I have a teflon pan that was left on the stove with water in it, set at high to boil it and left it too long, the water boiled out and now the bottom area of the teflon is kind of a smooth chalky gray, doesn't feel anything like the rest of the teflon.
Anything that can be done with it or is it trashed?
Is the finish ruined or is it just a mineral buildup from the water. Put some vinegar in it and let it soak.
Just use it. The carcinogens are now totally available.
Bob
Wash it out and continue to use it if you want. Finish may not work as well but there is no health hazard. You cannot restore the finish. Hazard of overheating teflon will cause flu like symptoms to you but maybe kill your canaries, whatever, as birds have higher respiratory requirements. Same thing could happen to birds in all metal pan burning food.
Don't worry teflon is now under suspicion in certain countries as a possible cancer causative. So no matter what the colour it's probably done it's deadly work anyway. If you DO have any doubts however; throw it away! Yes; during the last 50 years we have had teflon coated cooking pans/ utensils. One of us has died, probably unconnected to use of teflon? I'm still here.
Well, if you generate enough smoke, I guess it's true that food burning in any metal pan could kill birds at some point. But teflon heated to high temp generates a specific chemical that is highly toxic and will kill biirds. A stainless, cast iron, etc will not do that, so its not all the same.
As for the question, if the pan was overheated on for a considerable time and won't clean up, then it should be thrown out.
Now, I wouldn't say you're all here ;) If you can lead me to a primary source that says teflon may cause cancer, I'd like to see it. You are more likely to generate carcinogens just by cooking food.
I think teflon cookware is safe to use but lifetime is limited. Teflon is plastic, you know. We have a 45 year old stainless Revereware frying pan that we still use.
Frank
Try a google search for "teflon coating carcinogen epa". The issue is not the teflon itself, but the perfluorooctanoic acid used in making the coating.
Chris
PFOA is absent in the fry pan finish. It most likely gets blasted out during the cure cycle where the finish is baked on the fry pan. I've heard of dead birds near the fume vents. At one time DuPont used to put out pamphlets in pet shops with teflon warnings.
Not sure of the status of DuPont getting it out of the teflon process but concern started at Parkersburg, WV plant where, I believe, women workers thought it responsible for miscarriages. PFOA is/was used in the teflon polymerization process and was retained in the finished polymer emulsion.
Frank
Teflon
frying
And good seasoned cast iron lasts just about forever and is very good at non-stick.
Cheri
According to Frank :
While not specifically authoritive, the summary and references should suit:
One of the biproducts of heating teflon over 660F is carbon tetrafloride (CF4). Given how nasty carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is (including being a known carcinogen), CF4 can't be good for you, carcinogenic or otherwise.
The FDA's appears to have concluded that teflon pans are perfectly safe, unless they're overheated, at which point they emit toxic fumes which can cause adverse effects relatively quickly.
All that said, there was some research published a year or two ago that pointed out that fried food (regardless of pan type) causes an increased cancer risk.
[We use both teflon and cast iron pans, and are very careful about not overheating teflon. Aside from possible toxicity, it shortens the lifetime of the pan. Even without overheating, most teflon pans have a useable "non-stick" lifespan of only 2-4 years. Tho, higher end pans (much thicker substrates, eg: Analon) will last considerably longer.]
Hear, Hear! My cast iron pans, from my late mother, are perfectly satisfactory -- in fact, they cook great!
Non-stick pans, which I have never bought, are just another example of the "must-have" scam which sophisticated advertising shoves down our...or up our...
What is so god-awful difficult about washing a cast-iron pan? Yet advertising apparently convinced a goodly segment of the market that it's just too, too, onerous, and therefore they must have a non-stick pan. I didn't know about the carcinogenic problem way back then; I just didn't like the slick (pun intended) argument.
Same scam that gave us, inter alia, margarine, which is so horrendously unhealthful, compared with butter, that one has to stand back and shake one's head...
And diet after diet after diet, a gazillion-dollar industry-scam. when everybody knows that (medical conditions excepted), all the person needs to do is take in fewer calories than expended (via exercise).
Yes..there's one born every day.
Aspasia
Does anyone actually believe one word the FDA publishes? With their track record???!!!!
Well... as much as I like cast iron, they are not flat enough for my Ceran cooktop... And I'd hate to think what would happen if I dropped an iron pan from an inch... SMASH!
My next cooktop is going to be gas.
I would not worry about the pan. Just be thankful you and other family members are still alive. Burned teflon is known to kill small animals, especially birds. People can become extremely ill, and possibly die. Get yourself a new pan, one without teflon.
Or used for mixing plaster, etc. It even has a handle.
>After reading all these posts I would throw it out just to be safe. Mind you I think everything gives you cancer these days. I am sure someone will tell us breathing and drinking water will give us cancer soon!
Stu
According to :
Heck, I'm Canadian, and as nonsensical as the FDA often is, the FDA is a lot more trustworthy than most of the rumor mill/tinfoil hat/FUD going around.
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