Is ceramic coated cookware safe?(Advertising vs Reality)

Several decades after ceramic coated non-stick pans come out on the market, as a safe replacement to Teflon, they become widely used all over the world. Many of us have experience with this kind of cookware. However, one question stays the same since ceramic coated cookware has appeared on the market:

Is ceramic coated cookware safe to use?

Ceramic coated cookware is considered a safer non-stick alternative to Teflon. However, it also triggers some health concerns. Ceramic coating can be damaged easily which can bring the metal in direct contact with food. In the case of some metal alloys, this can be potentially harmful to health.

This is just a short answer. However, things like metal leaching depend on how damaged is your cookware, or from which methal alloy it is made.

So, to find answers to those and different other questions, look further at the text.  It will bring all of the necessary information in one place.

Additionally, if you are interested in safe non-stick alternatives, try up the cookware materials recommendation quiz or find some helpful directions for your research on the Safetouseit recommendations page.

The quiz algorithm will provide you with the personalized recommendation for safe cookware material that suits your cooking style. Finally, on the recommendation page, you will find the Safetouseit.com database of cookware brands that hold recognized safety certificates and safety testing proofs.

Pro tip: As you dive into the safety of various cookware materials, considering the healthy cutlery you can couple with your cookware can be a good choice. Among the others, Amazon’s selection of wooden spatulas may provide some interesting options to look at.

1. What is ceramic coated cookware?

Ceramic-coated cookware is usually marked just as “ceramic” or “non-stick ceramic cookware”. This has led to the common misconception that it is actually made from ceramics.

Nevertheless, ceramic coated vessels are made from an aluminum or stainless steel metal base covered with a specific coating.

But what is a ceramic coating, is it somehow related to ceramic?

The short answer is No. ,,Ceramic” coating is actually made from multiple layers of silica(Silicium-dioxide) through gel-sol spin coating technology.

This technique applies silica gel solution to a metal base in a very thin layer. This is followed by drying the cookware in special conditions, through which the high-density silica coating is formed.

Usually, manufacturers apply two to three layers of coating. This gives the cookware a better resistance to scratches and high temperatures.

However, this material is not related to real ceramic which is produced from clay. The label ceramic is used to attract customers. 

Preparing the food in cooking vessels from bare ceramics(pottery) is a traditional well-known way of food preparation. This kind of old-style food preparation brings different benefits. However ceramic coated cookware won’t provide you that.

If you are deeper interested in pure ceramic cookware and its benefits I have written this post about it. There you will be able to find more about pure ceramic cookware benefits, comparison with other cookware types, and some great tips on how to use it and enjoy its advantages.

2. How safe is ceramic coated cookware?

There are several factors that play a role. Silica, which is used for non-stick coating is often used for manufacturing different other food-grade items. The list goes on from silicone utensils to glass bakeware.

Up to now, there is no scientific evidence that shows the negative health effects of silica.(1.1). It is important to say that there are no studies that investigate the toxicity of food-grade silicone. So, additional experiments should be performed to prove this.

However, some of the studies investigate the use of silicone for making medical equipment and they haven’t found any negative effects of this material when it is in contact with the human body(1.2).

Even silica coating is not the major concern, there are some other factors that can play the role in the safety of ceramic coated cookware.

Metal leaking 

Usually, I heard one frequent claim related to non-stick cookware safety:
,, By scratching your non-stick pan you are exposing yourself to metal leakng from the metal base!”

But, is this claim really true based on scientific knowledge and experiments that have been reported?

The answer is Yes, leaking of metals starts to occur when you scratch your non-stick cookware. The real question Is, how significant is that metal leaking in the context of negative health effects?

Aluminum leaking

The metal base of non-stick cookware is in most cases made from aluminum alloys. 

Aluminum exposure provenly shows cancerogenic and neuro-degenerative. Furthermore, increasing Al levels in the body of a pregnant woman can trigger problems with the fetus’s development. (1, 2, 3)

Because of that, regulations have been made to prevent the exposure of Al in the population. European Food Safty Authority(EFSA) reported the limit of 1mg/kg of body weight/week of aluminum as a recommended limitation. All of the conclusions regarding the aluminum toxicity and setting the intake limits have been published in the EFSA report form 2008 (5.) 

But can Al leaking from ceramic coated cookware contribute to overcoming these limits?

Aluminum- the exposure from different sources

The everyday aluminum intake comes from many sources including raw food, aluminum-based food additives, and medicaments. So the amount from cooking vessels and food packaging are just additional quantities that add up on this already fulfilled list.

