The truth about non-stick pots

Group of different size fry pan & cookware on white reflective background

While non-stick pots and pans are perfect in the kitchen, saving us the horror of burnt food and using lots of oil, there have been worrying reports that they could be causing more harm than good. But what is the truth?

Safe unless overheated
According to Robert Wolke, a Chemistry Professor at University of Pittsburg, you can safely use them under moderate temperatures as overheating causes the coating to break down at a molecular level.

And this releases carcinogenic particles into your food. This is especially true for Teflon coatings. 

 

How hot is too hot?
260 degrees Celsius is the temperature at which the non-stick coatings begin to disintegrate. A study carried out showed that most pans (light or heavy) reached that temperature in the first eight minutes of cooking. 
 

The best foods to cook with non-stick utensils are foods that cook fast and those that cover the entire surface of the pan as this helps to lower the temperature of the pans. These include frying or scrambling eggs and pancakes.

What precautions can you take?
1. Choose heavier pans. Heavier pans and pots will not heat up as fast as the thinner ones.
2. Use only when cooking quick meals
3. Use wooden spoons, not metallic ones when cooking. This is to avoid chipping/denting the non-stick utensils which could hasten emission of dangerous particles.
4. Don’t use high heat. Always use low and medium heat when cooking.
5. Don’t pre-heat empty pans. Even with oil, the high temperatures will cause the coating to disintegrate.