As a cooking instructor, I get asked frequently about the safety of nonstick cookware. Users of nonstick pots and pans love them because nothing sticks to them and they are very easy to clean. If you do not consume oil in your diet, nonstick pans can be a dream, especially for dishes like pancakes, veggie burgers, and hash browns that usually require oil to prevent sticking during cooking.
Because of their very unique coating, food does not stick to nonstick pans. There are different coating formulas that will result in food not sticking, but the brand most well-known is Teflon, also known as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which has been in use since the 1940s. Nonstick coatings are sprayed on aluminum, stainless steel, and cast iron cookware, and are heated at very high temperatures to cure the final surface.
Home cooks are often concerned about nonstick cookware, wondering if chemicals used in manufacturing might be released into their food or emitted into the air, and ultimately end up in their body.
I have researched this topic (see references below) and what I have learned is that nonstick cookware is considered safe if it is used properly. Primarily, this means not overheating the pan. Overheating nonstick pans causes their coating to break down, which can result in the release of surface particles and/or toxic gases.
Generally, the maximum temperature you want to heat a nonstick pan is 500 degrees Fahrenheit. But beware, this can happen quickly: an empty pan can reach this temperature in two to five minutes. Beyond this temperature, the coating will begin to decompose. When temperatures reach 660 degrees and higher, strong fumes can be released that could make you feel a little sick; but odds are low that you could breathe in enough of them to make you really sick (although indoor pet birds have been known to be negatively affected). As for ingesting a small piece of the nonstick coating, experts at the EPA say that the particle would most likely pass through the body without making a person sick.
A specific concern is PFOAs (perfluorooctanoic acids), one of the chemicals used to make some nonstick pan coatings, including Teflon. The EPA has been working with stakeholders to completely phase out emissions and product content levels of PFOA and related chemicals by 2015.
Follow these 10 tips for safer nonstick use and to lengthen the life of your cookware:
1. Use pans on low or medium heat only (not high heat). Overheating can cause the coating to break down, which can result in the release of toxic particles and/or gases. (Keeping the heat down also extends the life of your pan.)
2. Cover a majority of the pan’s surface with whatever you’re cooking, as this will keep the pan’s temperature down.
3. Only preheat nonstick pans on medium or low. I like to put a tablespoon of water into my pan as it heats up, and when the water starts to sputter and cook off, I know the pan is ready for the food.
4. Don’t use nonstick pans over “power burners” (anything above 12,000 BTUs on a gas stove or 2,400 watts on an electric range).
5. Use high quality nonstick cookware. Cheap, lightweight nonstick pans heat up faster (not good), so invest in a good quality, heavier-bottomed pan. These cost more but will cook more evenly, last longer, and be safer.
6. If you tend toward cooking only on high heat or walking away from your stove, don’t use nonstick cookware; or use a good quality ceramic cookware made with nontoxic glaze.
7. Ventilate your kitchen, and use your exhaust fan to take up any fumes.
8. Don't put your nonstick pans in the dishwasher; they will last longer.
9. Avoid scratching or chipping your nonstick pans. Toward this, use wood or silicone utensils instead of metal, and don’t use steel wool to clean your pans. Also, don’t stack your nonstick pans (or if you do, put towels between them).
10. Replace moderately used nonstick cookware every three to five years. If your pan becomes damaged for any reason before this, don’t keep using it; replace it.
I have an 11-inch nonstick skillet that I use for pancakes, hash browns, and veggie burgers. I also use stainless steel pans and ceramic-coated pans, so I’m not using nonstick all of the time. I have used cheap and expensive brands of nonstick pans, and the difference is night and day. I like the Berndes and ScanPan brands of nonstick cookware, as well as Le Creuset, which makes enameled, cast iron cookware. I have used less expensive brands of nonstick pans, but did not care for them as much as the higher quality brands. Inexpensive brands are usually more lightweight, don't cook as evenly, and don't last very long. My inexpensive nonstick skillet worked great in the beginning, but then quickly began to degrade (and is hastened by using them on high heat).
