All About Nonstick Surfaces for Cookware

Easy cleanup... cooking with less oil... good prices... all reasons why products with nonstick finishes are so popular.

Because DuPont's Teflon and SilverStone finishes are most widely known, information here deals with them. Other nonstick finishes include Fluon, made by ICI America, Inc.; Halon, made by Allied Corp.; Debron, and TFal.

Teflon Tfe Finishes

Teflon TFE nonstick finishes referred to in the plural because the application process involves two coats: a primer with adhesive properties and a top coat of enamel containing color.

Teflon II coatings are scratch resistant and can be used with smooth-edged metal kitchen tools; they are available on all kinds of utensil-rangetop cookware, some small appliances and bakeware-and can be applied to aluminum, stainless-steel, cast iron and glass cookware, both electric and nonelectric.

Only those items bearing the Teflon II Certification Mark meet DuPont's standards of hard-based application and can be considered scratch resistant.

TeflonS, another non-stick finish manufactured by DuPont, is used on products such as steam irons, garden tools, range hoods and drill bits; it is not used on cooking utensils.

Certain other finishes, such as Tufram, have a hard material added to the Teflon; but according to DuPont, the surface, although harder, loses some of its nonstick properties.

What Will Teflon Do?

When Teflon is applied to cookware, it produces a nonstick surface that reduces cleaning time and effort because food will not stick and burned-on residue comes off with ordinary dishwashing.

This same nonstick property makes it possible to cook without grease or cooking oils.

But Teflon is not a miracle covering. It won't keep food from burning if the pan gets too hot. It won't replace the flavor that cooking oil gives food, but neither will it substitute a foreign flavor or endanger health.

How To Use Teflon

While it isn't necessary to use cooking oils, in some instances it is recommended. As a general rule, follow the recipe-especially for baked foods. The nonstick finish assures that the finished product will come out of the pan cleanly and completely.

A new Teflon-coated pan should be washed, rinsed, dried and conditioned before it is used. Conditioning means covering the surface lightly with cooking oil, and this is particularly important for frying pans, grills and bakeware, except angel food pans. (If an angel food pan has been greased for any reason, the Teflon coating should be cleaned by rubbing vinegar or lemon juice over the entire surface, then washed thoroughly in hot suds, rinsed and dried.)

No matter what the base material, Teflon-coated frying pans and grills should be preheated. Medium to medium-high heat is best for aluminum and low to medium heat is best for porcelain-enameled pans. High heat, above 450 degrees , should be avoided because (1) food may burn and (2) the Teflon coating may discolor. Discoloring will not destroy the nonstick quality, but the pan's appearance will suffer.

How to Care for a Nonstick Surface

Although food will not stick to Teflon finishes, grease may build up and cause stains and discoloring. Minor stains are normal and do not harm surface, but large stains, caused by improper cleaning or overheating, may result in the loss of nonstick property.

These stains and coloration can be partially removed or reduced by simmering any of the following solutions 15-20 minutes in the stained pan:

• 3 Tbsp. oxygen bleach and one tsp. liquid dish detergent in one cup water.
• 3 Tbsp. automatic dishwasher detergent in one cup water.
• Wash, rinse, dry and again condition with shortening or cooking oil.

Proper cleaning involves washing the pan with a soft cloth or sponge in hot water and detergent after each use and periodically scrubbing the surface with a plastic or rubber scrubber. A plastic-mesh dish pad or rubber scraper will remove a stubborn spot, but steel wool or scouring powder should never be used. Nylon, plastic, wooden or rubber utensils are preferred. Metal utensils can be used with care, but do not cut in the pan.

Automatic dishwashing will not harm Teflon surface, but may discolor the undercoated outside of the pan. When rinse water beads and runs off, Teflon surface is clean.

Silverstone

Manufactured by DuPont, SilverStone a nonstick finish developed for heavy-gauge aluminum cookware.

Applied in a three-coat system and baked on at 800 degrees F, SilverStone has a smoother cooking surface than Teflon and is more resistant to scratching, peeling and chipping. Cookware with SilverStone can be used in ovens with temperatures up to 350 degrees F. The temperature limit is to protect the handles. It should not be used under a broiler.

Its care and use is the same as for Teflon II.

DISCLAIMER: Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and safety of the information in this document. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor Aubuchon Hardware can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

National Retail Hardware Association

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