Least toxic non-stick pan?
 

I thought I asked this the other day but there doesn't seem to be a thread...

Mrs. LWJ is tired of doing arm-curls with the cast iron skillets. She wants something non-stick that is easier to use. I see lots of different coatings that all make amazing claims.

But when I research pan safety? I see mostly marketing.

Anyone have an informed opinion on these?

TIA!

Be advised that fluorine and teflon are pretty toxic.

I bought some carbon steel pans. You need to treat them like cast iron, season them from time to time, wipe them clean. Much lighter than cast iron but heavy enough to maintain consistent heat throughout. Once seasoned they are easy to maintain and clean

Yes. Teflon/whatever for special things like omelettes and a steel pan for the rest.

I hate buying disposable things but those nonstick things are truly disposable. Webstaurant is a good source for them (and the real steel stuff also). Probably <$20 for something to cook a few eggs in, maybe $5 more if you need induction. Far better than what you'll get at the Kroger/WallyWorld too, but still will die in a few years.

I'll share a story for fun (no animals were intentionally hurt in this story)-

My Dad bought my grandmother a no stick pan as a present.
One day while we were visiting, she decided to cook us something, but, forgot to turn the heat off. The pan just sat on the burner.

We didn't really smell anything, but my grandmother's canary died, and we all had severe headaches later. I think it docked us all several IQ points. :D

I restored my grandfather's cast iron years ago, they stick very little if at all and what does stick can wiped away with a bit steel wool. We use them more now than they probably have been used in the last 75 years and they are much older than that.

I would try ceramic non-stick.

Unless you cook with really high heat, non-stick should be ok. If you cook like a Chinese chef or a Mexican laborer, then I'd say use carbon steel and a high smoke point oil.

When our teflon pans started flaking my wife got some of these fry pans:http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1643671361.JPG
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1643671361.JPG
Not sure what the coating is but it works and hasn't come off yet.
We use the cast iron for most everything like salmon, browning beef, stir fry chicken etc.

Scanpan is the best skillet I have used in past 30 years. We have a vacation rental and the skillets get trashed. The scanpan holds up well to lots of abuse, non toxic coating

Scan pans are the best.

Ceramic is ok but is a coating and wears. +100 carbon steel


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I only use All Clad Al/Cu and cast iron for pans though my tamagoyaki pan has a maifanite coating so no PFOA. Well seasoned, nothing really ever sticks unless it's supposed to.

Worth watching

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titanium coated non stick ceramic is supposed to be non toxic

Last year I got a HexClad pan. I love them. Can use metal utensils and it's oven safe.

I have Tefal non-stick pans that have lasted me 20+ years. The secret with non-stick is to wipe them with oil before use, and never to put them in the dishwasher. Nothing more than a wipe out with a damp cloth after use, while the pan is still warm.

+2. Go back to basics.

Stay away from harmful SciFi chemicals

Have you looked into some of the lighter/thinner cast iron brands? Our Field cast iron pans aren't terribly heavy and definitely feel easier to manage than the ubiquitous Lodge.

How so?

Fluorine is more electronegative than even oxygen, so unless you overheat it PTFE is exceedingly stable and inert.

I mean, even oxygen will not oxidize the stuff.

Cast iron or carbon steel, well seasoned

i have a smallish carbon pan that is very well seasoned. that is not the silver bullet to all things sticky tho. it's not bulletproof. the seasoning is not as robust as you would find on a CI pan. but if you ruin the seasoning, subsequent uses puts it back fairly quickly. i never do that wipe with oil, heat in an oven, repeat thing to season. i think its an awful way to spend time. i just cook stuff that doesn't destroy itself if it sticks. like a pork chop.

i have two tiny Teflon pans i bought cheap from a restaurant supply house. very slick, and comes into play with really tricky stuff..like thin fish fillets. my carbon pan can handle most egg dishes.

i remember on a camp trip, my buddy got his teflon pan too hot. it let out a fume that tasted sour in our mouths. probably took 5 years off my lifespan.

I haven't used a teflon pan in years. My best experiences come from enameled or stainless pans used correctly. I've never tried a carbon. I have had good luck with cast iron too.

FWIW, I bought this one 3 years ago and it's still holding up great! Just check out the reviews.

I paid $22 back then. Now it's up to $37!

Tramontina 80114/535DS Professional Aluminum Nonstick Restaurant Fry Pan, 10", NSF-Certified

I also bought the 12" version.

On the contrary, it'll help prevent iron deficiency anemia.

I use a combination of Lodge carbon steel pans and skillet, one old school iron dutch oven and stainless pots, original PYREX borosilicate baking dishes.

Everything is easy to clean, just season the iron and carbon. A bit heavy but kitchen weaponry should last.

I've got a pan that is a Chef Inox. It's not stainless steel - a magnet sticks to it. But that's about all. It was a bit pricey and bought from a shop that sells chef's stuff. But it's really good. It's a sort of grey steel that doesn't rust. I did all that heat treating with rice bran oil and when I clean it I just rinse it then wipe it down while still a bit oily with a paper towel. Strangely nothing seems to really stick to it.

For nonstick we go with the cheapest available induction-capable from a restaurant supply or webstaurant.com. Maybe $40 for a 8" that will last two or three years. Half that price if you don't need induction. Avoiding overheating and limiting their use to delicate/sticky things like eggs, I'm not worried about toxicity. The dose makes the poison.

As much as I love grandma's 90yo cast iron, and the smaller 25yo Lodge one I bought in college, it's carbon steel (DeBuyer or generic, can't tell the difference) and AllClad SST for us.

Discovering "industrial" cookware was a revelation. Those fancy mall kitchen shops will never see us again. Now 8y into the parenting thing we've got stacks of aluminum sheet pans - eighths and quarters are so useful for containing beads, Lego, paint overflow, magic-sand and whatever else the little destroyer-of-worlds can throw around. They're all like $5-8 each.

the 1/8 sheet pan was a game changer for me. i am shocked how useful it is. now i dont use a plate to salt steaks, etc. and i have a constant landing spot for a saucy spoon after i stir something. they were $4 here..i bought 3 of them.

Maybe correct answer comes from asking the inverse: what is the most toxic nonstick pan that is sold in the usa?

I except there's some doozys but most fall in the long tail of 'safe'.

I assume any pan with a teflon (or similar) coating. Most people overheat that sort of pan, and then the coating ends up in the food. I assume a second worst would be any Al pan that had the aluminum close enough to the cooking surface to end up in the food (maybe after a coating is peeling, scratched, etc...)

And yes, there's probably hundreds.

Bought my wife a half sized industrial weight sheet pan several years back. We both loved it so much we now have two 1/4 sized pans as well. Nothing fancy, just a somewhat deep sided heavy-ish aluminum pan. As Vash says these things are insanely useful in so many ways.