How do I take teflon off iron cookware ?

K

Kevin the grey

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Aug 26, 2005
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In case you haven,t seen the latest yuppie trend/fad/waste of time/L:O:L it is coating cooksurfaces of iron pans with teflon . All the convenience of teflon and the wondrous attributes of ironware cooking all rolled into one !

I,m not a big fan of teflon and its been scratched so badly by said yuppies that it is more of an encumbrance than anything else . How do I get the stuff off and am I likely to find a good cooking surface underneath . Aside from the teflon this is a quality heavy duty pan . I would presume that to have a smooth surface of teflon you would want a good smooth surface underneath ?
 
Well, a metal spatula takes it right off, maybe steel wool? Are you concerned about the metal below the teflon?
 
I believe teflon-coated pans are first sandblasted, then given a coat of primer. The teflon is embedded in the primer.

Try giving the pan a fine sandblasting to remove the coating, then finish it with a steel wool.

TheSurvivalist
 
Buy a pan that does not have Teflon on it! Give the yuppy one away.
 
Better yet, search flea markets and yard sales for good old-fashioned ironware. Even if it's rusted to hell you can clean them up to practically new and they were made better back then. The best of the new stuff is Lodge brand but make sure you get the ground pots and pans, the rough ones are hell to season. A well seasoned cast iron pan is 1000 times better than any teflon pan I own. My old frying pan was passed down through my family and is so smooth and seasoned you can flip eggs in it.
 
The reason I am asking how to save this pan is so I can use the money I save on better things . To me part of survival is learning to use resources . I,m not trying to be cheap though I,m not rich . This is a good pan which will just get tossed in the trash if I don,t fix it .I,ll proabably go the steel wool route as I have a bunch of it already .
 
If it is really cast iron, I've read suggestions of burning the teflon off using high heat (480-550 F). Maybe set your self-cleaning oven to clean with the cast iron inside.

The fumes might be bad for you or any pets - especially birds, so I'd vacate the house for a while during the cooking and ventilate it well.

From what I can figure, the typical self-cleaning oven gets up to 1000 F, but the melting temperature of cast iron is a bit over 2000 F, so I would think you'd be safe.
 
I don't think you've got teflon. They've been pre-seasoning cast iron at the factory now. So it looks dark and feels slick, but that's just the seasoning, not teflon.

At least I've never seen or heard of a teflon cast iron pan until now.

Phil
 
phatch , believe it or not they are doing it ! I have seen the pre-seasoned stuff and this is not it . A few of the trendier companies are doing it . They even have cast aluminum that they are passing off as the new
"light ironware" All the usefullness of ironware with half the weight !
What will they stink up next ? L:O:L
 
You don't need to burn the coating off for the fumes to be a problem, it starts outgassing at 446 F, some foods like bacon are commonly cooked higher if people like them crisp, not to mention of course any accident such as a boil off which will rapidly overheat the pan to ~800 F in just minutes. Some of the newer pans have warnings never to use them on high. It comes off very easy with an abrasive, just remember you don't want to ingest the stuff.

-Cliff
 
I tossed all the teflon in my kitchen years ago. I have replaced it with cast iron, old and new. The aluminum went out the door too, even the camping gear. Elevated aluminum levels in your food are not good for you. Iron in your diet is. Most of my campware is steel, maybe titanium is lighter/better, but I don't use it enough for that investment.
 
the teflon in cookware is actually inert, and passes right through you. the aluminum scare came when several studies tried to link high levels of aluminum with alzheimer's, which was never done successfully.

on the other hand, high levels of iron for men or post-menopausal women are a concern as well. the only way the body rids itself of excess iron is through bleeding, and high levels can be toxic. that being said- i am a fan of cast iron cookware.
 
I think we have to take the warnings about aluminum seriously without being alarmist . When people say that it has not been proven that it can lead to memory problems does not mean that there is no evidence of it . No matter what aluminum can add a crappy taste to food . The same goes for teflon . It is not just its toxicity . When they first came out manufactureers warned us to throw it away immediately if it became scratched . If you ingest teflon flakes they can cause you intestinal problems . If the manufacturer warns you it is not a JOKE . tHEY DON,T WANT TO TELL YOU ANYTHING THAT MAY CUT INTO PROFITS . If they do tell you there is a darn good reason . I do not know how much iron is ingested from properly seasoned cookware ? Excessive doses of just about anything can be no good for you . I personally don,t think there is any safe level of aluminum . There are so many things that can harm us . Even smoke from a campfire can be harmful . As the saying goes moderation is the key to a long life .
 
k-the grey
i agree that moderation is key. and i agree that we should heed warnings of potentially harmful products. my professional cookware is hard annodized aluminum with a "very" durable coating. it's actually one of the best i've seen. i have hard annodized camp cookware as well. i feel that these are safe to use, just as stainless steel and cast iron. aluminum is a trace mineral found in some foods naturally. it is also found in most antacids and deoderants. i feel the the former two products pose a much greater risk in ragards to aluminum based health conerns than a decent hard annodized sauce pan would.

i'm just as frugal as the next guy, but as far as your cast iron pan, i would toss it. i wouldn't feel comfortable in removing the teflon coating as there is no way to know how it was applied and if the bare surface underneath was affected. cast iron can be found pretty cheaply and you would have the peace of mind knowing it is "clean"
 
I am starting to agree with you st to the advisabvility of removing the teflon . I do not like to see waste and if it means adding to landfill and purchasing a new one which doubles the loss of resources , it is not a good thing .
I do not agree however with your theory as to the safety of aluminum . As far as I know aluminum does not exist in nature therefor trace amounts of it in our foods do not occur naturally . Perhaps we could consider these traces a by product of the age in which we live . Just because a product is common does not make it safe . Yes aluminum is found in some anti-perspirrants and antacids . I use neither of those for that very reason .
There are benefits to some of these wonder coatings that we put on our cookware . There are drawbacks to iron cookware . I know a guy who literally was so rough with his teflon pans that he wore it down to bare aluminum on the bottom . You know what ? He says he is fine and he proabably is , for now . It also may take a few years off his life . The issue here is people never see the bad effects of something right away so they say there are no bad effects .You don,t lose those years now you lose them when it is too late to get them back . You can,t turn around when you are sixty five and say "shucks I wish I hadn,t done that "
 
Although it is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust (about 8% by weight), aluminum does not occur uncombined but is an important constituent of many minerals, including clay
Click to expand...

that was taken from encyclopedia.com

i agree with much of what you point out. and i don't like to create excessive waste either. maybe you could find another use for your pan, such as welding it to a pedestal and making a bird bath. :)
 
Thats a nice idea about the bird bath . Unfortunately in my neck of the woods I would just be creating a giant cat feeder . L:O:L

Now thats a funny thing about aluminum being a natural metal . I can remember a story of a queen being made a set of cutlery out of aluminum and at the time it cost more than gold because it was so rare .No matter what I will tend to stay away from it . There are enough alternatives .
 
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