How Not to Ruin the Coating of a Non-stick Pan? It’s one thing to buy a non-stick pan, and the second, and in our opinion, more important, is to keep it in its original form. And here, it’s not about aesthetics but non-stick properties that make cooking easier and allow you to fry food without sticking and burning.
How Not to Ruin the Coating of a Non-stick Pan?
Today, non-stick pans come with indifferent types of coating and their advantages. Manufacturers give practical recommendations to help maintain the protective layer and not spoil it.
Basic Rules for Using Non-Stick Pans:
- Clean the new pan with warm water using a non-abrasive detergent such as gel and a soft sponge. This rule is relevant for any newly purchased dishes.
- Wipe a clean, dry frying pan with sunflower or olive oil using a pastry brush or a regular paper towel
- Let vegetables or butter on a cold surface, then put the dishes on the fire. Put the products on a hot base. For many homemakers, this rule will seem strange because usually, the pan is heated before cooking. But it turns out that this harms the non-stick coating.
- Avoid sudden temperature changes while washing the pan. Do not place hot dishes under a cold stream. Letting it cool completely and then washing it under warm water is better.
- Wash the pan with soft sponges using liquid detergents. In no case do not clean the non-stick coating with metal scrapers and washcloths with a rough backside with powders and products with abrasive particles.
- When cooking, use only silicone and wooden spatulas, tongs, spoons, whisks, and other accessories that do not scratch the surface. Forget about metal utensils; otherwise, scratches will appear on the protective base, and expensive dishes will lose their properties.
- Do not leave cooked food in the pan, and do not store food in it in the refrigerator. Low temperatures damage the non-stick coating. The pan is for cooking only.
- Use the utensils strictly for their intended purpose. Different dishes have different thicknesses of the walls and bottom, which affects the preparation of specific dishes. That is if you have a pancake pan and fry pancakes on it, not fried eggs.
- Do not stack the side of the pan by the side, as this may cause minor scratches. To avoid damage, shift the dishes with sheets of paper or baking parchment, or better, store everything separately.
- Do not put too cold or frozen foods on a hot pan. Again, a sharp temperature drop harms the coating. The only exceptions are frozen vegetables, which you cannot wholly defrost before frying or stewing.
- Do not put excessively wet foods in the pan. Dry them with paper towels before cooking. Otherwise, the food will be stewed and not fried. In addition, water in hot oil reduces the non-stick properties.
How to Care for a Non-stick Pan? – What are Allowed and Forbidden
| Allowed | Forbidden |
| Soft sponges | Metal scrapers and hard washcloths |
| Dishwashing gels | Products with abrasive particles |
| Silicone and wooden accessories | metal kitchen utensils |
| Warm water | Sudden temperature changes |
How to Wash a Non-stick Pan?
- Leave the pan for 10-20 minutes to cool down.
- Rinse it under running the warm water at +50…+60°C.
- Give a small amount of dishwashing gel.
- Scrub gently with a soft sponge.
- Rinse off any remaining foam.
- Use a paper towel or soft cloth to dry the dishes.
If food residue sticks to the non-stick coating, fill the pan with warm water and wait 30-60 minutes. Burnt food should sour. Wash your dishes under the tap. If it is impossible to eliminate pollution, you can safely use ordinary soda: 1 tbsp. l. for 200 ml of liquid. Soda solution gently washes the dishes with a sponge.
What are the Benefits of Non-stick Pan
- Products do not stick to the surface and therefore do not burn
- The dish turns out juicy, rosy, and beautiful
- When cooking, much less sunflower or any other oil is required. In some cases, you can do without it at all
- Since nothing sticks, cleaning the pan is relatively easy
Types of Non-stick Coating
The protective layer is classified according to its composition.
1. Teflon
Regarding the quality of non-stick properties, the undisputed leader today is Teflon-coated pans. With proper care, you can preserve all its characteristics for many years. Even with minimal use of oil, products do not stick to such a base. Burning is excluded even if you completely abandon the oil and fry on a dry surface.
That is why Teflon pans are an excellent choice for fans of a healthy diet and athletes who limit their intake of fatty foods.
TheKitchenBest Opinion! Note that you need to take care of Teflon very carefully.
2. Ceramics
Pans with a non-stick ceramic coating are also called “green.” The undoubted advantage of ceramic coating cookware is their environmental friendliness. Non-stick properties are retained for a long time, but of course, less than that of Teflon. As with the previous coating, a small amount of frying oil is also required.
3. Natural stone
The basis of such dishes is metal, and the coating is diamond or granite. In addition, marble-coated pans are now very popular, expensive, environmentally friendly, and have high non-stick properties.
4. Titanium
A smooth and dense structure characterizes it, so the ingredients glide over the pan with a titanium coating and do not burn. Other advantages include uniform heating over the entire surface.
5. Cast iron
Usually, cast iron pans do not have an additional coating, but they a priori have natural non-stick properties. Cast iron has a porous structure, so it absorbs oil perfectly. Be sure that food will not stick to the surface. But there is a huge minus – for frying in a cast-iron pan, you need a lot of sunflower oil, which is unsuitable for adherents of a healthy diet. But such dishes are durable, not afraid of aggressive cleaners and metal spatulas.
Conclusion
Remember that if you use a non-stick frying pan correctly, caring for it will not cause any extra trouble. Please do not neglect the basic rules, and expensive high-quality dishes will last many years without losing their property.
Hello! I’m Paula Deen, a mother who loves to create memories in the kitchen. As a kitchen enthusiast, I love to do experiment with different kitchenware for daily recipes. This is my blog, where I’ll share my experience, knowledge, and reviews on various kitchenware and appliances.