Are ALL non-stick pots and pans HARMFULL?

the fumes killed the parakeet? were these people burning through teflon pans everyday or something?

i'm sure we'll hear from all sorts of "experts" on this one. unless you are heating these things to inordinately high levels - and you'd know these levels because you've probably burned your food beyond recognition at that point - you're doing probably no or negligible harm. and what small nearly irrelevant harm you're doing to yourself is probably balanced by the fact that you don't need to use as much or any oil. chemicals and compounds like teflon are almost never "good" for you; but they also are rather unlikely to do anything particularly harmful, either, especially if they are used properly. if you're concerned, don't use them.

From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytetrafluoroethylene):

"While PTFE itself is chemically inert and non-toxic, it begins to deteriorate after the temperature of cookware reaches about 500 °F (260 °C), and decompose above 660 °F (350 °C).[12] These degradation products can be lethal to birds, and can cause flu-like symptoms in humans.[13]"

Sounds like your friends scorched a pan and the breakdown chemical is really bad for birds.

...

"The United States Environmental Protection Agency's scientific advisory board found in 2005 that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical compound used to make Teflon, is a "likely carcinogen." This finding was part of a draft report that has yet to be made final.[15] DuPont settled for $300 million in a 2004 lawsuit filed by residents near its manufacturing plant in Ohio and West Virginia based on groundwater pollution from this chemical. Currently this chemical is not regulated by the EPA."

I think 3M has also had problems with this chemical. Note that it is precursor chemical that is thought to be a carcinogen.

Yes, it effects one's ability to spell HARMFUL correctly.

And it affects one's ability to use effect and affect correctly.

No, the ceramic is completely inert on your stove. The chemicals are likely because you didn't clean it first (disgusting). The tef. should also be carcinogen free unless you do something really stupid (like putting it on high and forgetting about it for a few hours). Incidentally, if you are worried about teflon, you should not be eating meat and a number of other things. Its all a matter of how much risk.

Beef (risk low)

Cooking with teflon (really low)

Cooking with with cast iron (none, but it sucks to clean)

etc.

The pan is completely safe, as long as you don't cook with it, don't put any food in it, and don't have it anywhere near your house.

And also, don't get anywhere near it.

Otherwise, it's completely safe.

PWNED!

dingle wrote:

And it affects one's ability to use effect and affect correctly.

please no cancer wrote:

So, anyone know anything about this?

Well, not officially. But I refuse to use them anyway. I like good ol' stainless steel or better yet, cast iron.