Kitchen
Fewer chemicalsYour pan’s ‘forever chemical’ coating can give off fumes when an empty pan overheats. Cast iron and stainless steel have no coating at all.
Our pick
Mercer Culinary 10.25" skillet
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Cast iron, carbon steel or stainless steel. There’s no coating to wear off, and a well-made pan can last for decades.
PTFE, sold under brand names such as Teflon™, is a PFAS, and FDA says some PFAS are approved for making non-stick cookware coatings. PFOA, once used to make it, is classed by IARC as carcinogenic to humans, but today’s pans are PFOA-free. The risks now are fumes from overheated empty pans, flaking from scratched coatings, and PFAS released when the pans are made.
General information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing or have a health condition.
Cast iron is heavy; it and carbon steel need seasoning. Stainless needs none and suits tomato and other acidic dishes. Ceramic ‘non-stick’ is still a coating, not bare metal.
Health and safety facts on this page come from these sources. What a pick is made of comes from its maker's listing or website, as stated on the date we checked.
Yes, PTFE, the non-stick coating sold under brand names such as Teflon™, is a PFAS. Today’s pans are made without PFOA, the PFAS once used to make it, which IARC classes as a carcinogen. More on choosing pans: our non-toxic cookware guide.
Yes, cast iron and carbon steel need seasoning, and cast iron is heavy. Stainless steel needs none and suits tomato and other acidic dishes.
No. Ceramic ‘non-stick’ is still a coating, with two lab studies behind it so far; our non-toxic cookware guide explains them. Cast iron, carbon steel and stainless steel have no coating to wear off.
Kitchen
Scratched non-stick coatings may shed thousands to millions of plastic particles as you cook, a 2022 lab study estimated.
Our pick
TeamFar Stainless Steel Half Sheet Pans, 17.6 × 13", 2-pack
Kitchen
Non-stick cake, loaf and casserole pans are often coated with PTFE, a PFAS (‘forever chemical’). A glass baking dish has no coating to scratch.
Our pick
Pyrex Basics 3-qt glass baking dish, 8.9 × 13.2"
Kitchen
Your dish sponge sheds plastic every time you scrub.
Our pick
With scrubber: Full Circle loofah sponge, cotton-stitched, 2-pk
