Safety of Nonstick Pans

There have been a few comments (on the forum and on the course site) regarding use of nonstick pans and health concerns. WIth recent reports in the media about Teflon surfacing, I want to provide some info regarding this subject.

* Most nonstick coatings are based on Teflon, which is the brand name for polytetrafluoroethylene. Teflon itself is very inert, almost nothing reacts with it, which is why it's so nonstick.

* At temperatures above 200 °C, and possibly as low as 160 °C, Teflon begins to decompose into fluorocarbon gases. These gases are deadly to birds (people who own birds quickly learn to keep nonstick cookware out of their homes). In humans, it can cause subtle flu-like symptoms. There is very little known about the long-term health consequences about exposure to fluorocarbon gases, but we've been exposing the population to them since the late 1950s.

* Teflon pans heated to above 260 °C will rapidly decompose into the potentially toxic gases, but DuPont has held to the position that it's unlikely that people will do this since only a few oils have smoke points above 260 °C. I tend to disagree with this position because a pan left on a hot burner will quickly approach 300 °C and we all know that this does happen in kitchens.

* Teflon will begin to separate from the metal substrate of the pan once its been heated above 250 °C or so a few times.

We do use nonstick pans and we are aware there are some health concerns. We avoid heating our pans to excessive temperatures to minimize these risks and to care for our cookware. We certainly understand some people choosing not to use Teflon-coated or similar cookware. In that case, we recommend a well-seasoned pan to get the nonstick benefits.

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Comments

TODD_ANDERSON_36806

This post has been up for a few days and I just wanted to add my 2 cents. I prefer to use non-stick pans as little as possible. I feel a better crust or maillard reaction is achieved with a good stainless pan. It's all about the right temp and amount of oil!! Just my thoughts?!?

Johan_Edstrom_5586

@Tucker - amen.

Mason_Perry_34060

Lately when I sear I have been using a few liters of oil....

Brendan_Lee_56950

I lost the damned power cord to my fryer so I haven't been frying as much lately but after some of these cryosear pics @johan is bantering about I may have to search for a new part!

grant

I might add some videos soon demonstrating tips on how to sear well will any non- (nonstick pan:) Until then, here are some professional basics that unfortunately, not a lot professionals practice.

*Always start with a med high heat pan, then if you must, turn the heat down throughout the searing process.

*You can season a cast-iron as well as a stainless or nickel chrome pan. From cold heat the pans will a small amount of oil int them, use a tissue to rub it on every surface. Bring the temp up to around the smoke point of you oil. Once very hot, remove pan from heat and rub in more oil. It will tend to look a little dry at the end of the process. Repeat several times for further performance.

*Always sear items that have been dried at the surface. In some restaurants, even small pieces meats are stored on racks to allow them to dry a bit. They are not stored in plastic bags or containers. This is for short term storage and day of use storage. (to do this at home, try placing that piece of fish, steak or chicken breast in the fridge for a few hours let the surface desiccate before searing.

*Oil the product, not the pan. This will helped to avoid burning excess oil in the pan which generates build up and then begins to stick.

*Once you place a food in the pan it is best to leave along. Do not try to move until it has been fully seared. People have a tendency to try to get the food to slide around as soon as they place it in the pan. This will cause some problems as the food is just congealing at the surface and will wan to grab on to surfaces. Let it congeal, sear and dry out, then move it. You will find that it wants to let go once the searing side is crisp.

*Clean, clean , clean your pans. This is a hug problem that persists in many kitchens. use the oven cleaners or my favorite, Mr. Muscle. It is basically sodium hydroxide with some other stuff mixed in. I don't use it all the time, but once and a while it is amazing and will restore you pans to like new condition. Just don't use these cleaners on aluminum or nonstick surfaces.

Happy searing,

Grant

Brendan_Lee_56950

I like to use barkeepers friend on my stainless about once a month to get the crud off. I've never tried to season a stainless pan though, that's not something I have ever considered.

Johan_Edstrom_5586

Thanks @Grant! That is pretty much how I use my pans, works a charm.

Vien_Nguyen_67592

I wonder if this is why I have been feeling funny lately...

Thank for the post.

ethanunick

No one has mentioned this so far so I thought it would be a great addition. Cooks illustrated published an article about seasoning cast iron pans very quickly using flax seed oil in five applications. We've done this at our restaurant and we can now cook eggs with just a little butter on cast iron with no sticking.

This dealt with concerns about teflon but mostly just because the coating on non sticks gets abused in our kitchen so we ended up having to buy new pans too often.

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-way-to-season-cast-iron

Manfred_18311

I decommissioned

my Teflon Pans long time ago and used cast iron until I found a ceramic coated pan. Ceramics or clay for that matter sinters at

aprox. 1250 °C which makes it an ideal product to coat cookware with.

I use an

Italian Brand - Ballarini -, happy with it ever since high, low temperature

used it without oil or clarified butter; of course you have to handle the

surface correctly. No knife cutting in the pan!

Sure, after

two years in extensive home service wear is appearing on the surface. A feature this product offers and I appreciate

most with it; the color of the surface is porcelain white. Finally I actually

see what I cook and only the white surface exposed the slight wear I detect

on it.

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mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">http://www.ballarini.it/eng/categorie.php/cat=aluminium-with-ceramic-coating-/id=3

rutjens

I "stick" with -correctly seasoned- carbon steel (de Buyer) pans for searing and sautéing, I simply never met one that overall performed better and they withstand any attack of cooking utensils!

Johan_Edstrom_5586

I'm actually lazy and I have apart from my good pans a set of IKEA sautee pans that I

use for at home heat circumstances.

- Grant put this comment out there - Always start with a med high heat pan

A Med high heat pan in a commercial kitchen is about a bazzilion degrees hotter

than a I got this from a cookbook and I'm in my apartment.

I know exactly what he meant with that, I've never seen a homecook have

a med high heat pan.

Nea_23791

Have you guys heard of Scanpan? I own a Classic 8in and a Pro IQ 9in and 11in and swear by them...

http://scanpan.eu/en-GB/SCANPAN.aspx

Jack_Mayer_85396

@Nea, I work at a Sur La Table store and we sell a lot of those pans. The cooking surface has a lifetime warranty and you can use metal utensils! I have a couple of them and love them!

Marek_30573

@Bas I was going to get myself a cast iron pan/skillet (probably today). After checking out De Buyer's carbon steel pans, I'm hooked. I think it's a way better choice for a guy like me. Thank you.

Martin_212020

This came up when Googling Teflon pans... so sorry for bumping something from three years ago! What's the deal with hard anodised pans? That's what I have, rather than Teflon ones, but the whole 'stupidly hot Teflon pans = death' thing has made me wonder! The blurb for a set which is very similar to what I've had for a few years says they're oven safe to '475˚F/240˚C or Gas Mark 9'... which is as hot as ovens go, at least in homes here over the pond, so I guess that's where those figures come from.

Ara_D_765284

How about those nonstick that claims that have "diamond coating"? Are they safe too because I plan on buying one specifically this Woll Fry Pan.