Does the T-Fal Non-Stick Pan Really Work?

0/5 - (2 votes)

T-Fal has been around for a long time and was one of the first frying pans to wow people with its nonstick cooking abilities. The secret is in the Teflon coating, which virtually makes nothing stick to it. The problem is that this coating can wear out over time, get scratched off, and even burn off at high temperatures.

Overview
It can be argued that the frying pan is the cornerstone to a well-stocked kitchen. Almost every recipe you encounter will need to use it. It can be used to make entire meals, like the sauce for a spaghetti, or it could make a main entree, like scrambled eggs for breakfast, or it could be used just to prepare ingredients for use in other dishes like sauteing vegetables that will later go into a bigger pot.

The Claim
Tefal doesn’t make a lot of claims about their cookware, and most of the features and benefits are already known by the mainstream. That’s one thing they did manage to do was make their brand a household name. Most everyone associates T-Fal with being non-stick, and they were the first to sell this benefit on a wide scale about a decade or so ago.

The Hype
There was a lot of initial hype with the T-Fal Non-Stick pan, but most of it has worn off, and now most of the hype is in the new line of “green” pans like Orgreenic, that use safer materials but still have the same nonstick capacity.

The Cost
The cost of a T-Fal non-stick pan is pretty competitive these days. When it first came out it sold at somewhat of a premium price, but nowadays you can get it for under $30 with free shipping.

The Commitment
If you go with this frying pan, you simply need to replace your current pan with it. You should immediately notice the difference in how well the non-stick action

works, especially if you’re moving from a cast iron skillet, or a stainless steel frying pan. You will want to be careful the first few times you use it, as cooking times will be different due to the way that it transfers heat evenly across the pan. As a cook or a chef you adapt to the pan you’re using and come to learn how long certain foods take at certain temperatures. These same foods might take considerably less time, so be careful you don’t burn anything.

Evaluation
No one can deny that T-Fal makes a high-quality non-stick pan. They consistently get good reviews in regards to how evenly they cook food, and how easy the food comes off. They’re also a breeze to clean. If you go with one of the newer models, you’ll definitely like the red circle in the middle of the pan that lets you know when it is at the right temperature and ready to start cooking. When making something like pancakes or crepes, the temperature of your frying pan makes all the difference.

The only thing you need to consider is whether or not the non-stick coating is something you should be concerned about. T-Fal pans are coated with their patented coating that has been known to scrape off and burn off under high heats. That’s why you have to use plastic or wooden utensils with it, because you don’t want the coating to wear off. If you’re concerned about that you should compare these pans to the newer pans that use ceramic materials that don’t cause harm, even at high heats.

Final T-Fal Non-Stick Pan Review

T-Fal non-stick pan is a great thing to have in your kitchen, and you definitely won’t regret buying it. It’s withstood the test of time and has a very strong following. There are a few people here and there they say it doesn’t work the way they thought it would, but the number is

so low that it’s not really significant enough to merit further investigation. They’re getting our Thumbs Up review, but we’d also like to point out that you have several options available in this class.

Our Recommendation
We also recommend going with one of the new ceramic pans that doesn’t use the same sort of coating they use to make T-Fal products. The Orgreenic pan got our Thumbs Up rating and is one that we recommend, as well as the Green Earth Frying Pan, also at a price point that gives T-Fal a run for it’s money.

It’s not as if you have to commit to using just one frying pan, in fact most home have several. You might consider a smaller-sized T-Fal for things like scrambled eggs and omelets, and a larger sized green pan for bigger jobs like sauteing onions and peppers to simmering a marinara sauce.

What do you think? Does T-Fal Non-Stick Pan work or not?

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View Comments

Jean says:

January 1, 2023 at 9:48 pm

My large fry pan sticks terribly. No scratches so it looks like new I will be trying a different brand.
Jean
Debra Anand says:

October 31, 2022 at 4:01 am

I have several from small to large and I will never buy them again. Yrs, the handles loosen often enough and have to be tightened bio. The Pans are no longer non stick, hard to clean...residue does not come off with either hand washing or in the dishwasher..the large pan warped in the center and everything flows towards the edges. The RED DOT disappeared too! No more..p.s. Their customer service is terrible as well.
Cyntthia says:

March 8, 2019 at 3:28 am

I've been using t fal frying pan, I bought two. Dishwasher safe ,I only use silicone spatulas, the Teflon coating is already peeling off. So disappointing because the are only used about 6 weeks.
Guy says:

