desert-I would avoid any cheap non stick. If you occasionally fry an egg or make a cheese sandwich maybe you should get a small cast-iron skillet. Once you season it properly you can easily clean with a soft scrub sponge(not steel wool)no soap.
Please don't buy at W.
There is a brand that's sold at my coop, I'll check the name and get back to you. It's ceramic inside.
I bought a ceramic skillet(12" $40.00) from a local Italian grocer in my neighborhood(Bialetti--Italian company/design-made in china). I really like it but read that some people have complained about the inside getting ruined-I am being careful but won't cry if it has to go...I'll just keep researching...

Here is a link that might be useful: bialetti

thx ERF. I've contained myself and haven't looked at W yet - lol! did look on kohl's site and qvc tho. qvc had one that looked nice but wasn't dw safe. that bothered me. probably no big deal to wash it up in the sink but - why? (if I ever get the dw working).

others made in China. try to steer away from those but that ain't so easy really. I don't get out shopping much - don't really care to and I get tired so easily. It's not something I want to be popping in and out stores looking for.

thx for the help. let me know what you find out. I not in a major hurry, it's just recently crossed my mind that I should break down and get a small one.

I have to stay away from heavy ones - even my 4 qt corning ware pot I no longer use. Maybe sometime out (even at W) I should see if they have a cast iron one just to pick up and check the weight on my hands. Qvc has a cast iron one coated inside but they don't list the weight of it.

saw one at the target site - porcelain I think. how would that be for an inside?

they also have the Rachel R ones - that's what qvc had. again no dw. maybe that'd be ok. it's ceramic inside I think.

The small Calphalon is absolutely perfect, I brown my steaks and then cook them in the pan in the over. Love the metal handles.

I saw some that said that but didn't know what it was. Never heard of it before. sounded like might be a new word for a teflon type coating.

don't metal handles get hot?

Swiss Diamond is really good. Pricy, but TJ Maxx sometimes has them.

Steph, did you find one? My mil wants an 8" skillet, non-stick, and not teflon. What's left?

My MIL bought me one off of the TV....and I put it in the cabinet. Then when we moved, I needed something to cook on a hotplate at the new house during remodeling, so I took it. Really, really a pretty good skillet. Weighs NOTHING. Has a gorgeous blue ceramic interior, and a glass lid.
It says "YoshiBlue" on the bottom. it is dishwasher safe, or at least I have put it in the dishwasher.

Nancy

marti - no, not yet. I asked my BIL on TG day but he just has some that look 'teflony'. one is a cooks essential - so from qvc. The 2 pots/skillets I have are like that.

I've also seen some that say 'earth' or 'sand' on them (online). Don't know what that really means tho or if safe and easy to use.

nancy - I'll look that up online today. I have read/heard of 'ceramic' - just hadn't heard from / of anyone who has one /used one like that.

the porcelain ones I've read about end up being porcelain on the outside of them - have that on my 2 pots and 2 skillets also. I'm more concerned about the inside of them.

nancy - how long have you been using that skillet? I looked it up (on Amazon i think) and it's around 70.00! way outa my range. Some of the reviews also weren't so good.

i looked up some others with ceramic inside - a number of them said that they were great a first - then after a few months things stuck - a lot on them. such a bummer.

desertsteph-
Regarding ceramic - I had never heard of such a thing but this thread made me recall that at my FIL's hunting cabin amongst all of the misfit cookwear is this skillet that appears to be ceramic/porcelain or something on the inside (red on the outide, shiny gray enamel on the inside, def. NOT teflon). The times I have used it I've thought what in the world is this thing made of??? I have no idea how old it is or where it came from but I can tell you that nothing sticks to it and it cleans up easily. I find it to be a bizzare (in a good way) little skillet. I normally only get up there a couple times a year and FIL will have NO CLUE what I'm talking about if I ask him (he prefers heavy duty cast iron and probably never even uses it). Next time I get up there I'll see if I can figure out what it is.

So anyway - I was checking back to see what you found. Very curious about that little pan.

Make sure you post what you end up with.

Google to the rescue.

Actually it looks a lot like this but gray and red:
Reviews seem good and not totally outrageous for price if you just need the 8".

I hope that helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Porcelain Enamel Skillets

I saw one advertised on TV that showed food just sliding out..no oil needed..I think it was green on the inside....I do not know the name of it, but has anyone seen or heard of this?...if so, does it work that well?

I've seen some ads like that too. I think it's something like 'green earth'? I did find some (at least similar) online but wonder if they are just gimmicky? A few like that had reviews that said mostly that it worked great for the first few months - and then not anymore. such a bummer.

I did see one at a local grocery that seemed might work. It's only about 12.00 so if it doesn't I wouldn't feel too cheated. Next time I go there I'll look at it again.

I bought this one Saturday for mil. I'm giving it to her for Christmas but will report back how well it works. It is lightweight.

I looked that one up marti and it looks great! I can't spend that kind of $s on a skillet for me tho. I have seen a few that say they are PFOA and PTFE free. don't know what those are but sounds like things we shouldn't have in/near our food!

but do post back how your MIL likes it - many others here might be interested and willing to spend the $s.

