How Long Does Nonstick Cookware Last?

furyou on 04/07/2025 - 00:10
Last edited 04/07/2025 - 10:07 by 1 other user

My experience is so varied:

1) I have this Kmart magic pan. What coating is this? It's 5 years and still fine, no real sign of scratching off

2) I have some charcoal coloured cookware, mainly pots. It looks like that all round, seems nonstick but not as dark coloured, no scratches. What coatings are they?

3) I have some black Nonstick Cookware like these and they last not so long. From Kmart to home to random Myer sales items.

4) I have some Tefal stuff with the red dot. Had a frypan last years. Had some other pots scratch within six months. Apparently, you can't even sprinkle salt on while cooking, it'll scratch the coating?

We can't use steel/iron, too heavy for our twig arms. So don't worry about writing the same comment about getting a stainless steel or cast iron and lasting forever. Telling my partner to just be stronger is a dumb idea and they will just buy more crappy nonstick stuff that doesn't last.

What are our best options for stuff that lasts a bit?

Food & Grocery Cookware

Comments

  • jv on 04/07/2025 - 00:24
    +8

    How Long Does Nonstick Cookware Last?

    It varies.

  • hasher22 on 04/07/2025 - 00:54
    +4

    How long is a piece of string?

    It just varies from use, quality, how it's stored/cared for and materials used. It also depends if you cook on high heat and what tools you use to cook with so it doesn't scratch.

    Some people can make a kmart pan last for years while Scanpan which should last for years and years can only last a few years.

    P.s I have a cheap Kmart $5 pan I use for only eggs about 2 times a week, use a silicone spatula and I purchased that 2 years ago, it only has light scratches and is still going very strong, don't need to replace it yet.

    • AustriaBargain on 04/07/2025 - 01:14
      +1

      I use the back of a fork to mix eggs on the cheap pan and it's been fine for me.

      • bbinc on 04/07/2025 - 09:41
        +1

        Plastic fork here

    • furyou on 04/07/2025 - 09:09

      That's why I am asking I use exactly the same way and Exactly have a kmart pan last for years while a Scanpan become gummed up in a year.
      What are the different coatings and why do some of the cheaper ones last longer than the more expensive ones

      • bbinc on 04/07/2025 - 09:42

        Cleaning can make a diffference. Just one inadequate wash leaves gum that burns on.

    • ATTS on 06/07/2025 - 10:14

      Can silicone spatula melt in the pan at high heat?

      We using wood and metal because of that concern

      • hasher22 on 06/07/2025 - 11:42
        +1

        You should be fine. Silicone can withstand heat from 220 degrees up to 340.

        If you're cooking on high heat and leaving the spatula directly on/in the pan (which you shouldn't really do with silicone anyways) then you're fine.

        I never had a problem cooking eggs, sauces, stirring pasta, etc…..

        Try it, you may like it better than metal or wood.

        • ATTS on 06/07/2025 - 15:03

          Thanks man will try

  • AustriaBargain on 04/07/2025 - 01:13

    The $8 pan says it's teflon coated, and considering the price the $15 pan is probably teflon coated too. They both say PFOA-free but the $15 pan doesn't say PTFE-free. If it was a more premium coating, such as ceramic, it would say so. The $15 pan specifically mentions a four layer coating, and $8 pan probably uses just a single layer. The $8 pan could use a cheaper grade of teflon too. The raised honeycomb pattern on the $15 one probably helps stop utensils scraping too, who knows…

  • Potatohead82 on 04/07/2025 - 08:31

    I was on the same boat in April > https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/902159

    I ended up purchasing the Tefal with Titanium, we ONLY use it for eggs and we don't let it overheat. 3 months later still working as day one.

    • furyou on 04/07/2025 - 09:10

      I'm reading a lot about not overheating and what on earth does that mean? We have a gas stove and scientifically gas burns at a certain degree right? And then the different rings just mean there is a small area versus a large area of fire.

      So how do you know if it is overheating or not?

      • Potatohead82 on 04/07/2025 - 09:20
        +1

        Good question, we just don't turn the flame up to the max, always keep it between low and medium.

      • pinchies on 04/07/2025 - 10:17

        Teflon (PTFE) coatings degrade over time with heat, especially above ~235ºC, and the fumes that emit are also really bad for you (and can kill birds!!). If you're seeing smoking of oil, you're likely above 190ºC and in real danger of cooking too hot for a non-stick pan.

        • Muppet Detector on 04/07/2025 - 19:06

          For most cooking, 180C really is enough.

          When sealing a steak for example, that brown colour created on the outside is caused by the caramelisation of the natural sugars.

          If you heat sugar above 180C it BURNS.

          "When it's brown it's cooked. when it's black it's fooked"

          • furyou on 04/07/2025 - 19:55

            @Muppet Detector: Just as and aside, it's a bad idea to do steake in teflon pans right? Because any salt and pepper granules you put on my scratch the coating?

            I read on tefal instructions somewhere when boiling water only add SALT after the water is boiling otherwise the crystals might scratch

            • Muppet Detector on 04/07/2025 - 20:02

              @furyou: I would assume so but I don't really know. I don't use non stick cookware, I season my own cast iron skillets.

              Salt is an abrasive though, so it makes sense to me that it would scratch Teflon coating.

              Another non stick top is if your pan becomes too hot before you add any food, add a bit of water and allow that to evaporate.

              When a metal pan heats up, these pores open. Then when you put food on them, the temperature drops and the pores close up grabbing the food and enclosing it into the pan which causes the food to stick, uneven temperature on surface area and burning of trapped food.

        • Muppet Detector on 04/07/2025 - 19:07

          I'd say most oils commonly used for cooking at least are a long way past 190C if they've reached smoking point.

          That's approaching flash point.

