What You Should Know About Non-Stick Cookware

Posted by everten on May 29th, 2015

Shopping for cookware can be an exciting or a daunting task, depending on how you view cooking. With all the talk about the harms and dangers of non-stick materials, many people are becoming iffy about these once heaven-sent kitchen marvels. Teflon, the most common material used to keep food from sticking to the bottom of pots and pans, has a controversial past and even experts go back and forth in deciding whether or not it can be harmful when heated.

The chemicals used PTFE and PFOA or Perfluorooctanoic acid are what make Teflon non-stick; however, studies show PFOA as a likely carcinogen, which may cause various health problems. Additionally, the chemical does not break down in the environment, which means every molecule produced of it will forever be in the air, water, and the body. In animals, PFOA has also been found to cause birth defects, cancer, and other health problems. While this may be enough to scare people away from non-stick pans, manufacturers have been directed to phase out harmful PFOA by 2015, which can be a great comfort to people who are huge advocates of non-sticks.

Cooking wares that use non-stick coatings are remarkably easy to use and clean, which is why they are such popular choices in many kitchens. They are healthier in a way, as they require less oil or butter to start a dish and many types are engineered for oven-safe cooking. Because of this, many believe that the dangerous aspects of non-stick coatings are easily offset, especially since chemical coatings are only dangerous as the pans start to wear.

Non-stick coatings only flake and scratch under heavy use. With proper care, you can get much use out of your coated cookware, without introducing harmful chemicals into the air and your food. Following care guidelines like using only safe utensils that won't scratch through the cookware's coating is important so as not to accelerate Teflon erosion. It is also crucial to use just the right amount of heat when using coated cookware as high heat may cause harmful chemicals to off-gas and release the toxicity in the air.

Certain types of food are best cooked using non-stick cookware as they make cooking and cleaning a lot easier. However, users should beware of its inevitable dangers and only choose cookware approved by quality standards to make sure they are safe and won't harm health. Manufacturers nowadays ensure utmost safety of their products.

About The Author:

Everten is Australia's leading online retailer of kitchenware, cookware, knives, Bake ware, tableware and dishes. They presently emphasize in excess of 8000 items. Some of their most adored incredibly famous brands fuse Scanpan, Riedel, Le Creuset, Global, Wusthof, Breville, Cuisinart and Leifheit.

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Joined: May 7th, 2014
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