Several of my friends are still using teflon non-stick pots and pans (OMG). There is a new alternative, a non-stick ceramic finish. I'm wondering about it though, of course, as the words "non-stick" strike instant health-fear in my gut. If any of you have an opinion on this I'd love to hear it before I go buying xmas presents for friends and family that will be just as unhealthy as what they've already got.
Thanks bunches folks .

[www.earthchef.ca]

I had a pan with the stuff (and the label said 'green' in the title). I think it had silicon, though. Maybe we are thinking of different things...

I have to say that I would recommend a seasoned cast iron pan! I wish I had done this sooner! They advise not using any water or soap but that is utterly absurd. I even forgot and left the pan soaking for a long period of time (it was stuck with roasted veggie matter from T-Day) and it was fine!

I can't keep a cast iron pan good, no matter how careful I am I manage to muck them up. I don't get it, I follow the instructions but every cast iron pan I've had I've ruined.

I think my brand is a Lodge. Impossible. I had an iron pan that turned to rust. This one is completely unmuckable. I didn't even dry the thing. It has a natural nonstick element. Not that it never sticks but if you heat it first and put olive oil (or other shortening), it will usually work very well. The only thing I am not crazy about is its heft. Don't drop that sucker.

I'll look up that brand. The one I have now I scored at a thrift store for 6 bucks and it worked so well the first time I used it. After that though, no go. It's old and heavy, you'd think the finish would be indestructible but I managed...

I love cast iron cookware. All you have to to is 'season' it when brand new. Oil it lightly and stick in 350 degree oven for an hour. That's all there is to that. Maybe once a year do it again.

After you clean it, with whatever you like, just smear some olive oil on the inside and that's all.

Sorry Coco..I don't know of which kind of 'green' pans you are asking about. I like ceramic or glass also.

Love,
Prism

Prism, they make pans which are pre-seasoned. I had a prior pan which I was supposed to season and it was a disaster, at least for me. That is why I recommended to get one already treated.

I just own one big skillet. It doesn't have a lid, but lookie what I found on the Internets! Too bad I just didn't check here first! It's only $5 than what I spent (bangs head): [www.amazon.com]

coco,

Seasoned cast iron is a cinch to use and care for; just don't immerse it in water. I rescued a couple of old cast iron pans from my humid basement. I scoured the rust off with two different grades of sandpaper in turn, then brushed the shavings completely off the surfaces. Then, I rubbed the pans with peanut oil and roasted them and cooled them completely, then repeated the roasting and cooling one more time. Voila! Thoroughly and irreversibly seasoned cast iron pans that need only be wiped clean after use! It's wonderful! In the past, I have a had the Lodge pan that banana who recommends, and found that it benefited from being seasoned once, after a few years of use. But right out of the box, the preseasoned one works fine.

Apart from that, the Ecolution brand of pans that can be had a drug stores is pretty good: they are lightweight, easy to clean, tend to hold heat well, and the nonstick finish is among the safest available today. I advise people not to use high heat with nonstick pans, unless they are clay or cast iron. These last two have proven chemical stability at high temps, and most nonstick finishes just don't have that level of comprehensive data on them. For everyday not-too-harsh cooking, the eco friendly finish pans are OK.

I have had preseasoned, I have rescued trashed pans, I have found very well seasoned second hand pans at the thrift store. I ruin them ALL. And believe me, I follow instructions, I carefully do all that I'm supposed to do to keep them happy. It just doesn't happen for me, I've got some sort of bad cast iron mojo going on. It's sucky.
A big Canadian chain store here is closing (bought out by Target, le sigh) so I got a ceramic non-stick pan for $13 and tried it out. Seemed ok, but when I cleaned it (soft sponge, dried with a towel, stored with nothing in it) there was a scratch! More like a chip actually. I just don't get it, I am not meant to own or use a pan of any sort it seems.

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I am not meant to own or use a pan of any sort it seems.

It's possible, I suppose. Luckily, you like raw things

Sigh. If only my kids would go along with this plan. LOL. Maybe I should look for a good dehydrator pancake recipe that won't break the bank or take 3 days to make, ha ha. Wish me luck...

Good luck, coconuts!

I've wondered about the green pans as well. My understanding is that toxicity becomes an issue only when the pan becomes scarred, for instance with a metal spatula. Make sure to only use a silocone utensil with it and you'll be better off.

februarygirl