How much do chefs love nonstick?

The sales figures tell that the frying pans with this special coating (Teflon is the best-known version) constituted up to 90 percent of all aluminium cookware sold. Yet despite nonstick's advantages, such as easy cleanup and reduction of oil and butter used, it has come under fire in recent years over concerns about toxic chemical emissions. Dozens of reports and studies have turned up conflicting conclusions. So, how safe are nonstick pans?

According to the chemistry researches, the answer is 'as long as they are not overheated'. When they are, the coating may begin to break down (at the molecular level, so you wouldn't possibly see it), and toxic particles can be released. If the danger begins when frying pans overheat, at temperatures above 500^oF, the breakdown begins and smaller chemical fragments are released, so manufacturers of Teflon cookware agree that 500 degrees is the recommended maximum for cooking. How fast will a nonstick pan reach 500^oF, the point at which its coating can start to decompose? It all depends on your cookware brand. Some manufacturers take into considerations every possible detail to cut down the risks, but all their efforts are entered into the price of the output. Others prefer not to involve additional precautions into the formula of actual coating and subsequently reduce the net prices on production. Their cookware is relatively cheap but of a less quality materials than the previous type.

At very high temperatures - 660^o F and above - pans may more significantly decompose, emitting fumes strong enough to cause polymer-fume fever, a temporary flu-like condition marked by chills, headache, and fever. The fumes won't kill you - but they can affect pet birds, whose respiratory systems are more fragile. At 680^o F, Teflon releases at least six toxic gases, including two carcinogens, according to a study by the Environmental Working Group, a non profit watchdog organization. "However, even if those gases are formed, the odds that you're going to breathe enough of them to be sick are low," says an expert. What no one has yet researched is whether overheating these pans regularly for a prolonged period might have long-term effects.

To sum up, consider your purchase in accordance with your budget and never leave your future nonstick pan for open fires.