Are nonstick roasting pans worth it? Can a fond develop on them?
My non stick roasting pans do not develop a fond, instead there is a goo in the liquid fat.
Worth it? That depends, why do you want a non-stick?
The only non-stick I find worth while is a fry pan but that is for me and what I cook.
I donât use a nonstick roasting pan but I have a nonstick sheet pan which I use for a pan-roast of chicken parts and root vegetables. It does develop a fond, which deglazes exceptionally easily.
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Theyâre worth it as compared with no roasting pan at all, but just barely. They offer little in the way of fond, even less than does enameled cast iron.
I have two NS âroastersâ, which work well for things like holding BBQ dishes in my Texas Pit.
Thanks.
Looking for a roaster (in 2 sizes) and just trying to decide.
Would like to get something shallow (3" or less), can fit a 25 lb turkey, and has good conductivity for the stove top.
Thinking of this:
Or maybe this:
http://www.goldaskitchen.com/ca/roasting-pan-non-stick-w-rack.html?options=cart
I like the scanpan because they are aluminum (but not bare aluminum), are shallow, come in a large size, and donât have handles that stick up (or out) for easier storage. But I donât like the fact they are nonstick.
The Vollrath is aluminum clad, but not sure if it would be conductive enough stretched over two electric coil elements with a 4" gap in between. I hope to be able to sear meat in a roaster as well.
Can a fond develop on them? I would say difficult. There may be some nonstick pans are specially design to help address this problem by making the surface less smooth, but in general it is more challenging to develop a good fond on nonstick surface.
Interesting. That raises the question of what happens with flavor in a nonstick pan? If the food doesnât stick, and doesnât leave caramelized residue, and thus no fond, is there less rich flavor?
I think so. I think that is general accepted believe. I remember about 6-8 years ago, Bed Bath and Beyond (or was it Macyâs) even have a cookware shopping guide for people (especially newly wed for registration). It listed nonstick cookware as the easiest to use, but does not produce the most flavorful foods. I believe stainless steel surface cookware (like triply) was ranked very high for food taste.
I agree but it does depend on how you cook.
If you roast but never make a pan sauce then go non-stick. If you want to deglaze after roasting then go stainless.
Either way the roast itself will still taste eaeentially the same.
The flavor components are still thereâin the form of an oily blobs and goo.
In a conventional lining, the jus and fat separate, the former caramelizing as solid, crusty structures as it sticks to the pan. In a non-stick pan (and in ECI to some extent), you canât easily pour off the fat without taking jusâand flavorâwith it.
You can pour everything into a container or fat separator, let it settle, and remove the fat.
Thereâs plenty of flavor in the âgooâ to serve as the base for sauce/gravy, and the cleanup is easier. If I needed a roasting pan, I wouldnât hesitate to buy the Scanpan version.
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Hi, Erica:
Sure, there are workarounds. You canât really separate the goo after a certain point, so youâd have to remove the roast at the ideal time, pour, separate, and then return the roast to the pan and oven to finish. Then, assuming you got the drippings separated, youâd want to reduce the separated jus to the point of crustiness in a second pan, and deglaze that.
Whatâs left in a NS roaster isnât useless. Without going through the above gyrations, you can immersion-blend it into gravies and integral sauces. But it will be fattier and less flavorful, IMO.
Aloha,
Kaleo
If it doesnât stick to the bottom of the pan, then is it technically âfondâ?
Great question. âFondâ is usually defined in this useage as the caramelized residue stuck to the pan. So maybe we should call the stuff in NS pans FFFLS (Free Floating Fond-like Substance)? 
Interesting question. If there is no development of fond or dried up juices and protein on the pan surface could we surmise that the fond is on the meat surface and not stuck to the pan? Mmmmmm, rubbing chinâŚ
