You’re should be using a cast iron pan, even on a gas stove anyway. That solves the uneven heat distribution.
Nobody should be buying thin, cheap aluminum pans. They heat unevenly and both get too hot too quickly on the flame and lose heat almost immediately if they're of a burner. Solid bottom steel pans will always be the standard because they're lighter than cast iron but hold temp and work well.
/chef rant
It was always nice when I'd get a job somewhere that had good stoves/pans.
You're right about cheap stainless pans. They're the very worst. Stainless has even lower thermal conductivity than cast iron or carbon steel.
Quick question: Other than for omelettes/pancakes, what's the appeal of non-stick for you? Is this a health issue (cutting down butter/oil) or an ease of use thing? I only ask because I'm (PERSONAL OPINOIN, YMMV) not a fan. I find them much harder to clean/care for and am all too familiar with the fact that often the NS coatings degrade into really bad things which then get pulled into the food. Just looking for your opinion, not trying to start a flame war or say you're wrong.
Mostly it's just ease of use, especially cleaning. These particular pans, if still hot, can be cleaned by simply running cold water over the hot pan, then wiping it off. Nope, this doesn't warp the pan, I've been doing it for years. On the occasions when the pan isn't hot enough for that, one or two quick passes with a soapy sponge, and it looks brand new. They can also go in the dishwasher, although I personally don't do that.
The nonstick coating they use is some proprietary one, not Teflon. It's PFOA-free and durable enough to be used with metal utensils. I don't think any of it gets into the food.
I probably sound like a shill at this point, but seriously, I just love these things. I would certainly prefer to not spend ~$100/pan, but after trying one, I ended up with four of them.
I don't believe I've ever measured the amount of oil/butter in which I fry in my life, but I am aware of the opposite end of the spectrum lol. I assumed this was probably the difference in our pan preferences: my solution to sticking is "add more fat".
I also tend to make a lot of pan sauces, and non-stick kills that a lot of the time (no fond = sad sauce).
While the coating is PFOA free, if you're using metal utensils, SOME of that plastic is coming off. Technically fried/burned food is a carcinogen, so IDK what your tolerance for this risk is but for me non-stick has always felt unneeded and knowing that some of this plastic is winding up in some of my food sometimes.(I'm weird though and find washing dishes meditative, probably due to my years in restaurants)
Interesting to get others opinions on this stuff. I could talk knives/pans/kitchen tools for days.