Are Scratched Nonstick Pans Safe To Use? - Tasting Table

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Are Scratched Nonstick Pans Safe To Use? By Molly Harris Updated: June 23, 2022 1:08 pm EST Sukij Pompetch/Shutterstock

Nonstick pans have a lot of appeal to many home cooks. They essentially guarantee that the food won't cook onto the pan and make the clean-up process all the more difficult and time-consuming. But unfortunately, nonstick pans are not necessarily the most durable or tough pans you will ever use in the kitchen. In fact, they can be unsafe to use under certain circumstances.

According to Reader's Digest, certain nonstick pans that have been scratched have been compromised and are no longer safe to use. The good news is this really only applies to Teflon pans that were made prior to 2013 and contained Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which had chemicals known to cause cancer. If your older pans have noticeable or significant scratches from using metal utensils, you definitely want to toss them. But Teflon no longer features that chemical, so you can safely replace them without having to worry.

You might be able to repair your scratched nonstick pans

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If you have newer nonstick pans, you can still use them after they have been scratched. But if the manufacture date for your nonstick pans does fall after 2013, you might want to take the chance on trying to repair them yourself at home, especially if the scratches are minimal. According to Best Nonstick Pan, this is totally possible and even a rather easy and simple task to do yourself.

To repair scratches in the nonstick coating of a pan, you should start by gently but thoroughly cleaning the pan. Next, apply several spray-on layers of nonstick spray that can be purchased online, according to Best Nonstick Pan. Finally, as long as it is oven-safe, bake the pan at 500 degrees Fahrenheit to seal the spray for 40 to 45 minutes. After that, you should have a safe pan with scratches that have been resealed.

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