Why I Stopped Using Non-Stick Cookware... Forever

If you're like me, you have non-stick cookware in your cupboards you either bought yourself, or received as gifts, that you regularly use for cooking, say... eggs or stir fry.  Also, if you're like me, you used the cookware even after some of the pans became scratched or the non-stick coating began to wear off. Well no more!

I've been hearing lately that Teflon coated pans emit dangerous fumes, but only if the pans are heated beyond the recommended temperature, which as it turns out, often times they are heated beyond the recommended temperature because it only takes 3 to 5 minutes of pre-heating on a conventional stove-top for the pans to reach dangerous temps.  These fumes have actually been documented to kill pet birds, and cause flu-like symptoms in people. The illness is referred to as "Teflon Flu."  Surprisingly (to me at least), if Teflon flakes are ingested they aren't considered toxic because they are inert (having little or no ability to react).

Teflon is also harmful to the environment because it's a PFC (perflourinated chemical).  According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PFCs present "persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity properties to an extraordinary degree," to our environment.  Also, the Environmental Working Group states that "PFCs are associated with smaller birth weight and size in newborn babies, elevated cholesterol,
abnormal thyroid hormone levels, liver inflammation, and weaker immune defense against
disease."  Although manufacturers of Teflon coated pans assure consumers their pans don't give off toxic fumes in a typical home kitchen, why risk it? (Further details about the above information can be found at http://www.ewg.org/healthyhometips/dangersofteflon.)

So, enough technical stuff. After hearing and reading about the dangers of Teflon, and experiencing first-hand the short life of non-stick pans (ours became scratched or started to wear within a year, which in my opinion is not nearly long enough for a pan to last), I decided we were done with non-stick cookware.  The jury is still out on whether or not "green" cookware poses any health hazards, and frankly, a cast iron skillet will typically run between $10 and $50 (depending on the size you buy and where you buy) and will last you decades! Decades!!  No worries about toxic fumes and dead birds, no worries about it wearing out and needing a new one every year or two, and no worries about putting the pans in the oven (cast iron is oven safe, as are most stainless steel pans as long as the handle isn't plastic or rubber).

While it's true that if you search, you will find certain dangers associated with any type of cookware you decide to use (reassuring, isn't it??), cookware manufactured with Teflon poses the most risk to your health.  Besides, who wants to constantly replace pans every 12 to 24 months?  If you choose stainless steel, just be sure it's high-grade and doesn't contain other metals, such as chrome and nickel, which can leach into your food.  Cast iron is porous, and grease can turn rancid in the pores (so maybe an occasional scrubbing isn't so bad?), and aluminum can downright poison your vegetables and cause gastrointestinal problems. (Details about the dangers of types of cookware can be found at http://www.happycookingco.com/hidden-dangers.cfm)

So, which should you choose??  I choose cast iron and stainless steel. In my opinion, these two types of pans offer the best bang for their buck (they last and last), and are fairly easy to use, clean, and store.  If your pans last for years, you're saving money and the environment by not being forced to constantly rotate a slew of new pans in and out of your cupboards (and into the trash).  Mother Earth will thank you, your bank account will thank you, and so will your pet bird.

Introduction to my purpose for this blog.

Toxins and carcinogens are everywhere, even in products and  places in our homes where we'd never suspect. While I don't think it's entirely possible to cut out all exposure to toxins in our lives, I do believe we can omit more than we realize.  I'm not trying to go off the grid completely, living entirely off the land, although I do respect homesteading and grew up in a family that did a lot of gardening and canning. Hopefully, as I learn the techniques of yesteryear for making homemade cleaners, soaps, lotions, and gardening and canning, we will be able to buy less, reduce our trash and exposure to toxins, and reuse what we have, therefore setting a positive example for our children and living a cleaner life.