Teflon unsafe?

[Ed_]

Re: Teflon unsafe?

... The heat transfer is so efficient that you can stack the pans ontop on one another on the stove top. The temperature difference between the bottom pan and the top pan is about 3 degrees F ( 1 degree C)....

Name names, please! I'm curious about these (even though I'm not really in the market at the moment).

[brokencookie]

Re: Teflon unsafe?

HealthCraft. Its made with a 7 ply metal sandwich. You can also find a few other brands like this. I think regal is one. I used to run my electric stove on 6 to cook chicken in a teflon pan. Now I run it at 2.5 for the same amount of time. One of the other interesting things about cooking like this is that I can put the chicken, rice and vegatables all in the same pan and cook them at once. The flavors do not mingle unless I stir them together.
If you are interested (I have no connection with the company) I would look to buy a single pan off e-bay and try it. Someone is always buying these and then not using them. The pans run between $275 and $600 each. Last year I bought a new $500 10 qt pan with lid for
$65.

Bruce

[gjbingham]

Re: Teflon unsafe?

James,
Let us know how you like that Calphalon. I bought a frying pan and pasta pot/strainer about 10 years ago. I almost never use them because they are so hard to get clean. They require a special abraisive which goes for 10 bucks for about 12 ounces. Even using that, it is very laborious in my hands.

Most of the chefs on the food network use the Calphalon and it always looks pristine. I figure they use a new set for each show because the food would not look nearly as good in an old oxidized one like mine.

[james]

Re: Teflon unsafe?

I'll let you know.

As an aside, Costco has two restaurant-grade aluminum saute pans with Teflon coating for $20. You can use them for a year or so, and toss them when the non-stick is shot. The more I think about it, non-stick on expensive anodized aluminum pans doesn't make sense. You have a great pan, but the non-stick still wears out in 12 months and you can't use it any more.

James

[BrianShaw]

Re: Teflon unsafe?

Most of the chefs on the food network use the Calphalon and it always looks pristine. I figure they use a new set for each show because the food would not look nearly as good in an old oxidized one like mine.

I figure that you are probably right! My hunch is that when Claphalon (or any other manufacturer) sponsors a show they provide sufficient product so they (both the food AND the pans) will be shown in the most flattering way.

I've been happy with Calphalon for many, many years. As long as they are properly heated prior to cooking I have little sticking. Mine never really get cleaned back to the "like new" appearance. I'm too cheap to pay for the special cleaner.

I'm happier, though, with my All-Clad - finding All-Clad more even heating than either Calphalon or Circulon, of which I have a few pieces.

[Ed_]

Re: Teflon unsafe?

The nice thing about the Calphalon hard-anodized is that you can clean it with anything... one of my pans even came with a free Scotch Brite pad and the suggestion of cleaing it with Comet if it got really bad. Like Brian, though, I've found that they rarely stick much if handled well. (Less sticking if you add your oil to an already-hot pan rather than heating the oil with the pan!)

My brother and his wife have All-Clad, and I agree it is also wonderful to cook in.

Ed

[james]

Re: Teflon unsafe?

The new thing is called Calphalon One -- they claim (yeah, marketing again) that is is more like stainless than before in cooking qualities, but easier to clean and food is a little less likely to stick.

We'll see. I received the email shipping notice, so it's on its way.
James

[gjbingham]

Re: Teflon unsafe?

Good luck with that James. Hopefully they solved a couple of thier problems. All-Clad was the top choice in all the ratings I checked recently. Expensive (very) stuff though. I'm pretty much convinced that a nice mix of teflon coated and stainless cookware is the way to go. Eggs and stickies go in coated pans. Sauteed foods and intense heat applications are better handled by stainless with a nice big heat sink in the base.

BTW - My Calphalon pan handles get nearly as hot as the pans themselves. Don't forget the mits for your first try.