          I'm gonna err on the side of caution here and say that's too high.

        • furyou on 04/07/2025 - 19:56

          So if our oil is not smoking we're ok?
          I use rice bran oil mostly.

          • Muppet Detector on 04/07/2025 - 20:09

            @furyou: Smoking oil is bad. Remove pan from stove and place it somewhere safe like an empty metal sink. Whatever you do, quickly remove it from under any over head exhaust/extraction fan.

            As oil starts to heat, you will see movement on the surface.

            To test if the oil is hot enough, just rinse your fingers under the cold tap and flick the water droplets away from yourself into the oil on the pan.

            If it sizzles, oil is hot enough.

            Would need to look up the burning point of bran oil, I've never used it before. It may reach burning and flash points at lower temperatures than olive and canola type oils, I'm really not sure about that.

            • furyou on 04/07/2025 - 20:13

              @Muppet Detector: It says high smoke point of 232 °C

              I mean I don't actually know if I've ever seen smoking oil before or what smoking oil looks like.

              I don't do most the cooking.

              And most of my cooking involves water rather than frying stuff

              • Muppet Detector on 04/07/2025 - 20:17

                @furyou: You should be good then.

                You know what smoke looks like right?

                If the oil in your fry pan reaches 232C you will see the smoke.

                Keep in mind, I've seen domestic deep fryers that have temperatures up to 240C.

                Careful if you use bran oil in those.

                For deep frying 180 - 200 really should be hot enough.

                The only time you need oil at 220 C is if you are making Yorkshire puddings.

                • furyou on 04/07/2025 - 22:47

                  @Muppet Detector: Well I mean when you cook you firstly see some steam come off the food right?
                  Or when you stir fry there's a little bit of smoke I don't really know If that's the water or the oil
                  I'm guessing you mean a lot of smoke because all of the oil will be smoking at the same time?

                  So you can actually deep fry in a nonstick?

                  • Muppet Detector on 04/07/2025 - 23:30

                    @furyou: You can deep fry in anything deep enough that can withstand whatever temperature you're cooking at.

                    Definition of deep frying is something like "subjection of food to the action of heat typically at temperature between 177C (350F Gas mark 4) - 191C (375 F Gas mark 4 1/2) (but as high as 205C (400F Gas mark 5) whilst completely submerged in a frying medium (usually fat, lard or oil)".

                    Quote from Practical Proffessional Cookery by Coffman and Kracknel - sorry, can't remember exactly, learned that in 1988. Bit rusty these days.

                    Note steam isn't smoke. Steam is an invisible gas.

                    When water heats up it evaporates which means it turns into water vapour and expands.

                    At 100C it boils (usually) thus rapidly evaporating and at boiling point, the invisible gas of steam is created.

      • Muppet Detector on 04/07/2025 - 19:01

        Noooooo

        Gas may burn at the same temperature, but it generally produces both blue and yellow flames.

        The blue flames are a lot hotter

        Not everything needs to be cooked flat out like a lizard drinking on full bore.

        If you think about it, gas ovens come with temperature control…

        I think you will find that a lot of the temperature depends on the heat retention properties of your cookware. Metal tends to retain heat and is capable of reaching very high temperatures.

        Even putting a cover over the pan will increase internal cooking temperature.

        I once spent $170 on a non stick pan for the sole purpose of cooking omelettes.

        Husband used it to cook a T bone steak and he fkd it right up.

  • Subere on 04/07/2025 - 08:52
    +2

    Learn to use stainless steel and carbon steel, wrought iron, cast iron.

    Will never need to replace again.

  • ForkSnorter on 04/07/2025 - 09:03

    They're all plastic coatings (PTFE). When the plastic comes off, it either goes into your body, or down the drain. The 4-layer one would have degraded as well, you just haven't noticed because it has 4 coats and only 2or 3 of them have come off so far.

  • Far Cough on 04/07/2025 - 09:44

    my tefal pans last a year
    i use them every 1-2 days
    put in dishwasher to clean them

  • bbinc on 04/07/2025 - 09:46

    Splashed some serious cash on a ScanPan Haptiq. Best non stick ever, handles heat well, has become our go to. Google up and read the reviews though.

  • El cheepo on 04/07/2025 - 09:58

    I managed to ruin two new mid range ones in a week.
    Wish me luck on my third attempt of using high heat 🤔

  • coffeeinmyveins on 04/07/2025 - 13:50
    +2

    We can't use steel/iron, too heavy for our twig arms

    you do realise stainless steel pans are not that heavy, right? ANd they will last a lifetime and not leech chemicals and other crap into your body.

    Telling my partner to just be stronger is a dumb idea and they will just buy more crappy nonstick stuff that doesn't last.

    Go and weigh a stainless steel pan vs these crappy ones and you'll see they don't arguably way that much more. Unless your partner and you have literal pinky fingers as arms, you should be fine.

    • Subere on 04/07/2025 - 15:07

      My solidteknics aus-ion doesn't leave the stove top so doesn't matter how weak I am. It's also naturally non stick, can work at high heat and I can scrape the hell out of it with a metal spatular to clean excess. Should have got one years ago and now that we have it (and some stainless pans and pots), we'll never go back to non stick cookware.

    • furyou on 04/07/2025 - 19:58

      Numbers are great but you know we can actually lift up real steel pans in the store and say they are too heavy right

  • doperst on 04/07/2025 - 16:35

    I've tried a dozen different coatings and brands, most of them suck. The only one that holds up is anodized aluminum - even on a $20 pan from Kmart or Aldi, it lasts for years.

    • furyou on 04/07/2025 - 18:18

      Does it act more like non stick or stainless steel?

      • doperst on 04/07/2025 - 19:59

        It's non stick, and I believe it has good resistance to overheating - which is what usually ruins non-stick cookware.

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