Are Ceramic Pans Toxic?

There are so many cooking articles stating that certain non-stick coatings are toxic and that you should avoid them at all costs.

If you were to believe all of these cooking articles, you would be hard-pressed to find a pan that is healthy to cook with!

But what about ceramic? Many home cooks have made the switch to ceramic because cooking companies have told them that this non-stick coating is perfectly safe.

So, is it? Are ceramic pans toxic or safe? Today, we’re going to find out.

 

What Are Ceramic Pans Made From?

Ceramic pans are generally made from a base metal that is then coated with a ceramic coating to provide a non-stick coating.

This base metal can be anything, but most manufacturers go with aluminium because it is lightweight and has brilliant heat distribution and retention qualities.

For example, Pro Cook uses aluminium for most of its pots and pans, including its titanium-reinforced ceramic range.

The ceramic coating itself is a natural, silicone-based coating. If you take a look at the surface of your ceramic pans under a microscope, you will see that the surface is actually quite rough. This means that the food doesn’t contact the entire surface, and this helps it to slide off.

As ceramic is a silicone-based coating, it is also inert, much like glass. So, no food that comes in contact with the coating will cause a chemical reaction to occur that breaks the coating down.

Of course, as ceramic is silicone-based, it can be fragile, which is why many brands reinforce it with something like the titanium we mentioned above.

 

Are Ceramic Pans Toxic?

There isn’t as much research on the safety of ceramic pans as there is on other cooking materials, so there may be some dangers that haven’t been identified yet.

The safety of a ceramic pan largely depends on what materials are used to make the ceramic coating. Look for PTFE and PFOA free pans to be on the safe side.

Ceramic cookware is generally considered safe and is thought to be safer at high temperatures than Teflon non-stick pans.

Ceramic pots and mugs can present dangers of heavy metals have been used in the glaze. A case of this is reported in this study on ceramic cookware. This study looks at pots and mugs rather than pans, so the findings don’t suggest any danger from using ceramic pans.