Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by adrianmonk 2880 days ago
Not a chef, but I wouldn't think restaurants use nonstick pans much because they tend to wear out fast.
3 comments

Some folks below are replying to the contrary, however, in my 10 years of working in NYC restaurants, from your local bar/pub to fine dinning and BRGuest, I have never seen a non stick pan in the kitchen.

Chefs take their frustration out on pans and slam, toss, and scrape them to oblivion.

Edit: adding an anecdote about cooking eggs:

In one restaurant I worked, it was part of the interview process to ask a chef to make an omelette. If the eggs got stuck to the pan or the omelette was destroyed, they didn’t get hired.

When I asked our Sous Chef why this was so difficult he explained that it’s a basic skill that every chef should have and understand the chemical reaction of proteins in a high heat pan with oil.

They use nonstick for a helluva lot - it’s cheap, and it’s easier to clean which saves time. Check out your local restaurant auction for sauté pans.
Commercial-grade non-stick frying pans are available. I own one; it is significantly more durable than the consumer crap.