Safer, healthier cookware choices.
“Forever chemicals”, thousands of them, are all around us, and they can linger in the environment and in our bodies for years. The first product to gain the public’s attention was Teflon, which emerged in the 1960s and contains forever chemicals. Forever chemicals have been linked to cancers, infertility, thyroid disease, and other medical conditions.
Age, use, wear and tear and the use of metal cooking utensils contribute to the Teflon coating becoming damaged on pans. Some of the Teflon coating can chip and end up in our food, even if we can’t see it. Teflon is considered safe up to 500° Fahrenheit, which we rarely reach in home cooking, but ingesting bits of the Teflon has unknown consequences.
The most worrisome of these chemicals, PFOA, has been phased out of new Teflon products, but if you have any cookware purchased before 2014, it could contain residual PFOA and should be replaced.
About 30 states have adopted restrictions on these chemicals and at least 14 of them have either partial or complete bans on any consumer goods with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) being sold in those states. There is currently a bill waiting for Governor Newsom’s signature in California completely banning cookware that contains PFAS from being sold in California. Many chefs have pushed back against the restrictions, but the science is clear, and Americans will have to learn different ways to cook. One article I read by Chef Andrew Zimmern said that the French in particular were cooking delicious food that did not depend on nonstick pans, like omelets, for example. The trick is to use gentle heat and butter or cooking oil to keep food from sticking and it will be delicious and chemical-free. The easy clean-up? Caring for the alternative carbon steel, stainless steel, or cast-iron cookware that you’ll be using instead will take about the same amount of time. Rinse under hot water, use a scrub brush and finish with a light coat of oil and you’re good to go until you need the pan next. Those pans will improve with age instead of shedding harmful chemicals into your food.
What are the alternatives?
Alternatives should be made, to glassware for baking, and uncoated cookware like those mentioned above – cast iron, stainless steel or carbon steel instead of teflon. If you still want nonstick pans, make sure you find products that are labeled fluorine or PFAS-free. Be certain that it is not just labeled PTFE-free, that’s not enough. It must also be labeled both fluorine- and PFAS-free for the widest range of banned chemicals.
Cookware is expensive so Food and Wine magazine recommends starting with a single skillet to see how you like it. Below are skillets that have high ratings and lowish-price tags.
Cast iron has been used for cooking for thousands of years. It is heavy and heat tolerant. It absorbs lots of heat and transfers it evenly into food. Most households have at least one cast iron pan, and that might be all you need as it is weighty, and it needs to be seasoned. If it is already seasoned, it needs continued seasoning after every wash. Over time it will become non-stick naturally.
This Lodge Cast Iron Skillet is 10.25” and priced reasonably. It is made with no PFOA or PTFE. It is already seasoned with 100% vegetable oil. It has no synthetic coatings or chemicals. The more it is used the better the seasoning will get. Cleaning is easy – hand wash, dry, and rub with cooking oil. $29.90. Price includes a red silicone hot handle holder.
Carbon Steel is similar to cast iron in that it is durable and can be seasoned to create a non-stick surface. It is lighter and heats up more quickly than cast iron.
Merton & Stork pre-seasoned carbon steel 10” frying pan is $45.36.
Stainless steel is popular with chefs because it is versatile and durable especially when it has an aluminum core for even heating. It can handle high heat and is good to use for searing and sauces. Stainless steel won’t react to acidic foods like cast iron or aluminum, and it does not require seasoning. Stainless steel cookware comes in five-ply and three-ply which refer to the number of metal layers. Three-ply is lighter weight and less expensive than five-ply.
This is an affordable Tramontina Signature Tri-Ply Clad stainless steel 10” frying pan. $39.95.
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