# Supposedly ruined/broken non-stick frying pan?



## maxmerka (Dec 28, 2014)

Hello, I'm in a homestay in Canada and today i've been using a Calphalon non-stick frying pan to fry salami with butter. I didn't know about this kind of frying pans and i didn't know that I wasn't supposedly able to fry with butter and meat. When the woman who's hosting me arrived, she told me that now i've ruined the frying pan because it is a non-Stick frying pan and now the food will stick to the surface.
I went to buy a new one in Williams-Sonoma store in Toronto. They told me that it's not supposed to be broken or not useful because of having put butter and meat on it.
The woman says it's ruined because now it has some scratches and the food will stick. She is really convinced that it is not useful anymore.

There are some people who are very delicated and kinda fussy with this sort of things and I don't know anything about frying pans so could you guys tell me if is it really ruined before spending 100$ for a new one? (I leave some pictures here to show you guys)





  








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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

It wasn't the butter or salami. It was the utensil you used. And while not ruined, imho, it is damaged and may well have some sticking now. Hard to say from just the picture. 

Yes, there is compensation owed in my opinion.


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## maxmerka (Dec 28, 2014)

I used a regular plastic spatula like this one but i didn't move it so much, do u really think I need to buy a new frying pan?





  








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## grande (May 14, 2014)

High heat tempuratures can also affect the non stick qualities of a pan, so, she may be right. I have a calphalon pan that looks fine but slightlu sticks for that reason. Whether you buy a new one or not is between you and her! Without cooking in it we can't really tell you.


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

Unless you are cooking eggs in it, who cares if the pan has a few scratches. I have a couple that are worse than that and they perform just fine.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Someone sometime somewhere used metal utensils in that pan. It looks like a fork to me. And tell the woman she does not know what she is talking about using butter and salami. You could use motor oil and things wont stick.


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## maxmerka (Dec 28, 2014)

Thank you guys for your replies but she is really convinced that it's ruined. What can I tell her to not have to buy a new one with my money and to prove or convince her that it's not ruined?


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

Tell her to pound sand, Keep using it, ask her for the $100 to replace it if she is so concerned.

BTW, go to a restaurant supply and buy a restaurant quality pan for much less when you do feel the need for a new non stick pan.


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## maxmerka (Dec 28, 2014)

Thank you for your advice. Actually, yesterday I went to buy it on Williams-Sonoma Toronto but when I arrived at home, I told her that I won't give it to her until she proves that it is not useful anymore, then she got so annoyed because of this and she told me "Ok, so try to fry an egg and you will see that it sticks to the pan" but she's now so obsessed in getting a new one that she says "I'm going to Williams-Sonoma to get it now" I tell her that I want to help her and if i need it because it was supposedly my fault, i give it to her and i've paid but she says "I don't wanna talk about it anymore" and she only wants to have a new one.
This morning, i've fried an egg an it didn't stick. I showed her but anyway she went to buy a new frying pan... Now i will have to come back and make Williams-Sonoma refund my money... This situation is so dumb, now i think this has become an obssession of her to have a new one and i think it's not my fault if she is so fussy...


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

Reading this thread makes me very sad.  I know what she is upset about -- her expensive nonstick pan has been marred -- but the amount of blame-game and associated drama is pathetic.  Please don't be offended but I couldn't find a gentler term to use.  I would think that a sincere apology could be offered and accepted, but apparently not. 

Having been in this situation once myself I understand from both sides.  I scratched my own nonstick pan with a metal tool.  (See why I know it from both sides?????)  My pan looked very much like your picture.  I cooked with the pan very successfully for almost 10 more years.  At some point the scratches grew sider and when the nonstick material started flaking off I replaced it.  The replacement cost about 24USD at a big box store and turned out to be an even better option than a Calphalon.

p.s.  I'm not too sure what "a homestay" is.  Are you a house guest of a friend/family or renting a room in someone's home?


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## maxmerka (Dec 28, 2014)

I'm in a homestay. I explain to you: i'm studying in Toronto which is a foreign city for me and the school took me to this house to stay in it. 
You're right, an honest apology wouldn't be useful, she has already bought a new one, it's quite pathetic. But i don't know what else to try to show her that it is still useful. I've fried the egg and it didn't stick at all, i could take it out of the pan pretty softly.
Otherwise i have no clue how the pan got scratched, i don't even know if it was already scratched before so... I just fried salami with butter and i didn't almost use the plastic spatula.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

If she already replaced it what does she want next - for you to repay her (which would be appropriate if you did the damage - even if it was accidental), or apologize whether you did the damage or not, or just for you to keep groveling?  Or is she planning to get on with life and put this unfortunate situation in the past.  Proving that the pan is still useful may be futile.  At this point why bother?  It may be perceived as argumentative, which makes any kind of rational discussion impossible.  (BTW, if you pay for the replacement make sure that you take the old pan with you... you are entitled to do so.)

I found the "Homestay Canada" web site.  Very interesting concept; I've never heard of it.  But I have heard of people opening their homes to exchange students, etc. and my understanding is that when one does that they accept the fact that minor breakage or damage may occur.  These things happen.


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## maxmerka (Dec 28, 2014)

Why am I entitled to take the old pan? She doesn't even allow me to take the old pan to go to Williams-Sonoma to ask them if is it really ruined.


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## grande (May 14, 2014)

I don't understand why it's $100? A calphalon pan usually runs $20-40. So that's odd.
Further, whrn.you say "I could take it out of the pan pretty softly', if it isn't sticking it sjould just slide out.
But, sounds like your problem now is anger & hurt feelings, not saute pans.


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## maxmerka (Dec 28, 2014)

Anway guys, thanks a lot for your replies.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Anyway, the pan you are showing is cheap crap, if she's going to replace it make it a Calphalon Unison.  Don't get them mailorder or mailed from a store though, lots of them have defects in the coating and it's a pain to ship/bring them back.  But when you get a good one they work beautifully.

Rick


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## hainnovation (Dec 20, 2014)

IMHO those linear scratch marks were cause by a sharp point moving across the surface of the pan; particularly the dotted pattern in the first picture (they do not appear to be cracks, since cracks take more random patterns than those).

But maybe she truly believes that it was the butter and meat? ^^ So how about you buy a supercheap pan and tell her to try and replicate that damage using ONLY butter and salami as she suggests you did? I'm pretty sure nothing will happen to the pan and then you'll be free of fault, have a nicer environment at home... and a new -cheap- pan! (instead of paying for a new Calphalon)


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