A non-stick skillet is an absolute essential for any home cook. Next to a stockpot, chef's knife and saute pan, a non-stick skillet is indispensible for a number of dishes that can't be prepared in any other type of pot or pan. If you choose one correctly and care for it, your non-stick skillet can be a part of your kitchen equipment for many years.
Instructions
1. Choose the right skillet. It is very important to think long and hard about what type of non-stick skillet, and which brand, you are going to buy before you put your money down. The old adage is truer with non-stick cookware than anything else--you get what you pay for. There are few bargain non-stick skillets made that perform well and some are downright unsafe. Because there is an added quality concern, you must look at not only construction and heat distribution, but the type of as well. Go for brands that have more than one layer of non-stick coating. Avoid single-layer, non-stick skillets, or anything that has a final coating of silicone. These scratch easily and have a short life span.
2. Cook the right way with your non-stick skillet. Because your non-stick skillet has a protective coating that keeps foods from sticking to it, it's not necessary to cook over as high a heat with them as you would with pots or pans without the non-stick coating. Cooking over high heat is often done to ensure a food does not stick. That is not a worry with your non-stick skillet. Use your non-stick skillet primarily for items that stick easily to other cookware, like fish and eggs.
3. Know the dangers of your non-stick skillet. Because the coating on your skillet contains carcinogens, it is important to know when your skillet can be harmful to your health and dangerous to your pets. When the non-stick surface is at room temperature, chemicals are inert. Once the surface heats up by itself, however, fumes are released that can make humans sick and can kill small pets. The way to avoid this is by never heating a non-stick skillet without anything in it. If there is oil or any kind of food inside the skillet, it will keep the chemicals from releasing into the air.
4. Clean your non-stick skillet gently. Even if you have a double- or triple-layer surface to your non-stick skillet, it is still easy to scratch and chip if handled incorrectly. Never clean your non-stick skillet's interior with a scouring brush or harsh sponge. Always use the soft side of a sponge with warm water and soap. Because the surface is non-stick, removing food from the inside should never be that difficult.
5. Store your non-stick skillet without harm. Hanging your non-stick skillet is the best way to keep it from getting scratched or harmed. If you must put it away in a cabinet or cupboard, make sure it is on top. If you store anything inside of it, you will scratch the surface of the non-stick coating and make it less effective for future use.
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