December 2, 2018 at 3:46 pm

Yeah.. Here is the deal with theses pans. One most of the peoole complaining about theim didn't season theim. You REALLY need to season your pans be it a non stick or a skillet.. It's eazy. (ALL steel ONLY)Just turn on your oven to 400. Put in your cook ware and wait 30 min. Use oven mitts!!!! Take out wipe with oil let cool. (Lard is the most stable and BEST.. But NEVER use hydro oils! EVER!). Wipe again. Use or put away. This works good with ALL cookware! THAT being said.... Theses pans in the instructions say use at max med heat.. But the ideal temp sensor does not show until you use med high heat... Just stay away from high heat. Preheating on gass stove. Unless you pay attention to the temp sensor. Once they turn ALL red cook.. Just make sure you season your pans when you get theim. Then everytime they start sticking.. They will last a few years. P.s. the amount of lard to season a pan does NOT make you fat..
Dane says:

June 8, 2018 at 6:42 am

We have used ours for 5+ years now. We hand wash only, don't put in tbe oven, & don't use metal utensils. 2 of our 6 pc set are starting to lose the coating, just little specs the size of the tines on a fork. All are still easy to clean.
Irene says:

September 8, 2016 at 2:29 am

I bought a set of t-gal pans st Macy's and they suck. Won't buy them again.
Rhonda says:

July 14, 2013 at 4:54 am

I have bought a couple T Fal pans. They work great for about two months. If someone in your home uses anything besides safe utensils, then you will immediately get scratches, then you might as well throw them out as food will stick to them every single time. When you first use your T Fal pan it will never stick. I’ve never had a problem with mine except when my family destroys them. I will continue to use T Fal pans. It’s a healthier option to cooking all type of foods without heavy oil or butter. The price is reasonable for these at department stores.
Vanessa B. says:

July 12, 2013 at 2:16 am

I've used T Fal for quite a long time. However, with all the talk about it being dangerous for your health when scratch, I will not be buying it anymore, neither will I be buying any pans coated with Teflon anymore. Most of my pans inevitably end up scratched somehow or other, and once scratched, they are no longer useable.

I think I'd rather have something that's hard to scrub and isn't nonstick but is safe for my family's and my health, although these days we don't have to compromise.
moses says:

June 30, 2013 at 3:37 pm

Don't waste your money on the ceramic based cookware.

they work well for a few months but then start sticking. They are no where near the quality of teflon. I understand that they are green and better for the environment. But what difference does that make if they do not work!
Frank says:

May 1, 2013 at 12:17 am

I got a T Fal skillet for Christmas from daughter Jess, she bought it at Kohl's Dept. Store where she works. Every month since I got it, the handle gets loose.I have to call my son in law because I don't have any star bits. Both handles, the long one and the short one get loosened.

Got tired of that so I emailed T Fal. Asked them for a star bit, saying I don't have one,

First reply was a form letter saying warranty is void if abused, overheated blah blah blah. They said ship the skillet to them at my expense and they'll look at it, and fix it if it's warranteed.

I wrote back thanking them for the impersonal boilerplate reply. I told them it's just my wife and I, and I don't abuse the skillet. Said again, just send me a star bit and I'll fix it, easy enough.

They wrote back saying it's dangerous to fix it yourself, and that they can't send me a bit, but send the skillet to them and they'll fix it.

I wrote: Dangerous? What are you, my Mommy? Michael has been fixing it for 4 months now with no ill effects. Just send me a bit and we'll all be happy.

They wrote saying, again: NO BIT, just send us the skillet. They loosened up a little by saying "we don't usually do this but we'll send you a prepaid UPS ticket."

I wrote back saying saying I've been an estimator for more than 25 years. Add all this up: Me buying a box, taking at least an hour of my time packaging it up and dropping it off at UPS, gas money, you paying for postage to and from, paying a tech to tighten the screw, packaging it again, having the shipping dept write up a ticket and sending it back to me. Now, which is better, putting a star bit in a bubble envelope and paying $ 1.25 in postage, OR exceeding the retail cost of the skillet in the way you're proposing?

Reply was the same, saying it was "dangerous" and they want me to send it to them; just need your address & phone number to send the label.

I said: "FINAL REPLY" Send me the prepaid label, I'll keep it in case I need to send you my medical bills if I or my son in law ever hurt ourselves tightening a screw on the skillet.