In today's NY Times, Ms. Burros throws out her Teflon and looks for a
good substitute:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/07/di...gewanted=print

She tested All-Clad, some brands I don't know, Le Creuset and plain
old-fashioned cast-iron.

"The Le Creuset pan and the two cast-iron pans produced amazing
results. Nothing stuck, including the eggs, and it was quite easy to
roll up omelets. There were almost no eggs to scrape up. I don't
recommend browning potatoes or onions with a film of oil because they
won't have much flavor, but these pans could do it."
....
"The only other difference was that the cast-iron pans, with or without
enamel, took longer to heat up and cool down.

"But bigger differences became clear when it was time for cleaning, the
kitchen job I like least. The All-Clad, even more so than Bourgeat,
required serious scrubbing to remove those pesky little brown spots
that form when oil leaps up the sides of the pan and sticks. And food
does stick to All-Clad sometimes, requiring removal by cleanser and
elbow grease.

"Cleaning the cast iron, Le Creuset and carbon steel was very easy.
Food that clings to them can be easily scrubbed away with a stiff brush
or, in the case of Le Creuset, soaked off. (Soap is not recommended for
cast iron and carbon steel, but it can be used on the Le Creuset and
the Calphalon.)

"Unlike the Calphalon and carbon steel, the cast-iron and enameled pans
are heavy. The handles get hot, so pot holders must be used.

"The carbon steel and the untreated cast iron must be seasoned, though
the process is simple. They must be dried thoroughly and lightly oiled
or they will rust.

"Cooking certain acidic foods like tomatoes in cast iron changes the
taste and color, but it does add iron to the diet.

"After all the tests, there was one pan I fell for: Le Creuset. It is
easy to clean, and because of its enamel finish, acidic foods can be
cooked without changes to color or taste. The cast iron pans were a
very close second."

(End quote)

Note on cast-iron - you can now buy pre-seasoned cast-iron skillets for
not much more money than unseasoned. Still a great deal.

I own a large Le Creuset skillet, the deep one with two handles, and 2
cast-iron skillets, one mid-sized and one small. Love 'em. I might one
day buy a bigger cast-iron for bigger jobs - but until then my
frying/sauteeing needs are met. Stir fry on a regular stovetop goes
better in a cast iron flat-bottom skillet, because the burners aren't
hot enough to get a wok really sizzling. (So says Pam Anderson) - we do
terrific stir-fry in my cast-iron skillet adn that's the big incentive
to buy a larger one.

Leila