I am a complete cooking novice and I just bought a new non-stick skillet (greenpan). I’m terrified that I’m going to royally fuck it up. What are some tips and tricks to keep in mind so I don’t?
Also, are there any foods that cook particularly well in a non-stick skillet? The first thing I made in it was bacon and I was actually really pleased with the result! The burgers I made later on, not so much.
- Don’t put it in the dishwasher
- Do NOT put it in the dishwasher
- No metal utensils or scrubbers
- Don’t use higher than medium heat
Eggs are a good candidate for nonstick pans as are pancakes/crepes. Cheese things work well here too- one of my favorites is to crust a slab of halloumi cheese with za’atar spice and fry it with roasted veggies and couscous. Such a feat would be disastrous in a regular stainless pan.
Things not to stick in a nonstick include anything acidic (tomatoes or citrus), anything that needs charred or seared, and pan sauces (usually rely on browned bits left behind for flavor)
Great for eggs and omelettes, just don’t use metal utensils on them. Also great for sticky things like grilled cheese. Definitely don’t put that in the dish washer even if it says dish washer safe.
I’m not a huge fan of ceramic coated pans as they can have issues over time with hairline cracks that cause things to stick. My preference is anodized aluminum (the dark grey colored pans).
What causes those hairline cracks? Just regular usage?
Sorry, never saw your reply. Yeah just regular usage and fluctuations in the temp when you’re heating it up and it cooling down. They take a while to form, and the more careful you are with it, the longer it’ll take for them to form and have an impact to the performance. For example if you cook an omelette and immediately put water in there to clean it after, they’re more likely to form.
@darknyght00 gave some good tips on non-stick. But I believe you’ll need another, more heavy duty skillet for burgers and meats. I use cast iron for that.
It’s practically impossible to ruin a skillet. The trick is not being afraid to fuck up. Embrace it and use it as fuel to become better. Only way to get better is to fail and learn from your epic fuck ups. If you’re not fucking up you’re not growing.
