Teflon pans: benefits and harms, coating restoration

A frying pan is, if not the queen of the kitchen, then certainly a valuable and important “character” of the kitchen space. A properly selected high-quality frying pan will last more than one year, and the owners will not suffer from burnt dishes and lengthy cleanings of utensils. Often the choice falls on Teflon pans, and we will talk about them in our article.

Teflon pan is a metal dish with a special non-stick coating. The very coating of a Teflon pan is what they value it for. Thanks to its features, food does not burn, oil consumption is reduced to a minimum, which in itself makes food more healthy.

However, if you compare a pan with a Teflon coating and ceramic dishes, the latter will benefit in environmental friendliness. The fact is that if you damage Teflon during cooking, toxic substances can be released when the coating is heated. Of course, the developers worried about this and began to make the dishes strong, protected from damage, but minimal risks remain.

What is teflon? In its chemical properties, it is similar to plastic, but it is more elastic and glides better. Teflon is used in various fields - in the manufacture of paper products, plastic packaging, clothing.

Teflon pans have an important advantage - they are lighter in weight than ceramic and, of course, lighter than cast iron.

Than Teflon is better than ceramics, we have already said - weight.At the price, it can also differ favorably. But this does not convince many buyers: they heard that Teflon pans are harmful and dangerous, which means that it is better to stay away from them. Judge for yourself - the table puts everything in its place.

If you come to a store specializing in kitchen utensils and tableware, the range of models is usually large. Eyes run up, and often it happens: you go to buy one frying pan, and you get a whole set.

1. Weight. We have to find a compromise - the ideal ratio of weight and functionality. If a frying pan is like a feather, how many dishes can you cook on it? The lightest models, as a rule, do not differ in durability and strength, and deformation of the coating can be relatively quick.
2. Bottom thickness. The size of the bottom layer affects the strength of the pan during heating. The thicker the bottom, the lower the risk of pan distortion.
3. Pen type. Can be cast or bolted. The first option is certainly more reliable. If the handle is bolted, they will loosen over time. There are models with a removable handle: they are convenient for use in the oven, as well as when serving dishes on the table right in the pan (which is appropriate, for example, if you decide to arrange a rustic dinner).
4. Coating. Finally, it's time to take a closer look at him. There should be no visible damage in the new pan. Tubercles, dents, "bald patches" are factory defects or deformations during transportation and storage. An integral layer of the surface guarantees uniform heating and, no less important, the quality of the prepared dish (the allocation of microparticles of damaged Teflon is hazardous to health).

How long can I use a Teflon pan? It depends on the intensity of use. If you cook with it every day, even the highest quality and most expensive skillet will retire in two years. And it’s not so important whether you fry, stew or put it in the oven. The life of the pan also depends on how you use the dishes, carefully or not, according to safety rules or neglecting them.

The following operating rules must be adhered to.

• Metal accessories for cooking control cannot be used for sure - the blades and the like must be made of silicone or wood.

• If the surface is already losing uniformity, scratches have formed on it, the layer can be considered partially damaged, so after washing and drying, lubricate the inner surface with a couple of drops of linseed oil, the remnants of which are well cleaned with a paper towel.

• You can put a frying pan in the oven, but do not exceed the temperature in the oven (the maximum heating temperature is indicated on the package of dishes). And pens, and other accessories should also be ready for thermal effects.

Restoring a deformed coating of a Teflon pan is not the most rewarding operation. Professional restoration, if you turn to it, will be so expensive that it is wiser to buy a new skillet. Judge for yourself: “resuscitation” of dishes consists in cleaning the walls and bottom with a drill, after which the dishes are polished. After that, she says goodbye to her non-stick properties. But to say that all particles of the polymer will be removed from the surface is also impossible.

If the food in the Teflon pan already burns, if you see scratches, then you should not try to cover it with something new (this may not be compatible with cooking). Applying any chemical composition is dangerous, only masters can do this. You, as already mentioned, can only grease the pan with linseed oil in a very modest amount.

It is easier to establish proper care for a new pan and to accustom all family members to this. But even with the most delicate handling, do not flatter yourself: two to three years is the period after which the pan needs to be replaced.

It’s easy to take care of Teflon-coated dishes, but a certain system and commitment are needed.

Consider 9 rules for caring for a Teflon pan.

• Knives, spoons and forks, as well as metal spatulas - the main taboo for such dishes. Do not sign her sentence with one lazy step, work hard so that the silicone blades are always in the access zone in the kitchen. Do not turn the pancakes with a fork, even if it seems to you that you are doing it filigree.

• Coarse seasonings, salt crystals - this is what the Teflon coating of dishes “perceives” as an abrasive. Therefore, it is believed that in such a dish it is worth stewing and boiling, and not frying.

• Try not to put a hot pan under a stream of cold water. A calm attitude to temperature changes is not yet a readiness for such stress for a thin production coating.

• You need to wash the dishes with a soft sponge or a cloth made of natural materials. Of course, it is impossible to clean Teflon with a metal brush or washcloth.

• Do not leave fried food in the pan after cooking. Burnt food is the enemy of dishes.

• Some models of Teflon pans can be loaded into the dishwasher, if the manufacturer allows this in the instructions.

• Buy dishes with a thermospot (temperature indicator). So you save her from the danger of overheating. Once the thermospot has become bright, it's time to lower the temperature.

• Even if the manufacturer writes that the service life of the dishes is 6, or even 10 years, this does not apply to the frequent use of utensils. If you cook fried eggs on teflon every morning, and in the evening also fry potatoes or potato pancakes in a pan, 2 years of service will be an enviable period for such intensive use.

• If fatty food dries in a pan, it is dangerous for Teflon. Even if just a thin layer of fat without food debris remained uncleared on time, it is likely that subsequently it can only be removed with Teflon.

In the kitchen arsenal, it would be nice to have several pans: classic cast iron is suitable for complex dishes that require a long preparation, and teflon - for quick manipulation. And such a separation of duties will allow all dishes to serve for a long time, without requiring frequent replacements.

For how to check the Teflon coating of a pan, see the next video.