According to the EFSA report(5.) , the amount of Al obtained from cooking vessels and food storage items can significantly increase the total uptake of Al.  In the mentioned report EFSA stated:

“Under normal and typical conditions the contribution of migration from food contact materials would represent only a small fraction of the total dietary exposure. However, the Panel noted that in the presence of acids and salts, the use of aluminum-based pans, bowls, and foils for foods such as apple puree, rhubarb, tomato puree, or salted herring could result in increased aluminum concentrations in such foods. Also, the use of aluminum vessels and trays for convenience and fast food might moderately increase the aluminum concentrations, especially in foods that contain tomato, different types of pickles, and vinegar.”

Other studies have shown that acidic food like tomato sauce, apple puree, and rhubarb can contribute with 50-100 mg/kg-food of Aluminium. That is an amount worth considering if we know that TWI(total weekly intake) is set at 75mg for the average person that weighs around 75kg. (5, 6).

Aluminum leaking from scratched ceramic coated cookware

Studies that investigate the aluminum leaking from cookware have been done on bare aluminum vessels. However, there is no scientific paper that investigates the Al leaking amount from damaged(scratched) non-stick pans.

Bare metal cooking vessels have a much greater contact surface between aluminum and food than non-stick pans with several scratches. That surface is at least several hundred times greater than the metal surface of scratched ceramic coated cookware.

We could make a common-sense approximation that the amount of metal leaking from utensils is proportional to the contact surface of food and metal. 

If bare aluminum vessel leach 50-100mg of Al per kg of food, then scratched ceramic coated cookware leach several hundred times smaller amounts of Al. That quantity is far from significant.

I need to say that this approximation is based on common sense and it is not approved by experimental data. 

So can small scratches on non-stick pan contribute significantly to daily Aluminium intake?

The answer is probably no, even if there are no studies conducted on that topic. Several scratches shouldn’t be a problem, but they are a good indicator that your cooking vessel’s non-stick surface is progressively going to decline. However, this is not the end of the story.

Lead containing metal alloys used for Ceramic coated cookware

Aluminum non-stick cookware base is not created from pure aluminum, instead, aluminum alloys are used. These alloys can contain different elements including heavy metals.

Maximally allowed exposure limits for heavy metals are several thousand times less than in the case of aluminum! For instance lead, exposure should be limited to 0.5 micrograms a day(6.2). To have a better picture it is enough to imagine that this is amount 2 million times smaller than 1 gram.

So, when it comes to such small quantities, even contact between the food and metal base through scratches can be significant.

The food-grade aluminum needs to be tested for heavy metals and their limits are strictly controlled.

 The main point is that the non-stick surface of ceramic cookware is designed to be in contact with food, not the metal base. Because of that metal body of cooking vessels doesn’t necessarily need t to be produced from food-grade metal. So, they possibly can contain amounts of Chevy metals that can negatively affect health.

Food-grade Vs Non-food grade aluminum alloys

Generally, there are several common food-grade aluminum alloys widely used in cooking vessel manufacturing. The examples are alloys under numbers 1100, 3004, 3005.

However, as it is stated, it is not excluded that non-food-grade metal materials can be used for ceramic coated cookware metal base. Some aluminum alloys can contain lead or bismuth. Low-quality non-stick cooking vessels can be contaminated with those elements.

On the EU level, Food grade aluminum is regulated by the general provisions under Regulation (EC)1935/2004 (Framework Regulation on materials and articles in contact with foods (EC, 2004)).

This regulation strictly limits the amount of hazardous substances in aluminum alloys. Each limit is set on a level that is proven to be non-dangerous to human health.

However, non-food-grade materials don’t have to follow these regulations. So, the same is true for metal materials used for non-stick pans bodies.

Some aluminum alloys contain lead because it improves alloy machinability. According to the US, law aluminum can contain up to 0.5 percent of lead(6.3). In this document, you can find international alloy designations and chemical composition limits for aluminum alloys.

So it could be expected that this heavy metal is present in some alloys used in cookware manufacturing. (Especially in developing countries) 

One of the recent studies that tested heavy metal content in 43 metal cookware products from more than 10 countries found a huge amount of these elements in the majority of the samples(6.1)

In a conclusion, it will be better to recycle your ceramic coated cookware if it is damaged. Under damaged, I consider cookware with scratches that reveal the metal body. Scratches that don’t touch the metal don’t need to be considered a problem.

3. Is ceramic coating safer than Teflon? What are the main differences?

First to say several words about Teflon. You have probably heard a lot about it, but I just want to take a brief introduction and mention some important points.

