Nonstick pan is easy to use, but do you know how to use it correctly and safely?

Non-stick pans are very popular with consumers. The reason is easy to understand. Because the special coating is used in the pan, it can prevent the food from sticking to the bottom of the pan when cooking food, so the cleaning work becomes easy. Because it is not sticky, it also allows you to cook with less oil or even without oil.

Nonstick pans are easy to use, but are they safe? How should the non-stick pan be used correctly? Let's take a look at the Economic Daily-China Economic Net.

Non-stick coating

Most non-stick pans are coated with PTFE, also known as Teflon, to maintain non-stick properties. PTFE has another name "Plastic King" because of its high corrosion resistance. , The vast majority of strong acids, strong bases, strong oxidants and reducing agents can't help it.

Although the use of Teflon-coated non-stick pans has brought convenience to people's daily life, questions about its safety have never ceased.

One of the problems is that the non-stick coating may peel off and be eaten by mistake. This situation is more likely to occur with cheap or poor-quality non-stick pans, as well as those products that are not well used and maintained. For example, using metal tools can easily scratch a high-quality non-stick coating and cause the coating to peel off.

The good news is that the peeling off non-stick coating is not dangerous and will not affect human health even if it is swallowed. Because the Teflon coating at room temperature is very stable. The only problem is that the peeling of the coating will reduce the non-stick properties of the pot.

The biggest danger of nonstick cookware

When the non-stick pan is overheated, the compounds in the non-stick coating will be released in the form of smoke. These fumes may cause flu-like symptoms in humans, and the overheating of the pot will also reduce the effect of the coating.

Teflon begins to decompose at about 300 degrees Celsius and releases toxic fumes into the air. An empty pot on the fire can reach 260 degrees Celsius in less than 2 minutes.

Although you may not deliberately overheat the pot, sometimes things happen, such as: the phone rang, someone came to the door, and a non-stick pot accidentally left on the fire.

Tips for using non-stick cookware

Choose high-quality non-stick pans. The coating is more likely to be multi-layer spraying rather than roller coating, which makes it more durable. More expensive non-stick pans are usually heavier, which reduces the risk of accidental overheating.

Keep it cool for use. Only cook at low or medium temperatures. If you accidentally overheat the non-stick pan, please open the doors and windows to emit smoke as soon as possible. If the pan must be preheated before cooking, please observe carefully and shorten the preheating time as much as possible to prevent the non-stick pan from overheating.

Protective coating. Although you don't need to worry about eating the coating by accident, the performance of the pan will be better if you avoid scratching. Do not use metal utensils during cooking and washing, and be careful when storing to prevent scratching the coating.

Update pots and pans in time. If the surface of the non-stick coating is scratched or begins to peel, making it lose its non-stick properties, it is best to replace the pot. Non-stick coatings generally only perform well within three to five years of use.

In recent years, ceramic non-stick coatings have become more and more popular. They are more heat-resistant and will not release any fumes at high temperatures. However, the non-stick properties of ceramic coatings do not seem to be as durable as Teflon, and using them at high temperatures may shorten their life.