Choosing Between Nonstick and Stainless Steel Cookware

When shopping for cookware, people often wonder if they should opt for nonstick cookware or regular uncoated stainless steel. There's much to consider when selecting new pots and pans (even eco-friendly cookware is an option), so it's a good idea to understand the pros and cons to both varieties. It's mostly a matter of personal preference—keep the foods you frequently cook in mind so you can select the best pans for the job.

Using nonstick cookware will not expose you to PFOA, as the chemical is only in evidence in the manufacturing process and does not end up in the finished press non stick cookware. Exposing nonstick pans to very high temperatures will, however, release other potentially toxic chemicals into the air, so if you use nonstick pans, take precautions:

What Should I Get?

Buy one or two nonstick skillets for cooking eggs, pancakes, and other foods that are known to stick to a pan, but invest in high-quality uncoated stainless steel for the rest of your cookware, such as fry pan, and look at eco-friendly cookware selections too. For instance, there’s no need for a nonstick coating in saucepans or pots, where the contents are mostly liquid.

Spending each morning at the kitchen sink scraping at the charred remains of breakfast gets tedious after a while. Forged Non-stick cookware may seem like an appealing alternative — but is it safe?

Usually when people inquire about the safety of their non-stick cookware set, they're talking about the brand Teflon, said Suzanne Fenton, a reproductive endocrinologist at the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences in North Carolina. Also known as polytertrafluoroethylene (PTFE), this clear plastic is used to coat metal pots and pans, giving them a waxy, easy-to-clean surface — and for decades, scientists have debated whether it's safe for cooking.