[williamdclt]

Nothing can beat Teflon on non-stickiness, for sure. But really, it’s actually fairly rare that it is a useful property when cooking: mostly for eggs. I mostly use stainless steel and have no problem of food sticking.

It asks for a bit of technique, but it’s just technique needed to make good food anyway (preheating pan, using fat, deglazing, managing heat)

I wouldn’t recommend cast iron either, it’s just too much faff. Stainless steel by default, Teflon for the few things that it’s useful for!

[dclowd9901]

I usually use stainless and cast iron but with green chef meals I’m often tasked with searing chicken or fish in a pan and cleaning those types of pan after a cook like that gets mighty old. So I bought a Tramontina non stick exclusively for those cooks. I suspect it may last a bit longer since it’s a secondary pan I only use for those cases so it feels less wasteful as a purchase.

[williamdclt]

Can you sear with a non stick? Searing requires preheating the pan hot, which isn’t recommended with Teflon I think

[EGreg]

Asking the biochemists here…

Is all searing associsted with carcinogens regardless of how it is done — eg toaster, grill in open flame, in a pan? I tend to really like the seared pieces on bread, steaks, and especially slices of Schwarma / Gyro / Doner

[mplanchard]

AFAIK almost all charred compounds contain some amount of carcinogens of some kind. The question is just whether it’s worth it to you.

[dclowd9901]

You’re not really supposed to blast heat stainless without anything in it either. But you can certainly get it hot. Just as with nonstick. At least to Leidenfrost temps.

[ruined]

you can deglaze that on the stove. heat a very shallow layer of water in the pan, the stuck layer will soften and dissolve. push a roux spoon gently around the bottom and then simply pour it out.

beyond that, if you are using stainless, go ahead and clean it with steel wool. a bundle of small chain is a good equivalent for cast iron.

[devbent]

White vinegar does a better job deglazing than hot water.

[dclowd9901]

Yeah I usually deglaze my dishes at some point if I am cooking with my stainless.

[morsch]

Huh. Stainless steel is like the perfect cooking surface for searing chicken and salmon. Cleanup is super easy, ten seconds with a steel wool and/or, unique among pans, you can put it in the dishwasher with zero worries.

[dclowd9901]

I mean you’re not wrong (well kinda wrong, it’s more like a few minutes). But with 2 kids, a full time job and myriad other hobbies, I couldn’t be arsed to spend another 10 seconds on dishes.

[numpad0]

It seems some people have misconception that excessive oil and overcooking are causes for sticking, while opposite of that is how to completely eliminate sticking. When they can't accept the latter, they might resort to Teflon and steel wool sponges.

[InSteady]

A tbsp or three of a good vinegar or wine + some scraping at the end of a nice sear adds so much flavor back into the dish, and cleanup is that much easier. When the pan is extra crusty just put a bit of warm water in it while the pan is still hot and let it sit till after the meal. Unless you are charring the absolute crap out of your food (in which case, practice your technique and heat management), everything is going to come off with a few seconds of hot water + soap + scrubbing.

Teflon is hot garbage. I wont even use it for eggs.