Hard Anodized non-stick pan? Is that as bad as teflon? I hate stainless and cast iron,everything stick to it?!
Answers: And so hard to clean stainless...
This is somewhat of a difficult question to answer, but here goes...
Cast iron that sticks can often be a problem related to a pan that hasn't been seasoned enough or has had the seasoning dissipated through some means. In this case, you can skip the cast iron, as it is clearly causing problems for you.
As for stainles steel, it really isn't as stainless as one might think. In fact it stains quite easily and is impossible to clean effectively. Once staining has occured, it is basically irreversible. Out of the various stainless metal grades, only the 18-8 alloy is truly stainless. Again, these pans are probably not the best to own in this situation.
Teflon and several simlar products have been on the cookware market since roughly the 1960s, although the material has been around for much longer. Teflon is actually a registered trademark of a single corporation (DuPont). Many competitors have come up with similar proprietary coatings. Nonstick coatings can easily be damaged by metal utensils, although many modern versions boast a special coating that supposedly protects against damage from metal tools. I personally don't believe it in most cases and would urge that people refrain from metal tools unless they don't care about potentially damaging their cookware.
Anodization has some relation to creating a nonstick coating, but it is used primarily to create a nonreactive cooking surface. Anodization is a process by which metal (usually aluminum in cookware) is treated to make it nonreactive and reduce corrosion. Nonreactivity is important, as many foods can have negative chemical reactions when they come into contact with certain metals in cookware. If the pan says non-stick, it likely has Teflon or a related coating to protect the cooking surface and anodized metal elsewhere in the body of the pot or pan.
When it comes to modern cookware, there are so many combinations of so many kinds of technology that you actually have to look at the individual item that you are looking at. As I said, in this case, the cooking surface of the hard anodized pan probably has Teflon or a related coating. But who really knows. It might boast some new anodization that works in place of traditional non-stick coatings.
I have a set from Costco.
They are very good.
I'm not sure what they really mean when they say "hard anodized"
From what I know "anodize" is when you take aluminum and put into an acid - it creates a flash corrosion that acts as a great barrier to prevent further corrosion.
The pans seem to have a regular "non stick" coating on them.
I think they anodize, then coat with that siverstone stuff.
It's a dark grey, almost black coating.
Doesn't scratch very easily.
I've had them for three years and the coating is still good.
Not soft like teflon.
Well as a former chef I would say this it is better then Teflon because you can use it in the oven, Telon is a sprayed on coating ment to give pans a not stick coating, but are not right for high heat or the oven, the others, aluminim, St steel and Anodized are in the all metal structure itself, the Anodized is better because like Teflon it is easier to clean, is heavy and can stand the stove to oven temp changes, just make sure the handles are oven safe, metal are the best one's.
I have a set of T-Fal cast aluminum with a anodized coating, they are great, also look for one that are heavy in construction, they last longer and are more durable when cleaning, as long as you do not use them to build a wall or in the garden you cannot damage them, they are dishwasher safe, but I make sure to soak mine, and use a mild soap and nylon scrubber this prevents any gouges in the coating or scratching the metal, they do not rust but it can affect the ability to be easy clean.
I have stainless, have never had any problems with sticking. I have an ever-growing set of All-Clad stainless (30 pieces or so). Proper cooking temperature and cooking methods are key. I do not have any issues with washing them, either. My All-Clad looks like new even though many pieces used daily for over 7 years. My mother's All-Clad is about 22 years old, hers looks and works as good as new also.
Hard anodized cannot be washed in the dishwasher, as it will pit the anodizing making it appear white, it will definitely be more difficult to keep than a set of stainless. I would personally stick with good quality stainless, it will last you a lifetime.
I have a very good set of stainless steel cookware and cast iron skillets. I love all my cookware. I don't have issues with things sticking, but I know how to adjust the heat for my stainless and my cast iron is seasoned and I take good care of it
A good set of hard anodized aluminum would be my next choice if I were to go out and buy cookware. It's pretty forgiving. However, if you get a set, buy good pans. You won't find them at Walmart or Target.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and storage. If you don't, after a while you won't like your anodized aluminum pans either.
Edit: Oops. Just remembered that the brand Calphalon makes some nice anodized aluminum cookware. I'm sure there are others but this is a place to start looking.