Nonstick cookware is great for some things, but treating it like a Swiss Army knife for cooking is a recipe for disaster. Nonstick pans have issues with proper browning and searing. Ask it to give your steak a crust, and it'll respond with something sad and gray.
And here's the kicker: Some foods are nonstick coating assassins. They'll chip away at that slippery surface faster than you can say "not under warranty," leaving you with chemical flakes in your scrambled eggs or stir-fry.
Sure, we all love easy cleanup, but most of your culinary creations beg for the tough love only stainless steel, carbon steel, or cast iron can provide. These pans don't coddle your food; they give it character, depth, and true flavor development. I consulted an expert to compile the ultimate nonstick no-fly list -- foods that should never let mingle with Teflon. Consider this your intervention before you commit any more culinary crimes.
Richard LaMarita is a chef-instructor of Health-Centered Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. LaMarita describes nonstick cookware, including ceramic, as "niche" in a sense.
"Scrambled or fried eggs, pancakes, and fried tofu are great for cooking in nonstick pans," LaMarita told me over email. "These sticky foods must come out completely without leaving remnants in the pan. Nonstick pans are popular, easy to clean, and convenient, and I recommend every cook have one."
That said, they're not designed to handle high heat, be placed in the oven, or scrubbed vigorously. The coating that makes a pan nonstick can deteriorate faster when confronted with certain foods or cooking techniques.
So, what foods should never be cooked in nonstick cookware? Here are five things Chef LaMarita warns against.
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1. Most meat and fish
Getting a proper sear on steak, pork chops, chicken or fish is next to impossible in a nonstick pan. Brian Bennett/CNET
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