Heating a non-stick surface without oil

[memesuze]

Considering all the admonitions and warnings about not heating up a nonstick-surfaced pan unless there is at least a bit of oil in it, can anyone explain why I shouldn't be concerned that the underside of my nonstick grill/griddle pan is being heated up sans oil?

I've never heard an explanation of the science behind the admonition - merely assumed that it had something to do with poisonous fumes. But what about the underside?

Or should I just throw it away and spring for that cast iron one I can injure myself with?

memesuze

[Jinmyo]

Go for cast iron.

But nonstick is good for eggs.

Heating nonstick sans oil will cause the nonstick surface to peel.

No such surface on underside of pan.

[JAZ]

It's simply not true that you shouldn't heat up a nonstick pan without oil. I do it all the time. (That's what they're designed for.) Where did you hear this? The potential for trouble with non-stick coatings is actually much greater if you use oil than if you don't.

Now, you may have problems if you heat up a non-stick pan on too high a heat, regardless of whether you use oil or not. Keep your flame to medium, and you should be fine.

I don't care for the double sided non-stick grill/griddles myself, because to me it defeats the purpose of having a grill if you can't heat it up nice and hot (which you can't with non-stick). Non-stick griddles, though, are wonderful things for pancakes and grilled cheese sandwiches.

If you have a choice, go for two pieces: a cast iron grill pan, and a non-stick griddle.

[bigbear]

It's simply not true that you shouldn't heat up a nonstick pan without oil. I do it all the time. (That's what they're designed for.) Where did you hear this? .....

I'm pretty sure I heard Sara Moulton say it on foodtv.

[memesuze]

Sara's not the only one to say this on Foodtv and on PBS - I have heard it echoed by probably at least five other chefs. They don't use lots of oil, just a bit. And I have one of those reversible grill on one side, griddle on the other, each with nonstick surfaces. I do think I'll spring for a one-sided grill pan, anyway. I can see the advantage to keeping the griddle for quantities of pancakes. I never have gotten the hand of cooking pancakes on the top of my Chambers broiler lid, as my father did many Sunday mornings.

memesuze

[Matt Seeber]

you may have problems if you heat up a non-stick pan on too high a heat, regardless of whether you use oil or not

i concur - moderation is key in preserving the quality of the pan

[JAZ]

Sara's not the only one to say this on Foodtv and on PBS - I have heard it echoed by probably at least five other chefs.

memesuze

Hmmm. I don't have a TV, which is probably why I've never heard it. I do work in a cookware store, and have sat through numerous product demos given by reps from the various cookware manufacturers, and not one of them ever mentioned that. None of the books I have that talk about non-stick cookware mention it either. One of them (The New Cook's Catalogue) specifically mentions cooking with "little or no" oil in them.

It's not that I never use oil in my non-stick skillets, but I certainly don't use it all the time. In fact, I ruined one non-stick skillet I had by trying to shallow fry some tortilla chips in it -- the oil bonded to the inside of the skillet and formed a sticky crud that I couldn't remove (that was quite a while ago, and is part of the reason that I'm much more careful with my non-sticks and oil now).

Looks like it's time for more research.