Hubby was bewitched by those TV ads and bought an Ogreenic skillet. It's about 10 inches across, green ceramic on the inside and I use it every day for eggs or whatever else I want to fry. I do have a fully seasoned black cast iron skillet that works fine but is difficult to clean. The Ogreenic is easy to clean, sometimes I just wipe out with a paper towel, but it can go in the dishwasher. As I mentioned elsewhere, my DW has been broken a while so everything gets the deluxe hand-wash treatment.

I bought it at an outlet mall, and it was $28. I didn't think it was that expensive, at least not compared to some of the others I had looked at.

I've noticed some ads on cable for the "green" ceramic pan, the lady cooking the omelet just blew on it and it slid out of the pan. Of course, I cannot remember nuttin. But now that I realize someone wants to know, I'll make an effort to note the website. They did not indicate what size the pan was, but I'm sure the site has more than one size.

I personally find the heavy black cast iron to be very non-stick, and I love it. I use a small pan for baking my thick cake of cornbread, and it never sticks with the proper care. For you, Steph, a small pan won't be too heavy, but a larger cast iron pan could give you wrist pains.

'it was $28. I didn't think it was that expensive'

that isn't too bad! the prices I saw online started at around $65!

jannie - I'll keep my eye open for the Ogreenic skillet as I'm browsing. I think I've seen an ad like that on TV too.

ML - now that I'm actually looking for a skillet I never seem to see those ads anymore. Isn't it always that way?

The cast irons are too heavy for my hands/wrists now. I tried one again at W the other week just to see how the weight of one seemed to me. Too heavy.

Kohls have their Cuisinart cookware on sale. I bought the 12" covered skillet today for $49.99 for my sister-in-law. Hope it was a good choice.

Some stores are carrying those green skillets in the sections "as seen on TV". We have them here in Shopko. I might get one...good size for just me.

Autumn- the one you linked looks good. I'm gonna look around to see if anyone locally carries that brand. I think with the ceramic inside I don't have to be concerned with things like POFA.

The one I saw at the store was a Ecolution brand. I have to look that up again - I already forget what I found about it online!

keep posting ideas if you know of /hear of any good ones. I probably won't buy til after the holidays. I don't think I should spend $s on me now.

Hey desert I just saw in the Vermont Country Store Catalog "Non-Stick Mini pans are Chemical Free and Perfect for Single Servings" and "Cast Iron Cookware sized for Small Households" page 53 of catalog. This is a reputable store--satisfaction guaranteed AND you can speak to a real person and tell them your concerns about the weight.

They also have Black Granite ware(porcelain coated enamel). I'm definitely ordering these. "as handy as a small pot". Looks like all are made in China. Made in China could be good or bad depending on how the company cares about their reputation or just making a fast buck. I'm hoping Bialetti(Italian co.) cares more about their reputation...

Autumn 4-I'm keeping those skillets(made in US too !) in mind if I need to replace the one I just bought at some point.

erf - I looked up the skillets at VCS - I'm always suspicious of products made in China.

under gnrl description it says they're dw safe, then under details/care it says this:

Care

After cooking, clean by putting hot water in pan and bringing to a boil. Do not use detergent, also avoid putting cookware in cold water. Wipe dry with a paper towel. Apply a fine coating of oil or spray.

??? very weird and confusing!

After cooking, clean by putting hot water in pan and bringing to a boil. Do not use detergent, also avoid putting cookware in cold water. Wipe dry with a paper towel. Apply a fine coating of oil or spray.

Cast iron is not DW safe--if that's what they wrote I will correct them on my next phone call
Ok what they mean is(I assume this is for the cast iron pans, right ?) Loosen any bits on the pan with hot water, you can use a very soft scrubbie sponge--do not use soap since it will ruin the "seasoning", never put any hot pan in cold water(cast iron or not) completely dry the pan after use(I put my cast iron on a low flame until completely dry) put a little oil just enough to coat and wipe with a paper towel-this protects the pan from rusting(I also dry my wok on a low flame and coat the inside with coconut oil after every use)
Cast iron is very easy to care for and Lodge is US made and has small pans.

Here is a link that might be useful: lodge

no, for the mini pan.

Here is a link that might be useful: mini pan

Desertsteph - did you make any purchases? I ran into TJ Maxx today (do you have those? not sure if they are national or regional) and they had 8" ceramic nonstick skillets - $12.99 I think?

I thought of you right away. They were Valerie Bertinelli brand?

Sigh - I just googled it to check it out more and this GW thread came up about them. I guess the pan was good but the handle conducts heat? Bummer! They had other brands though - might be worth a look!

Here is a link that might be useful: Cooking Thread on non-stick (ceramic) pans

I always clean my cast iron pan with kosher salt and a paper towel....

I like cast iron skillet too. I cook every day, I have gone through so many non stick skillets. The coating just worn out so quickly. Cast iron is the way to go and the order the better