What Are The Different Types of Non-stick Pans?

Non-stick pans are essential in everyone’s kitchen, especially for beginners. The pans prevent food from burning and are extremely simple to clean.  Each type of non-stick pan has its pros and cons. Different foods require different non-stick pans. There is nothing to worry about because there are a lot of options.

Types of Non-stick Pans 

A wooden spatula to use in the pan.

There are different types of non-stick pans. The non-stick pans get used most frequently these days!

Good quality pans have a thick aluminum core. Cheaper pans have a thinner focus which causes hot spots and causes your food to burn. The solid center distributes heat evenly.

If you deal with your non-stick pans safely, you will be alright. However, if you heat your pans immensely more than 500 degrees, toxic fumes do come out. If you have crazy scratches on your pan, throw those out. These pans release chemicals into your food. To prevent scratches, use wooden silicone spatulas instead of metal ones. 

1. Non-stick Cast Iron Pan

a cast iron pan.

Cast iron pan is a generational preference. You might have discovered your grandmother’s old cast iron pan in her belongings. It can bear any recipe. The foremost problem people face is while cooking up acidic meals. The pan starts to leach on!

It means the iron on the surface of the pan mixes up with the food. However, a cast-iron pan with a non-stick coating reduces the iron leaching. With a non-stick cast iron pan, people are hesitant to fix an acidic meal. However, the layer is of unsaturated fat that is safe for consumption. 

It is heavy, but it is also easy to clean. All you will need is a scrubber and some hot water. To avoid rusting and keep up with its quality, it requires regular seasoning or before using it.

2. Silicone Non-stick Pan

A silicone non-stick pan is used both for cooking and baking. Its considerably non-stick ability. It is not fully non-stick grease before use. The Silicone non-stick pan does not get scratched. However, it can get punctured. Many people hesitate to use silicone because it looks like plastic and it may melt. However, it is FDA-approved. It is safe. And it would not react with your food. Silicon is smooth, and your food or baked goods pops straight out. 

3. Ceramic Pan

a set of ceramic pans

Ceramic pans caught popularity in the 1960s. It got confirmed that it got manufactured with contagions such as lead and cadmium. Today, ceramic pans have found themselves to be the first choice for many people. The reason being, the coating is no longer toxins, and it is PTFE/PFOA free!

 Now the cover is made out of ceramic which is derived from sand. If you heat it on high flame or scratch it, no toxins will come out. It is not dangerous to cook or heat food on this pan anymore. There are no toxins like lead getting mixed in the food.

One downside to this is, it is not immune to scratches. Scrubbing causes scratches on its surface. It needs to get soaked before cleaning it off. Ceramic does wear out more than other pans, and it has a brittle exterior. If you use metal on it and chip it, it will affect the performance of the pan. It is not the best to cook foods that require high flames because they can burn your food. You can cook low to medium food in it. However, it is exceptional to cook foods that stick a lot. 

4. Super-hydrophobic Pan

Super-hydrophobic pans are expensive. However, they got predicted to be more common in the future. They are what non-stick kitchenware lovers ever ask for in a pan. Grease and water do not stick to their surface. The super-hydrophobic pans slide around the surface, which makes the non-stick aspect of it more powerful. This kind of pan has multiple coats on them. One of them being a nanoscopic layer that prevents any ingredients from sticking to its surface. 

5. Polytetrafluoroethylene Pan

This pan got created accidentally during an experiment. It is not the very first pan in the world. However, this accident in 1938 invented the first non-stick pan. Pans made of polytetrafluoroethylene have a slick surface. They do, however, have PTFE and PFOA on the surface. The human body gets poisoned by these chemicals!

 The non-stick coating weakens if used on high flames. These kinds of pan can only bear up to 260 degrees

6. Aluminium Non-stick Pan

Aluminum is a common material. It should get handled gently with care!

 Avoid using metal utensils in these kinds of pans. Stick with silicone or wooden kitchenware to use in the pan. The coating on top of it is nontoxic. However, using a metal utensil can scrape off the layer, which leads you to cook on pure aluminum. Aluminium non-stick pans are smooth, affordable, and easy to find on the market. Excellence matters when it comes to preventing aluminum coats from leeching onto your food. 

7. Enamelled Pan

Enamelled pans get often used by traditional households. These pans are recommended and used by chefs. Non-stick embalming is done by spreading powdered glass on the pan and heating it to 850 degrees. The warmth causes the glass powder to stick on the pan. This non-stick pan is secure and FDA-approved, affordable, and environmentally friendly. These pans are heavy. However, they do not overheat. Enamelled pans are expensive due to the high-quality non-stick layer and are durable. You do not need to worry about your food leaching onto the iron. 

8. Carbon Steel Pan

carbon steel pans. 

Carbon steel pans eventually get naturally non-stick when it gets seasoned or cooked on. It got noticed that it gets slippery more than many actual non-stick pans. Before using it, you need to work hard on it because it is a high-maintenance pan. You need to sauté oil in the pan with potato slices. Swirl the slabs for at least 15 minutes. For best results, take carbon steel pans, wash them and do it again. These are heavier than other pans. However, you can cook almost anything on it.

9. Stainless Steel Pan

Stainless steel pans have two layers of aluminum and two layers of steel. It is expensive. However, the price is worth it due to its good performance. Stainless steel pans require tons of grease to cook stick-able foods. Stainless steel is tricky to use as a non-stick. However, if you do it right, it can be your best pan. You can grill meats and brown them. To clean them off, boil water in the pan. You can later scrub it off gently or even make a delicious sauce out of it.

10. Teflon Non-stick Pan

Many people do not like to use Teflon non-stick pans. They think that it has health risks associated with it. In 2015, PFAO, prevalent with Teflon, was deemed illegal due to its health dangers. Now Teflon’s main ingredient is PPTFE. Teflon non-stick pans’ performance is high!

 The non-stick layer is very durable and, heat distribution is good. The PTFE coating is like a sprayed plastic layer that extends after getting blazed. It maintains heat very well and prevents hot spots.

Bottom line

When looking for a pan, you might get confused when buying one.

Are you confused and do not know which one to buy? The article lists all of the different varieties, including cast iron and aluminum pans to help you.

We recommend also checking out the best guide to electric peelers!