Im after a frying pan for LIFE!!!
Im sick of replacing my non stick frying pan. OK so I dont spend a huge amount and buy from Briscoes ect BUT I find after a while the non stick surface stops working and the middle of the pan gets really hot and around the edges it doesnt.

I use the pan for frying things such as eggs/sausages as well as making curries, pasta sauces, mince ect.
Ive got a smaller le creuset pan but not sure its the right type pan for quick things such as eggs and its HEAVY.

I really dont want to spend that price - HUNDREDS but willing to spend a bit to get a goodie - what do you have and what do you recommend?

Vanessa

I've got a selection of frying pans but the ones I use all the time for everything are my cast iron ones in different sizes. I have one that fits my large element, one that fits my small element, and a large one with very deep sides that is meant for deep frying but I use it for stir-frying and things with a sauce.

I find I only tend to use my non-stick ones for cooking dumplings and making pancakes.

I am super pleased with my new 30cm Circulon pan. Nothing sticks (but no nasties) and it heats evenly to the outside edges. Love it!

No non-stick coating will last forever no matter how careful you are. I have found Circulon to wear reasonably well but their big frying pans are expensive and quite heavy. At present I am using Bourgeat pans, which were recommended by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall as being light, well balanced and durable, and so far (about a year of very heavy use) I'm very pleased with them. I bought them through Fishpond at a good price.

[www.fishpond.co.nz]

I'm not sure there is a single multi purpose frypan. Different sizes and surfaces do different things.

I consider non-stick pans to be somewhat disposable. I buy Tefal brand of a style that has a reasonably heavy base (helps with even heat distribution), when they're on half price sale at Briscoes. These tend to last in the region of 3 years. I have a large 30cm and a small 20cm for eggs and other small things. I find these heat evenly, don't warp and the I tend to think 3ish years out of a coating isn't too bad, especially when buying them at half price.

On the other hand, I've got a large 30cm AllClad stainless steel frypan that is now about 15 years old, had *heavy* use, and still going strong. I also have my father-in-law's small cast iron frypans that are at least 70 years old.

So, you certainly can get pans that last the distance, but not with a non-stick coating.

Thanks guys, a big help narrowing down the choices.
It will save me a lot of searching and money wasting.
Vanessa

There's one Bourgeat frying pan for sale on Trademe at the moment, for a not bad price. Fishpond seems to be out of stock presently.

[www.trademe.co.nz]

Anyone have a recommendation for a pan that does omelettes well? I use an electric wok for almost everything (stirfrying, obvs, but also making soup, chilli etc, because it's faster than an element and you can make a lot at once) but one thing I can't do in it is an omelette. I've got into them recently so want to get a pan that does them well. I agree about the disposability of non stick - my electric woks are non stick and I buy them three at a time when on sale and stash them in the loft. The surface inevitably deteriorates and that's when I give them the heave ho - I probably get through two in a year.

I make omelettes in a classic steel 22cm omelette/crêpe pan that I bought from a commercial supplier about 20 years ago. It never sticks, I wash it in the sink with ordinary detergent and dry it carefully. It looks like this:

[www.amazon.com]

TPANDAV - the on sale Bourgeat frying pan is a great price, the other one was $599. Thats pretty steep for a frying pan.
Vanessa

Yeah, that Fishpond price of $599 was weird as I paid about $110. I assume it was an extreme manifestation of dynamic pricing (or just a mistake, which happens a lot with Fishpond).

You can buy them on Amazon too. Including shipping and currency conversion, I think the 28cm pan was a little over $100nzd.

Awesome thanks - it sounds like the perfect one for me.
Vanessa

Thanks TPANDAV!