Comments on: That Teflon causes cancer thing http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml You tell that other boy, not to touch the woodwork... Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:39:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7-hemorrhage hourly 1 By: tychay http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-420545 tychay Fri, 02 May 2008 01:08:26 +0000 http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-420545 May. I think enabled cast iron is safe to pretty high temperatures. That style is very popular for Dutch Ovens. In general cast iron, all that happens at high temperatures is you burn off the oil and need to reseason after using the pan. The only thing you get is iron which isn't bad for you (your body uses a little as minerals and passes the rest through). To reseason, just wash the pan, heat it at low temperture in the oven (to burn off the excess water), spray with oil, and heat it some more. Nearly every cast iron pan comes with instructions. May. I think enabled cast iron is safe to pretty high temperatures. That style is very popular for Dutch Ovens.

In general cast iron, all that happens at high temperatures is you burn off the oil and need to reseason after using the pan. The only thing you get is iron which isn’t bad for you (your body uses a little as minerals and passes the rest through). To reseason, just wash the pan, heat it at low temperture in the oven (to burn off the excess water), spray with oil, and heat it some more.

Nearly every cast iron pan comes with instructions.

]]> By: May http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-415568 May Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:42:22 +0000 http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-415568 Read this article with great interest. I think I have been converted to cast iron. It looks great and is cheaper anyway. Also, can't make char kway teow without the 'char'. What about enamelled cast iron. It says safe to about 180/200C i.e. low to medium heat. Is enamel safe at higher than reccommended temperatures? Read this article with great interest. I think I have been converted to cast iron. It looks great and is cheaper anyway. Also, can’t make char kway teow without the ‘char’. What about enamelled cast iron. It says safe to about 180/200C i.e. low to medium heat. Is enamel safe at higher than reccommended temperatures?

]]> By: Paula http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-23241 Paula Sat, 20 Jan 2007 06:06:23 +0000 http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-23241 Great blog post!! I get tired of so called experts telling us what is good for us and what isn't. I have a teflon coated pan and I love it so I am not about to stop using it because someone thinks its bad for me. If I did that I wouldn't be using my microwave, using a computer or eating chicken, ham, seafood, eggs or a thousand other food products that they have deemed dangerous for our health. Great blog post!! I get tired of so called experts telling us what is good for us and what isn’t. I have a teflon coated pan and I love it so I am not about to stop using it because someone thinks its bad for me. If I did that I wouldn’t be using my microwave, using a computer or eating chicken, ham, seafood, eggs or a thousand other food products that they have deemed dangerous for our health.

]]> By: David K http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-18231 David K Tue, 02 Jan 2007 06:39:32 +0000 http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-18231 Terry, I agree. My rule of thumb after all of those years in a wet chemistry lab and reading many material safety data sheets (MSDS) is that if it is reactive and useful in the lab, don't touch or drink it. It can cause cancer. Teflon is not one of those reactive substances. I still mourn the day they (USEPA) banned trichloroethane. Nasty carcinogen, but O! what a degreaser. Terry, I agree. My rule of thumb after all of those years in a wet chemistry lab and reading many material safety data sheets (MSDS) is that if it is reactive and useful in the lab, don’t touch or drink it. It can cause cancer. Teflon is not one of those reactive substances. I still mourn the day they (USEPA) banned trichloroethane. Nasty carcinogen, but O! what a degreaser.

]]> By: Jeremiah Owyang http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-16119 Jeremiah Owyang Fri, 29 Dec 2006 10:31:47 +0000 http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-16119 There was a similar scare about electric blankets causing breast cancer a few years ago...the results inconclusive. I suspect that over our lifetime we'll figure out that many many things 'cause' cancer. Let us know when we've some scientific proof, interesting. There was a similar scare about electric blankets causing breast cancer a few years ago…the results inconclusive.

I suspect that over our lifetime we’ll figure out that many many things ’cause’ cancer.

Let us know when we’ve some scientific proof, interesting.

]]> By: tychay http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-15912 tychay Wed, 27 Dec 2006 23:51:48 +0000 http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-15912 @Stuart: It’s neither off-topic nor boring. :-) The new Lodge Logic pans are the same as the old ones only pre-seasoned so you can use them right after purchasing them. The Logic Pro pans just have a slicker design. The price is still great however. Lodge also sells enameled cast iron pots, but the prices are exhorbitant. @Stuart: It’s neither off-topic nor boring. :-)

The new Lodge Logic pans are the same as the old ones only pre-seasoned so you can use them right after purchasing them. The Logic Pro pans just have a slicker design. The price is still great however.

