Our pans last a fair time and are generally cheaper ones, recently bought a posh tefal for the egg pan which has a harder surface alledgedly. The bobbly surface of our old lidl one has just finished it use.
Then we have our Gite guests, that's new pans every year at the moment as they only last 12-14 weeks in the hands of paying guests before they are too badly abused to be put out a second year. Looking at the ceramic ones for next year so interested in what people think.
Regular stainless steel once seasoned works well and with no coatings, toxic or otherwise you can alway give them a good scrub, shotblast etc.
People seem to think non stick means non burn, it doesn't that's why we have adjustable control knobs and not just on off switches.
My expensive and heavy tefal-coated wok lost its coating in the base after only a month or so. It it possible to have it re-coated or is it just a throw-away? I gather it's not advisable to continue to use it?
I bought a frying pan when I moved to France 10 years ago. I think it was from Leclerc supermarket in Angouleme. It has been used and abused ( I wash up when I run out of things) so no TLC.
Just wish I had a bigger one but this one is still going strong, even when I have occasionally burnt its bottom, it still comes up smiling.
Non stick cookware presents some health issues that makes them best avoided. I use well tempered/seasoned cast iron poeles and inox casseroles. A properly seasoned cast iron skillet will last a lifetime and is the best non stick available. Just learn how to season them and clean them without soaking in soapy water, which destroys the seasoned cooking surface, but they can easily be re-seasoned in the oven should this happen. Lodge Cookware, in the states, makes the best, and they can be used in the oven too. I also have a very good iron German blini pan. They offer a full line but they all have wooden handles which keeps them our of the four. The main downside for cast iron is their weight. They are heavy and unwieldy for the petite chef.
Although pet birds will die in the presence of outgassing from heated non-stick cookware, and should never be in the kitchen when cooking with non stick, the industry claims their pans are perfectly safe. Here is that discussion and another.
If you simply must use non-stick, which I did for years, Calphalon makes the best that I found, but they are a bit pricey. I tried ceramic/porcelain coated cookware, but was disappointed with the non stick claims. Cast iron frying, when used with a healthy saturated fat with a high smoke point (lard, graisse de canard or coconut oil) works fine, without the now well known health hazards of non stick aluminium cookware. Uncoated aluminium is now scientifically known to transfer the metal to the foods being cooked. The metal is also known to be a causal factor in alzheimers disease.
I have a small le creuset ommelet pan that I have had for 20+ years and it still looks great, but it doesn’t get very heavy wear as it is heavy. For high heat frying / browning I have a large stellar stainless steel pan and a smaller mauviel fry pan that is brilliant, is tempered with use and develops it’s own non stick effect. I do also have a couple of tefal non stick pans that work well for fried breakfasts
I've been thinking the same that pans never last long enough but then from time to time I do incinerate the tea going off to do something else . I've spotted this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Le-Creuset-Orange-Frying-Pan-Size-16-/231... and others though on eBay and may try there first when I get around to it. I like Johns idea of the prof. shop too so may try and find one
"Life time guarantee" means keeping the receipt and hoping that by the time you need the item replaced, the ink on the receipt hasn't faded... and that the company hasn't gone out of business ... and that you've used the item to the exact terms and conditions.
Good morning, If I were you I would go and have a look in a professional Kitchen equipment shop. They will have at least 6 or 7 pans, you should not have to pay more than 45/50€. I have had a Le Creuset the problem with them is 1 they weigh a lot. 2. If you drop it they will break. 3. There non stick lasts about as long as the rest so why pay so much. I was a professional caterer for many years and when you can buy professional equipment at a price good I would go for it. John
Yes, Jane, but what really does life-time guaranteed mean? Is it till YOU die, or does it last until IT dies and then loses its guarantee ? Maybe it means that it will last forever?
I have just bought a non-stick frying pan from Stellar. Their pans are life-time guaranteed and I have beef using my set for ages now.
I managed to buy it from TKMaxx when we were back in UK in September.
I'm a big fan of the Cook's Essentials range from the QVC UK shopping channel. Apparently they now ship "most" products to France. I've found the pots and pans are well made (far better quality than the name would suggest) and the non-stick surface is excellent. Used to have a set of Le Crueset and they're obviously excellent, but not sure I'd spend that much on pans any more.
I have two Tefal frying pans and use them almost every day, I have never felt that they wore out fast, The larger one is 4 years old and the smaller one is 2 years old they both still have a pristine non-stick finish but I am careful to only use wood utensils in them, they also were rather inexpensive, from the big department store.