If I asked you what a normal cooking temperature was, could you tell me within ten degrees of accuracy; what about fifty degrees of accuracy?

I am certainly not the best chef. I confess I have no idea what the exact temperature of a frying pan is when I put it on medium, or medium-high, high, etc..

Now consider the latest news from the Environmental Working Group on Teflon:

For the past fifty years DuPont has claimed that their Teflon coatings do not emit hazardous chemicals through normal use. In a recent press release, DuPont wrote that “significant decomposition of the coating will occur only when temperatures exceed about 660 degrees F (340 degrees C). These temperatures alone are well above the normal cooking range.”

I see. So the normal cooking range is below 660 degrees F. The only problem with DuPont’s reasoning is that most people probably do not know this and regularly cook above the level that they consider “normal”. Safety suddenly comes into play, and yet I would bet not a single DuPont teflon user has any idea of the risks:

In new tests conducted by a university food safety professor, a generic non-stick frying pan preheated on a conventional, electric stovetop burner reached 736°F in three minutes and 20 seconds, with temperatures still rising when the tests were terminated. A Teflon pan reached 721°F in just five minutes under the same test conditions (See Figure 1), as measured by a commercially available infrared thermometer. DuPont studies show that the Teflon offgases toxic particulates at 446°F. At 680°F Teflon pans release at least six toxic gases, including two carcinogens, two global pollutants, and MFA, a chemical lethal to humans at low doses. At temperatures that DuPont scientists claim are reached on stovetop drip pans (1000°F), non-stick coatings break down to a chemical warfare agent known as PFIB, and a chemical analog of the WWII nerve gas phosgene.

Personally, I have never liked teflon because I felt the risks were not clearly discussed or identified and so I have only bought stainless steel cookware. Come to think of it, I have not owned teflon for over fifteen years. When I first started looking for safety data and could not find anything conclusive, I steered clear. I also never understood the idea that it could peel off if you touched it with metal, like a normal fork or spoon. What kind of “hard” surface requires you to replace all your cutlery?

This general unease now turns out to be well founded.

Unless you can monitor your temperatures and/or install controls to keep teflon below 660 degrees F, there are some serious health risks to consider. I guess I will stick to stainless steel for now (pun intended).