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Hoping SA would clear some controversy.

I was told that it's bad practice to put anodized non-stick pans in water immediately after cooking; as the water will cause it to degrade

I argue that it's harder to clean after the fat has solidified.

So does adding cold/hot water to hot non-stick anodized pan cause the surface to deteriorate and thus losing it's non-stick abilities?

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    There's a difference between putting the pan immediately in the water and being so cold that the fat has solidified. Let the temperature reduce a bit but not so much that the fat goes hard and you should be fine. On a side point, I wouldn't put a pan immediately under water from the stove because the fat would splatter.
    – Rincewind42
    Jul 9, 2011 at 14:42

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Teflon-coated pans -- no, not a good idea, as the teflon and metal will contract differently when cooled, causing the layer to separate and flake off (eventually).

Hard-anodized aluminum: may cause warping if the pans aren't too thick, as aluminum isn't that mechanically strong, but the layer shouldn't separate, as it is strongly bonded to the aluminum, being produced from oxidation of the aluminum itself.

Pans that incorporate both teflon and hard-anodization: probably not a good idea to throw into water before cooling.

Indubitably, throwing a hot pan in water will deglaze the grease quite effectively, but if a teflon layer is involved, you are inviting trouble.

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  • Adding cold food to a hot pan is not too dissimilar to putting a hot pan in cold water. I always run cold water into the the hot Teflon pans to clean (de-glaze) it. They last fine, it the small cut and scratch the end up making the pan non-non-stick
    – TFD
    Jul 9, 2011 at 22:50
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    Anodizing is incredibly tough, factory made or natural. Even if you do scratch it off, it reforms naturally very quickly. I have had pan for 30+ years that still work and look fine
    – TFD
    Jul 9, 2011 at 22:52

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