Why you should Replace your Nonstick Cookware

Why you should Replace your Nonstick Cookware

We at Heritage Steel are on a mission to save your kitchen from nonstick cookware.

Here are our top five reasons why you should replace your nonstick cookware:

1. You're going to have to replace them soon anyways

Nonstick cookware is not designed to last. If you're really lucky, you'll maybe get a year of solid use out of a nonstick pan before they're all scratched up and your food is sticking all over. 

While plenty of cookware manufacturers out there will tout that their coating lasts two, three, twenty times longer than the others, it's always good to check the fine print: what's covered under their warranty? What you'll generally find is... not much. It's in the manufacturer's interest to have a limited warranty that will force you to replace your nonstick cookware after it stops being effective.

2. They limit your cooking techniques

We believe that anything you want to make in a nonstick pan can also be made in a stainless steel pan. The opposite is not true.

Here are a couple things you can do with stainless steel cookware that you can't with nonstick:

  • Use a high heat sear to get a great crust on your steak
  • Use metal utensils
  • Go from stovetop to oven

So don't limit your cooking! Stick with cookware that is versatile rather than specialized.

3. They limit the flavor of your cooking

stainless fry pan

Beyond just limiting the techniques you can use, nonstick pans also create less flavorful food.

Here's the thing: sticking is required for building flavor. Some of the most delicious aspects of many dishes are creating then deglazing fond, which can only be achieved when your food sticks to the pan to some extent.

For example, if you're searing a roast before braising it, those little brown bits left over on the pan are flavor bombs that you then incorporate back in by deglazing. Or if you're caramelizing onions, the extra sticking creates a deeper and richer flavor. In a nonstick pan? If there's no sticking, there's none of that extra flavor.

4. They can expose you to questionable chemicals

Most all modern nonstick cookware no longer uses PFOA and PTFO which have well-documented health risks. However, they do still use PTFE or other types of nonstick coatings. PTFE (also known as Teflon) will break down at high temperatures, which can cause flu-like symptoms if the fumes are inhaled.

Ceramic cookware is purported to be a "healthier" alternative, but we really don't know enough at this point to know. Since this is a relatively new technology, there isn't a lot of science behind its health effects.

Further, once the nonstick coating gets chipped, scratched, or otherwise degraded, the pan's inner aluminum will be directly exposed to the food you're cooking. Besides creating a poor cooking performance, this will also cause aluminum to start leaching into your food.

5. They're bad for the environment

Regardless of how "eco-conscious" nonstick cookware manufacturers may claim to be, relying on nonstick cookware is hardly eco-friendly. 

If you have to replace all of your pans every couple of years, that creates a lot of unnecessary waste. While that may be good for the manufacturer (you have to rebuy a pan), it's bad for your pocketbook and the environment.

The bottom line? Invest in cookware that lasts!

We believe that great cookware should last a lifetime. That's why we build Heritage Steel cookware with durable materials, impeccable craftsmanship, and back it all up with a lifetime warranty.