Your Nonstick Pan Deserves Better. Stop Making These Mistakes

Like cast-iron pans, non-stick pans come with their own set of rules to ensure long-lasting longevity. If you want to keep getting those perfectly rolled French omelets and smooth, unblemished pancakes, then you’re going to have to make sure your non-stick pans stay in perfect, working condition.

Sadly, that means a little more work than just washing them between uses. As you might have noticed, your nonstick pans probably came with a user manual. Well, it turns out the info inside is actually pretty important. But don’t worry if you tossed it out with the packaging, even if you didn’t read it at all, because we’ve got you covered. Make sure you’re not making any of these following 10 mistakes and you’ll ensure your non-stick pans last for as long as possible.

Photo by Sean Tirman

Using Metal Utensils

Arguably the most important, immediate rule to remember is to not use metal utensils on your non-stick pan. The last thing you want to do is to scrape off the non-stick coating that keeps everything, well, non-stick. And unfortunately, metal is very hard and abrasive to surfaces, especially those with a coating (like nonstick). Instead, opt for wooden utensils or those made out of silicone or nylon.

Preheating While Empty

When you heat an empty non-stick pan, the only thing getting heated is the non-stick coating. And that is not good. The non-stick coating will start to deteriorate and release harmful toxins in the air and could even release them into your food, which is definitely something you do not want to be breathing in or eating. Instead, you should put your oil (not cooking spray [more on that later]) into the pan, warm it up and add your ingredients as soon as it’s warm.

Photo by Sean Tirman

Taking Things Too Hot

Even after you start cooking, avoid cooking on extra-high heat. Despite having food in the pan, the hotter temperature can still degrade the non-stick coating. Stick with medium-to-low temperatures — while they might not seem hot enough, the pans will heat up plenty. Furthermore, cooking with too-high heat could end up burning your pan — which you might think is staining from your food, until you try to scrub it off (it’s very difficult or even impossible without also scraping off the nonstick coating). It’s also why you shouldn’t expect to get amazing sears from your non-stick pan — that’s what cast iron is for!

Stacking Your Cookware

That precious non-stick material is very delicate. You may feel the urge to stack your cookware to save some space, but the bottom of other cookware will likely scratch your non-stick pan — much in the same way metal utensils would. Do your best to find ways to store your non-stick pans without stacking, but if it’s absolutely necessary to stack because of storage restrictions, keep something soft — like some sort of fabric (some major cookware brands even make pot protectors, like these from All-Clad) — between the cookware to avoid rubbing and abrasion.

Using It After the Coating Tears

We told you all the ways to avoid scratching your non-stick pan, but now it’s happened: the non-stick coating has started to tear away. Once you can see the non-stick coating lifting away, it’s time to throw away the pan. Parts of the pan will start to end up in your food, and you do not want to eat whatever it is that coats your non-stick pan. While it might not make you sick, per se, it’s definitely not going to be good for you (as Delish points out) — especially if its an older pan and/or made outside the USA (this may increase the likelihood of dangerous chemicals making it into your food).

Spending Too Much

Unfortunately, non-stick pans won’t last forever. After all, once it gets even a tiny scratch, the pan is practically done for. However, you don’t have to dump your bank account every time you need a new pan. You can find a great non-stick pan for around $20 (T-fal makes a pretty excellent one), so no need to shell out a few bills for something with a short shelf life.

Stick with Oil and Butter (and Never Cooking Spray)

After you realize you shouldn’t be heating up a non-stick pan without anything in it, it’s important to realize that non-stick still needs a little help being non-stick. Add some fat —whether it’s oil or butter — to your pan so things slide right out once they’re done cooking. Just don’t use cooking sprays, which are notoriously hard to clean off and will start to accumulate on your pan’s surface, creating a nasty, sticky residue and potentially ruining it in the process.

Photo by Sean Tirman

Throwing a Hot Pan Under Cool Water

This applies to pretty much all cookware, but the quick transition from hot to cold can warp a pan rendering it close to useless. Worse, with enough of a temperature shock, the pan could even chip or crack entirely, rendering it completely broken. Let that hot pan cool before washing it to avoid ruining it for good. And dry it off with a towel or other fabric once you’re done washing — you don’t want water sitting on/in it for too long.

You Use the Dishwasher

Dishwashers feel like a godsend, but they’re the exact opposite when it comes to non-stick pans. From the cleaning solutions to the stark temperature fluctuations, a dishwasher can easily warp and distort your non-stick pan. And even though some non-stick pans say they’re safe to put in the dishwasher, it’s really not that hard to hand wash. After all, that non-stick coating should come in handy or swiping out all the leftover grime in the pan.

Putting in Too Much Elbow Grease

Since you’re (hopefully) hand-washing your non-stick pan now, it’s a good time to tell you to take it easy with the scrubbing. Definitely don’t scrub your pan with an abrasive cleaner — including both gritty soaps and tools, like steel wool — and avoid scrubbing so hard that the coating rubs off. Some nonstick pans come with a microabrasion scrubber, which should be fine when used properly — just make sure to check that user manual for proper instructions.