Non Stick Pans

[aufde]

I'm shopping around for some new frying pans and other cookware and everything says it has a non stick coating but doesn't say teflon anywhere. I've read that other non stick coatings can be just as bad as teflon for birds, so what should I be looking for that will be completely safe?

 

[Grenage]

Bingo, most non-teflon non-stick pans have PTFE in them - which is what you want to avoid. The grim reality is, if it's a reasonable price, and it's non-stick, it's almost certainly not suitable.

We ended up just getting stainless steel pans, the safe non-stick stuff in incredibly expensive.

 

[Spiritbird]

Yes I purchased all stainless steel cookware. It is a pain to keep clean but safe.

 

[aufde]

So what are the safe nonstick pans? I'm probably not going to spend all that much money so I'll probably get the stainless steel, but I want to look around a little.

 

[Grenage]

So what are the safe nonstick pans? I'm probably not going to spend all that much money so I'll probably get the stainless steel, but I want to look around a little.

There are a few 'green' firms out there who are making non-stick PTFE-free pans, so it's worth having a look on Google. Last time I checked (which was some time ago), it was about £100 for a single wok.

 

[aufde]

Wow, they're not that expensive now, but still not cheap. I'm still worried thought because in searching for PTFE-free pans, I found out about PFOA. It makes me a little nervous, because what's the next chemical they'll find in these "green" pans. I'm just going to go with regular stainless steel just to be safe.

Does anyone have experience with PTFE/PFOA free pans and any affects on the health of their bird?

 

[kylieoo]

I would always stick to non-stick pans... lol.. see the pun.

 

[Aims]

When I was younger we had a cockatiel and had no idea about teflon and other dangers to birds. my mother always used non stick pans and baking pans etc. and our bird had no problems what so ever..
I only use stainless steel now but do wonder if it is one of those things like EGGs when they used to tell you only have one a week and now they say one a day is good. And one minute tomatoes are bad for you the next they can cure/prevent cancer.
Better to be safe than sorry so stay away unless you know for certain it doesn't contain the bad stuff.

 

[WharfRat]

I honestly think the key thing here is that when using a pan with PTFE is that it only emits these dangerous fumes when overheated. I have a vent fan over the stove that vents to the outside, about the only time I use "high" heat is when frying & that ain't very often. I do read in the news about how unhealthy so many things are supposed to be for both humans & pets, I usually make my eggs (for me) over easy, the birds get scrambled..... My point is this ( I only remember 1 name) The guy from there cereal commercials years ago "reminds me of the taste of wild hickory nuts" up and died, then there's the other guy that said jogging is healthy & will increase your health..........he died jogging I believe.

It all boils down to moderation & common sense. I prefer to think of the woman/man that lived past 100 & said a shot of whiskey every day was their secret.

I try to go with a "common sense" approach in most all things in life, works for me, should work for them.






I'm 52, ^&#%*birds are gonna outlive me as it is

 

[lexx510]

Stainless steel or cast iron all the way!

 

[lexx510]

I would always stick to non-stick pans... lol.. see the pun.

Well played! lol

 

[DebsFlock]

Most of the "regular" nonstick coatings are PTFE-based which also generally means they were processed using PFOA. The "green" coatings, such as Cuisinart's Green Gourmet line, are typically ceramic based and should be safe as they should be chemically stable at higher temperatures. I have a couple of these pans which I use for eggs and delicate sauces and they perform very well when used as nonstick was always intended to be used -- on low temperatures, NOT for browning meats! If I couldn't afford the newer safer pans, I'd have been comfortable using traditional nonstick for omelettes and eggs where the pan is filled, the heat is low and the cooking is closely attended.

The PTFE-based coatings actually won't break down and emit fumes unless they are quite hot, which means the risk can be minimized if you use them carefully for low heat cooking only. They will get dangerously hot if you let them boil dry or preheat them empty and forget about them, and it is even possible to get them hotter than you think if you use them to brown meats over high heat -- the edges of the pan where the meat isn't will get much hotter than the meat itself.

