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The Teflon Toxin

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Re: The Teflon Toxin

#81

Post by tired_man »

morsch wrote: post #40
bradgessler wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Buy a chainmail cleaner: http://www.amazon.com/The-Ringer-Cleaner-Stainless-Chainmail... For $18 it will change your cast iron life. The idea is that after you cook, you scrub all the stuff that gets stuck to the bottom with the chainmail and some water, then wipe it off with a paper towel. You'll never have to use soap again.

Is this that much different from a brillo pad (aka metal sponge)? That's what I use on my steel and iron cookware. They're like 2 EUR for a 4-pack; each sponge lasts for a very long time.

Well, yes. It's chain mail. Really. Brillo's are just steel wool. You could wear that and safely expect it to stop a stab wound from a knife.

Re: The Teflon Toxin

#82

Post by pjc50 »

makomk wrote: post #52
pjc50 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the EU approach (REACH: http://echa.europa.eu/regulations/reach ). It's pretty burdensome, and somewhat unevenly applied (lead has been phased out of solder, but not of batteries). The "verify your product is not dangerous" has had strange effects, as people selling hand-knitted stuffed toys in tiny quantities have to work out how to handle CE marking requirements. This kind of regulation sets an effective mi…

The lead in batteries is generally recycled, lead in solder isn't.

Solder in electronic devices is also "supposed" to be recycled under WEEE. I'm not sure how well this works in practice.

Re: The Teflon Toxin

#83

Post by robbiep »

torrent-of-ions wrote: post #67
sanoli wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you keep them seasoned? I tried a couple of times, but couldn't get it right. Could you give me some tips?

Just use it. I only use saturated fats in mine (mostly lard and butter) and I use metal utensiles which helps to keep it smooth. I avoid vegetable oils because I find that they go sticky (they're also not as good for you to cook with as animal fat).

Why do metal utensils not scratch it?

Re: The Teflon Toxin

#84

Post by VLM »

randallsquared wrote: post #75
thezilch wrote: post #9

I've never understood the gravity of Teflon pans. I can never seem to keep them non-stick, whether it be because of using too high of heat or somehow scratch the damn thing. So, I got cast irons. It's trivial to keep them seasoned and thus non-stick, and they can take the beating of very high heat -- searing meats -- and any metal utensils or rough substances.

Teflon pans are cheap, and you don't have to care for them at all. Just throw it in the dishwasher and after a year or so get a new one. Having said that, I'm really liking the two nonstick ceramic pans I bought a few months ago, and I'm not sure if I'll need to toss them next year, yet.

"Teflon pans are cheap ... after a year or so get a new one."

Really? "Real" nonstick pans (not walmart) sell for something like $40 to $100+ a piece, but cast iron (Lodge Inc, etc) sells for something like $20. So CI works better, last forever, is cheaper, and its less toxic.

Its true that you can buy a pan shaped object from walmart for $5 that doesn't really work, but in all fairness the CI equivalent is the "free to a good home" pile of CI at an estate sale, so CI is still cheaper.

I will say there is one, exactly one use for teflon pans and thats burned cheese or burned eggs. Just something about it chemically that makes it stick to cast iron. Yet meats don't stick, very strange.

Re: The Teflon Toxin

#85

Post by fluidcruft »

hussong wrote: post #60
sanoli wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you keep them seasoned? I tried a couple of times, but couldn't get it right. Could you give me some tips?

I'd recommend the following: 1. Scrub thoroughly using only hot water and a stainless steel pot cleaner -- this should give you a clean start 2. Make fried potatoes using lots of oil, fry potatos until black (throw them away, obviously) -- this should help soak the somewhat porous surface with oil 3. Apply a thin coating of oil and bring to immense heat -- this will create a solid surface 4. After every use, clean ge…

Yikes. What makes you think this results in fewer carcinogens on your pan's surface than teflon?

Re: The Teflon Toxin

#86

Post by baseballmerpeak »

suprgeek wrote: post #17

Take the number of vehicles in the field, (A), and multiply it by the probable rate of failure, (B), then multiply the result by the average out-of- court settlement, (C). A times B times C equals X...If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one. What applies to the Car Industry (via Dialogue from Fight Club) applies to the Chemical Industry in Spades. DuPont Knew (or strongly suspected) that C8 & (Teflon)…

Ford Motor Company Management 101

Re: The Teflon Toxin

#87

Post by hodwik »

tired_man wrote: post #79
thezilch wrote: post #9

I've never understood the gravity of Teflon pans. I can never seem to keep them non-stick, whether it be because of using too high of heat or somehow scratch the damn thing. So, I got cast irons. It's trivial to keep them seasoned and thus non-stick, and they can take the beating of very high heat -- searing meats -- and any metal utensils or rough substances.

I'd bet the issue is that you did not season the teflon pans (yeah, just about the same way as a cast iron pan...) and that you regularly use the pans at a very high heat which isn't exactly a teflon pan's forte. Teflon doesn't like high heat or rapid temp changes. Here's a really good article on use and care from Fine Foods Mag: http://www.finecooking.com/articles/the-science-of-nonstick-...

Off topic, but did you know the word "forte" in that context is pronounced "fort" not "for-tay"?

I just learned that recently.

Re: The Teflon Toxin

#88

Post by joeyspn »

As the article says: this is another tobacco case, so they'll deny everything even with fake/bought peer-reviewed studies. Just look how they treat their own workers... My family already moved from non-stick cookware to stainless steel. Consider doing the same in the mean time. As with the tobacco this will be a marathon, and hopefully common sense will win.

Re: The Teflon Toxin

#90

Post by juliangregorian »

VMG wrote: post #53
azinman2 wrote: post #3

Horrible. This is what's so scary about the free market and our current chemical regulations of innocent until proved guilty. People cover up, even the biggest most "professional" here (DuPont), and the public gets decades of abuse. Why is it that medication requires FDA approval with lots of animal/human tests before you can sell it, but chemicals do not? Here the tests internally done showed prove of issue year aft…

> This is what's so scary about the free market and our current chemical regulations of innocent until proved guilty. I get your point, but the situation is not much better in non-free markets as well. Regulators have a price for which they can be captured.

You are correct, but "regulatory capture" refers to a different form of corruption than what you are talking about.
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