Hi,
I have been reading lately about the dangers of non-stick coatings on pots and pans; particularly teflon. I can't fiure out which alternative is best: stainless steel? hard anodized aluminum? cast iron? Something else? I'm looking for the ease of use that comes with the hazardous non-stick coating, sans the hazard. I think I am leaning towards the hard anodized aluminum. Any suggestions? Thanks!
I LOVE, LOVE my new pan. I found it at Target- it is called a GREENpan. It has a non-stick type coating in it but is not Teflon. It's supposed to be safe and environmentally friendly. NOTHING sticks to it. I can make eggs with no butter or spray and it wipes clean.
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My dad is a chef so I tent to follow what he uses. He says everyone should have one non stick just because some things just can't be done without one. Make sure there are no nicks and if so toss it. He's got an anodized pan but I'm not so certain he likes it much. I think the ones that get used the most are the le creuset which I happen to LOVE. Normally they cost an arm and a leg but you can sometimes get deals at TJMax. I know my grandma thinks the knock off ones at Kmart are pretty decent. Also I have a large stainless steel pan I got from Target that is really a great pan. Hope that helps some.
I don't use any form of aluminum, or any nonstick. My understanding is that it doesn't matter if a nonstick pan is chipped or not. Once it reaches a certain temperature, it will leach. We use stainless steel and cast iron. To avoid baking on aluminum, we use stoneware. We got our stainless and stoneware from Pampered Chef (I hosted a party and got a 50% discount), and our cast iron from Cabella's (used a ton of gift cards dh got).
Hi R.! I only use stainless steel and cast iron. I had some hard anodized aluminum but they developed *tiny* knicks very quickly. I had to throw them all out. I love my stainless and cast iron! Best of all, it's safe!
A well seasoned cast iron pan is practically non-stick.
11 years ago we bought our first set of Millinium Non-Stick Farberware pots and pans. I took very good care of them. I never put them in the dishwasher and before I used them I conditioned them. Several of the pans, the ones I used most frequently, started to peel and my sauce pan even warped and the lid wouldn't fit properly. I returned them to Farberware and was given a whole new set. The set was a little different; however, all the pans were the same size as the other set. Within months, that set started to do the same thing. I was not happy and felt like you're feeling now. What is the best set to buy. I could have returned them to Farberware for yet another set, but I decided this probably was harmful to cook with.
Last summer when staying in a vacation house, I used the pots and pans that were there. They had stainless steel. I fell in love with this set. I bought my own set. It's the Cuisinart set. I got it at SAMS. I think it's the best deal you can get. I love cooking on these pots and pans, and the clean up isn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's really quite easy! Also, I can put these pots and pans in the dishwasher and they clean up great! I have a big family and I cook a lot. Just wanted to share my own experience.
Good Luck with your decision.
I second what JL and Mariann said. Aluminum is a neurotoxin and it would be best to eliminate it from your life. I love my cast iron, I don't have sticking issues with it, I use it everyday. For cookie sheets, stainless steel is best.
We got rid of our non stick cookware a few years ago, for that very reason. We bought the Calphalon hard anodized aluminum and we love it. We also have a cast iron frying pan that is used for some stuff. I wouldn't mind having the SS if we didn't have the set we bought. Maybe when this set wears out, in 20 years :) Very durable.
Hi Natalie,
I couldn't believe it when my mom told me to stop using non-stick, so I did hours of research and was disappointed to learn that basically the only safe material to use is stainless steel. Reluctantly I threw out some pots and pans and bought stainless steel - disappointed because I expected to have to start using steel wool to clean them, thinking everything would burn and/or stick. I was wrong, and it's the stainless steel that I have the easiest time cleaning now. Food does stick on, but then it comes right off after a 10-minute soak and it's shiny and pretty again. Plus it's recommended by chefs as the best material for even heating and cooking results.
Good luck!
I have a hard anodized set and I love it. Nothing sticks to it.
