Want to get away from non-stick cookware, specifically teflon pans. Looking for advice on what to purchase
I have an old teflon pan that I am looking to replace. It doesn't look like there is a consensus on whether teflon and other non-stick pans pose health issues, but I don't trust teflon after conducting my own research and based upon my own experiences.
Other non-stick alternatives to teflon make me uncomfortable, too.
I found two reddit posts that offered useful info (will link below), but I want to pose this to everyone here:
I'm looking to purchase a pan that isn't teflon or non-stick. It looks like my options are stainless steel, cast iron, and carbon fiber (unsure if 'carbon fiber' is the correct terminology).
I understand there are many fans of cast iron, but it seems to require a learning curve and at the moment I don't have a lot of time to learn and use cast iron properly. Although, in the future when my life gets less hectic (hopefully) I am very interested in purchasing and learning to use and maintain cast iron cookware.
That leaves stainless steel and carbon. Unless I'm missing other types of pans that aren't non-stick.
So, here are my questions.
- What alternative to non-stick pans do you all recommend? I'm looking for something that is easy to use and clean. (one of the reasons I'm not interested in cast iron is I think cast iron pans heat differently than other types of pans and so you have to learn how to cook with them...)
- I know things that aren't non-stick, are going to in fact have food stick to them. But I've read in the past that high quality 'regular' cookware will require less oil/butter/etc. to have food stick to it less. I'm unsure if that's true or not, but if it is....I'm definitely interested in knowing the type , brand, and price-range for that kind of cookware.
- I'm trying to get one of my friends on board with ditching teflon and non-stick pans. She loves to bake and cook and uses a teflon pan for everything. Her teflon pan is even dingier than mine. She loves teflon because she says she saves money on cooking oil with teflon and it's easier to clean. She also hates cast iron because she says the thought of 'seasoning' it and leaving it in a drawer worries her. She thinks it will attract ants or roaches.
That doesn't make much sense to me....but hoping that info helps when I ask: is there something I can purchase her that would help get her off the teflon train? (This may be redundant in regards to questions 1 and 2).
Not sure I'm allowed to ask this on this subreddit, but I'd appreciate specific brands and models for pans (and other cookware) if you're allowed to provide that. If you're not allowed to specify brands, is there certain specifications or materials I should look for when making a purchase?
reddit articles that I found useful, but didn't quite answer my question:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Cooking/comments/14tjgoe/nonteflon_cookware/