Iron pans (or carbon steel pans) have long been popular among professionals, and today more home cooks have also discovered the fantastic carbon steel frying pans, which build natural nonstick over time.
Many home cooks only have nonstick pans, which means they're missing out on a lot. Especially since many low-quality non-stick pans need to be replaced annually.
Here's everything you need to know about iron pans and nonstick pans - differences and similarities:
1. Material
Carbon steel pans or iron pans consist of 99% iron and 1% carbon, and many see them as a hybrid between cast iron and stainless steel. Nonstick pans typically consist of stainless steel with either a ceramic coating or PTFE coating (teflon), which creates an effect where food slides off the pan.
If you choose a non-stick pan, be aware that they are often produced with a coating that contains PFAS.
At the same time, you should be careful to use your pan correctly - and choose a different pan at high frying temperatures. Otherwise the pan breaks down quickly and needs to be replaced. Iron pans, on the other hand, last practically forever - but require more maintenance.
2. Cooking Surface
Both iron pans and nonstick pans have (or build) a coating that makes the surface smooth.
On iron pans, the coating consists of oil, which you season into the pan yourself (seasoning). This is a process you must do each time you get a new pan - and ongoing as needed. Seasoning iron pans provides both a good nonstick effect and protects the pan from rust.
Nonstick pans come with an applied coating that makes everything slip off very easily. However, be aware that once this coating is worn down, the pan can no longer be used.
3. Price
Prices for iron pans and nonstick pans vary considerably depending on quality, but generally speaking, nonstick pans are often the most expensive.
Both pans consist of a metal alloy, but it's often the coating itself that makes nonstick pans more expensive.
An iron pan lasts forever if you take care of it, while a nonstick pan typically needs to be replaced after a couple of years, depending on use.
4. Care and Maintenance
Both iron pans and nonstick pans are actually relatively easy to maintain. Neither pan should go in the dishwasher, as the harsh washing can damage the pan's coating. Before you clean your pan, it must cool down - and you should remove as much food residue from the pan as possible.
There are three good methods for cleaning iron pans depending on how dirty the pan is. If you can, simply wipe the pan dry with a piece of kitchen paper. If there is still food residue stuck on, put a bit of coarse salt on the pan and scrub with a piece of kitchen paper.
If that doesn't work, you can always put 1-2 cm of water in the pan and place it over the stove on low heat until the food residue loosens, and you can scrape the pan clean with a wooden spatula or other wooden utensil. It's important that the pan is completely dry after cleaning (possibly by placing the pan on the stove so all the water evaporates), and if the pan looks dry, it should be rubbed with a little oil.
If you use a nonstick pan, all you need is a little warm water, mild soap and the soft side of a cleaning sponge.
5. Durability / Wear Resistance
Iron pans can hardly be damaged, no matter how rough they might be treated. Whether it accidentally rusts, gets a dent in the pan or you burn an omelet - it can always be solved. You can remove rust from the pan with vinegar and water, a dent in the surface disappears after one seasoning session where you season the pan with oil, and it's relatively easy to clean the pan.
Nonstick pans don't last as long as an iron pan. And although you can damage a nonstick pan within a couple of months, a high-quality pan can easily last a couple of years if you take care of it. It must be washed by hand, and metal utensils must not be used on the pan. And remember nonstick pans cannot withstand temperatures above 250-260 degrees, so avoid turning the stove up to full.
If you're looking for something you can take directly from the stove and into the oven, go for iron pans or our cast iron.
6. Foods You Can Prepare
Iron pans are absolutely fantastic for frying meat or sautéing vegetables and give an incredible frying crust. It can withstand up to 650 C and works just as well on a gas stove as on the grill or over a fire. And yes, it can also be used on induction!
Nonstick pans typically work well for delicate foods like fish and eggs at lower frying temperatures. Although the nonstick pan can fry a steak or a piece of salmon on the skin side, iron pans just work better for that purpose.
If you want to prepare foods with high acid content (e.g. tomatoes, wine, vinegar) go for a stainless steel pan or enameled cast iron.
7. Versatility
Both iron pans and nonstick pans are relatively versatile, but both have some limitations.
For example, you should not prepare highly acidic foods in your iron pan. If you want to prepare foods with high acid content (e.g. tomatoes, wine, vinegar, citrus) go for a stainless steel pan or enameled cast iron.
You can in principle prepare most things in a nonstick pan, but it's not safe at high frying temperatures. Therefore, it can only be used for foods that don't need to be fried at high temperature or have a frying crust. For example, an omelet.
8. Heat Conduction
Iron pans are extremely good at conducting heat, they can become extremely hot and respond to temperature changes incredibly quickly. Although the pan can withstand high temperatures, it's by no means necessary to fry at high temperatures all the time.
In fact, our experience is that you get a nice frying crust at medium heat. We always preheat the pan on low heat (2/10) and typically turn it up to medium heat (5/10).
Nonstick pans are unfortunately often made in a construction where a "sandwich bottom" with aluminum is attached, which means that heat is only distributed efficiently at the bottom - unlike quality pans in 5ply, where the pan is made of a single disk with aluminum in both the bottom and sides. Nonstick pans with a 3ply or 5ply construction are often quite expensive, and the coating doesn't last better than the one with "sandwich bottom", which means that the expensive frying pan also becomes useless when the coating breaks down.
Which Pan Should You Choose?
Iron pans and nonstick pans serve two different purposes.
If you're looking for a powerful pan that can fry at high temperatures - e.g. meat or fried vegetables - then you should choose an iron pan. The iron pan is also the most versatile pan since it can withstand high temperatures, works on all heat sources - and prepare virtually anything once you've built up a natural nonstick.
Nonstick pans are primarily used for eggs, pancakes - or for reheating leftovers from yesterday. But they have certain disadvantages since they don't last as long, and are unfortunately often produced with PFAS coatings, which are suspected of being harmful to the environment and health.
