstick frying pan - Cook's Illustrated likes it. Apparently some or all of these have convex bottoms. (Wha? I didn't even know that was a thing to watch out for.) Also, rivets.

* Martha Stewart Ecocook pan - Somebody at TheKitchn/Apartment Therapy wanted one. It's ugly, has rivets, and most importantly is probably discontinued.

* WearEver Pure Living pan - AllCookwareFind likes it. Apparently the ceramic can chip off even with careful use. Or not. Definitely has rivets.

And dude, what's with these names? You know that game where you make up band names? (I did this just yesterday: "Loaner mouse." Yes, I was at work.) Well, you could probably also have a game where you make up nonstick pan names:
* Extreme Nonstick Ecstasy
* Egg-stra Slippery
* Continent-wide Forest of Green Pure Clean Pan of God and His Favorite Angels

Teflon again

Apparently I can handle Teflon now and no longer abuse it. Either that or I had a pan that was whatever you call the opposite of a lemon, the likes of which I will never see again. How can I know?

Blog entry of the day - Root Simple's Why are the pockets on women’s clothing so lame? (which made me think of Indigo Rose--and pretty much all women everywhere).

There are some nice, ranty bits:

"What is with women’s clothing? Why are all of the pockets sized somewhere between tiny and non-existent?

"There seems to be some misguided belief that women inherently carry lots of stuff, therefore must carry bags, therefore do not need pockets. This is false. Women carry bags because we have inadequate pockets, and we figure we may as well carry extra stuff–because why not? We have to carry the !&^%$ bag anyway. It’s a terrible cycle."

Oh, oh, and "True confession: I have inner breast pocket envy. The inner breast pocket is the one of the most secure, useful pockets ever created, and yet they are scarce as hens teeth in women’s clothing. Whence this tyranny??" Yes! Yes! Interior jacket pockets!

But then she also decided to take control of her life. Or at least two of her pockets:

"I suspect the proper way to enlarge pockets is just to replace them entirely, but the stitchery and zipper closures on this particular pair of pockets intimidated me, so I decided to enbiggen them by simply adding fabric to the bottom of the existing pockets." Fabric from a bandana--hilarious. Follow her adventure. And maybe copy it.

Comments

[p-j-cleary.livejournal.com]

My cousins swear by the "orgreenic" pans: https://www.orgreenic.com/?uid=85FD289096BDFD25CFFE5B811F9FE768

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recommendation. Though I'm not sure anyone's ever linked me to an "as seen on TV" ad before.

Pretty green! Reviews look mixed--Amazon's are mostly 5 star or 1 star. It's so weird how people can completely disagree about something so seemingly measurable as whether things stick to a pan!

[(Anonymous)]

We stopped buying non-stick entirely. We've had good luck with Caphalon's stainless steel.

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

Even for eggs?

[sarcasticah.livejournal.com]

Or, clothing designers, there are women like me -- I carry a bag, but once I get to work I don't want to be in and out of the locked cupboard I put my bag into, so I need pockets for my phone and lip balm and tissues and whatever!

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

Yes, I keep a hanky, a hair scrunchy (in case there's wind or I get hot), keys, and, on work days, my bus pass/ID card in my pants pockets. When I'm wearing a blazer I also carry a pen (dangerous!) and sometimes my list of things to do and, on the way to the bathroom, my little soap bottle.

There are SO MANY good reasons to have pockets!