Actually, to properly brown foods, you want them to stick a little. I use cast iron or anodized aluminum for this. The trick is benign neglect -- if you try to move the food before it has that nice brown sear on it, it will stick like the dickens and make a big mess. Wait until it releases naturally and you'll have a nice brown surface and much less scrubbing to do.

I use stainless or enameled cast iron for boiling, stewing, braising applications. No one needs nonstick for this! And that is where the biggest risk with traditional nonstick occurs -- unattended, long-duration cooking.

To be honest, however, I think the bigger kitchen risk is your self-cleaning oven. These often have residual PTFE from the manufacturing process and some may even have it in their coatings, although it almost certainly is destroyed during the first few uses. Even without PTFE, they definitely produce air gunk as they burn off the food. I would not run a new self-cleaning oven with my birds in the house -- they heat to a temperature where any PTFE present is guaranteed to break down and emit fumes. After the first few uses it should basically all burn off, but even so, I tend to take my birds outside if I'm going to run it, and I wait until the smell has completely dissipated before bringing them back in. A good vent fan helps.

This is also a concern with any new heating element, such as a space heater or even a toaster oven. They very often use Teflon to lubricate the elements during manufacture. We recently got a new toaster oven that came with the instruction to burn it in at the highest setting for half an hour before using it. You better believe it was on the back porch and it went through that process several times before I used it in the house! The oven temperature won't exceed the safe temp for PTFE, but you better believe the heating element itself can!

I honestly believe these sorts of sources of exposure now pose more danger than cookware does, as the dangers of nonstick cookware are pretty well understood by the bird community AND you know the coating is present. Other places it may "sneak in" unannounced.

 

[kylieoo]

yeh, and I would avoid any pan that have PTFE in them

 

[Kjarva]

Hey guys,

I was researching this for before I get my conure and I found this company and emailed them to ask specifically about PTFE's (Home - Green Pan) Here is their email response:

Good afternoon Claire,

Thank you much for your email.

GreenPan cookware ranges are like no other in the marketplace, offering a real point of difference against other traditional non-stick ranges currently available. Our pans feature a ‘Thermolon’ ceramic non-stick interior is a natural mineral coating that is totally PTFE & PFOA free, meaning that you can keep all the convenience of non-stick without concerns over your health or the environment.

Thermolon’s mineral materials are natural substances that are safe to use and are similar to those used to make glass and pottery. The coating is applied in a one-coat process and less energy is used when Thermolon is applied on GreenPan products, which means 60% less CO2 emissions when compared with PTFE coated pans.

I’ve taken the liberty of attaching our range guide which lists our available pan selection and will be happy to answer any other queries you may have. More information can also be found at Home - Green Pan.

Kind regards,

Matt

Hope this helps anyone that's looking

 

[Klaery]

To be honest I find it just as easy to clean stainless with the scourer as it is to clean non stick using the soft cloths it requires. Easy decision. I have seen the ceramic stuff recently though which has peaked the other halfs interests. May do some more research on them.

 

[Pookamama]

I have had an excellent experience with switching to stainless steel. Three years ago my hubby bought me some Tamontina tri-clad. They have held up excellent, they cook well, I use less energy than when I used Teflon pans because of the good thick construction. I just soak in hot soapy water for a few minutes afterwards and scrub them with my dish brush and they clean up easy. They were very affordable as well. We got ours through walmart.com but I imagine other places have them as well.

 

[DebsFlock]

Just be aware that (as is true for PTFE-based nonstick as well) if you cook with the ceramic nonstick on too high a heat, the coating will lose some of its nonstick properties. Nonstick has always been meant for relatively low-heat delicate jobs.

I also said it before but it bears repeating -- when you want to brown meat, you want something that has a bit of stick to it. If the meat sticks to the pan and tears apart, you tried to move it too soon. Stainless and anodized aluminum will grab the meat like crazy when you first put it in the pan, but if you wait until it is nicely browned, it will release almost perfectly. And, yeah, worse comes to worst you can get out the big guns to clean it.