Teflon is a generic name for the chemical called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Teflon and its modifications are used in producing almost 60% non-stick cookware today. Maybe you are wondering why there are so many cookware manufacturers that are using Teflon?

There are two main factors. First Non-stick abilities along with easy cleaning and second relatively low price.

Non-stick pans made from this material gained popularity in the 50s and 60s. Teflon was the payoneer in non-stick cookware technology.

Teflon safety concerns

Several decades after Teflon cookware was launched, studies prove that PTFE releases toxic bi-products under certain conditions (e.g. high temperatures). Furthermore, it was concluded that some chemicals used in the Teflon manufacturing process can significantly affect health.

One of the recognized substances was Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which was used for sticking the non-stick coating to the cookware metal surface.

This chemical caused a media scandal around Teflon cookware. Studies and experts have agreed that PFOA causes strong endocrine disruption and cancerogenic effects.

The moment of revealing the negative health effects of PFOA in Teflon cookware was one of the first big triggers that pushed the general public to start thinking about safe alternatives (find more about non-stick cookware alternatives here). Today, fortunately, the awareness about this topic is constantly rising.

Even PFOA is washed out after using during the manufacturing process certain quantities state in the final product.

Since 2013, PFOA has been removed from the Teflon manufacturing processes in the US. The main trigger for that was the publishing of the PFOA Stewardship Program by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the aim to reduce POFA utilization (7.)

Modern Teflon-based non-stick pans don’t contain POFA. However, other similar substances are in use.

In the modern world chemicals from the PFAS group(poly-fluoroalkyl substances) have replaced PFOA. The two most well-known ones are GenX and PFBS.

 Studies have proven that these chemicals cause similar health effects as already banned PFOA. Here you can find the EPA summary on that topic.

Apart from GenX and PFBS different other PFAS are in use.  However, not many of them are still tested for impact on health. Here you can find the Environmental Protection Agency conclusion about PFAS and their use(8. ). 

So, this triggers one important health concern with Teflon cookware. Compared to this manufacturing of ceramic coated vessels doesn’t require PFAS, which is a big advantage.

Teflon(PTFE) degradation on high temperatures

It is well known that PTFE decomposes at temperatures higher than 570F(300C). According to some studies, this can happen even around 200C. Unfortunately, different cooking techniques like searing, sauntering, and stir fry use high temperatures like this. These techniques should be widely avoided with Teflon vessel.

You can find details about this in my post about granite cookware, which is also frequently made from Teflon mixed with pigments. 

However, I will point out some important information.

During the high heat degradation, toxic chemicals start to evaporate from Teflon cookware in the air. As a consequence of this, symptoms like head ake, fever, and body aches can occur. This group of symptoms is commonly known under the name Teflon fly(Polimer Fly)

Comparing to the Teflon Ceramic cookware would not expose you to the same problems. So, in terms of this, it is a much safer option.

Unlike the Teflon cooking vessels, ceramic coated cookware can save you from some of the mentioned health risks. That why it gained popularity during the last several decades when people become aware of the mentioned Teflon downsides.

Nevertheless, there are a few additional things to consider when comparing ceramic non-stick cooking vessels with Teflon.

Durability

When it comes to durability, again, one’s states that Teflon non-stick cookware lasts longer than ceramic ones. However, it all depends on the quality of the cookware and the adequate cleaning. 

Both high-quality Teflon and ceramic cookware can last for up to several years if you properly maintain them. On the other hand, if you don’t you are don’t aware of several basic roles when it came to utilizing non-stick pans, you will be able to ruin your cookware after several times of use.

Here you can find the post where I summarized some practical experiences on how long does ceramic cookware lasts on average.

Finally, in both cases, it will be clever to avoid using cookware with the damaged surfaces because of metal leaking. (detail explained earlier in the post)

Stickness

Both ceramic coated cookware and Teflon are great non-stick materials. My experience reveals that they both possess great non-stickiness. To keep the non-stickiness longer it is crucial to maintain them properly, so you can check some extra tips on this topic within this post.

Maintenance

Each of the cookware types requires careful maintenance.

Even some manufacturers state that they’re ceramic coated or Teflon pan is dishwater safe I personally think it is much better to wash it by hand. The non-stick surface can be easily damaged by other than move around during the washing process

Intensive temperature shock in combination with water jets and abrasive detergents can make damage. This is especially true for ceramic coated cookware.

Some extra thing to mention

One great thing about ceramic coated frying pans is that the quality ones can be made from a thicker metal.  This sometimes includes a 10mm bottom made in several layers of metal.

With Teflon frying pans you could rarely find this. 

