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I want to tell you about the moment I stood in my kitchen holding a Teflon pan I had used almost every single day for years and realized I had essentially been slow cooking myself along with my dinner.
That is dramatic. But also kind of accurate.
I cook every day. Every single day. Which means whatever was coming off those pans was going directly into my food, into my lungs, and into my body on a daily basis for years. Once I understood what was actually in those pans and what they were doing I could not unknow it. The pans went in the trash and they have not come back.
Let me tell you what I found out.
What Is Actually In Your Non-Stick Pan
The coating on most non-stick pans is called PTFE, polytetrafluoroethylene, better known by the brand name Teflon. PTFE is a type of PFAS, a class of synthetic compounds that persist in human bodies, wildlife, and the environment for several thousand years, so much so that they are often referred to as forever chemicals.
Forever chemicals. In your frying pan. That you use every day.
PTFE begins to break down and release toxic fumes at temperatures higher than 500 degrees Fahrenheit, for instance anytime you broil a pan in the oven. These fumes are known to kill pet birds, and in humans they can lead to polymer fume fever, also known as Teflon flu, with symptoms including chills, headaches, fevers, chest tightness and coughing.
I have three cats. Thankfully not birds. But the fact that these fumes are lethal enough to kill a bird’s respiratory system and cause flu-like symptoms in humans from a pan you are just cooking dinner in is enough information for me.
The “PFOA-Free” Label Is Not What You Think
When the health concerns around Teflon started getting mainstream attention manufacturers did what manufacturers do. They swapped out the most problematic chemical and slapped a new label on the same basic product.
Growing research suggests that many of the compounds used to make non-stick coatings may pose health risks. Because tests show that even products made without PFOA may contain the compound as a byproduct of manufacturing, some experts say that consumers who want to avoid PFAS in their cookware may want to focus on products that claim to be PTFE-free rather than just PFOA-free.
In other words PFOA-free does not mean PFAS-free. It does not mean PTFE-free. It means they removed one specific chemical and replaced it with others in the same family that we are still learning about.
Many brands quietly dropped the Teflon trademark but continue using PTFE, misleading shoppers with labels like PFOA-free, eco nonstick, or green packaging. In most cases the material has not changed, just the marketing.
Green packaging. Eco nonstick. Natural. These words mean nothing without the full picture. And the full picture is that 79% of tested nonstick cooking pans were coated with PTFE regardless of what the label said.
What PFAS Actually Does to Your Body
This is the part that made me put the pan down and never pick it up again.
PFAS is known to accumulate in the environment and has been linked to human health impacts such as abnormal thyroid and hormone function, reduced immune system response and cancer.
A growing body of evidence indicates some PFAS contribute to liver disease, increased cholesterol, impaired response to vaccines, thyroid disease, asthma, lowered fertility and high blood pressure in pregnant women. Elevated risks of testicular and kidney cancer have been found in highly exposed people.
Thyroid dysfunction. Hormonal disruption. Reduced immune response. Infertility.
If you have MTHFR your body is already working overtime to detoxify and process things efficiently. Adding a daily dose of forever chemicals from your cookware to that load is not helping. At all. Every single meal cooked in a scratched up Teflon pan is another exposure and those exposures add up over years and decades.
The Scratched Pan Problem
Here is something worth knowing if you are still using a non-stick pan right now.
If you are still using nonstick cookware that may contain PFAS, stop using it if the surface becomes scratched, flaking or worn down. Damage to the coating can increase the risk of PFAS and other chemicals leaching into food during cooking.
Studies have found that using damaged nonstick cookware can release millions of micro and nanoplastic particles into your food.
Millions of particles. Into your food. From a scratch.
Think about how many of your non-stick pans have scratches. Think about how long you have been using them.
What I Switched To and Why
Stainless Steel Pots
I switched my pots to stainless steel first because soups, pastas and boiling things do not require the same non-stick surface as frying. Stainless steel is durable, non-reactive, free of any coatings and lasts essentially forever. I will say stainless steel frying pans require more patience and technique than I personally have. There is a learning curve and I am not interested in that curve on a Tuesday night. So I kept my frying pans as a separate decision.
The set I recommend is the Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Triple-Ply Stainless Steel Set on my Kitchen and Cookware page. Triple-ply construction, no coatings of any kind, induction compatible and built to last decades.
GreenPan Lima Ceramic Nonstick
For frying pans I switched to the GreenPan Lima collection and I want to be very specific about why I chose ceramic over stainless for this purpose. Ceramic coated pans that carry a PTFE-free claim are far less likely to have forever chemicals compared to traditional non-stick coatings. When Consumer Reports tested ceramic pans they found none of the 96 PFAS chemicals they looked for. Zero.
