What to watch out for when choosing pans

They are not all the same; in the choice of pans you need to make some assessments.

• Weight : the pan should be neither too heavy nor too light. In particular, attention must be paid to the weight of the fund; if it has an adequate weight, the heat spreads better and cooking is more uniform.
• Pay attention to the handle : the steel handle can overheat during cooking; it also makes the pan heavier and therefore less manageable. The plastic handle is less resistant, but just keep it far enough away from the flame to make it last.
• Interior lining : in the choice of pans, there are many materials for pans to choose from. If you think of non-stick, however, we need to talk mainly about pans with Teflon and ceramic lining.

The suspicion on teflon pans

Perfluorooctanoic acid ( Pfoa ) is a chemical substance that is used, among other things, to make a film in a type of non-stick pans, those known as Teflon pans, which are widely used thanks to their characteristics and, in particular, to the possibility of cooking with little fat.

The main problem of this substance is its very strong polluting power . Furthermore, the hypothesis was raised that, if taken in large quantities, it could be carcinogenic and cause damage to the thyroid.

In 2006, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the European Commission stated that it is a toxic substance. The EPA has decided that, starting in 2015, it will no longer be used in production mechanisms.

In 2009 also the Afssa (French Agency for the health security of food) expressed itself on the Pfoa, but in a more cautious way that is declaring that the quantities of this substance able to pass to foods, and therefore to man, are irrelevant.

In the September 2011 issue, the magazine Altroconsumo published a test on non-stick pans which also included Pfoa's research into cooked foods; the Pfoa was not found even in traces nor in that cooked in the pots that had been subjected to heavy wear tests.

In general, however, the use of Teflon pans is considered safe up to 260 degrees. With higher temperatures the coating starts to deteriorate, while over 349 degrees it begins to decompose and make smoke. To avoid this, it is advisable to avoid heating the pan without food inside and it is also advisable not to damage the coating by scratching it with cutlery or with sponges that are too aggressive.

The ceramic pans

Faced with the suspicions about the safety of Teflon pans, often the choice of the pan falls on the ceramic pans . After all, it is the same companies that increasingly focus on the proposal of this alternative. But let's see what are the positive characteristics of ceramics:

• it is very resistant to abrasion and scratches,
• it has a high non-stick power and this allows cooking with little fat,
• it is easy to clean,
• it is an excellent conductor and allows to maintain a constant temperature even lowering the flame,
• does not corrode with acidic foods (unlike steel),
• it is not porous, so it does not absorb the detergents used for washing.

The only disadvantage seems to be the rather high price.