Non Stick Pans - Mumsnet Alert

monquixote

We've just got a dishwasher for the first time and one of the results is that the ancient pots and pans we have had for about 10 years have shed their remaining non stick coating and are now completely useless. 

From doing research it seems to be the case that if you have non stick pans and dishwash them they will be trashed after a couple of years. Various brands claim that they have super tough coatings that will survive harsh treatment, but I'm not sure if this is just marketing crap.

I don't mind paying extra for good pans, but if they are going to be scrap in a couple of years I might as well buy a cheap set of Tefal ones and budget in replacing them on a regular basis.

I should add that I definitely do want non stick and cleaning them by hand isn't an option.

Thoughts?

mgaw

all they need is a quick clean by hand with a soft cloth and they are done...do it immediately after you have used them...which would take seconds..stop being a slacker and scrub dem pots and pans

mgaw

lidl had some not stick ceramic frying pans which i bought and they are bloody marvellous, dont know if they are dishwash proof cos i is a man and i wash dem pots and pans

EricTheWeary

Dishwashers wreck all kinds of things - wooden things, good glasses. I never put saucepans in the dishwasher, always do them by hand - not that hard and you won't waste the space in the washer. I'm fairly sure people I know don't bother putting pots and pans in the dishwasher. 

stickyfiddle

The Le Creuset non stick stuff is excellent but I still wouldn't dishwash them. They only take a few seconds to wash though - hot water, bit of fairy liquid and the soft bit of a yellow sponge

Winny_Pooh

Our solution is to buy 3 of these cheap ikea pans that last for ages and chuck them when worn.
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/cookware/frying-pans-woks/kavalkad-frying-pan-black-art-00267706/

We also have one large better quality pan for bigger jobs that does not go in the dishwasher. 

Sporky

monquixote said:

I should add that I definitely do want non stick and cleaning them by hand isn't an option.

Thoughts?

I think you have added sufficient constraints to produce a null solution space.

chrispy108

I can wash a pan by hand (after a bit of a soak maybe) quicker than I can wedge it into the dishwasher and back out again.

I don't understand why you'd dishwasher pans, it takes just as long of your time, and much longer total time.

ThePrettyDamned

If you want to use a dishwasher, use stainless steel. Last forever, and clean easily in the sink, too - just wipe with a very thin layer of rape seed oil prior to use and it's quite resistant to sticking anyway . 

I've swapped to carbon steel , which needs seasoning but works beautifully . Hand wash only , and takes effort to maintain , but holds heat and sears well -it's almost like a lighter version of cast iron. 

For non stick, a chef friend reckons you should go to tk maxx and get the cheapest you can - they'll wear out within a year or two regardless unless you're very careful . I don't like the throwaway culture . 

A good alternative could be to try ceramic non stick pans . They still won't retain heat so well, but they apparently last far longer than standard Teflon kit . Le creuset do good stuff, but greenpan (? ) are more affordable and supposed to be decent . 

If it's going in the dish washer, why get non stick ? My Teflon frying pan just gets a wipe with a damp cloth after use and it's ready . 

monquixote

Sporky said:

monquixote said:

I should add that I definitely do want non stick and cleaning them by hand isn't an option.

Thoughts?

I think you have added sufficient constraints to produce a null solution space.

Not really because buy cheap pans and chuck them every couple of years is a valid solution.

The constraint isn't mine. The Mrs wants non stick and isn't going to wash them by hand so given that she does most of the kitchen stuff it's ultimately her decision, I just need to know if buying something expensive is a waste of time which it sounds like it is.

fretmeister

You could offer to wash them?

even cheap non stick pans wash very easily.

monquixote

fretmeister said:

You could offer to wash them?

even cheap non stick pans wash very easily.

It's usually done before I am home from work.

EricTheWeary

fretmeister said:

You could offer to wash them?

even cheap non stick pans wash very easily.

Almost like...stuff doesn't stick to them...

Chalky

The fact remains that dishwashers are bad for non-stick coatings. My wife has had her steel pots and pans set for 15 years and they are like new, but she budgets to replace her non-stick pan every couple of years.

octatonic

monquixote said:

We've just got a dishwasher for the first time and one of the results is that the ancient pots and pans we have had for about 10 years have shed their remaining non stick coating and are now completely useless. 

From doing research it seems to be the case that if you have non stick pans and dishwash them they will be trashed after a couple of years. Various brands claim that they have super tough coatings that will survive harsh treatment, but I'm not sure if this is just marketing crap.

I don't mind paying extra for good pans, but if they are going to be scrap in a couple of years I might as well buy a cheap set of Tefal ones and budget in replacing them on a regular basis.

I should add that I definitely do want non stick and cleaning them by hand isn't an option.

Thoughts?

We have some disposable nonstick pots and pans that get replaced every year and some lovely and expensive Le Creuset ones (not non-stick) that we will probably have forever.

The Le Creuset ones get used for anything where heavy scrubbing will not be required.
The cheap & replaceable non-stick pans get used more often and I'm militant about getting rid of them when they show signs that the coating is wearing off.
The cheap ones we get at Sainsbury- they are about £10-20 a pop.

Sambostar

Cheap Stainless and an iron frying pan with 10 years of burnt grease on it, unless you have an induction hob, in which case you need a gas hob because induction hobs are stupid.  Most of those non stick horrible things are aluminium underneath anyway.  Nasty.

paul_c2

You have to wonder, how they get the non-stick coating to stick to the pan.........

Emp_Fab

It's a paradox.  It's can't be solved.

As a Master Dishwasherer, I can confirm that anything non-stick you put in it will be ruined.  Also, be very careful of putting decent glassware in there - they can go cloudy.  Still, my dishywashy was the best domestic appliance I've ever purchased.  Talking of which - mine is 14 years old and I've replaced so many parts on it over the years, it's almost like Trigger's broom.  I finally fixed a longstanding fault on it yesterday - turned out to be a PCB mount relay that was breaking down under load.

I remember buying it on Boxing Day - I'd done a big Christmas dinner and looked at the humongous pile of washing up to do and said "fuck that...." and went out and bought a dishywashy.

Headphones

I wouldn't say everything non stick dies.  I've a pair of Tefal dishwasher safe non sticks (large and small frying) that go through the dishwasher, five years in they are blemish free.  These were the more expensive in the range, with the heavy bottoms.

WezV

I am currently on a Regis stone pan from wilko's.  I have had decent non-stick pans before and the frying pans are always the first to die.  They get the most abuse here.  The Regis is holding up very well

monquixote

I've just been out and bought an Eaziglide pan from John Lewis. 

They have a lifetime guarantee on the non stick coating and claim to be dishwashable so time will tell.