Europe: The use of
For decades, DuPont used perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, or C8) during production of PTFE, later discontinuing its use due to legal actions over ecotoxicological and health effects of exposure to PFOA. Dupont's spin-off Chemours today manufactures PTFE using an alternative chemical it calls GenX, another PFAS.
Teflon using PFOA wasn't officially banned in the United States until 2014. Europe banned it in 2008. That means if you own Teflon nonstick cookware from 2013 or earlier, there's a chance it contains PFOA.
Nonstick cookware is likely safe to use if people follow precautions. A 2024 study tested six types of aluminum-based cookware coated in Teflon or granite, commonly known as ceramic-coated.
Studies in humans
Some of these studies have suggested an increased risk of testicular cancer and kidney cancer with increased PFOA exposure. Studies have also suggested a possible link to thyroid cancer, but the increases in risk have been small and could have been due to chance.
In general, you want to replace nonstick pans after five years.
ceramic is among the safest material for pans
From dishes, to glasses, bakeware and cookware, ceramic bakeware is our pick for the best cookware material for health thanks to its non-reactive nature and resistance to high temperatures and acidic foods. Plus it's so pretty!
Tefal Pans Are Not Made With TEFLON™
Historically, Tefal used TEFLON™-branded coatings for its non-stick pans. However, when Groupe SEB acquired Tefal in 1968, it chose to internalize the production of its own non-stick coatings to better control and manage all stages of production.
“The most nontoxic cookware that you can buy is stainless steel, cast iron or carbon steel; things that don't have a coating on them,” says Alexis Pisciotta, culinary purchasing and events manager and cookware consultant for Food Network.
Broken or scratched Teflon coating could lead to the release of thousands to millions of plastic particles, a study suggests. The coating may shed microplastics and PFAS, also known as forever chemicals. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to health risks including liver disease and kidney cancer.
Most air fryer baskets are coated with Teflon or a similar nonstick coating. The majority of air fryers in the market today have Teflon or nonstick-coated cooking baskets. They function similarly to nonstick cookware in that they release food easily and can be cleaned often with just soapy, hot water.
Teflon® is a registered trademark of DuPont and a brand name for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) a nonstick finish. While Calphalon cookware features polytetrafluoroethylene-based nonstick finishes, we are not associated with, nor do we use, Teflon® branded products.
GenX and PFBS are being used as replacement chemicals for PFOA and PFOS, the original Teflon chemicals that were forced off the market due to their decades-long persistence in the environment and their link to serious health harms in exposed people and wildlife.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) appears to be the most common fluorinated compound in cosmetics. It is used most widely in anti-aging products and cosmetics, likely because it provides a smooth, sleek finish. PTFE is trademarked as Teflon®, for use in non-stick cookware.
Is HexClad cookware safe? HexClad describes its nonstick coating as a "Japanese coating infused with diamond dust." The company states that its pans are PFOA-free, though they do contain PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), commonly known by the brand name Teflon.
As reported by them, PTFE has been dissolved only in perfluorokerosenes and perfluorinated oils, in other words, perfluorinated higher molecular weight alkanes. They report that PTFE will not dissolve in perfluorodecalin, octafluoronaphthalene or decafluorobenzophenone.
Based on this list, it is best to avoid Teflon and other nonstick pans, especially those made with either PTFE or PFOA, as well as aluminum pots and pans.
Then, we removed GreenPan entirely from our list of non-toxic cookware. There were two primary reasons: Competing brands began providing independent laboratory testing to prove their products are non-toxic. We became aware of lawsuits against GreenPan that cast doubt on the company's marketing claims.
Trusted for Generations. Calphalon is a brand our customers rely on. Our products are safe, and compliant with with all applicable federal and state safety regulations.
A: Calphalon stopped manufacturing our nonstick using PFOA back in the third quarter of 2012. We have then since moved to a formula that is completely FDA approved.
High quality teflon surface makes the pan easy to clean, distributes heat evenly, and helps with coating and cooking foods (which means, less oil or butter needed).
Ceramic coating is considered safer than PTFE coating because it does not contain toxic chemicals such as PFOA, or release fumes when heated to higher temperatures. However, McManus points out that in her experience, ceramic cookware is less durable than its counterpart.
Some cooks rely on ceramic cookware because of its non-stick properties, but for the seasoned home cook, ceramic lacks the durability and versatility of stainless steel cookware.
Are scratched ceramic pans safe? As long as they're made without potential toxins, then yes. A scratched surface will just make your ceramic nonstick pan less, well, nonstick. To preserve the ceramic coating, hand wash your cookware with warm, soapy water and a soft sponge.