Make your pans non-stick using the salt and oil remedy: find out how this works
Non-stick pans are really useful in the kitchen: with less oil or other fats for cooking, they prevent us from using too much oil (which can be unhealthy) and, above all, they save us the time - as well as the hassle - of having to deal with food residues that remains caked on implements that are not non-stick and we haven't used enough oil or butter (or similar) on them.
Over time, however, these coatings may begin to fail to function as intended. In reality, when cracks or scratches appear, or if the coating peels off completely, the pan is often thrown away: but if the situation is not too serious, there is a very popular remedy, shown on TikTok, that uses only salt and oil and allows you to restore any non-stick item.
Video tutorial via @lifehacks.ho/TikTok
How to proceed:
- Put some salt in the pan - enough to create a uniform layer, but not too thick;
- Put the pan on the stove and turn on the burner to medium heat;
- As soon as it is hot enough, stir the salt around the pan: you can use a wooden spoon, or by using your hand (of course, protected with heat-resistant gloves or a cloth - perhaps this is why using a wooden spoon is more convenient). The salt must also get to the edges;
- Remove all the salt and pour in a generous amount of oil. As soon as it is hot, swill it around so that it covers the entire pan with a thin film;
- Keep the on the stove, heating it until it starts to smoke;
- Turn off the stove, and let the pan cool down;
- When the pan has cooled down, remove any excess oil with a little kitchen paper and pat dry.
The pan will be completely non-stick again.
Warning: this method is actually a variant of that used on cast iron pots and pans, where only oil is used. In fact, the salt serves to clean and strip the surface so that the oil adheres to it better. This means that if the pan you want to restore seems to be near the end of its' life (i.e. not quite ready to be thrown away yet, but almost), it is better to avoid making things worse by using salt. Skip this step and immediately move on to the oiling treatment phase. In any case, if you are unsure of the safety of using a non-stick pan with a coating that is no longer intact, it is best to replace it with a completely new one ... There are also various ways to recycle old pans creativity!
