Is There A Difference Between A Cheap And Expensive Non-stick Frying Pan?

It's not the pan itself, it's how you use and look after it that counts.

Metal utensils and harsh scouring pads can easily damage and even remove the non-stick coating of the pan. So a cheap pan can be just as good as the more expensive varieties, provided they are looked after properly.

 

I agree with missbishi on this one. It is how you treat the pan that makes it last longer. I have purchased both expensive and inexpensive frying pans and they have lasted about the same time. You have to take care of them when cooking in them and cleaning them.

 

I've had some $8 Teflon pans that lasted me many years because I didn't scratch them up with metal utensils and washed them carefully. When you take care of things, they last a long time.

 

Both are extremely toxic after one small scratch. That will probably take about a week to happen even if you are careful. I would say just stay away from non stick entirely and use stainless or ceramic lined pots and pans instead.

 

As with other posts the use and care are important in the life of any cookware. As for the difference between a cheap and an expensive brand is mainly the price. Consumers choice among the expensive brands is their preference for any number of reasons.

My personal experience was cheap non stick pans and even those tend to have some good qualities about them if taken care of properly.

 

Use wooden spoons and plastic spatulas and all will be fine. I do find cheaper ones you have to be careful with and they can stick a little if things bet burnt.

I'm glad dad bought some new pans, just make sure you clean them gently too and soak them if you need to depending on what you are cooking. Most times a a good soak and a quick rinse is all you need unless it's oily.

 

We spent quite a lot of money on a set of non-stick saucepans and pans, and they last about a month - in fact I don't even think that it was that long - before they began to act like every other pan that you'd come across. You're supposed to be able to wipe them clean, without needing to scrub or wash them, even when you burn food on them. But that is not the case at all. So you might as well just get normal pans.

 

I guess the main difference between a cheap and expensive non-stick frying pan is the durability. For the record, we had bought 5 already. This 5th non-stick is the most expensive that we bought so I am keeping it for myself and no one can use it except me. The 4th is still serviceable although it has some parts on the surface that already sticks. It was ruined by our housemaid when she scrubbed the surface with steel wool.

 

I also agree with missbishi. There's a lot to be said for how you look after you non-stick utensils. I've had both cheap and expensive brands, and the cheap ones are just as good providing you give them that TLC. They're easy to clean anyway, so there really is no reason to be heavy handed and over zealous with them. No scouring and scrubbing, cheap or expensive, they'll serve you well and last you a while

 

I'd steer clear of non-stick frying pans as they are highly toxic. Especially the cheap ones have dubious coating material that you really don't want to absorb into your system. Why not invest in a stainless steel frying pan? It will last you for many years, and you won't have to worry about the carcinogenic particles that you are ingesting every time you prepare your food in your non-stick frying pan. I've had my stainless steel set of pots and pans for 9 years now, and they are still going strong.

 

Costco has some nice non-stick pan sets...price range is decent, might have been 60 for entire set of like 5 pans?

 

I've got some inexpensive, as well as expensive pans. I do like the look and feel of the expensive ones, but they're not the best at everything. They do some things extremely well, but non-stick frying is definitely not one of them. My smallest frying pan is the one I use the most, and that's next on my list for replacement, because it's an older one with a teflon coating that has gotten scratched. It's my favorite pan, so I hate to give it up, but I've found a replacement I want that is only around $8. A lot of my preference is based not only on cost and quality, but also size and weight. That pan fits easily into my hand, and the weight is just right, so it won't tax my hand/arm to cook with it or clean it.

 

Have any of you guys tried The Rock frying pan from Walmart? It's $20, so it's more expensive than many of their other skillets. And it has a rock like speckled coating that looks like you're cooking on asphalt but the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Supposedly it's so nonstick that you can melt cheese in it, and it'll wipe out easily with a napkin.
I kind of want one now, even though I had my eye on a set of cheaper pans.

 

I've had inexpensive pans and pans from the dollar stores last me a couple years easily, by just being gentle with them. I picked up a stir-fry skillet at Wal-Mart for $7 once on clearance, which ended up lasting me nearly 4 years. I've also bought small little 6 in pans at the dollar stores that I use to make fried eggs in, for only $3 and they too have lasted me for years.

I used to only buy Calphalon pans whenever they would go on sale, which was usually about $40-$50 for a set of two. But in all honesty, the non-stick surface on them wasn't any more durable than the cheaper pans I've owned. Not to mention I was more reluctant to replace them when they went bad, because of how much they cost.

My current set of pans is a Farberware set I picked up about 4 years ago at Wal-Mart for around $60. Incidentally, these are the same pans they use regularly on the America's Test Kitchen show, so if they're good enough for them, they're good enough for me. I actually like them better than the Calphalons since they are so much lighter. I always hated lifting heavy pots and pans in and out of the dishwasher.

 

I think the more expensive ones are more difficult to screw up and also they might be a little more nonstick than their cheaper counterparts but generally speaking I think both are equally good enough for regular use as long as the cook knows how to adapt to each subtle condition that the tools in front of them presents. I cook a lot and I have found that you need to find the groove in each tool you use with concerns to what utensils work best with them and the right amount of heat that needs to be applied with each type of food and how much oil you need to use, etc. knowing these things can be infinitely more helpful than just having the right or more expensive pan in my opinion.

 

OMG @Dora M....I never heard about that before!! I mean, is it a well known and proven fact, because this is news to me? I wonder why then they are so popular, and why the manufacturers continue to make them? I guess I'm going to have to look in to this and see what I think. Maybe I should start saving towards cast iron pans. My mum and dad used to use them when I was growing up, but they are very pricey too. They're heavy, sturdy but very durable too.

 

I used to think this way. I had thought that if you bought yourself a good expensive no stick set, then you'd be set for at least a couple of years. But that is not the case. At least not in my experience anyway. We purchased an expensive set a couple of years ago from one of those TV stations that sell things lol. Within the first week, it was marked up and things were sticking. Waste of money.

 

I have some name brand pots and pans and some cheaper ones that came from Walmart. I will have to say even though I think I have used them less truthfully, the more expensive pans Faberware and what not, the stainless steel seem to be holding up much better. The cheaper teflon coating on the Walmart cookware is wearing away and I don't like that as it could be carcinogenic. I may have to pitch some of these items.