My last nonstick pan

YukonRon

DoubleEgger said:

YukonRon said:

nolaegghead said:

Teflon pans will last for years if you follow a few rules (and there are good and bad pans).   Don't fry bacon in it.  Don't toast in it.  Don't cook steaks.  Don't roast spices.  Use it for relatively low temp cooks of sticky food you don't want to brown.  Obviously don't use metal utensils. 

We use ours for eggs.  That's pretty much it.  Ok, in full disclosure, I do some meuniere fish on occasion.

They suck at browning.  The higher temps cause the Teflon to degrade and release a poisonous gas (kills birds, from what I hear, fcks up your lungs).

Anything that sticks like meat or fish needs to be cooked until it releases.  You can do that with any pan.

I just wish I knew what they used to get the teflon to stick to the base metal....

For anyone that cares:
Basically there are three ways:
Sandblasting the substrate, followed by a primer of Teflon, then baked, which this process is repeated a couple of times prior to completion. Mechanical Adhesion.
Another method, called "sintering", is to break the chemical bond of carbon and fluorine by bombarding it in a high vacuum, electronic field, with ions. This frees the carbon, allowing it to bond with oxygen and other elements allowing it to stick.
The third is a chemical reaction. A method similar to above by breaking the fluorine carbon bond with a reducer. This frees the carbon to bond with other elements and provide the necessary adhesion to hold the coating in place.
Each of these methods compromise the structural integrity of either the substrate or the Teflon itself, which through many uses, and the laws of thermodynamics, leads to the ultimate end of the cookware's life cycle.
Fun fact: Untreated Teflon is the only substance known of which a gecko's feet will not adhere to.
Another fun fact: the thresholds for toxicity of this product was established by the manufacturer, not independent labs or even verified. In fact, a recent class action lawsuit, settled "out of court", was done in the State of West Virginia, where Teflon was showing up in people's blood. A plant had been making Teflon there for years, and it is believed to have gotten into the water systems. The "out of court settlement" bought new computers for the local schools in the area, if I am not mistaken.
Actually, trace amounts of Teflon likely exists in everyone by now anyway.

I want you to explain this after you've had about four bourbon slushies at BB 

Nah. After 4 of those, I will be seeking a place to lay down.