A Chef Warned Me Not to Cook These 5 Foods in a Nonstick Pan

2 weeks ago 16

Nonstick pans have earned a home in most kitchens for a reason. It doesn't get any easier to cook or clean up with nonstick, but that doesn't mean it yields the best results. In fact, you could make a case that nonstick cookware is only ideal for making a handful of recipes -- scrambled eggs, pancakes and other sticky foods that require a little help lifting out of the pan.

Nonstick pans are engineered for low to medium temperatures, so they'll never deliver the surface heat that stainless steel and cast iron do. Try searing a steak or chicken thigh in a nonstick pan, and you'll struggle to get that coveted crust formed by the Maillard reaction. A golden-brown exterior on meats, fish and veggies isn't just about appearances, either -- it's where much of the flavor lives.

Beyond disappointing results, nonstick pans are easily damaged. Certain foods can strip the coating, shortening the pan's life.

Richard LaMarita is a chef-instructor of Health-Centered Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. LaMarita describes nonstick cookware, including ceramic, as "niche" and admits they are rarely a go-to pan for most chefs in professional kitchens.

So, what foods should never be cooked in nonstick cookware? Here's what LaMarita told me.

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1. Most meat and fish

First are foods that require or desire searing on the outside. When you're looking for a deep, caramelized crust with good color, such as on a steak, chicken breast or a piece of salmon, you won't get the color you want from a nonstick pan. Nonstick is not made to tolerate the high heat required to achieve the desired crust and its surface is not geared toward developing that crust because of the coating on the pan.

2. Most vegetables

Red wine is poured into a pot of roasted vegetables like carrot, onion, celery, leek and herb bouquet to deglaze it, a cooking step for a rich flavored sauce.

Much like meat, vegetables need a little char for maximum flavor and you just won't get it with a nonstick pan. For zucchini, carrots, onions, asparagus and bok choy, reach for a stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet for best results.

3. Food you want caramelized

Do you know about fond? It's the caramelized, crusty bits of food left on the pan after searing and it's the key to big flavor (and happiness). Fond is used to make pan sauces. Items are seared first, then picked up, and those beautiful, tasty bits of food are incorporated into the sauce. For making fond, a nonstick pan won't work. There is simply not enough surface heat.

4. Acidic foods

Cooking highly acidic foods in nonstick pans is not recommended. Acidic foods include tomato sauce, a dish with a high ratio of vinegar in the pan (such as braised cabbage), or lemon juice in the cooking process. "Ratatouille is one dish I wouldn't cook in a nonstick," LaMarita says. "The acids in this recipe and others will corrode the delicate nonstick surface over time."

5. Stir-fry, soups, sauces

Along the same lines of wearing down the surface, refrain from cooking foods or dishes that require a fair amount of stirring. A stir-fry, sauce or a dish that demands a lot of tossing and mixing could wear down the surface quickly. "I find that nonstick surfaces wear down eventually, even with proper use, so why speed up that process?"

For more, here's how to tell if your Teflon pans are safe, and a complete guide to reheating every type of leftover.

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