I have been using my GreenPan Lima pans for over a year now. They have survived my impatient cooking style and my partner burning bourbon chicken oil onto the surface. That stain no longer exists and there is no sign it ever did. I wash them by hand most of the time but on the days I cannot be bothered they go in the dishwasher with Blueland Dishwasher Tablets and come out perfectly fine.
The Right Utensils Matter Too
Switching your pans is only half the equation. What you cook with matters just as much because the wrong utensils can scratch a ceramic surface and start the degradation process that leads to the exact problem you switched pans to avoid.
For cooking I use the AIUHI Natural Teak Wood Utensil Set on my Kitchen and Cookware page. No lacquer, no glue, no synthetic coatings of any kind. Just teak wood finished with food-grade mineral oil. I also have silicone utensils for high heat situations. Both are safe for ceramic and non-stick surfaces. Metal utensils are never an option on ceramic cookware.
The Right Sponge Matters Too
Never use an abrasive sponge on ceramic non-stick. One scrub from a rough surface can start the scratching process and once scratching starts the pan is on its way out. I use the AIRNEX Natural Kitchen Sponges from my cleaning page, cellulose and coconut fiber, no microplastics, completely compostable. Just use the soft cellulose side on your ceramic pans and save the more textured coconut fiber side for tougher jobs like counters and pots. Treat the surface gently and it will last.
Cast Iron
Cast iron is the gold standard of non-toxic cookware and deserves an honorable mention. It contains zero coatings, zero chemicals, lasts literally forever, and actually adds a small amount of iron to your food which is a bonus for anyone who is iron deficient. The trade off is weight and the seasoning learning curve. If you enjoy maintaining your cookware and do not mind a heavier pan, cast iron is an excellent long-term investment.
The Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven is on my Kitchen and Cookware page for anyone who wants the gold standard option.
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel is worth knowing about if you want something lighter than cast iron but just as naturally non-toxic. It has similar properties to cast iron, heats more evenly, is significantly lighter and is popular in professional kitchens for good reason. Like cast iron it requires seasoning and has a learning curve but rewards you with a lifetime cooking surface with zero coatings ever. I have a carbon steel recommendation on my Kitchen and Cookware page for anyone ready to explore this option.
What About Cleaning Products?
Here is something most people do not think about when they switch to low-tox cookware. What you clean with matters just as much as what you cook with. If you are scrubbing your new ceramic pans and glass bakeware with conventional dish soap full of synthetic fragrance, SLS and undisclosed preservatives you are undermining the whole point.
For dish soap I recommend Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Bar Soap used with a dish brush, ten ingredients, no synthetic preservatives, no fragrance, completely transparent. For dishwasher detergent the Blueland Dishwasher Tablets are what I use, no PVA plastic film, no synthetic fragrance and a completely clean formula.
For your general kitchen cleaning the Branch Basics Premium Starter Kit replaces every cleaner under your sink with one concentrate and seven recognizable plant and mineral based ingredients.
You can find all of these on my Low-Tox Cleaning Products page.
The Legislation Catching Up
Here is something that tells you everything you need to know about how serious this actually is.
As of January 1st 2025 Minnesota became the first state to ban the sale of nonstick cookware coated with PFAS. Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Colorado are moving ahead with bans or restrictions on cookware containing intentionally added PFAS with enforcement dates ranging from 2026 to 2028.
States are banning these pans. Multiple states. With enforcement dates. That is not the behavior of a regulatory system that thinks everything is fine.
What I Would Tell You to Do Right Now
You do not need to throw everything out today. Here is a realistic approach:
If your pan is scratched — replace it now. A scratched non-stick pan is actively shedding particles into your food and that is not a low-tox home situation.
If your pan is still in good condition — use it carefully on low to medium heat only, never metal utensils, and start budgeting for a replacement.
When you replace it — look for PTFE-free AND PFOA-free. Ceramic is your safest non-stick option. If a brand only claims PFOA-free without mentioning PTFE, keep looking.
Start with your most used pan — for most people that is a medium frying pan. Replace that one first and go from there.
Check your cleaning products while you are at it — it makes no sense to cook in a clean pan and wash it with a toxic dish soap. The full picture matters.
You cook in these pans every single day. What you cook in matters just as much as what you cook. 🌿
— Ashley
Find all my non-toxic product recommendations including kitchen, cookware, supplements, pets and more at lowtoxliving.carrd.co
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