One reason I don't use non-stick cookware is that sooner or later the coating will peel and shred. Sounds to me that it happened to you sooner rather than later.

I would certainly return it as being defective. If nothing else, it violates the implied warranty of fitness for use.

I only have one non stick piece of cookware (10" frypan for eggs only) and the instructions explicited stated do not cook on high. From further research that is because the high temperatures supposedly release toxic chemicals & gases. I'd return it, get your money back and never buy another non stick piece of cookware again. But that's my opinion.

If you find the black flakes INSIDE the jars of pickles, I would expect that the jars were not properly sealed prior to placing in the canner. For a canner to have a non stick surface is totally useless as your not cooking anything in it, but simple boiling water. If you also use it for the contents of each jar, and its aluminium, even for that, a non stick surface isn't going to protect the aluminium that well. I would totally avoid non stick cookware home canning anything. It might be nice to fry eggs on, but for canning, these coatings are not very useful.

OK... no more no-stick coatings for the bath canner. It's the blue/black with white speckles from now on. Are those are non-conductive for vinegar baths?

The blue/black speckled ones are enamel coated. Its baked on and can chip like glass if something hard hits it. This will expose the steel underneath, which can rust quickly. Vinegar in a small amount like a tablespoon can be used in these without any problems. Once it has chips in the glazing these can rust and then the pots can leak. If you can find a big stainless steel one, it may be a better option. I found a very cheap one that had no clad bottom so it was great just for a boiling water bath. It held quart jars too, which are quite tall once they sit on an inch high wire rack at the bottom. "non conductive", no, non reactive, yes. Non conductive would be something that isn't made of metal which can conduct electricity.

Most people use the enamel-coated Graniteware and are quite happy with it. With a little care they last for many years, and are relatively inexpensive to start with.

The enamel coating can chip and craze, however, it you mistreat it. When that happens the underlying metal rusts. You can "repair" it by using those high-heat paints such as stove black and engine paints. It will be unsightly, but perfectly safe.

Most people just ignore the damaged spots until, at long last, the pot rusts through. Then they replace it. But we're not talking about a fast process. It takes years.

There are alternatives. Stainless steel is non-reactive, and you can find it relatively inexpensively if you don't get the clad stuff. I like using smaller SS pots when I only have a couple of jars to do. Beats the heck out of heating up a full canner load.

Heavy-duty aluminum stockpots can work for canning. I wouldn't cook anything in them, myself.

Right now my main bwb kettle is a recylced pressure canner. It's my old Miro, which never worked right as a pressure canner. So I replaced it with a Presto. I wouldn't buy a pressure canner just to use as a bwb, you understand. But they can serve both purposes if you only want one kettle.

BTW, I think you really mean "non-reactive" when talking about vinegar. Conductive refers to the transfer of heat or electricity. The Graniteware is non-reactive so long as the integrity of the enamel coating is maintained. After that they aren't.

My advice is to use the enamel pots only for the processing, not for cooking things. One of those was my first big pot so I had to use it when I made chili, and I would let the chili burn a layer onto the bottom of the pot to avoid chipping off the enamel while it was cooking. They just aren't thick enough to distribute heat in something that's going to be on the stove a while. For cooking, look for something with a high-conductivity disc sandwiched into the bottom (e.g. aluminum in a stainless pot) or at least something pretty heavy. I have a great 3-quart pot from Ikea that is shaped like a stock pot so it fits neatly on a small burner, and next time I can get near an Ikea I will get a larger pot from the same line. It even has measuring lines inside the pot.

I don't like nonstick cookware, I use a cast iron skillet that is naturally nonstick from all the carbonized fats I've cooked onto it. To keep an egg from sticking, start by getting some oil good & hot in the pan. The hot oil will thin out and fill in all the weensy crevices in the metal. This makes a film that will keep the egg proteins from oozing in there & firming up, which is what causes sticking.

Melissa

testoehr
I just checked the canning pantry and did not find a canner with a non-stick lining. I can't imagine any manufacturer making one. A non-stick canner makes absolutely no sense to me. I have a non-stick dutch over which I could process 4 oz. jars in, however I would never do it. I have several sizes of blue baked enamel pots I use for different canning processes.
The pantry did have some very nice canning supplies.

The local supermarket where I got some Ball jars at a cheap close out price also had a few Ball canning kits in large boxes. These kits include the enamaled pot, a pair of jar pickup tongs, the clear plastic bubble freer, and the plastic funnel. Cost was under $18.00 for the whole thing, but I left them for someone else, as I have several pots, which are all stainless with, and without clad bottoms. One of my big pots can even handle a half gallon canning jar, but I don't use these for any home canning, only for short term storage, or for left over brines.