The corn tortilla warming method video thing suggests warming a nonstick pan on high heat and adding wet tortillas to it. I basically ruined my pan doing this. I also need a new one in general lol. Any recommendations for the best pan that is also kinda cheap hehe
https://www.seriouseats.com/video-the-right-way-to-warm-corn-tortillas (I had to find it on YouTube, it doesn’t link from the article for some reason)
Edit: I KNOW you don’t typically use high heat with nonstick. But SE doesn’t just mindlessly post these details, so wanted to see if anyone has figured out what they were thinking.
Video link if anyone knows what pan is used in it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAriiE1Xgzk
by wednesdayblueberry
19 Comments
I do this on a cast iron pan.
Carbon steel
nonstick pans and high heat are mutually exclusive really, it sounds like it would be best to use a different type of pan for this like carbon steel or cast iron as the other commenter mentioned. that being said heres the nonstick serious eats recommends: [T-fal professional](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GWK2X2?tag=seriouseats-onsite-prod-20&ascsubtag=6746059%7Cn537ac257c6814599991b35dd7486c95115%7CB000GWK2X2%7C1724426865948%7C%7C)
non stick pans start to break down around 500F or 260C so stay below that
Just FYI, I was always under the impression you should never heat non-stick pans on high heat. It can damage the non-stick coating and potentially cause the chemicals to un-bond from the pan surface. (Don’t know the specifics of what happens under high heat so take this description with a grain of salt.)
I would stick to cast iron, carbon steel or stainless for high heat.
Nonstick pans and high heat just don’t go together. Buy another type of pan for high heat use.
Don’t use high heat on non stick.
If you have a gas stove, just put the tortillas on the stove grate directly over the fire. Have some tons ready to flip and grab, but this is easy and works really well
If not, carbon steel or cast iron
Nonstick pans are shit.
If you go to any manufacturer in the developed world and ask them if their PTFE pans are safe, they will say “our pans are compliant to blah blah blah and we have the legal right to sell them because of blah blah blah.” None of them will just say “our pans are safe, yes.” There’s a reason hexclad sent CookCulture a cease and desist order when he made a YouTube video about them being unsafe instead of just coming out with a response on why he is wrong, and there’s a reason he was able to respond with a video doubling down on his statement without fear of them actually bringing up a lawsuit.
Even if you aren’t worried about the safety aspect of them, they are wasteful because, although you can get a decent lifetime out of them by treating them properly (aka babying the fuck out of them), they will all eventually wear out and have to be replaced. Sure, you could get one with a lifetime warranty, but you could spend the same (or much less in some cases) on a cast iron, carbon steel, or stainless steel pan and not have to replace it in the first place.
There are literally zero tasks in the kitchen that require a nonstick pan. For any task that someone uses a nonstick pan for, they would be able to get better results by using a proper pan with the proper technique (number one fuck up I see is not letting the pan pre-heat on medium-low temperature, just put the pan on the hob and put a little splash of water in it and wait for it to evaporate).
I get the other commenters saying high-heat and nonstick don’t mix (they don’t), but you can still get it hot enough to properly warm tortillas without ruining the pan.
This is probably of no help but about two years ago I saw a 3-pack of nonstick, Kirkland brand pans at Costco. It was maybe $20-30 (probably on sale or clearance).
I’d put those up against any “professional” nonstick pans. I leave the middle sized one out on the range almost all the time because I cook a lot of stuff for the kiddo in there (grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, pancakes, etc).
Otherwise, I do suggest cast iron for a true high-heat situation.
A good Lodge skillet can last a lifetime (or more). My MIL has a box full of cast iron skillets that her mom passed down to her decades ago. I think a few are 60-70 years old. I cleaned one up one day with a lot of vigorous scrubbing, thoroughly drying, and then a round or two of seasoning. Didn’t look BRAND new, but you’d think it was something I bought a couple years back and have been using regularly.
Looks like you’re referring to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAriiE1Xgzk) video, and yeah it does say to use a nonstick pan on high heat but what they used in the video was a seasoned cast iron, which is what I would *stick to* for this purpose. Seems like a mistake on SE’s part.
As far as pans go, non-sticks are not very versatile at all. All I use mine for is eggs
The highest-rated nonstick pan on Wirecutter for the past several years has been the Tramontina Pro Series 10″ frying pan. It retails right around $35 for a really good pan.
It says right on their website that these pans are only [oven-safe up to 400°F / 204°C](https://www.tramontina.com/pro-series-10-in-fry-pan-80114535.html).
Conversely, there are coal-fired pizza shops in Connecticut that have been using cast iron in their 800°F pizza ovens for decades. That’s not great for the seasoning for regular home cooks but illustrates the point that these things can take the heat. Also, check out r/castiron to see all the people using pans either handed down from their great grandparents or who have restored a pan they randomly found in their backyard and is as good as new now. It’s insane. And you can pick up a Lodge for basically the same price as a nonstick frying pan. Sometimes you can find them on sale for $20.
They write high heat assuming you’ll know that high heat doesn’t mean hotter than you can safely get your pan.
But there’s always someone out there who goes, “oh, they said high heat but my pan is melting, but they said high so I guess I have to melt my pan”.
Nothing you can really do about people like that. They shouldn’t have to specifically tell you not to ruin your pan. They’re assuming a certain level of starter knowledge and/or common sense.
Edit: OP blocked me, lol
You want a carbon steel pan, like a smoother version of a cast iron. Carbon steel crepe pan, something like that.
I really like the Tramontina pro series non-stick pans.
In that video it appears to be a carbon steel griddle. The traditional tortilla pan is called a *comal*, which is basically a cast iron pan that is either totally flat or has a slight lip. Could be a comal in the video, but the surface looks more like CS to me.
Just watched video. They are using cast iron, not Teflon non-stick.
For extremely high heat, cast iron or stainless is the way to go. But a high quality non-stick pan works well for decently high heat and below, certainly plenty hot enough for heating tortillas 🙂 I’ve got a couple All-Clad non-stick fry pans, they say they’re good up to 500°F in the oven, and on the stove top I’ll go up to ~2/3 of the way to max, but only with food in them. I never crank the heat on an empty pan for too long, food keeps pans a bit cooler, empty pans can get real hot real fast if you’re not careful. Regardless of the pan, it’s only for very specific dishes that you’ll want to get the pan screaming hot, have heard many pro chefs say their #1 tip to home cooks is “turn down the heat”, and it’s good advice.
I do like the All-Clad ones a lot, they provide an even heat/cook, have a nice high quality feel to them, and still extremely non-stick (have had them a couple years and they’re still basically like new). Just don’t use metal spatulas/utensils with them, don’t use extremely high heat, and let them cool before cleaning, and they can last quite awhile. Not nearly as long as cast iron or stainless, which last decades, but they can last years in good shape. I wouldn’t call them cheap, but you can hunt around and find them at OK prices.
I use and like stainless and cast iron too, but sometimes you really just don’t want the food to stick, and a high quality non-stick pan really does stick a lot less.
I warm them directly on the grate (gas stove). Three at a time overlapped, flip them till they are done. Copycat technique from watching actual Mexicans, which I am not. Water not necessary unless tortilla ls are pretty old.
My cast iron IS non stick
For one, everyone ITT mentioning cast iron or carbon steel is 100% correct. The planchas you see at legit Mexican restaurants are all steel. Well cared for steel, but steel nonetheless.
If you’re not ready for that, anodized aluminum is an imperfect but okay middle ground. The aluminum is treated to chemically alter the surface rather than the addition of something that has potential to flake off into your food.
You should never-ever use a coated pan at high heat.