Why your nonstick pan suddenly isn’t working like it used to

When I got married three years ago, I didn’t want a mountain of kitchen gadgets cluttering our tiny flat. Instead of a traditional registry, we asked our loved ones to help fund our honeymoon to Sicily and Malta. But my best friend, Tanyia, knew me better than most. She slipped a bright red box into our pile of envelopes. Inside was something that would become far more central to my new life than I expected—a ceramic nonstick Always Pan from Our Place.

At first, I treated it like a piece of art. It sat on the stove, gleaming like a jewel, ready for our first attempts at married life dinners. Then, slowly, it became part of our routine. Searing pork chops on Sunday. Tossing garlicky greens on weeknights. Fried eggs on Saturday mornings with the windows open. And every time, I misted it with avocado oil spray—just a bit. Because I thought I was doing the right thing. Healthier. Cleaner. More efficient.

Until one of my editors at EatingWell asked a question I hadn’t considered:
“Does cooking spray damage nonstick pans?”

I paused, spatula in hand. And suddenly, I wasn’t so sure.

Spray oils are the darling of the modern home kitchen. They offer control, consistency, and that sleek, health-forward aesthetic. No greasy puddles. No glug-glug accidents. Just a light mist across your pan, as if you’re airbrushing health onto your dinner prep. They also fit neatly into a wellness script: lower fat, less cleanup, no mess. It's a ritual many of us do without thinking, like preheating the oven or rinsing produce.

But here’s the catch: convenience often hides a cost. And when it comes to nonstick cookware—especially pans designed with eco-friendly or ceramic coatings—that cost might be shorter lifespan, damaged surfaces, and a quiet erosion of performance.

To understand what happens, I reached out to Stephanie Hong, associate director of product development at Our Place. Her insight changed everything about how I approached oil in the kitchen. Most aerosol spray oils, she explained, contain lecithin. It's a naturally occurring fatty compound often derived from soybeans, eggs, or sunflower seeds. It's common in foods, supplements, and even skincare. And in your body? Harmless. Even beneficial. But on your pan? Not so much.

“Over time, lecithin can leave behind a sticky residue that builds up on the pan’s surface, becoming increasingly difficult to clean and gradually diminishing the effectiveness of the nonstick coating,” said Hong. This residue is different from simple grease. It doesn’t rinse off with warm water. It clings. Layer after layer, use after use, the pan’s slick surface begins to dull. What used to glide now grabs. What used to shimmer now shows streaks.

Lecithin isn’t the only culprit. Most store-bought sprays use chemical propellants to push the oil out of the canister—think butane or propane. Yes, the same gases you use to light a barbecue.

They’re used in trace amounts and are considered food-safe at those levels. But under high heat, these compounds can break down unpredictably. Scorch marks, uneven residue, and carbonized buildup are common consequences—especially if you cook over medium-high heat. And unlike water or oil, these substances don’t steam off or evaporate cleanly. They linger, melt into the coating, and slowly chip away at the performance of your cookware. Ironically, the very thing meant to make food not stick can, over time, cause sticking.

I had a moment of hope. My go-to spray, from Chosen Foods, is made from 100% avocado oil. No lecithin. No propellants. Just pure oil in a pressurized can. Surely that’s safe? Not exactly.

Hong offered a gentle correction: “Even if you’re choosing your own oil and misting it from a spray bottle you fill yourself, your pan might not like it. The ultra-fine oil particles (even from pure oil options or refillable oil-misters) can burn and carbonize during cooking, leaving behind a stubborn residue that bonds to the pan’s surface.”

It’s a matter of particle size and contact heat. When oil is atomized into tiny droplets, they’re more likely to overheat before your food even starts cooking. They essentially become microscopic scorch marks. This means that even well-meaning home cooks using olive oil in a refillable glass mister might be doing long-term damage to their pans—especially if they’re cooking on induction stoves or high-heat gas burners.

When a nonstick pan loses its performance, we often blame ourselves:

Maybe I overheated it. Maybe I used metal utensils. Maybe it just wasn’t high quality. But often, it’s the residue. The invisible buildup that doesn’t announce itself until you start scraping eggs off the surface or wondering why your stir-fry clings no matter how much oil you use. This leads to a cycle of replacement. Buy a new pan. Start over. Repeat.

And that cycle isn’t just costly in dollars—it’s costly to the planet. Most nonstick cookware, even the newer “green” versions, isn’t recyclable. It ends up in landfills, where it stays—non-biodegradable and inert. If you’re trying to reduce waste or invest in longer-lasting tools, the most eco-conscious thing you can do is not just buy the right pan—but use it the right way.

So what’s the alternative? It’s simpler than you think. Instead of spraying, pour a small amount of oil—about a teaspoon—into the pan before you start cooking. Then use a silicone brush, spatula, or even a folded paper towel to spread it evenly.

This method has several advantages:

• It limits scorching, because the oil heats up with the pan gradually.
• It lets you see and feel what’s happening on the surface.
• And it avoids the ultra-fine particle mist that causes carbonization.

If you’re after a healthy cooking approach, choose oils with a high smoke point: avocado, grapeseed, refined coconut, or canola. These oils perform better under heat without breaking down or leaving residue. And if you’re cooking something that doesn’t require oil—like scrambled eggs in a fresh ceramic pan—consider skipping it altogether. Let the pan do its job.

If you’ve already been using spray oil regularly, you might be wondering: is my pan doomed? Not necessarily.

Here are a few gentle restoration tips:

1. Soak in warm, soapy water. Let the pan sit for 15–30 minutes before scrubbing.
2. Use a baking soda paste. Mix baking soda with a little water to form a paste. Gently scrub the surface with a soft sponge. Avoid steel wool or scouring pads.
3. Boil with vinegar and water. For heavy residue, simmer equal parts vinegar and water in the pan for 5–10 minutes. Let cool, then wash.
4. Avoid the dishwasher. Even if labeled dishwasher-safe, nonstick pans fare better when washed by hand.

If none of this restores the surface, it may be time for a new pan—but now you’ll have the habits to make the next one last much longer.

A note on coatings: not all nonstick surfaces are the same.

• Traditional Teflon (PTFE) pans are more vulnerable to scratching, especially at high heat. They deteriorate faster with residue.
• Ceramic-coated pans like the Always Pan tend to be more durable, heat-tolerant, and eco-friendly. But they’re still susceptible to buildup and don’t last forever.
• Hard anodized pans fall somewhere in between—more durable than ceramic, more forgiving than Teflon, but still sensitive to misted oils.

The rule of thumb? No matter what the material, avoid spraying. It’s not worth the performance tradeoff.

Tanyia’s gift wasn’t just cookware. It was a symbol of nourishment, of new rituals, of domestic calm. And like all beautiful tools, the pan invited me to pay more attention—to the sound of sizzling onions, the glide of a spatula, the pleasure of not rushing dinner. It taught me that the simplest tools require the most care.

Switching from spray to pour wasn’t a burden. It was a design upgrade. A sensory one. Pouring oil became a pause. A moment to notice how much was enough. A small ritual of presence. And over time, that tiny change extended the life of my pan, reduced waste, and deepened my cooking practice. Because the most sustainable choices are often the smallest ones we repeat.

What we repeat becomes how we live.