True that. I used to sell cookware, and I advised everyone to go with steel or anodized aluminum. Teflon really blows.

no teflon is a good move.

that means don't give it to goodwill...either throw it out, or if you don't want it in landfill, figure out creative ways to use it (planters, whatever).

good ol' stainless steel is great, and if you can swing it in your budget, le crueset (sp?), which is porcelain lined cast aluminum.

and every kitchen, i believe, should have one cast iron skillet. it will last you your entire lifetime...and it's great for healthy cooking.

SO yeah.... I need this clarified.
Are you putting the parrot in the over heated Teflon? Because that could BE the reason it could kill a bird instantly. Just saying.




No really-- what are you people talking about??

what is a good pan to get thats kinda slippy like teflon.
i need to replace all my stuff anyway (peeling)

and the iron skillet is to heavy for me to use right now.

You guys are scaring me. I've been cooking mac & cheese for my son in a non-stick pot since he started eating solids. Since he's a picky eater that's been a lot of meals. And I heat the water to a boil over high heat. This thread is giving me the thought that I may have been a bad mommy. I'm telling hubby that the non-stick pan is going in the trash. If he doesn't like it I'll sit him down to read all of this.

Thank you HFfLP'ers!

The National Beef Board says to "avoid galvanized cookware because the zinc found in galvanized cookware can be leached out by fruit juice, creating a poisonous liquid. I work for a very health conscious food company, Celebrity Foods, that offers home delivery of gourmet food and safe, durable cookware, so I have to keep up with this stuff. I've started two blogs related too, if ya wanna check 'em out - www.celebrityfoodsalumni.blog.com & celebrityfoods.wordpress.com.

I worked at Dupont in Delaware for a short time...one day, while doing some work at their fluoroproducts research facility, I grilled (no pun intended) the researchers there about the safety of Teflon. There's lots of use and care information that consumers don't receive when they buy non-stick pans and the info I got from them certainly changed my opinion of non-stick cookware.

As Comrade also mentioned, the Teflon guys said that you shouldn't heat up a non-stick pan without anything in it and you shouldn't use it for high temperature cooking. NEVER put non-stick cookware in the dishwasher and you should rarely use soap to clean it. They said that all you should really do to clean it is wipe it with a soft, damp cloth. Don't use metal utensils, because you might damage the coating. If it becomes damaged or discolored, don't use it anymore.

I've mostly switched to anodized aluminum cookware since then, but I have purchased a non-stick griddle, because I hate how my eggs stick to the anodized aluminum pans. I'm VERY careful with it, though. I move it to a cool burner when I'm done cooking, I just wipe it off with a soft cloth.

Please keep in mind that ANY non-stick coating, even if it didn't come from Dupont, has the same fundamental fluorocarbon chemistry. It's ALL bad. Be aware of non-stick coatings on other things, too, not just pans. I purchased an Good Grips ice cream scoop that was coated with a non-stick substance and within a few uses, the coating started flaking off. I haven't seen evidence to indicate that ingesting the flakes is harmful (supposedly, it just passes right through you), but honestly, I'm skeptical of just about anything with fluorocarbons.

On the subject of anodized aluminum, I also try to be careful with that, as well. I don't use metal utensils and I don't cook foods that may have a higher acidity, such as tomato-based foods. For those, I use stainless steel.

Hi,
I was looking for Circulon 2 cookware, as they mention about there hi and low heat wave technology, not sure what to buy here.
Is anodized Aluminium non sticky? what can be bought giving non sticky properties without hazards is the question. We've gas (maily in Asian countries) and not hot plates, does that matter for cooking wares, whats best suited then ... Anodized AL or Teflon (which I think is not after reading all this) ...Stainless Steel is sticky... Aluminium is sticky, Cast Iron is sticky.. tell me what to buy then ??

I have a cockatiel myself, & for years have been trying to figure out what I can use to cook things that tend to stick when I refuse to use nonstick pans like Teflon. It isn't fun to cook eggs at all! But then again, I'd rather my bird as well as my own health be safe!

But is there any product out there than is safe for both humans as well as our pets? I'd love to find something I can cook things like eggs, pancakes & other things in so they won't stick as badly.... but the hard part is trusting that the other options out there won't affect my health, or kill my bird for that matter! Any suggestions??

Teflon is nasty stuff. I used to work in a lab that used Teflon all the time. My advice, don't use it near food stuffs. Silicone is another one I would avoid. You don't want that stuff in your body.

My mom's also a polymer chemist and she feels the same way because she knows what in that stuff.

Steel cookware rocks!! It's easy to clean, just soak in warm soapy water, heavy enough so that if you accidently hit the pan it doesn't go flying off the stove and best of all you can use any kind of utensils on it. Forks, spoons, knives it doesn't matter--no chemical coating to worry about destroying.

I've heard about C8 in our blood for the past few years. However, Teflon is a brand name for the non-stick compound. Does C8 exist in other non-stick cookware as well?

I heard that it isn't good for you to cook with it. I stopped using it years ago before I heard that. I am very rough on Teflon and didn't want to keep replacing it because I recked the finish and it would start to peel and possibly get in the food.