GoKawiilAsk a professional chef what they cook in nonstick pans, and you'll likely get a short list -- a very short list. While nonstick ceramic and PTFE-coated pans have their place in the modern kitchen, most foods do better when cooked with some sort of metal frying pan.
Cast iron, stainless steel, copper and carbon steel do a far better job of imparting heat to food, which is the best way to get coveted char and a reliable sear on meat, fish and vegetables.
Nonstick pans top out at medium heat -- which is exactly why your rack should be stocked with mostly pans made from other materials. Searing a steak or chicken thigh in a nonstick pan means fighting for a crust you'll never quite get. That browning isn't cosmetic. It's the Maillard reaction, and it's where the real flavor lives.
So, what foods should never be cooked in nonstick cookware? I asked Richard LaMarita, a chef-instructor of Health-Centered Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. LaMarita describes nonstick cookware, including ceramic, as "niche" and admits it is rarely a go-to pan for most chefs in professional kitchens.
Here's what LaMarita told me about foods that don't belong in a nonstick frying pan.
1. 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
Cast iron is ideal for cooking vegetables. fermate/Getty Images
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