Do you think Teflon or other Non Stick Pans are Safe

DIna00

DIna00

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I used to have teflon pans growing up. I remember them being all scraped up and nasty looking. When I got older I heard how teflon was bad, and could enter your system through the pan. So when I bought my cookware I got only stainless steel.

Recently I found the most amazing oversized anodized skillet. I bought it and use for almost everything now, the clean up is so much easier. But I noticed yesterday that it too has small scratches in it now, and I wonder if something can come off it and enter the food?

My husband saw it and wanted to just toss the pan! But I love that pan.... what do you guys think?
 
Most of my pans are stainless steel. However I do like non stick fying pans.the problem is that over time, the non stick stops being non stick. However I dont think there is a problem with that, other than getting bits of the non stick coating in the food. But I must admit, when this happens, I throw the frying pan away.
 
I was on a campaign to get rid of all pots & pans that had Teflon or Silverstone coating, but they easily find a way back into the home through electric cooking appliances, such as rice cookers, waffle makers, ice cream cone makers, sandwich grills, etc.. :eek:
 
I won't use Teflon at all. Your husband is right to toss the pan. One scratch and the chemical will start getting into your food. They are sldo very dangerous if you burn them because they have toxic vapors that will instantly kill a pet bird.

I use only stainless.
 
Which is why I use nylon utensils with Teflon coated cookware. One scratch in it and it is ruined and will start peeling off over time!!! :eek:
 
My partner would want to throw the pan away too. I can totally understand why you don't want to though. Here in the UK, we haven't heard too much about the dangers of Teflon. Is the release of chemicals somthing that definitely happens or is it just that there is a small risk of this happening?
 
missbishi said:
My partner would want to throw the pan away too. I can totally understand why you don't want to though. Here in the UK, we haven't heard too much about the dangers of Teflon. Is the release of chemicals somthing that definitely happens or is it just that there is a small risk of this happening?
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I'm in the UK and I've been aware of the dangers of Teflon for decades. A Teflon coating is nor harmful in itself, but when it gets scratches or burns on the surface then the lining starts to break up and this releases hazardous elements into the food you cook in the pan. If you continue eating food that has been cooked in a pan with a damaged Teflon coating, this could affect your health.

For this reason I have not bought any cookware coated in Teflon.
 
That may not necessarily be true.

For years, I've cooked in Teflon coated pots & pans where the coating was just about worn all out of the cookware, and it didn't affect me, health wise or otherwise. :eek:
 
I don't like nonstick cookware. I prefer cast iron or stainless steel. It is very hard to find cookware that isn't nonstick
I have a cast iron skillet that used to belonged to my grandmother.
 
We used cast iron for our cookwares in the house. Our mother always wants the traditional and old style of pans and pots for cooking as she inherited this method of cooking from my grandmother. And to think even for decades it is durable and always convenient for cooking. That is why even I got married already and even all the people in the country of my husband where we presently lived used nonstick cookware I still used iron cast even my husband does not want me to use it.
 
I prefer stainless steel cookware to nonstick like most posters have pointed out, most of the nonstick cookware looses it's said effect and I doubt it is healthy in any way shape or form. I have to say though I have never heard of anyone affected by Teflon coated pans coating wearing off. I wouldn't totally dismiss it though!
 
My take on it is that if it does or did pose such a health hazard as this, that the cookware would've been forced out of production. :eek:
 
Shermie said:
My take on it is that if it does or did pose such a health hazard as this, that the cookware would've been forced out of production. :eek:
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That's a really good point Shermie. I think that's why after all these years I just gave in and bought the pan in the first place, they're still around after all these years!

Also I thought that because it was anodized it was different than teflon and wouldn't scratch, although I guess I was wrong. But when I was buying my main set years ago I think I had read anodized meant the non stick coating was fused into the pot's material, it wasn't just a coating, so it wasn't supposed to flake off.
 
Hard anodized aluminum cookware works fine.

I have a few items like that. The only shortcoming is that it can't be washed in the dishwasher. But I just never knew why! :eek:
 
About 90% of aluminium cookware sold is non stick, so if they were dangerous i think we would have seen the results of their effects on a large scale by now. I think as long as these pots and pans are not overheated they are quite safe. When overheated the coating could break down and release toxic particles and gases.

As long as you don't heat above 500 degrees fahrenheit there should be no problem. I really think there is so much else to worry about in the world it is not worth wasting your energy on this. We are told there are dangers with everything, it's impossible to avoid every potential pitfall in life.
 
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