Using cooking spray on a nonstick skillet might seem like a good idea, but it can actually damage the nonstick coating.
Pam works fine. Remember that cooking spray is not intended for non-stick. The propellant apparently degrades the coating.
Use a minimal amount of oil, such as canola, olive, vegetable or corn oil, as well as butter. Never use high heat when cooking with a nonstick pan. If you're worried about calories, use an oil atomizer to spray the least amount of oil possible. Cooking spray is incompatible with nonstick cookware.
While non-stick pans are designed to minimize sticking, adding a small amount of oil or butter can enhance flavor, promote even cooking, and further reduce the chances of sticking. It's not always necessary, but it can be beneficial depending on the specific dish you're preparing.
It's just not practical or cost-effective from a business perspective to buy non-stick pans when that means frequently replacing them as they get damaged. Those working choices often translate to home use for professional chefs too, although they might prefer a nicer metal brand than the standard restaurant supply.
Perhaps the simplest reason that some non stick pans start to stick, especially if the pan isn't very old, is that there's a layer of stuck-on food residue getting in the way. Even the thinnest layer of dried egg white or residual starch from stir-frying potstickers can cause food to stick.
For the sake of the pan, use a minimal amount of oil, such as canola, olive, vegetable or corn oil, as well as butter. If you are trying to cut calories, invest in an oil mister, which allows you to coat a pan with a small amount of oil.
We generally try to reach for monounsaturated fats when pan-frying. These healthy fats are liquid at room temperature (as compared to saturated fat like lard, butter and coconut oil that are solid at room temp). Our favorite healthy fats for pan-frying are avocado oil, canola oil and olive oil.
Teflon® is a registered trademark of DuPont and a brand name for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) a nonstick finish. While Calphalon cookware features polytetrafluoroethylene-based nonstick finishes, we are not associated with, nor do we use, Teflon® branded products.
The Olive Wellness Institute team often gets asked questions about this common myth, and the answer is NO, cooking in extra virgin olive oil will NOT ruin your non-stick pans.
Nonstick surfaces: While it might seem like extra insurance, using cooking spray on nonstick pans can lead to a buildup of residue, potentially compromising the effectiveness of the nonstick coating. A small amount of butter or oil is recommended instead.
Use Butter or Lard
Butter and lard are great cooking spray alternatives. They're soft enough to spread into loaf pans and muffin tins with your fingers. You don't have to get your hands messy to use these products, either. Use a piece of parchment paper or paper towel to help grease.
Canola Oil
With its neutral flavor and low price point, canola is another popular oil among chefs. It has a smoke point of 400-450°F. It works very well for general-purpose frying and is ideal for a pan of fried potatoes.
While most non stick pans will develop light discoloration over time—especially if the surface of your pan is a light color—deep, dark discoloration is a sure sign that your pan's coating is wearing out.