These several layers of metal usually include the aluminum or copper sheets bonded between the stainless steel. This material design is also known as cladding and it allows great heat conductivity together with high wrapping resistance.

Finally, ceramic coated cookware is usually white so it is easy to notice any scratch on the cookware surface which is not the case with the Teflon.

4. How to maintain ceramic non-stick pans in order to keep them healthy and last longer?

 
All you need to know is a few basic roles. If you follow them, you will be able to successfully maintain your ceramic coated cookware as long as cookware quality allows that.

4.1. Ceramic nostick cookware maintenance five simples roles

1. Don’t use metal or ceramic utensils. Instead, try silicone or wooden ones. Some guidelines also purpose plastic and nylon utensil but I personally avoid plastics because it is susceptible on high temperatures.

2. Don’t use high heating when cooking, try instead low or medium setting.

*But what is medium or low heat?

It all depends on the amount of dish you have in the utensil, the type of cooktop you have, and many other factors.

If you are preparing a dish that contains a lot of water, don’t worry, your cookware temperature won’t go far above the water boiling point. These temperatures don’t affect ceramic coated utensils negatively.

On the other hand, when fry, you should be careful. Use as low a temperature as it is possible.

Avoid cooking techniques like searing, sauntering, and stir fry. They usually require preheating the cookware applying very high temperatures(above 200C).

For the use of ceramic coated cookware in the oven consider the manufacturer’s recommendations. Some propose using temperatures up to 175C  for ceramic coated cookware, but this can slightly differ.

3. Try not to expose your cookware to temperature shocks. Let your cookware cool down before you wash it. 

Also, avoid taking a cold utensil into the pre-heated oven. Thermal shocks lead to rapid expansion and shrinking of the metal base, which can break the coating.

4. Try to avoid oils in the spray. They can directly contribute to losing your cookware’s non-stick properties. Oil sprays contain Propellants, which are chemicals used to create pressure in a spray bottle. They can react with utensil surface on a molecular level, and cause loss of non-stickiness. 

5. After your finish your cooking doesn’t leave the food in ceramic-coated cookware. Even the non-stick surface is relatively inert, you will prolonge its durability by avoiding this.

4.2. Extra tips for maintaining your ceramic coated non-stick pans

If you consider those five basic rules you will mainly avoid scratching, glaze damaging, and staining your ceramic cookware. Furthermore, your cookware will stay safe for cooking and you will enjoy healthier dishes.

Along with these basic rules, I will share with you several extra tips on how to maintain your ceramic cookware successfully.

 After you buy it

When you get your new utensil, clean it with some mild washing liquid, warm water, and a soft sponge. Avoid using the abrasive side of the sponge because it can damage the surface.

Some residues can stay on the cookware surface after the packaging process or transportation. So it’s important to clean it deeply.

 Seasoning/ Oiling

After the first wash, it is a perfect time for seasoning your cookware.

People usually buy non-stick vessels in order to avoid the extra use of oil. However, adding a little amount of oil will make your ceramic coated utensils last much longer.

By applying a small amount of oil you won’t affect the calorie score of your meals that much. Nevertheless, you will prolong the cookware lifespan significantly. That is something that I could confirm from the first hand.

Regular cleaning

After cooking wash your ceramic coated cooking vessels on regular basis. Take a few minutes after it gets cool and apply warm water, some mild soap, and a soft sponge.

If you don’t apply oil, you can clean your cookware in the mentioned way, just without using any soap.

Finally, many manufacturers mark their pans as dishwater safe but I highly recommend washing them by hand. Mowing things around in the dishwasher can accidentally scratch your ceramic cookware. 

Deep cleaning

Every 3-4 months I apply deep cleaning to my ceramic coated cookware(At least I was doing it when I was using it frequently in the past.. )

Usually, after this period of time, ceramic cookware starts to lose its perfect non-stick capabilities. Nevertheless, If you wash it deeply every several months it will be like new. 

It only takes 10-15min and it will keep your ceramic coated cookwares away from sticking.

For the purpose of deep cleaning, I use baking soda paste. Soda is a powerfully cleaning agent, and it doesn’t damage ceramic coating like some aggressive detergents.

Ceramic coated cookware deep cleaning- you need to do:

1. mix 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda with a little water. Make a dense cleaning pasta. Instead of water you can also use vinegar, it will make your paste even better more effective.

2. To apply the baking soda paste use piece of paper towel, cotton cloth, or something similar and perform circle pattern moves. 

3. Wash it with warm water several times and dry it with a paper towel.

In the video, you can see the same method applied to stainless steel. I found it works perfectly with my ceramic coated cookware also. Just try to be gentle and not to push too much!

