They’re not the sexiest pans on my pan rack – at the same time, all that sex in the kitchen is exhausting, of course, so what am I complaining about? – but we have to talk about it: the non-stick pan. Because it is the best-selling frying pan, I am almost certain that you, like me, have at least one, maybe several at home. Rightly so, because they are very handy, if not indispensable for eggs, pancakes and frying fish on the skin.
Wait a minute. Didn’t I just make an impassioned plea for the sheet steel frying pan here about three years ago? Yes, and I still love those heavy boys, who, if you take good care of them, will give you a lifetime of baking pleasure. Steak, potatoes, anything you want to have a brown crust on, is best baked in such a frying pan. But try to get the carefully crispy skin of a piece of salmon out undamaged. That goes wrong more often than right, doesn’t it?
Incidentally, this is a slightly less passionate plea, or no, I just want to plead for renewing and preferably also making your collection more sustainable. Because apart from the fact that they are a bit sexless, there are still a few disadvantages to this type of pan. What was that again?
Most non-stick pans owe their non-stick function to a layer of Teflon. This plastic coating is fragile. At too high temperatures toxic fumes are released and if damaged, for example by stirring the pan with a metal spoon, flakes can come loose and end up in the food. In addition, PFAS are used for the production of Teflon, chemical compounds that have the handy property of being water, dirt and grease repellent, but the rather inconvenient property of being non-degradable and therefore permanently ending up in the environment.
In 2014, the use of PFOA, a PFAS variant, for the production of non-stick pans was banned. Since then, the packaging of such pans often states that they are PFOA-free. What manufacturers do not add is that PFAO has been replaced by GenX, also a PFAS, and according to many experts no less harmful. For example, GenX has the status of Substance of Very High Concern in Europe, and RIVM emphatically warns on its website for its negative effects on both the environment and human health.
Again, I don’t want to scare the hell out of you, and besides, I think you actually knew this a long time ago. But you often forget things like that out of convenience. So here’s a reminder: check your pans for scratches, dents and other damage and throw them away when in doubt. And when you purchase a new non-stick pan, preferably choose a ceramic pan. Ceramic pans have a so-called sol-gel coating, which does not contain any PFAS. Although they are more expensive than pans with a Teflon layer, they also last much longer and are therefore a lot more durable in that sense.
I only have experience with the ceramic pans from Greenpan and BK – there are more brands; WMF even has a special ceramic steak pan in its range, which promises to conduct heat just as quickly as sheet steel – but at least it is perfect for frying eggs. And crispy salmon skin. And pancakes.
I’m sorry, but I can’t write down the word pancakes twice (now 3x), without getting an uncontrollable appetite.