Why do we buy high-priced stainless steel cookware? Well, it lasts longer and performs better, not to mention it gets used more than all your other cookware while providing greater value over its lifespan than cheap alternatives. Non-stick cookware does not follow these same rules.
Its greatest feats are flippable eggs and delicate treatment of fish. There’s also the simple fact that all non-stick pans have an expiration date, whether it’s advertised or not (the closest you’ll get is a warranty duration). That’s because — through heating, cooling, flipping, scratches and cleaning — all non-stick pans eventually shed their precious coating, making them completely worthless to cook on. Most even have a number of “releases” they’re good for — for example, how many eggs you’ll be able to flip — but rarely make this information public.
This all adds up to a very happy ending: in the world of non-stick cooking, you’re better off buying cheap and simply replacing your pan when the coating begins to flake or food doesn’t want to come off it. And if you’re in the market, T-Fal’s perfectly satisfactory 12-inch non-stick fry pan is more than 50 percent off on Sierra Trading Post today.
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