So What’s the Deal with Non-stick Baking Pans?
Why you might really need to go on a shopping-spree
Nonstick pans may be great, trust me, I’m a long-time baker who craves those perfectly sculpted sides of cakes and a hassle-free removal of muffins from the tin, but increasing evidence from research is showing that maybe we should ditch the non-stick pans for a safer alternative. Here are some of our favorite baking pans, what they’re best used for, and a few great tips and tricks to keep you and the kiddos safe when indulging in those late-night brownies. If you are looking for new bakeware, check out our roundup of some of our favorite baking essentials.
Why should you make the switch today?
Non-stick baking pans contain perfluorinated chemicals (PFAS) which although great at being nonstick, are not awesome for your body. We know these PFAS most famously as Teflon (maybe you remember your mom raving about these non-stick pans to make fried eggs in!). Despite PFAS being sprayed on a variety of different things, the main source of exposure is actually through ingestion of food, such as absorption of PFAS from cooking pans and baking pans (2). The gases released from Teflon can cause respiratory problems such as shortness of breath, chest pain and cough. The coating itself, once damaged can be easily mixed in with your food. Not good! Since this discovery, Teflon has been replaced with GenX, but increasing research is showing that it is highly likely that all chemicals in this class are no longer safe (3). The best thing you can do is to keep those non-stick pans out of the kitchen or avoid using them in a setting where food comes in direct contact with the non-stick pan.
A word about aluminum
Often, as a baker, the first thing that we reach for is the aluminum foil or pan. They’re so easy for pies, lining the edges of a baked good to prevent excess browning, the list goes on and on. However, research has shown that ingesting too much aluminum can lead to adverse health effects. (1) Luckily, aluminum pans, if lined with paper liners or unbleached parchment paper should be safe. The only thing you need to worry about is if you’re baking involved citric acid (a.k.a. anything with vitamin C). So, if you’re making a baked good that contains lemon or orange, stick to baking pans made of silicon or stainless steel.
Non-sticks may be hard to let go of (I feel your pain, fellow bakers), but these easy hacks will allow you to keep indulging in those late-night desserts for years to come!
References
1. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12302-017-0117-x
2. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-21872-9_2
3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-017-0095-y