This approach should be enough. However, If you feel that your cookware still doesn’t have full non-stick potential after this cleaning,  you can try this final approach.

1. Mix up baking soda with water to form a thick liquid. Fill the pan with this liquid. You will need enough mixture to cover the surface with one or two centimeters of fluid.

2. Place a pan on the cooktop over low heat.

3. Allow it to simmer for 4-5 minutes. During that time you will see particles coming loose from the pan surface.

4. Rinse it and wash it with a little of mild soap

5. Oil up the cookware before use!

5. When is the time to change your ceramic coated cookware?

Within this heading, I will address some frequently asked questions and make a breath summary of some information presented earlier.

Let’s start with one common question.

What if I see only a little scratch on my non-stick ceramic pan, is it still safe to use it?

This is one of the frequent questions I was able to find on forums.

The answer is Yes, it is safe to use it as long scratches don’t reveal a metal base. Nevertheless, those small scratches are a potential sign that your frying pan coating will progressively degrade.

A ceramic coated cookware body is usually made from aluminum. Ingesting aluminum in certain quantities is related to different health issues including neurological diseases and breast cancer it as I mentioned earlier in the text.

However, several scratches on your non-stick ceramic cookware won’t expose you to an amount of aluminum significant to your health. (As it is discussed more in detail earlier in the text)

 The real problems can occur as a consequence of heavy metals present in these aluminum alloys. These elements are harmful to the body even in micrograms quantities.

One example is lead. This metal is added to aluminum alloys to enhance their mechanical properties. However, even when it leaches in very small quantities it can lead to multiple negative health effects. 

So, if you notice serious scratches on your pan it will be wise to think about changing it.

If you notice several slight scratches that, don’t touch the metal it should be totally fine to continue to use it. Especially if you still feel okay with the non-stick abilities of your pan.

Wrapping

One common thing that happens to thin non-stick cookware is wrapping. This behavior is usually caused by temperature shock. If you for instance put your preheated frying pan directly into the water this phenomenon can occur.

It is a common belief that fulfilling the cookware with hot water, after cooking, won’t make cause thermal shock. Nevertheless, during cooking pans can reach temperatures up to 200C.

If we compare this to hot tap water which exceeds 60-70 C maximally the difference can be more than 100C. Furthermore, this is enough to cause thermal shock and potentially contribute to metal base deformations. So, try to avoid this in order to prevent wrapping.

When wrapping happens, some surfaces of the cooking vessel become more exposed to heat than others. This will lead to the development of warmer and cooler spots on the cookware surface, so the food won’t is cooked homogeneously.

If you don’t care that much about the cooking finesse and if the wrapping is almost negligible, I am sure you will probably keep your pan. On the other hand, if you are a cooking enthusiast and you are careful about every detail, these surface changes will make a big difference.

Looking long term, wrapping and unequal dispersion of heat will cause stretching of the coating.  Eventually, this will lead to cracking of the non-stick surface.

Tip:

It is pretty simple to check if your ceramic-coated frying pan is wrapped. Place it on a flat surface and push the handle up and down to see if it wobbles.

Test this with your new cookware also! Sometimes it can be caused by manufacturing mistakes. Even if it looks pretty good on the eye, you newer know before checking it. And Id you found out this before the first use, it will be much easier to get the money returned or exchange the product.

Handle wobbling

Last but not least is taking care of your cookware handles. If you find that there is no solid attachment to the base, there is a chance for the handle to drop off the pan.

This can be really an unpleasant experience, especially if you are carrying utensils full of the hot dish.

So, be careful with this, and exchange your cookware if you find wobbling of a handle!

If you follow good maintaining practices you will significantly increase the durability and safety of your frying pans. Still keep eye on the mentioned signs and be aware when it’s time to replace your old cookware and find a new one.

6. Are there good alternatives to conventional nonstick cookware?

The non-stick performance of Teflon and Ceramic coated cookware is one of their biggest strengths. At the end that is why consumers use them so much. However, taking into account their durability(easily get scratched), temperature limitations and potential health risks, more and more people are searching for safe and durable alternatives.

One could say that other cookware materials don’t have non-stick properties as Teflon or ceramic coated cookware. However, this is only true under certain conditions, e.g. when start frying the food in cold utensils.

However, when you use preheated carbon steel, enameled, or bare cast iron, the non-stick properties of such materials will be fully competitive with the ones of conventional non-stick pans.

To find some good directions for finding conventional non-stick alternatives you can take a look at the Safetouseit cookware recommendation page. There I present some steps that you can use when searching for such cookware. Additionally, I provide you with some cookware examples that may help you with your search.