There's no restaurant in the world that uses teflon pans. Get some decent cookware and learn how to use it properly.
Do you have some advice on what decent cookware is? I am here for your suggestions on that topic!
Someone was telling me about a copper pan, but then said it was coated with ceramic inside, so not sure how the copper provides a benefit. Plus, it seems a little gimicky. Is it?
You can get ceramic-coated pans of any type (cast iron, copper, aluminum etc.). You could get something cheaper like stainless or cast iron with a ceramic coating - the copper won't make much difference for something like scrambled eggs. That said, I haven't tried a ceramic pan, so I can't say if it would definitely work for you!
Do you like hard-boiled eggs? That would be a lot easier to do with no oil/fat. You can also bake eggs in the oven.
Hard boiled - good call! I do like those, so can do those sometimes. I really like to scramble them now & again, so I can put the veggies in for a more interesting egg meal.
I will look into oven-baked eggs, too. Seems like that way I could maybe cook up a bunch at once.
How much oil is used in the preseasoning of cast iron?
Each time you season a cast-iron pan you need about a teaspoon of oil or so. Done correctly, it doesn't get into your food, but rather it bonds to the metal to form a non-stick patina. After each seasoning you can wipe the pan with a paper towel and there shouldn't be any oil left on the pan.
When you have a new cast iron pan I'd recommend seasoning it almost every use for the first few dozen uses, then every week or so.
There's a few ways of seasoning - most durable is to rub the surface with a fine film of oil and then put the pan into a hot oven for a half hour or so. Far quicker is to simply heat a lightly oiled pan over a burner until it just starts to smoke (takes 2-3 minutes).
Agree with other posters to abandon teflon coated pans entirely. The key to having your eggs not stick is to have a hot (but not scaldingly hot) pan free from nicks and scratches, and then to NOT poke the eggs for the first 30-45 seconds while the bottom sets. This is even more important if you use no fat in the pan. If your diet allows it, a trace amount of spray oil (which adds maybe 1/4 teaspoon) will make cooking a lot easier. As eggs have lipids (fat) in them I can't see a reason not to use at least a little oil when cooking. As Dollar Slice said, the oven (preferably the broiler) is another option.
Thanks for the additional info on cast iron. I looked at a few how to season videos and it looks easy and even if the oil gets in the food, the amount would be negligible. For the time being, I am on a very low fat diet, but it's not a no-fat diet, so that would be OK. Currently I get my day's allowance of fat from the yolk of one egg. I add two more egg whites to that to make up the meal.
I didn't choose the teflon pan. Mr. X gave it to me when we split up the kitchen. It was near the end of it's life anyway; when I last scrubbed it, some of the teflon came off, so it's now in the trash. Last night I used a steel pot to make my scramble! That has been my only pan; now I am pan-less (better than pants-less) and looking to optimize the replacement process.
Additional tips on scrambling are appreciated, too! I may try a hotter pan/pot next time.
I think the ceramic coated pans are great for eggs, and if you only use it for eggs and don’t scratch it up, it will last a long, long time.
I think the ceramic coated pans are great for eggs, and if you only use it for eggs and don’t scratch it up, it will last a long, long time.
+1
I only use stainless steel cookware and cast iron cookware EXCEPT for eggs. I have a GreenPan brand ceramic pan that i literally only use to cook eggs on.
BE DELICATE with this pan. I never use metal utensils on it, and i always cook at lower temps so not to burn things on it. I baby this pan. I do not baby my SS or CI cookware.
What I'm taking away from this is that the ceramic is more delicate than cast iron, but less maintenance (no seasoning). I am capable of taking extraordinary care with my possessions, but I'm not there yet with my cooking implements. I burned up the same pan twice in the last two weeks while steaming veggies. You would think I learned after the first time, but I guess I have a thick skull. My skill and motivation is not there yet.
I use cooking spray with a ~20 year old, very tough stainless pan.
I spray the pan, then let it get quite hot before dumping the eggs in it. Once the eggs are seriously cooking, I cut the heat down to about medium (electric...with gas you need to be more conservative with the heat...).
Another option, thanks.
We have a couple of those ceramic coated pans. They are indeed pretty non-stick and last way longer than teflon coated pans. However, I still use about 1/2 teaspoon of oil in mine when I make scrambled eggs.
If you really want a completely non-stick surface and don't want to use any oil at all, I'd go with eggs cooked in a silicone muffin pan in the oven. They'll be like tiny, crustless quiches. Make sure you put the muffin pan on a cookie sheet, or something solid since the silicone molds tend to be floppy.
Ooh, that wasn't even on my radar!
I am learning that I am one of *those* people. Because I can't eat microwave eggs.
Have you tried a good microwave egg cooker? I got an OXO, Good Grips Microwave Egg Cooker on recommendation of someone on here, and I'm truly impressed with it. You do need to learn how long your microwave takes and use a small spray of cooking spray.
I looked it up and I'm not sure how it makes the eggs taste any better, but it is at least an option.
Options in order of appearance:
-cast iron
-microwave (with special doohickey)
-ceramic (legitimized)
-hard boiled instead
-baked instead
-improved cooking method
-broiled instead
-stainless with oil or cooking spray
-silicone muffin pan in oven
OK, I know I said I can scramble eggs, but I think there's probably room for improvement based on some comments on this thread.
Thanks all, this is a good list and I'll see what I can find at the thrift shop as a first try. Worst case scenario is I will have to buy a can of cooking spray to use with my steel pot, while waiting for a good deal or thrifting find to show up.