Titanium non-stick pots and pan

Now to cook some fish. Then a job at Fat Cats.

That pan looks like it’s past its prime.  What happens if bits of non stick coating are in your food?  Or is it that it will no longer be non stick?

It’s a plate like Jon suggested. No coating. Cooked some eggs on it. Over easy. A little tricky getting them evenly cooked. The rounded sides make flipping easier. The ten buck titanium turner is sharp and keeps the bottom clean. I just wiped it with water. Stained it a little.

The pot gripper works well. It needs a catch so it locks on.

ahhh… now I see.  Maybe we don’t need non stick but it requires better technique

You can season a cast iron pan by coating with oil, then turning upside down in oven at 500F (or variations on this).  It produces a coating of polymerized oil.

I wonder if you could do this on a UL thin pan and then use it to cook eggs or a fish

I have tried seasoning titanium pans before.  Some people have made videos where they were able to cook eggs over easy and the eggs just slide around a lot.  I never experienced anything near that level.  That and it was easy to screw up the surface and it would have to be re-seasoned.  That is why I recommend parchment paper or even rice paper as liner.  My 2 cents.

I did season the plate. I’ve done it before. It’s pretty much like Jon describes. Titanium isn’t as porous as cast iron. The seasoning stays on the surface.

Using a bit of oil, my eggs did slide around. Sorta. They would stick in spots. I used the turner to cut through the bond and keep the pan clean. I was able to turn them.  I could tell the ” seasoning” wearing off fast. I think that’s what spotted up the plate.

I am usually of the “light is right” mindset. However: often on family trips when the hiking is easier – I don’t mind heavier items. For these cases I recommend the 8 inch Stainless Steel Skillet from Self Reliance outfitters. Without the lid, it weighs only 13 oz. It has a laminate bottom with no aluminum exposed. The similar pan from FireMaple is actually heavier and has exposed aluminum.

Because it’s SS with a thick bottom, you can do real cooking in it: eggs, pancakes, steak & gravy, sausage, beans, rice, basically anything (just know about the leidenfrost test) and it’s easy to clean. It works over campfire/coals in addition to a backpacking stove. And no concerns about PFAs.

The leidenfrost test works well with heavy weight pans and food that is not too massive.  I found that thin walled pans that it is not nearly as effective.  My 2 cents.

I enjoy the challenge and learning the techniques. Mostly I’m out to prove Jon wrong, though I’ve yet to succeed. I’m more likely to prove him right. Actually I appreciate his testing.

My plate weighs just under 4 ounces. It does okay with eggs if I move it around over the burner. An egg ring might help. I found the edges cool enough to touch as not to need a pot gripper.

A Camping Moon stove placed the burner way to close and was hard to manage. A FM infrared burner worked better, but still too close. Kovea Spyder for the win. Still to get the whites done, the yolk is slightly overcooked for over easy.

I did see a pot stand at Self Reliance Outfitters that may serve the OP.

Don’t get me wrong, there are a number of people who season titanium pans and have no problem with it as a non stick surface.  I tried for several months using several different Ti pans & plates and nothing worked nearly as well as my MSR Quick Skillet.  I can get a uniform heat distribution across a ti plate, I just could not crack the code on a non-stick surface.  Parchment paper was a simple and easy solution for me.  My 2 cents.

The oil polymerizes into a plastic like coating that adheres to the nooks and crannies. Ti pans can be coated, but the bond is weak and burns through easily. Not at all like cast iron can be seasoned. If you can keep the heat low without creating hot spots, it would last longer, use plenty of oil. The leidenfrost effect does work if the whole egg is evenly cooked.