Why does my nonstick pan stick?

Nonstick coatings fail for a few predictable reasons, and the biggest is heat. These pans are designed for low to medium heat; crank them high and the coating degrades, breaks down, and loses its release, often permanently, and the pan can warp so it no longer sits flat, creating hot spots where food grabs. Metal utensils scratch the surface, cooking spray builds up a sticky invisible residue that ironically makes food stick, and simple age wears the coating thin. A residue haze can sometimes be scrubbed off with a baking soda paste, restoring some slickness.

The uncomfortable truth is that nonstick cookware is a consumable, not a lifetime purchase: even treated well, most pans lose effectiveness in two to five years, and a visibly scratched, peeling, or badly worn one should be replaced rather than nursed along, both for performance and because you do not want flaking coating in your food. If you are tired of the cycle, this is the argument for a well-seasoned cast iron or carbon steel pan, which get more nonstick with age instead of less, at the cost of a little maintenance. For the nonstick you keep, medium heat, wooden or silicone tools, and hand washing extend its life the most.