Does Heating Up A PTFE Non-Stick Pan Create “Fumes”

equipmentnon-stick

Given the advances in technology regarding non-stick pans, do they still give off fumes if they are heated with nothing in them?

I never pre-heat my non-sticks with more than low to medium-low heat, and have never had any issues. I have read various answers to this question, so I will defer to the knowledge of this group.

Best Answer

PTFE (Also known by Dupont's trade name, teflon) can decompose. For this reason PTFE pans are not recommended for broiler use. Per the Dupont Key Safety Questions:

At high temperatures, the quality of the coating may begin to deteriorate — it may discolor or lose its nonstick quality. This can begin to occur at temperatures above 500°F (260°C). If heated to an extremely high temperature, the coating may begin to decompose and give off fumes. Fats, butter, or cooking oil will begin to scorch and smoke at about 400°F (204°C). DuPont nonstick coatings will not begin to significantly decompose until temperatures exceed about 660°F (349°C) — well above the smoke point for cooking oil, fats or butter. It is therefore unlikely that decomposition temperatures for nonstick cookware would be reached while cooking without burning food to an inedible state.

Note that even heating a pan completely empty on a high flame will take some time to achieve these temperatures, so if you exercise even a reasonable level of care, you are extremely unlikely to have this occur.

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