Lodge also sells enameled cast iron pots, but the prices are exhorbitant.

]]> By: Stuart Liroff http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-15857 Stuart Liroff Wed, 27 Dec 2006 16:07:42 +0000 http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-15857 Hope this isn't off topic or too boring, but I've been using Lodge pans for about the last 25 years without a problem. And compared to the prices I've seen for some of these other products.....well, you be the judge. Stuart Hope this isn’t off topic or too boring, but I’ve been using Lodge pans for about the last 25 years without a problem. And compared to the prices I’ve seen for some of these other products…..well, you be the judge.
Stuart

]]> By: terry chay http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-15711 terry chay Tue, 26 Dec 2006 18:55:59 +0000 http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-15711 George, Great points! All-Clad pans are well-made—certainly a lot better than the Circulon, T-Fal, etc. that I mention. Also, if you can get them on a “Try-Me” deal the price is hard to beat. Heck, Costco probably sells a <i>n</i>-piece set set if you’re into building a kitchen that way. But if I am going to Sur La Table or the department store to just pick a specific one up—for the same price I can get the same pot or pan from Sitram Catering, Deymeyere Apollo, etc. for a small amount more I can buy stainless-lined all-copper cookware; if it’s nonstick then I can get a Scanpan, Swiss Diamond or a Sitram Cybernox. I should have mentioned the Shimano approach to non-stick: buy a cheap Teflon pan for two years. As you point out, I can just find what’s on sale and I’d be stocked for four years for $20. At that price, a lot of the pans will have very thin bottoms and be prone to warping. I’d probably budget $40 for two pans and look for the cheapest deal with a huge disc bottom. George,

Great points!

All-Clad pans are well-made—certainly a lot better than the Circulon, T-Fal, etc. that I mention. Also, if you can get them on a “Try-Me” deal the price is hard to beat. Heck, Costco probably sells a n-piece set set if you’re into building a kitchen that way.

But if I am going to Sur La Table or the department store to just pick a specific one up—for the same price I can get the same pot or pan from Sitram Catering, Deymeyere Apollo, etc. for a small amount more I can buy stainless-lined all-copper cookware; if it’s nonstick then I can get a Scanpan, Swiss Diamond or a Sitram Cybernox.

I should have mentioned the Shimano approach to non-stick: buy a cheap Teflon pan for two years. As you point out, I can just find what’s on sale and I’d be stocked for four years for $20. At that price, a lot of the pans will have very thin bottoms and be prone to warping. I’d probably budget $40 for two pans and look for the cheapest deal with a huge disc bottom.

]]> By: George S. http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-15679 George S. Tue, 26 Dec 2006 15:47:56 +0000 http://terrychay.com/blog/article/that-teflon-causes-cancer-thing.shtml#comment-15679 I have All-Clad pans (call me a joiner, but they're also almost 10 years old). For non-stick though, I buy the cheapest (or next to cheapest) non-stick general utility/multipurpose wok/frypan at my local asian grocer. The thing costs me about $7, and I use it hard till it dies (I try not to accelerate this by mainly using wood/nylon/silicon tools). The average lifespan seems to be about 1-2 years of hard daily usage. At the price point in question the value can't be beat. When I scratch it enough that it stops being non-stick (or if I scorch the pan like the bird-owning engine-eer -- which I did do once), I toss it andbuy another. I can keep two or three on the rack for under $20 and never be short a pan. P.S. Who the fuck owns exotic birds anyway? A Grey Parrot lives 50-75 years. What happens when you get old or sick. Those animals belong in the wild (or a preserve/zoo), not in private hands to be inherited by your children or grandchildren when you croak. I have All-Clad pans (call me a joiner, but they’re also almost 10 years old). For non-stick though, I buy the cheapest (or next to cheapest) non-stick general utility/multipurpose wok/frypan at my local asian grocer. The thing costs me about $7, and I use it hard till it dies (I try not to accelerate this by mainly using wood/nylon/silicon tools). The average lifespan seems to be about 1-2 years of hard daily usage. At the price point in question the value can’t be beat. When I scratch it enough that it stops being non-stick (or if I scorch the pan like the bird-owning engine-eer — which I did do once), I toss it andbuy another. I can keep two or three on the rack for under $20 and never be short a pan.

P.S. Who the fuck owns exotic birds anyway? A Grey Parrot lives 50-75 years. What happens when you get old or sick. Those animals belong in the wild (or a preserve/zoo), not in private hands to be inherited by your children or grandchildren when you croak.

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