Life without non-stick pans?

[misscph1973]

I am so FED UP with non-stick pans lasting a year or less! I have tried every brand and it's the same, cheap or expensive, they just don't last. I am very careful, I don't wash them (only by hand) until they have cooled down, I don't let them heat up with nothing in, I use wood utensils etc. The only thing I do do is use them daily and I guess they weren't made for that, grrr!

I have a blue steel pan which I love, but it's just not for everything, certainly not starchy things like hash browns and not for scrambled eggs or fish either.

Is there a life without non-stick pans? Has anyone managed to live without non-stick pans? And if so, what do you use and how?

Disclaimer: I am not looking at spending more than £20-30.

Probably not the answer you're looking for but I buy asda smart price pans. 3 for £6.50 I think? I've just brought some new ones as my last ones were starting to peel at the bottom if you know what I mean? I had them for just over a year and use them daily.

Apart from frying pans which are non - stick, none of our other pans are - BUT they are all good quality and were the most expensive we could afford at the time. I have been on a couple of cooking days at a Cook School and they did not use non-stick pans but again the ones they did use were really high quality. If browning meat or chicken, I always wait until teh meat has started to caramelise before stirring - as by that time the meat has built up abit of a "skin" and no longer sticks. Scrambled egg gets stirred non stop though - and a bit of butter helps to stop it sticking. (and then asoak in hot water to get it clean)
I wouldn't go back to non stick now

ChocolateCoins, I have been thinking of something similar ;) How are the Asda pans in use? Are they not terribly light and flimsy?

haggisaggis, I would be interested to know what type of frying pans your Cook school had? And what kin dof pans are your pans that are not non-stick?

They actually aren't too bad. Although I admit I did have to tighten the handles once as they became a bit loose, which took 30 seconds. Their frying pans aren't very good though.

I wasn't actually intending to keep them to be honest. They were meant to just tide us over when we moved house, but ended up keeping them.

I'm trying to get rid of my remainng non-stick pans (because they're all crap) and replace with normal ones. The ikea 365+ steel pans are good and within your budget. They have steel handles so they can go in the oven as well as on the hob.

My non stick pan has lasted 10 years. I bought it from an Asian grocers for £5.

ArbitraryUsername, thanks for the recommendation. I don't live very close to an Ikea, but I might see if I can find them on ebay from Ikea-sellers.

I am seriously thinking of getting a stainless steel pan instead of a non-stick. I don't mind using more oil/fat, I just hate when food sticks!

Well done, AnnIonicIsoTronic, how do you manage to get your non-stick pan to last that long, is there a secret?