That expensive nonstick pan you love? You’re killing it slowly with these five foods.

Let’s be real, you probably use your nonstick pan for everything, but it’s time for some tough love: you’re ruining your food and your food. Non-stick cookware. This smooth and comfortable surface (also Teflon) is great for eggs, but it effectively works against you when you’re trying to get a good sear on a piece of meat.

Here’s the deal: Nonstick pans are low-heat pans, and will never give you that beautiful, golden-brown crust you want. Instead, you get a sad, gray, steamed protein bar. Worse still, by turning up the heat and using the wrong tools, you’re literally scratching and chipping the nonstick coating, which can end up in your food.

Stop using a non-stick pan as a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a specialized tool, not a workhorse. Before you ruin another meal (or pan), learn what you should never cook.

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We all love Easy cleaning As much as the next guy, but most of your culinary projects are better off Stainless steel,carbon steel or Cast iron. These pans impart high surface heat, giving food flavour, depth and flavour. I polled a professional cooking teacher to compile the ultimate nonstick do’s list.

Richard Lamaretta He is a health-focused chef and culinary instructor Culinary Education Institute In New York City. Lamarita describes nonstick cookware, including ceramic, as “specialty.”

“Scrambled or fried eggs, pancakes, and fried tofu are great for cooking in nonstick pans,” Lamarita told me via email. “These sticky foods should come out completely without leaving any residue in the pan. Non-stick pans are very popular, easy to clean and convenient, and I recommend every cook has one.”

They are not designed to withstand high heat, oven placement, or vigorous rubbing. The coating that makes a pan nonstick can deteriorate faster when faced with certain foods or cooking techniques.

So, what foods should never be cooked in non-stick cookware? This is what Chef Lamarita says.

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1. Most meat and fish

First, foods that require or want to be roasted on the outside. When you’re looking for a deep, caramelized, well-colored crust, like a steak, chicken breast, or piece of salmon, you won’t get the color you want from a nonstick pan. It is not made to withstand the high heat required to achieve the desired crust, nor is its surface geared towards developing that crust due to the coating on the pan.

2. Most vegetables

Like meat, vegetables need a little char for maximum flavor, and you won’t get that with a nonstick pan. For zucchini, carrots, onions, asparagus, and bok choy, use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet for best results.

3. Caramelized food

Did you know about “fond”? It’s the crunchy, caramelized bits of food left on the pan after searing that are the key to great flavor (and happiness). Fond is used to prepare sauces, browning the items first, then picking up those beautiful, delicious bits of food and incorporating them into the sauce. For dessert making, a non-stick pan will not serve you well. There is simply not enough surface heat.

4. Highly acidic foods

Cooking highly acidic foods in non-stick pans is not a good idea. Acidic foods include tomato sauce, a dish with a high vinegar content in the pan, such as braised cabbage, or if there is lemon juice during the cooking process. “Ratatouille is one dish I can’t cook in a nonstick dish,” Lamarita says. “The acids in this recipe and others will erode the thin nonstick surface over time.”

5. Stir-fry, soups, sauces

In the same way that corrodes the surface, refrain from cooking foods or dishes that require a fair amount of stirring. A stir-fry, sauce, or dish that requires a lot of stirring and mixing can quickly wear down the surface. “I find that non-stick surfaces eventually wear down, even with proper use, so why speed up the process?”

For more, here How to know if Teflon pons are safe or notand complete A guide to reheating every type of leftovers.