Many people have this mistaken belief that Teflon pans are confined to those pans with a black interior coating that is commonly present in nonstick cookware. So, if they switch to other nonstick options without the black coating, they will be cooking with a chemical-free cookware which has no PFOA and PTFE. But looking for non-Teflon pans is not as simple as that. You need to pay attention to their product descriptions because manufacturers and marketers may not tell you everything about what is on the pan that they are selling. In order to understand the non-Teflon options better, you will first ned to know what is Teflon.
What Is Teflon
In short, Teflon is a brand name. It is a PTFE-based formula, trademarked and owned by Chemours which is a spin-off company of DuPont. PTFE, on the other hand, is a thermoplastic polymer that is used in various applications ranging from wiring in computers to coatings on cookware. Its properties such as being non-reactive and having high heat resistance make it suitable for various industrial applications and the manufacturing of certain consumer goods.
Another chemical that is closely associated with nonstick cookware is PFOA. This chemical is not the same as PTFE. It is part of the ingredients that is used in the production of PTFE. Nowadays, most nonstick cookware will be PFOA-free because it has been phased out in the manufacturing process by reputable companies due to pollution and health concerns.
So, if you want pans without Teflon, you need to make sure the cookware is not only PFOA-free but also PTFE-free. It makes no sense to switch from the black-colored Teflon pans to another nonstick cookware that still has PTFE in its coating if you are looking for chemical-free options.
Examples Of Non-Teflon Pans
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The most popular option to replace Teflon pans is ceramic cookware. If you look at their product descriptions, you will notice that they will tend to mention that they are PTFE and PFOA-free. For example, one of the best ceramic cookware sets is the WearEver Pure Living, and its sales description highlighted some of its features which include being PTFE-free, PFOA-free, cadmium-free and recyclable.
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Another option for pans without Teflon is pans that combine ceramic and other elements in their construction. Copper-infused pans are very much sought after now such as the Copper Chef Wonder Cooker which is advertised as PTFE and PFOA-free.
What About Other Nonstick Cookware?
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Many nonstick cookware are also marketed as natural by implying that they have a stone or rock-derived surface. This will make them seem to be chemical-free. However, not all of them can be assumed to be so. For instance, the Stone Earth Frying Pan by Ozeri is marketed as having a stone-derived coating from Germany and is 100% free of APEO and PFOA. While it may have a strict manufacturing process that does not harm the environment, it still doesn’t tell us if the end product is PTFE-free.
The same thing is seen with the Starfrit The Rock cookware. Nothing is mentioned about its products being chemical-free except for its ceramic cookware line. So, to be on the safe side, it is best to assume that any nonstick cookware contains some chemicals in its nonstick coating unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Are Non-Teflon Pans Really Necessary?
If you want your cookware to be PTFE and PFOA-free, your choices will be limited if you only want to use nonstick pieces. Unless you are willing to move away from nonstick options to stainless steel or cast iron, only ceramic cookware tends to have a chemical-free construction.
If that is the case, are non-Teflon pans really necessary? Should we limit ourselves to ceramic-coated cookware? Well, the debate is still on about the safety aspects of Teflon cookware. On the American Cancer Society website, it is stated that Teflon itself is not suspected of causing cancer and there are no known risks to humans from using Teflon-coated cookware unless it is overheated and users are breathing in the fumes which may then cause flu-like symptoms.
But under normal use, the general agreement is Teflon cookware should be safe. This is because the temperature under normal household cooking does not reach the threshold whereby PTFE will start to degrade. Of course, there is still the worry that they may be long-term impacts that have not been fully researched and this is where people are not willing to take the risk. If you belong to this category, then, by all means, make the switch. But make sure you read the product descriptions carefully to avoid buying a pan that is PFOA but not PTFE-free.
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