Non-Stick Cookware - Pros and Cons

My mom usually use all kind of old cooking vessels. For example, she still uses a kallu maravai for making puli kuzhambu, wooden box for keeping things hot, wooden agapai or ladles, thiruvila kuthi for scraping coconut and wooden idiyappam maker.

I have never seen any kind of innovative or latest model cooking vessels or appliances in her kitchen. She is one who still loves ammi and earthen pots. Being grown up by her, I also have a similar taste. So I got introduced to non-stick cookware only after marriage.

My friend Golda gifted me a prestige non-stick kadai, large in size. It looked really great and that is the reason why I like it the most. Other than that I don't have any particular interest.

One fine day, the gas cylinder became empty in my house and electric stove become the only option. I have no other go. I need a flat bottomed vessel, which can be placed over an electric stove. I unpacked the pretty prestige pan and started using it. I did not read the instruction, which I never do. I kept it on high flame and used a steel ladle.

In just few days, the coating withered away. There was mild abrasions and I went ahead in the same way. After we got the gas cylinder, I cleaned and packed it again. Thats all. I never touched it again.

Later, I bought some premier non-stick kuzhi paniyaram pan and appam pan. I used them in the same way. Just 2 or 3 times, I have used them. But the temperature of gas stove is little lesser than electric stove. So the pans escaped from me.

Later, we came to US and here I could see only the electric stoves with coils. They need all flat bottomed and heavy based vessels. Thin vessels won't work well. This again made me to buy a few non-stick cookware. Again I never read the instructions and kept it on high flame and used some steel ladles.

When one of my friend watched the scene, he exploded "Oh my God". I just asked him "What ? Why are you shouting ?" He told that a non-stick cookware should never be kept in high flame. He also started adding many more health related points. This intrigued me to search a lot and learn about non-stick cookwares. So cutting down my kitchen story, we are moving to the topic.

CLICK HERE TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT TOPIC - HOW TO HANDLE THEM WITH CARE

Advantages of non-stick cookware

• It gives a modern look to your kitchen. I love the kuzhi paniyaram and grill pans. They look really great.
• It needs very less oil to grease the bottom. Say for making dosa, appam and kuzhi paniyaram, you need very very less oil. Compared to cast iron kallus, it is a way less.
• It is easy to wash, clean and dry.
• They are really useful for making crispy dosas and awesome kuzhi paniyaram

Disadvantages of non-stick cookware

• It is costly. If you need really a good brand, you need to spare some more bucks.
• Many people have concerns about Teflon, the chemical used for coating. Intake of even a small scratch or teflon scrub is not good for you health. If it happens for a long time, it could result in cancer.
• You need to be more cautious while cooking. The heat will definitely damage the life of the cookware. So you need to keep a low flame or an eye over it while cooking in medium flame. You can never place in on high flame. I hate that 
• You should not scratch it strongly, It will wither away the coating. Again teflon intake. For making some indian sweets like mysore pak or halwa, non-stick cookware is a worst choice.
• You need to handle it with more care.They need gentle scratch pads, while cleaning. They also need wooden or plastic ladles.
• If there comes a scratch, you need to throw away the costly non-stick cookware.