So, whether or not you use nonstick cookware is up to you. For some people, using nonstick pans is out of the question entirely. Some will instead make their pancakes, hash browns and burgers in the oven, or simply not make these types of foods. Using the oven to cook these foods takes longer, and does not result in the same kind of even, dark browning that cooking on the stove-top does, but the food still tastes great.
Of course, we do not need to use nonstick cookware; but if we are to believe what we read from a variety of sources about its safety, using high-quality, nonstick cookware responsibly and safely should not be cause for alarm.
(If would like to read a thorough article on cookware of all types, including nonstick, check out: The Ultimate Guide to Healthy Cookware)
References:
Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Fluorinated Telomers
Is There Eco-Friendly Nonstick Cookware?
Is Nonstick Cookware Safe?
Great article Cathy. Good guidelines for nonstick. There are also a series of teflon/ptfe/pfoa free ceramic based nonstick lines being developed. They may also be an alternative, though cost may be a consideration for some cookware.
Great article. Remember though that in the past the odor that is given off can kill your favorite feather friend. Two friends both lost their African grey parrot to the fumes. Remember the coal mines and the canaries . If you have birds place in a separate room for safety.
I guess you cannot recommend brands I am still confused Using stainless steel and Le Creuset but still need oil for it to work. I hate using oil but sometimes the water just doesn't do it Any thoughts would be appreciated xox
You can see my favorite pans in my Store. 🙂
Good information Cathy. Thank you for the research. A question: you say not to preheat a nonstick pan, but does it mean I pour the pan cake batter in an unheated pan? thanks.
Good point; I do preheat mine but just no higher than medium. Thanks! 🙂
Thank you, Cathy, for a well researched article. I gave my Scanpan to charity several years ago because of concerns after reading on this subject. Temperature control is a problem for me with my glass cooktop, but it's great for cleanup. Better to be safe than sorry.
Cathy, Thank u for the info about non-stick cook pot and pans. thank u
Not sure where you did your research on PFOA and Teflon but the EPA has banned it. Voluntarily starting in 2006 and completely by 2015. If someone still has Teflon they should stop using.
All my resources are at the end of the article. You are correct. The EPA asked stakeholders "to commit to a global stewardship program whose goal is to work toward essentially eliminating emissions and product content levels of PFOA and related chemicals." I have updated the article to reflect this. Thanks for your comment.
There are now ceramic based pans other than Scanpan - such as greenpans. Sur La Table has 2 versions of the greenpan that are ceramic based with no coating. Also Demeyere has a pure ceramic pan (wrapped in 5 or 7 ply stainless)- no coatings. The Scanpan is PTFE coated - which is different than Teflon which is PFOA and as you say outlawed - but it is still coated.
Hi,
Thanks Cathy!
VFran -
I think you'll find that Teflon (registered to DuPont) actually has PTFE as the primary ingredient. PFOA is another ingredient that was used in making Teflon. Supposedly it was removed as an ingredient in making Teflon (or other PTFE coatings) as part of a voluntary program sponsored by the US EPA, effective 2015. DuPont claims they phased it out completely in 2013.
As the new formulas used in manufacturing cookware is distributed into our kitchens and start to age, we'll see how well they perform. Hopefully, they won't be as bad as the older formula.
ScanPan uses their own formula/process for PTFE and don't have to call it Teflon since it's different than DuPonts'. And, they started their process in 2008.
Great article! Thanks for sharing Cathy!
Fantastic information - thanks for sharing 🙂
I am considering ordering a pressure cooker that is "non stick" lined. I have not found any information regarding using steam pressure cookers with non stick linings and leeching. Do you have any information or would you please share your opinion.
Thank you
Hi Pete, I don't have an information about this specifically. You might contact the people at the link below the article and see if they can offer any insight.
