PFAS in Cookware: What Non-Stick Coatings, PTFE and Uncoated Steel Actually Mean

What are PFAS, and where are they found in cookware?

PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a large family of fluorinated chemicals prized for resisting heat, water and grease. Many are persistent, meaning they break down very slowly in the environment.

In cookware, PFAS are associated with the slick release coatings applied to non-stick pans, not with the metal underneath. Broad definitions, including the OECD's, count fluoropolymers such as PTFE in the PFAS family. An uncoated metal cooking surface, such as bare stainless steel, has no applied layer to ask about.

What is a non-stick coating made of?

Most traditional non-stick pans are coated with polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE. Teflon is the best-known trade name for it. PTFE is a long chain of carbon atoms fully wrapped in fluorine atoms, and the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest in chemistry.

That structure is what makes the coating slick. Very little sticks to a surface made of tightly held fluorine, so eggs and fish slide with almost no fat. The same stability means PTFE does not react with food at normal cooking temperatures.

What is the difference between PFOA and PTFE?

For decades a related chemical, PFOA, was used as a processing aid when PTFE was made. The major manufacturers phased PFOA out under a stewardship programme that ended in 2015. A label that mentions PFOA is describing that change; the coating on the pan is usually still PTFE.

PTFE itself is a fluoropolymer, and broad definitions count fluoropolymers as PFAS. That wider question, rather than PFOA, is what the changing rules described below are about.

What happens when a non-stick pan overheats?

PTFE is stable in normal use, but it has a ceiling. Above roughly 260°C (500°F) the coating begins to degrade, and at higher temperatures it breaks down faster and gives off fumes. Coating manufacturers publish their own maximum temperatures for this reason, and most advise a low to medium heat.

Breathing heavy fumes from badly overheated PTFE can cause polymer fume fever, a temporary flu-like illness described in the medical literature. Pet birds are far more sensitive, which is why manufacturers warn bird owners specifically.

The usual route to overheating is an empty pan on a high heat. Without food or liquid to absorb the energy, a thin pan's surface temperature climbs quickly. On a low to medium heat, food and liquid in the pan generally keep the surface well below the range where PTFE degrades.

Practical rules follow from the chemistry:

• Never preheat a non-stick pan empty on a high heat.
• Cook on a low to medium heat, and follow the maker's stated maximum.
• Turn on the cooker hood or open a window when cooking.
• Keep non-stick pans away from the grill unless the maker says otherwise.
• Keep pet birds out of the kitchen while cooking with coated pans.

Is it safe to use a scratched non-stick pan?

A light surface scratch is mostly a performance problem. The coating around it still releases food, although food starts to catch along the damaged line.

Deeper damage is different. Once the coating is peeling or flaking, pieces can come away into food, and the exposed base metal underneath was never meant to be a cooking surface. Most manufacturers say to stop using a pan at that point.

Scratches also tend to spread. Food catches, the cook scrapes harder, and the damage grows. Wooden, silicone or nylon utensils slow that cycle, and so does washing by hand with a soft sponge instead of an abrasive pad.

When should you replace a non-stick pan?

A non-stick coating is a wear layer, so every coated pan has a working life. Heat, utensils, abrasive cleaning and the dishwasher all shorten it. Replace the pan when you see any of these signs:

• The coating is flaking, peeling or blistering.
• Bare metal shows through in patches.
• Food sticks across the whole surface even with fat added.
• The surface is deeply discoloured or warped from overheating.

Is ceramic non-stick different from PTFE?

Yes, in chemistry. 'Ceramic' non-stick is usually a sol-gel coating: a silica-based film applied as a liquid and cured into a thin, glassy layer. It is made without fluoropolymers, so it is not PTFE.

It is still a coating, and it still wears. Sol-gel surfaces get their release from a very smooth finish, and many cooks find that release fades sooner than on PTFE, especially with high heat, sprays or abrasive cleaning. The same replacement signs apply: once it chips or food sticks everywhere, the coating has reached the end of its life.

The word 'ceramic' on a label describes the coating type. It does not tell you about the base metal, the maker's heat limit or how long the finish will last, so read the maker's own care guidance.

Why are PFAS rules changing for cookware?

Because many PFAS are persistent, and because broad definitions, including the OECD's, include fluoropolymers such as PTFE, cookware has come into scope. Some governments now restrict the sale of cookware with intentionally added PFAS, and others require makers to disclose it. These rules focus on how PFAS are made, used and disposed of across their whole life cycle, not only on what happens in one kitchen.

For a shopper, the result is more labels. Read them closely: a label about PFOA and a label saying a pan is made without intentionally added PFAS describe different things.

What changes when you switch to uncoated stainless steel?

An uncoated stainless steel pan has no wear layer: the cooking surface is the metal itself, so there is no coating to flake. It tolerates higher heat on the hob than a coated pan and can be scrubbed firmly, for example with a non-abrasive powder cleaner or a paste of bicarbonate of soda.

The trade-off is technique. Bare steel does not release food on its own. It needs a properly preheated pan, a thin layer of fat and patience before the first turn. Eggs are the steepest part of the learning curve, and our guides to cooking with stainless steel and to frying eggs cover the method step by step.

Many kitchens keep both: stainless steel for searing, sautéing and sauces, and a coated pan for delicate eggs cooked gently. Choosing is less about one right answer and more about how you cook and how carefully you look after a coating.

Where do SEIDO frying pans fit?

SEIDO frying pans are uncoated, with a tri-ply clad body and a 304 (18/8) stainless steel cooking surface, made without intentionally added PFAS and without synthetic coatings. They come in 20 cm (8 in), 24 cm (9.5 in) and 28 cm (11 in), each sold with a matching stainless steel lid, and each is backed by a 5-Year Limited Warranty. If you are replacing a worn non-stick pan, the 24 cm (9.5 in) is a practical everyday size. Buy now on Amazon.