What's a GGOD nonstick pan?

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: Bud
I use a t-fal made in France not China. They come from both places. I use my 8 inch every morning and I have to replace the pan yearly. I would love to find something that would last for several years.
Several years ago ATK did an extensive test of non-stick skillets. Their winner was a PRO T-fal pan, not the commonly available one found in many stores. I found "no joy" in locating this pan locally. It is available on Amazon though.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
Sorry, I'll have to take issue with the cast iron. I'm too familiar with it on a microstructural level to know there is no practical difference in metallurgy between a frying pan and an engine block.

The nooks and crannies do not "tighten up".

Whether heat has a practical affect on non-stick is beyond my knowledge and experience.


No carbon difference? No alloying?

Interestingly, not too long ago I went to a major Diesel engine manufacturer's foundry. It was interesting to see how they sampled the iron, and practically just dumpied old scrap metal in at first, then little ingots of the other stuff.

 

[Kestas]

There may be subtle differences, such as increased Silicon content for frying pans to increase flowability for the thin section during mold fill, or Chromium or Tin additions for increased engine block hardness. But for the purposes of performance, both products have flake graphite in the matrix, which when machined, creates the crevices needed for a surface to hold oil -- either for lubricating cylinder walls or for a non-stick pan.

So in a wholesale sense, there isn't a major difference in chemistry between the two products. In fact, if you start looking at alloy specifications for cast iron, there is none -- just for strength and microstructure.

When I worked in a cast metals laboratory, I used to make my own frying pans from the left over metal used in a pour. The molds were easy to make, but I had a lot of incomplete pours where the metal would freeze before completely filling the mold. The melt got too cold at the end of a pouring run.

 

[hemitruck]

i cook eggs in my ceramic coated green pan. everything else is cooked in my well seasoned CI pans.

far as i know there aren't any chemicals in the ceramic coating that are harmful. CI pans will transfer some iron into the food. cardiologists will tell you that extra iron can be harmful to males over the long term.