Nonstick pan

A nonstick pan is a frying pan or skillet with a slick coating on the cooking surface. Most coatings are PTFE, a type of plastic, and others are a ceramic-style coating made from silica. Food that would glue itself to bare steel, such as eggs, omelets, delicate fish and crepes, slides right off. It also needs less oil and is very easy to clean.

How to use it

1. Add a little oil or butter before you heat it, or heat the pan with fat on medium. Do not preheat it empty on high.
2. Cook on low to medium-high. Most foods that need a nonstick surface do best at moderate heat.
3. Use wooden, silicone or nylon utensils, such as a nylon fish spatula.
4. Let it cool before washing, then wash by hand with a soft sponge.

It is the best pan for scrambled and fried eggs, omelets, pancakes, fish fillets with skin, fried rice, and anything breaded and pan-fried in a little oil.

How to store it

Hang it, or stack it with a cloth or pan protector between it and other pans. Metal on metal scratches the coating.

Common mistakes

• Heating it empty on high heat. PTFE coatings break down at very high temperatures and can give off fumes. Keep the heat moderate.
• Using it for a hard sear on steak. It cannot safely get hot enough. Use cast iron or a carbon steel pan.
• Using metal utensils, steel wool or abrasive cleaners.
• Using cooking spray. It can leave a sticky film that builds up and makes food stick.
• Putting it in the dishwasher, even when the label allows it. Harsh detergents wear the coating faster.
• Running it under cold water while hot. It can warp the base.
• Keeping it once the coating is badly scratched or flaking. Replace it.

In recipes

"In a nonstick skillet" means the recipe needs food to release easily with little fat, often eggs or fish. A well-seasoned carbon steel or cast iron pan can stand in once you are used to it.