How to Treat Teflon Grills & Pans From Sticking

Treat an aged Teflon pan to restore its nonstick surface.

Older Teflon grills and pans tend to lose their non-stick coating through regular wear and tear, but you can treat these utensils to keep food from sticking to them while you cook. While oil or lard treatments are regularly reserved for cast iron skillets, these treatments can also be used on Teflon grills and pans to restore their slickness. Teflon is listed in "Guinness World Records" as the most slippery material on earth. It was invented accidentally by Dr. Roy Plunkett in 1938, when he left a batch of sealed gas sitting in a container overnight. Does this Spark an idea?

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Dish soap
Scrub brush
Paper towel
Aluminum foil
Vegetable oil or shortening

Instructions

- 1
  
  Wash your grill or pan with soapy water and a scrub brush. Let sit out until totally dry.
- 2
  
  Coat your grill or pan with a very thin layer of vegetable oil or shortening. Use your hands to rub the lubricant into the cooking utensil. Wipe away excess oil with a paper towel.
- 3
  
  Put a long sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom of your oven, to catch drippings. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Place pan or grill upside down on the middle rack of your oven.
- 4
  
  Bake the pan or grill in the oven for half an hour. Turn off oven. Remove cooking pan and allow to cool to room temperature.
- 5
  
  Repeat the entire treating process three or four times, to strengthen the nonstick coating bond.

Tips & Warnings

Open windows and doors when treating your pan or grill, as the treatment process generates smoke.
Some Teflon pans have plastic handles, which must be removed before putting in the oven, or they will melt.
Wash with hot water and no soap after each use, as soap will remove the slick coating and you will need to re-treat your pan.