Hi Cathy, wondering what your thoughts are on cast iron pans that you have to season with oil. I would think that the oil that would get transferred to the food would be negligible particularly if you use water as the frying liquid. Your thoughts on this would be much appreciated. Thanks!
You're probably right. I've just never used these types of pans. 🙂
I have used a cast iron frying pan for years and have recently decided to go oil-free. My experience is that I need fat to fry pancakes on cast iron. Each pancake takes some of the oil out of the surface, so I butter the pan for the first pancake and skip buttering the pan for the next one. I can't skip buttering for a third because it will stick and be hard to remove. I am looking for an alternative to cast iron for that reason. Also, cast iron gets rusty when in contact with water.
Seems like there are now plenty of "ceramic" toxin-free (PFOA, PTFE, etc.) non-stick pans on the market.
Greenpan, Greenlife, Orgreenic, Gotham Steel. Other older brands like Calphalon, Duralon, T-fal, Farberware, et al, are getting in on it, too.
Are these as good / safe / nonstick as their proponents say? Are they better or more non-toxic than old Teflon-esque non-stick coatings, etc.? Seems like a lot has changed over the course of this decade, WRT non-stick cookware...
hi Michael, I'm not an expert on all the types, but check out this page for more info.
I have no luck with keeping pancakes from sticking to my new All-Clad griddle. Any suggestions?
I'm not familiar with that griddle but if it claims to be nonstick and things are sticking (and it's new), I'd return it and get a Scanpan or Berndes 11-inch skillet.
Thanks for your useful info. To avoid risk related to nonstick pan, I usually choose a heavier nonstick pan. Lightweight pans generally heat up fastest, so invest in heavier-weight cookware — it's worth the extra money.
Wow, thanks for sharing with us this great article. Yes I think nonstick pans was safe. I’ve found that cleaning any ceramic surface is really easy to do with a baking soda paste and a sponge. It won’t scratch from what I can tell and it works really well on porcelain, too! Clean my stove and my sink this way and it gets stains out and grime that I would never had thought would come out. Industrial cleaners didn’t work, but a paste from baking soda and water worked!!!
Great article, Cathy, thank you. Am sharing it.
I purchased Anolon Nouvelle Copper stock pot and fry pan after using a client's. It's literally a game changer in the non stick arena. YES, I could survive with all my expensive "stainless" but why not make life easier if you can be informed and be cautious. The stock pot in particular is fantastic for long soup and tomato sauce recipes. NOTHING sticks or burns and the heat distribution is the best. And sometimes you want that long cooking time even if you're only basically "lightly steaming" most of your food. The addition of a deep stock or tomato sauce changes everything in your flavors.
How about ceramic? For example this one: https://goo.gl/nYXnwc ... Is it safe to use? So far I like how it cooks evenly but is this better than nonstick?
I have heard that ceramic is safer, but beyond that I'm not sure. 🙁
I ruined the non-stick surface in my Farberware sauce pan when I forgot that I was boiling eggs. All of the water boiled out and I had a mess. After I cleaned it up, I peeled a very, very thin film from within the pan and now wonder if it is safe to use. (I know it will not continue to be non-stick.)
I wouldn't use it anymore. High heat is one of the things that really compromises nonstick pans. Here's more about NS pans if you're interested. 🙂
I have a question about the hard anodized aluminum cookware that is out. It is also ni. Stick but to my knowledge there is nothing that can come off like these other non stick pans. Do you have any info about the anodized aluminum pans and how safe they are? I have searched other sites and not found anything about their safety. Also I don’t know if aluminum pans are considered safe from a health perspective. TIA for any references you are aware of for these pans.
I believe aluminum anything is not the best to be cooking with (some even avoid foil). If it's lightweight, low-quality cookware where you're food is cooking right on the aluminum, that is not safe. But the anodized "they say" are fine. I haven't done any new research since that article, but I probably should, as things are always changing and improving. 🙂 Thanks!