Non-stick utensils are a type of smart utensils that have been invented for non-stick frying and cooking of food. These utensils have a special kind of surface that doesn't lead to the sticking of food and makes cooking a lot easier than regular. No matter how high the temperature is, the food is not going to stick to the surface which makes it extremely easy for beginners who do not know how to manage heat properly. These are also quite safe for cooking at home as the outer layer is made from Teflon.
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The temperature of these utensils doesn't exceed a limit which is generally 260°C. However, one of the very few shortcomings of nonstick utensils is that the Teflon coating on these utensils can acquire scratches very easily. Here are some tips and tricks to prevent one's non-stick utensils from getting scratched.
* Use A Paper Barrier
One should pay a lot of attention while storing non-stick utensils in the cabinet. While storing them in cabinets, one should ensure that these utensils are at a distance from the other types of utensils. Also keep a tissue paper in between these utensils that prevents the surface of the non-stick pan from getting in contact with any other type of utensils. A paper piece acts as a barrier and helps in avoiding too much vicinity with other utensils.
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* Use Silicone Stirrers
Using hard stirrers made from steel or any other metal is too harsh for non-stick pans. Instead of using stirrers made from harsh metals, use silicone stirrers or wooden spoons for cooking food in non-stick pans as they will help minimise scratches due to friction as much as possible. Silicone spoons are very soft and wooden spoons do not have sharp edges that can scratch the surface of nonstick pans.
* Washing
Putting too much pressure on utensils while washing them is also one of the major reasons why nonstick utensils get a lot of scratches. The right way to wash nonstick utensils is to pour some warm water into them and let them rest for a couple of minutes. After this one has to be extremely patient while rubbing these utensils and make sure that they're not applying too much pressure. Because of the warm water, the most stubborn stains are also going to melt off easily. To make sure everything is cleaned properly, one should take a little bit of dishwasher soap. There is no need for harsh scrubbing.
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* Sponge
One must remember that to clean nonstick pans and other nonstick utensils, it is not right to use a scrubber made from steel just like other utensils. Instead one should go for a sponge. A sponge is extremely soft, but at the same time very effective in making sure that all the parts of a utensil are properly cleaned. It also helps in creating a very soapy solution that can eradicate any bad odour or stains from the nonstick pan easily. It also doesn't lead to any scratches on the surface of the pan.
* Don't Use Them For Food Storage
It is important to take into consideration that non-stick pans are meant for a specific purpose and that is to cook food without letting it stick to the surface of the utensils. These utensils are not at all meant for storing food as they're going to deteriorate the quality of the utensils slowly. Also storing the food in non-stick utensils is going to give the food a metallic taste if the food is kept for a long time. Thus the only time one should be using their non-stick utensils is to cook food and then instantly transfer it to another utensil.
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* Cooking Spray
Cooking spray is one of the top reasons why the top Teflon layer of non-stick utensils starts eroding. Also, the spray starts building up a foul-smelling residue that is extremely difficult to remove. Nonstick utensils are not meant to be scrubbed vigorously as the upper coating is very delicate and starts waving off with too much pressure. This is why one should avoid using any cooking spray as removing it from the surface of the utensil can become extremely difficult.
* Too Acidic Food
Highly acidic food can also start reacting with the upper layer of the utensil. Food items such as lemons and tomatoes contain a lot of natural acids that may lead to the peeling of the uppermost layer of a nonstick pan. Also not all of the nonstick utensils available in the market are stove-friendly which means if too much heat is applied then the quality starts deteriorating and one would see evident cracks on the surface of these utensils.