Nonstick has always been a cinch to clean up, but its ability as a replacement for traditional stove-top workhorses has been debatable.
Later this month, Calphalon will introduce a new Unison line of nonstick pans with two surfaces -- sear and slide -- that claim to make fond and seal in flavor in the case of the former and slip from the surface with ease with the latter.
Slashfood took the 4-quart sear pan for a spin with steak last week to see if it could stand up to its stainless sister.
See which red wine sauce was made by the nonstick after the jump.
The Test
Make steak au poivre using Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" recipe using a stainless Cuisinart sauté pan and the Calphalon Unison.
Though the test was as scientific as possible (same settings for burners, same ingredients and measurements for sauce, same cut of steak – quartered), perfectly similar conditions cannot and will not be claimed.
The Findings
Both the stainless and the Unison could sear a steak, but in the case of the Unison, it's almost too good. The steak seared fast, leaving a lovely crust. But it didn't make much fond, which hurt it when it came to making the red-wine sauce.
Steak sizzles on the nonstick (above).
The Unison's pan heated up quicker than the stainless, and it was perhaps for this reason that the sauce fell apart, while the stainless won out. (Both sauces were given an equal time to cook.)
Steak sizzles on the stainless (above).
When the company demonstrated the Unison with a Delmonico steak, Chef Michael Symon added chicken stock into his red-wine sauce. Maybe that -- coupled with a temperature adjustment -- would have helped with ours.
So which is which?
The Calphalon steak is on the left in its separated sauce; the stainless-made steak is on the right.
Notes: We tried the Unison Slide omelet pan and it can fry an egg without butter and still slip right out of the pan ... though who doesn't want a fried egg with butter? The new nonstick line hits Williams-Sonoma this month and comes with a lifetime guarantee.
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