10 Best No-Stick Tawas in 2020 [Expert Critiques]

A Note from the Kitchen: Listening to Biber While You Cook

This page's title promises non-stick tawas, and it is fair to say that flat griddles for rotis, dosas and parathas are a long way from seventeenth-century Salzburg. Rather than pretend to rank cookware we have never tested, here is something we can offer with confidence: a few thoughts on how Heinrich Biber's music can keep you company at the stove, plus some general, widely shared advice on caring for a non-stick pan.

Biber for the kitchen

Biber's violin writing suits the rhythm of cooking surprisingly well. The Rosary Sonatas (often called the Mystery Sonatas) are short, self-contained pieces, and many last about as long as it takes to roll and cook a batch of flatbreads. Each uses scordatura, a retuning of the violin's strings, so the instrument changes colour from one sonata to the next. The closing Passacaglia for unaccompanied violin is good listening while the dough rests. For something livelier, the Battalia has a mock battle and a famously chaotic tavern scene, which fits a busy kitchen. Our recordings page suggests where to start, and the works overview explains what each collection contains.

General care tips for non-stick griddles

• Use wooden or silicone utensils so you don't scratch the coating.
• Heat the pan on low to medium heat. Very high heat can damage most non-stick surfaces.
• Let the pan cool before washing, and use a soft sponge rather than steel wool.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions on oven use, dishwashers and induction compatibility, because these vary from one product to another.
• Replace a pan if the coating is badly flaking or peeling.

If you are choosing a tawa, independent consumer testing organisations and the retailer's product details are better guides than any fan site. If you came for the music, the biography follows Biber from Bohemia to his post as Kapellmeister in Salzburg, and it pairs well with a quiet evening and a stack of warm rotis.