While nonstick cookware excels in a few situations, relying on it for every cooking task is limiting. Teflon and nonstick pans struggle to brown and sear due to their low-heat design and slick surface. When you attempt to develop a proper crust on meat, you'll end up with pale, gray protein instead of the caramelized golden-brown color you're after.
The real problem lies in compatibility; Certain ingredients and cooking methods can rapidly degrade nonstick coatings, causing them to chip, flake or wear away prematurely. High heat, metal utensils and abrasive cleaning can all compromise the surface, potentially contaminating your food with coating particles. What starts as a convenient cooking "hack" can quickly become a safety concern and an expensive replacement cycle.
We all love easy cleanup as much as the next bloke, but most of your culinary projects fare better in stainless steel, carbon steel, or cast iron. These pans impart high surface heat, giving food char, depth and flavor development. I grilled a career cooking teacher to compile the ultimate nonstick no-go list.
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".
"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."
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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