Seasoning No-Stick Frying Pan

Seasoning No-Stick Frying Pan - Male seasoning delicious meatballs in pan against cheerful female beloved with cup of coffee in kitchen

When I buy a brand-new Frying pan, the instructions usually say to "season" or oil the Pan. I just purchased one and it also says to "season" after every 10 dishwasher cycles. I always wash my pan by hand, so do I need to do this every 10 washings? What is the purpose of "seasoning" the Pan



Best Answer

"Seasoning" on non-stick pans is quite different from seasoning on older frying pans made of things like cast iron or carbon steel. For something like cast iron, you are trying to create a durable coating of polymerized oil, essentially a "non-stick layer" of burnt oil. That process of seasoning can require a lot more effort and specific steps.

Your non-stick pan doesn't need that, since it already has such a coating that is resistant to sticking. But you still can benefit from an occasional lubricant to smooth out any microscopic irregularities in the pan's surface and to serve as an additional chemical barrier between the surface and the food.

This New York Times article has a good summary of care for non-stick pans. The author interviewed a number of manufacturers of non-stick pans. To the relevant section:

So this is what I should have known. I should have “preseasoned” the pan by rinsing and drying it and rubbing it with a paper towel with a little oil on it. Pretty much any type of oil will do.

It’s a good idea to rub about a teaspoon of oil or butter on a cold pan each time you use it, Mr. Winter [director of research at Nordic Ware] said, because despite the name nonstick, most of the cookware needs some kind of lubricant.

Just don’t pour oil or butter on the pan and then slosh it around (my method).

“Then the oil is not adhering to the pan but being absorbed by the food,” he said. Not only will you have butter-soaked pancakes, but after a while they’ll start sticking because there’s no grease."

And later in the article:

Although I don’t usually put my cookware in the dishwasher, I did as a last-ditch effort — another bad idea. Most experts I talked to said to hand-wash nonstick cookware, because the high heat and harsh detergents can ruin the coatings.

To answer your specific question: oiling periodically may or may not be required. It depends on how you use the pan. If you frequently cook with oil or butter and only handwash the pan, oiling may not be necessary at all. If you rarely cook with oil or fat, you may find it helps to rub oil on the pan once in a while.

Using harsh detergents will be hard on the pan's surface, as the above quotation says about using dishwashers. If you're handwashing, I'd just do it "as needed." That is, if you notice your food sticking a bit, then wash the pan, dry thoroughly, and rub a tiny amount of oil on. (Note that there's little benefit in leaving excess oil on the surface.)

I rarely use non-stick pans these days, but when I have, I never bothered with "seasoning." As long as you handwash and cook with oil or fat, you may not need additional oiling at all.




Pictures about "Seasoning No-Stick Frying Pan"

Seasoning No-Stick Frying Pan - Fried egg with condiment in frying pan
Seasoning No-Stick Frying Pan - High angle of pan with fried egg with seasoning placed on wooden board in kitchen
Seasoning No-Stick Frying Pan - Unrecognizable female cook wearing apron adding seasoning on cutlets while preparing delicious burger at table with stove in kitchen



Quick Answer about "Seasoning No-Stick Frying Pan"

Season a nonstick pan by rubbing 1 teaspoon of peanut or canola oil onto the surface of the pan all the way up to the rim. Heat the pan on the stove over medium heat for 30 to 60 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool and dry completely. Using a paper towel, wipe out any excess oil.

How do I make my non stick pan non stick again?

To do so, simply mix 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons baking soda, and \xbd cup white vinegar in the pot or pan that's lost its stick, set on the stove, and heat until boiling for 10 minutes. Wash the pot as usual, then rub vegetable oil on the surface to re-season it and get the non-stick surface back.

Do you need to season a new frying pan?

Seasoning a pan makes the surface non-stick, which helps you reduce the amount of butter, oil, or fat you use when cooking. A seasoned pan is also easy to clean and doesn't rust as quickly, which gives it a longer lifespan.



How To Season A Nonstick Pan | Hexclad pan seasoning like NEW!




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Gary Barnes, Klaus Nielsen, Klaus Nielsen, Katerina Holmes