Cancer Pans
Comments(10)
I haven’t been posting because I haven’t been cooking. There were a few trips out to restaurants and the like, but mostly just quick heat and serve things. I think the most exciting thing I made all week was chicken cordon blue from the freezer section and macaroni and cheese in a box. In my cancer pans.
A couple of people commented on my Macaroni and Cheese Casserole about the state of my pans. Yes, I admit, they are rather sad. Most of what I have is what is left out of one of those really cheap sets they have out at the beginning of every school year for college students. I’ve had it since I was in college. I’m honestly surprised that the pans have lasted as long as they have for being as junky as they are. Even I will admit that they are on their last leg, but I just don’t have it in me to worry about whether or not the gouges in the bottoms of my pans mean that non-stick coating is flaking off into food just waiting to give me cancer.
And frankly, I just can’t afford to buy new pans right now, no matter how much they are needed! If you’re willing to buy me a new set of pans though, I will gladly trade in my “cancer pans” for new ones!
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LOL! Here is a tip for when you do get new pans. If you get non-stick never use soap on them. Only use hot water. They are non stick anyway and hot water (boil it if you have to) will kill germs. Soap is what breaks down the non stick surface.
I know how you feel. Most of my nonstick pans look like that!!!!
I have good pans now but spent many years with some that were sub par. One trick I learned was that you can buy slightly outdated Calphalon professional non-stick pans at places like Tuesday Morning for a fraction of the price. And you only have to buy one pan at a time. When you get new non-stick (I guess I need more coffee–I keep typing non-TICK. Um, yeah, that’s a good pan.) you are going to be amazed at how much easier it makes cooking.
Barb
I think my pans might be in worse shape than yours and I’ve had them about as long. In fact, I’m pretty certain some of mine were hand-me-downs from my mother who probably used them for 20 years before passing them along to me, LOL.
Funny you should mention ‘cancer pans’!
My 94 year old ‘Pop’ saw me using an old aluminum pan to bake chicken and he suggested I throw it out. He said he’d thrown his out years ago as it caused him health problems!
I LIKE my aluminum pan – it’s shiny and clean. Pop said he would throw it out if I didn’t so I finally capitulated and let him take it to the garbage. He insisted on taking my other two as well, then went with me to the store and bought me a new teflon coated pan.
The teflon is okay but you still have to replace them every year or so – I’m saving up til I can buy good stainless pans so I don’t have to worry about eating those carcinogens
I used to have a set just like yours, mine were green on the outside. And then I got another blue set when the green ones started to flake -lol- then one year for Christmas my dad got me all new pans and bakeware! I loveeeee the stuff I got. (Must go see name of my pots and pans…. I think its Cookware or somthing that starts with Cook—-
Are you serious? People really commented on your pans?? lol!! I guess I really didn’t notice because mine look the same! lol!! And I never knew to only use hot water on non-stick pans…and I guess I shouldn’t be using forks and other pokey things on my non-stick pans either…
*patting you on the back* I came back here to drop a card and let you know that I made the macaroni and cheese recipe you posted and my kids scarfed it down. I only added some browned (cheap) sausage links to it just to.. umm.. (I can’t say beef it up I guess). Anyway, I was thinking about you as I made my mac&cheese in my own kinda scratched non-stick pans. Now when I bought mine I refused to wash them in the dish washer so they’ve lated quite a while and when I buy new ones I will move on to better things.. AKA Emeril’s pans!
HOWEVER, I was thinking of the one scolding comment you received and thought, “I would be so tempted to tell those people to buy me some new pans if they are so concerned.” So I come here today and you’ve done just that. I know, put a Paypal donate button on your blog and have people donate money for some new pots and pans. 
My pans are terrible as well. But you know what? A few years ago, I had a set of non-stick Royal Diamond pans and let me tell you, they NEVER scratched or flaked off. They kept their coating perfectly no matter what I did to them. I lost them in a move and I miss them. They’re not on the market anymore.
Man, people are mean! When we first moved to our apartment, we had hand-me-down pans that I we were told my boyfriend’s sister used when she moved out. Crazy! But they were useful. We bought a new set of pans and other kitchen stuff during the Black Friday sales, and we saved a ton and we didn’t buy the expensive brands either.