Nonstick pans have earned a home in most kitchens for a reason. It doesn't get any easier to cook or clean up with nonstick, but that doesn't mean it yields the best results. In fact, you could make a case that nonstick cookware is only ideal for making a handful of recipes -- scrambled eggs, pancakes and other sticky foods that require a little help lifting out of the pan.
Nonstick pans are engineered for low to medium temperatures, so they'll never deliver the surface heat that stainless steel and cast iron do. Try searing a steak or chicken thigh in a nonstick pan, and you'll struggle to get that coveted crust formed by the Maillard reaction. A golden-brown exterior on meats, fish and veggies isn't just about appearances, either -- it's where much of the flavor lives.
Beyond disappointing results, nonstick pans are easily damaged. Certain foods can strip the coating, shortening the pan's life.
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" and admits they are rarely a go-to pan for most chefs in professional kitchens.
So, what foods should never be cooked in nonstick cookware? Here's what LaMarita told me.
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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
First are foods that require or desire searing on the outside. When you're looking for a deep, caramelized crust with good color, such as on a steak, chicken breast or a piece of salmon, you won't get the color you want from a nonstick pan. Nonstick is not made to tolerate the high heat required to achieve the desired crust and its surface is not geared toward developing that crust because of the coating on the pan.
2. Most vegetables
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