Nonstick Cookware -- A Search For Slippery Pots And Pans Uncovers Some Unusual Sticking Points

NONSTICK COOKWARE can be a slippery subject - more slippery, alas, than most of the nonstick pots and pans filling my kitchen.

Like many cooks trying to cut down on the need for butter and oil, I've tried a variety of brands over the years, searching for that elusive balance between value and nonstick effectiveness.

Several years ago the highly promoted promise of the Scanpan brand prompted me to place one of the heavy skillets on a birthday wish list. I followed the instructions to the letter, but before long it had developed into my stickiest pan.

I eventually leaned toward the approach of John Hinterberger, our former columnist and restaurant critic. Years ago, while confessing in this magazine his affection/affliction for pots and pans, John said he didn't spend much time deliberating over which line of nonstick pans was better. He'd simply keep (along with his collection of cast-iron, copper and stainless-steel pans) a set of inexpensive Teflon-coated aluminum pans on his stove top, and replace them when they'd outlived their nonstick usefulness, usually every couple of years. Environmentally dubious, perhaps, but understandable to folks who've been burned by expensive nonstick pans that last no longer than drugstore bargains.

Once I bought a set of mid-range T-Fal pans that featured a waffle nonstick surface. Those little waffles quickly filled with whatever I was cooking and became impossible to uncake. Next I tried a bottom-of-the-line set, which developed scratches the very first week. The only current pan I'm happy with is my Circulon nonstick grill pan, which I use for quick-cooked meat and fish.

Recently some readers offered their suggestions - and warnings. Top vote-getter (with four) was The Pampered Chef. Next (three votes) were All Clad and Farberware Millennium. Look, Anolon, Bourgeat and that old standby, cast iron, received two votes each. Other favorable nods went to Berndes, Cooks Essential, Lincoln Wearever, Look, Farberware Pro-HG, Scanpan Titanium, Meyer and Ultrex.

Thumbs-down votes came in for Scanpan 2000 and Calphalon (two each), followed by Circulon, T-Fal Armaral, Ekco, Baker's Secret, Revereware and Farberware Millennium's new line.

Care of nonstick brands can be as important as the brand. Almost all caution against using metal utensils, which can scratch most nonstick surfaces. Many also warn that an empty nonstick pan should not be left over high heat. (Bird owners take note: Empty, overheated pans with nonstick surfaces of the so-called PTFE type - including Teflon and Silverstone - can emit a fume that can harm and even kill birds, which have sensitive respiratory systems. Since overheated butter and oil, as well as cleaning solutions and other chemicals, also can emit harmful fumes, a bird's place is probably not in the kitchen.)

Other sticking points can be cleaning and oil sprays. Gretchen Holt, a spokeswoman for several brands including Meyer, Circulon, Anolon, KitchenAid and Farberware, said some people don't wash their nonstick pans, instead just wiping them "clean." "That's the worst thing you can do," said Holt. "Little things stick to the nonstick surface and over time can have an effect on releasability." Oil sprays, she said, provide such a thin layer of oil that it carbonizes at a much lower temperature than oil poured into the pan, which also can lessen the pan's ability to release food.

While thinking about my next purchase, I checked back with Hinterberger and learned his approach has changed.

Nonstick surfaces have improved markedly, John said. Recently he's been sold on some new Bourgeat titanium frying pans infused (rather than coated) with nonstick agents. "They have lovely cast-iron handles, the surface is tough and you can use metal utensils." They're not inexpensive - between $70 and $120 each - but come with money-back or replacement guarantees.

Many upscale pans have such guarantees, especially useful when returns or exchanges can be at the point-of-purchase store, not to the manufacturer (shipping costs can add up). This may mean the most important item for getting the most from your nonstick cookware isn't the brand, model, surface or utensils.

It's the receipt.

Molly Martin is assistant editor of Pacific Northwest magazine. ------------------------------- NOTEBOOK

Researching cookware

A nice overview of what to look for when shopping for nonstick pans appears in Consumer Reports' November 1998 issue, which can be perused at libraries or for a fee via www.consumerreports.org. It rated 15 pans, topped by Scanpan 2001+, Cuisinart Non-Stick Stainless, Calphalon Commercial Nonstick, Ekco Endura (a Best Buy), Meyer and Farberware Millennium.

To find these and other brands, check local department stores and kitchen shops (listed in the Yellow Pages under Kitchen Accessories).

Workout or socialize?

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Healthy recipes

Selected from 1,500 nominations, The Mayo Clinic/Williams-Sonoma Cookbook was named the world's best health cookbook last month at the Versailles World Cookbook Fair near Paris. Revenue from the $29.95 book supports the clinic's research and education programs.