Short Guide to Nonstick Coatings: Teflon, PFAS or Ceramic?

A lot of misconceptions about cookware nonstick coatings exist. Consumers often don’t know what to choose or what to trust – what is healthy and what is not? I also see cookware manufacturers not being fully transparent about what they offer, and some information portrayed even seems to be misleading. 

Over the past years, we’ve did extensive research selecting and developing the right coating for our pans. At Effium, transparency is one of our core values. That’s why I think it’s important and useful to clear the fog with a short, objective guide to help you understand and select the right coating. Even if you plan to buy your next pan somewhere else, this guide will help you to make a solid choice.

In short, two main nonstick coatings exist:

•         PTFE-based coating (also known under the tradename Teflon)
•         Ceramic-based coating

PTFE is a fluoropolymer (a plastic) and was invented per accident a by DuPont/Chemours chemist in 1938 and trademarked under the name ‘Teflon’. Normally you can’t cook in plastic because it melts. The cool thing about PTFE is that it has an operational temperature limit of 260°C, far exceeding normal plastics. This is high enough for cooking, which occurs typically in the range of 140–220°C. It also has a very low friction coefficient, making it very slippery. This makes PTFE one of the most effective nonstick coatings available: everything – from eggs to fish – slides out of your pan effortlessly. The problem is that PFAS (a forever chemical) are used in the production of PTFE, which have raised health and environmental concerns. As a result, there is increasing scrutiny revolving PTFE and related PFAS substances. More on this later.

Ceramic is a major group of materials made from substances like clay and sand. Typical examples are pottery, tiles and glassware. Ceramic nonstick coatings are also referred to as "sol-gel" (solution gel) and consist of a mixture of silica (sand) combined with a laqcuer to adhere it to the surface of the pan. While the nonstick effect is of ceramic not as good as PTFE, ceramic coatings are more natural, durable, and PFAS-free.

	PTFE	Ceramic
Hardness/durability	Soft, weak	Hard, durable
Nonstick effect	Excellent	Good
Nonstick longevity	Stays nonsticky for long	Eases in over time
Ease of use/maintenance	Super simple	Requires some knowledge
PFAS	Yes	No

 

How can you distinguish PTFE from ceramic?
PTFE has a slick, slippery and weirdly buttery surface. Almost as if it's being covered by a super thin, permanent layer of oil that never comes off - that's why it works so well.
Ceramic can be recognized by its glass-like appearance: hard, glossy and smooth. Similar to the laqcuer of a car or a polished stone.

 

Truths and Myths about PTFE and PFAS
A common claim is that if you scratch a PTFE coating, you ingest toxic material. This isn’t entirely accurate: PTFE itself is highly chemically inert and non-toxic. It doesn’t react with the body and is often used in medical implants like stents, catheters and even heart valves¹. However, the problem is that other – more dangerous – PFAS are used to make PTFE. They are poorly biodegradable, end up in our drinking water and enter your bloodstream, posing serious health risk such as cancer.

PTFE is not only being used in cookware coatings, but also in foodpackaging, firefighting foam, shampoo, toothpaste, rainjackets, non-stain spray and much more. Why? It’s an unbeatable super plastic, with very favourable mechanical and chemical characteristics: it repels everything it touches, like food, dirt and water. Currently, there are no better alternatives in terms of performance, but there are better alternatives in terms of environment and health. EU policies are looking to prohibit “non-crucial” usage of dangerous PFAS variants, like cookware, rainjackets and toothpaste. In more crucial domains like healthcare and specialized firefighting equipment where no better solution exists, it deems to be allowed.

 

What is PFOA, PFOS or GenX?
These are some subgroups of PFAS. Thousands of them exist: some are banned, some are allowed. PFOA was one of the first subgroups that was officially banned by the EU in 2020 due to its health and environmental concerns. PTFE used to be made with PFOA. Now, all PTFE coatings have to be PFOA free, but they are simply being replaced by other PFAS variants such as GenX. These new variants are not yet prohibited, but are most likely dangerous as well. They are practically the same, but with a different name.

When you’re looking for a new pan and a cookware manufacturer says “PFOA-free” on the packaging or its website, don’t let yourself get fooled: it is most likely a PTFE-coating using PFAS. So: PFOA-free does not mean PFAS-free. If you are really looking for a PFAS-free pan make sure it explicitly states “PFAS-free”, and not something else. Obviously, pans without a coating will not have PFAS in it, like pure stainless steel.

 

What do we do at Effium?
At Effium, we’ve made a clear choice: we don’t offer PTFE-coated pans — not because they don’t work, but because they’re made using PFAS. We think adding persistent chemicals to our food system is not worth it.

Instead, we use ceramic coatings. They don’t shed PFAS in our ecosystem which ends up in our drinking water. Although ceramic is not as slippery as PTFE, it has its own strengths. It’s more robust, doesn’t rely on synthetic chemicals, and delivers reliable performance over time. With some care and attention, you get a durable, healthy pan that will serve you for years to come.

In our next blog, we’ll show you how to get the most out of your ceramic nonstick pan — so you can cook fast, clean, and with a peace of mind.

 

Thanks for reading, and we wish you healthy and happy cooking.
Wytze de Vries - CTO and cofounder of Effium

 

Note
Research in the field of nonstick coatings is upcoming and moving tremendously fast. I have simplified some technical explanations to keep this article accessible for all our readers (both technical and non-technical). If you spot anything outdated, feel free to reach out.

 

Sources:

1. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Medical Device Material Performance Study - PTFE Safety Profile (https://www.fda.gov/media/158495/download)

 

Recommended reading / watching:

Veritasium, How One Company Secretly Poisoned The Planet.