nordicware bundt pan--loses its non-stickiness?

[zoe b]

I've had my beautiful heavy aluminum pan for about a year now--and loved never having to sweat getting the cake out--but the last two cakes were disasters--

admittedly, the first one was an apple cake recipe from Epicurious and half of the reviews said it stuck--so allrighty on that one, maybe.

But the second time it was the brown sugar pear cake from Baking My Home to. Yours.

I haven't made that particular recipe, but have made other bundts from this book so i had no reason to expect disaster--the entire outside of the cake stuck--but at least i had a big bowl of brown crispy crumbs to eat--my fav part of a cake--and at least it wasn't to bring somewhere or for guests--but still--has this happened to anyone else? Or possibly coincidence? I hope.

Zoe

[Smithy]

Zoe,

I don't have that kind of pan, and haven't tried any of those recipes, so this is a general question. Do you use a nonstick spray (like Pam) in your nonstick Bundt pan? If so, you may have killed the nonstick qualities of your pan. A regular guest of Lynne Rosetto Kasper's radio show, The Splendid Table, has asserted many times that the "nonstick" sprays should not be used on nonstick pans. She claims that the "nonstick" sprays contain lecithin, and that lecithin interferes with the chemisty of Teflon and its ilk.

Because of the claim, with some slight corroborating evidence, I have taken pains to use standard shortening or vegetable oil to coat my elaborately-fluted baking molds. It seems to work.

Disclaimers: I haven't tested the guest's claims; I don't work for MPR or The Spendid Table, and right now I can't even remember whether it was Deborah Madison or Dorie Greenspan or some other regular guest making the claim.

Claimer: I hadn't been keen on those nonstick sprays anyway, even before I started listening to Lynne's radio show, so I didn't use them much. My husband, however, does use them. I really do think some of our nonstick pans that were brought to the marriage are "stickier" that they used to be before DH started spraying them.

[prasantrin]

Another thing to consider about non-stick--have you ever doused the pan with cold water while the pan was still hot?

A friend recently told me that a T-fal rep told her not to cool a hot pan with water, because it will destroy the non-stick finishing. This very much explains why my non-stick pans are all no longer non-stick, though I cannot guarantee the same thing applies to Nordiware pans.

[helenjp]

Not sure about nordicware specifically, but I've found - twice, yes, I'm that stupid - that heavy, moist cake seems to permanently affect nonstick finish. Once was a fresh fruit cake, the other time was a traditional fruitcake cooked at low temperature for a long time.

Maybe just bad luck, but I had no trouble when I used silicon paper to line the pans first. I did have trouble when I used pans without lining them (tube pans).

P.S. Thanks for the heads-up on cooling pans, Rona, that could explain the fruitcake problems, as I often cook several batches, and want to re-use the same pans as quickly as possible.

Nonstick spray...it's hard to get in Japan, and I only bought my first can ever last year - and certainly have had trouble with nonstick pans in the past 2 years that I never recall having before. Could be related...

[zoe b]

Do you use a nonstick spray (like Pam) in your nonstick Bundt pan?  If so, you may have killed the nonstick qualities of your pan.  A regular guest of Lynne Rosetto Kasper's radio show, The Splendid Table, has asserted many times that the "nonstick" sprays should not be used on nonstick pans.  She claims that the "nonstick" sprays contain lecithin, and that lecithin interferes with the chemisty of Teflon and its ilk.

←

oh, rats--yes, i do use a spray--JUST for that pan--because I felt that I might not get all the teeny crevises with a paper towel and oil or butter--now i am so depressed.

prasantrin said

"Another thing to consider about non-stick--have you ever doused the pan with cold water while the pan was still hot?"

No, I haven't done that, at least! I do rinse off my cookie sheets between batches, but they are aluminum.

Well, since this is a fancy fluted pan I can't line it--I'm going to think of something nice to soak it in to appease it--maybe pamper it into returning to being the fabulous non stick pan that it was--I think a nice salt bath will maybe do it.

Zoe

[gfron1]

Maybe not what you want to hear, but here is the use and care instructions from Nordicware:

Use and Care Instructions

  1. Before initial use and after subsequent uses, wash with hot soapy water.

  2. Before each use, brush with solid vegetable shortening and dust with flour or spray with unsalted vegetable shortening with flour in the spray.

  3. Mixes and recipes may vary. Fill the pan no more than 3/4 full to avoid overflow.

  4. Metal utensils, scouring pads and abrasive cleaners should not be used on non-stick surfaces.

[sanrensho]

I would suggest contacting Nordicware directly about the pan spray/lecithin issue. I'm sure they would be happy to comment on the issue. If you do hear from them, please report back.

Edited October 25, 2007 by sanrensho (log)

[Marigene]

I use equal parts flour and vegetable oil (which is kept in the refrigerator, so that it doesn't have to be mixed each time I need it) and then brush it onto my Nordicware Bundt pan and have never had anything stick to it.

[zoe b]

arrrggghhh--I wnt to the site and discovered that , yes, using a lecithin spray is not a good idea....but what they said was that it leaves a sticky residue--which gives me a little hope as perhaps there is a way to remove the residue--since it didn't say this damages the finish.

So I wrote to ask if it is possible to remove the residue--will report back.

I looked at my spray--it is soy oil and lecithin so maybe that's not as bad a s total lecithin.

Zoe

[zoe b]

just got a response from Nordicware--

A GOOD SCRUBBING WITH A PLASTIC SCRUBBER PAD SHOULD HELP--THEN USE CRISCO AND FLOUR

so maybe the finish isn't damaged--I do hope this is the case.

Zoe

[GlorifiedRice]

You can always get it recoated with new Teflon at some time.

I plan to do that when my rare Oxo Good Grips pots and pans lose

their non stickness.

[annarborfoodie]

America's Test Kitchen discussed sticking and bundt pans last week. They recommended the nonstick spray with flour (either Pam or Baker's Joy) because the flour does a better job of getting in all the nooks and crannies.

[zoe b]

ok, I did something rather risky--my theory being that it didn't sound like the Pam ruined the actual finish, rather it just formed a sticky layer on the surface.

I soaked the inside of the pan for two days in my fav stain and baked on stuff remover--automatic dish detergent dissolved in hot water.

Then I gave it a good scour with a plastic scrubber--then soaked it in soapy water for a day--thinking of dish powder residue.

Then I baked a mix cake in it--I had an ancient box in the back of the pantry--from kid days--for cupcake emergencies. I just didn't feel like getting all upset when another recipe came out in chunks.

The cake stunk, but it came out of the pan fine--I think it's ok now.

whew!

[Smithy]

That's valuable information, zoe b. Thanks for the update, and congratulations!

[zoe b]

Nancy, maybe a few of your teflon pans could be reclaimed from the Pam Spraying Spouse!