Hi Mitch
I am long overdue getting appropriate bird safe cookware to use around my African Grey.
I’ve wanted the Calphalon set for years. Do you know anything about it being safe. I get a little confused. I know “Teflon” is not good, but just what is meant by non-stick?
Is all “non’stick” unsafe around birds?
Thank you for your time. KATHY
Hi Kathy
Calphalon nonstick surfaces do use a PTFE (non stick) coating.
Calphalon is Teflon free but that’s because they don’t use the Teflon brand for their coating so it’s really semantics.
Both are similar in that they use PTFE in their non-stick surfaces which is harmful to animals and humans alike to various degrees.
The fumes of an over heated PTFE pan can kill a bird in minutes 3 rooms away
That leaves 3 ways to achieve a kitchen full of bird safe cookware, the first being “ceramic” coated cookware.
From: Ceramic Coated Cookware Safety Secrets That No One Will Tell You! (by the Cookware Advisor)
Manufacturers and marketers of ceramic coated cookware claim they are ultra safe, with no chemicals or heavy metals and are very durable….. BUT ARE THEY?
We set out to find out.
Consider this your ultimate guide to the safety, ease of use and durability of non-stick ceramic coated cookware.
What is Ceramic coated cookware?
Ceramic technically means ‘clay that has been fire hardened’.
So when we talk of ceramic coated cookware, we are talking about some sort of metal (usually hard anodized aluminum) that has been coated with a layer of ceramic.
Ceramic non-stick coatings are typically made from inorganic minerals, primarily silicon and oxygen.
Inorganic means not containing any carbon.
So does that mean it Is it PTFE and/or PFOA free?
Yes, none of these chemicals are used in the manufacture of Ceramic coated cookware. Read more
The article is quite long so here’s the skinny:
Ceramic cookware is bird safe.
We have some ourselves.
The problem is it’s “useful life” Ceramic cookware pans last about 15% as long as Teflon cookware.
In other words for every 6 years you have a Teflon pan, your ceramic coated pan lasts 1 year.
Checkout Scanpan ceramic cookware
Leaving your second choice, the path we took – (retro) stainless (below).
A bit of a learning curve is required when cooking but stainless is bird safe (as long as your bird is not in the kitchen when you are cooking) and lasts forever.
The big issue with stainless steel is food can stick.
This is usually due to overheating the pans, learning to cook at lower temperatures makes all the difference.
You can season a stainless pan to make it non stick by seasoning it properly as seen in the video below.
They also can be seasoned for cooking eggs, etc. Read up on the care of stainless steel cookware online and learn to enjoy cooking again. Ideally you want 18/0 Stainless.
We’ve seen new stainless cookware sets from $300 – $800 on the web
Bird Teflon dangers you didn’t know & other household perils
Don’t rule out number 3 – cast iron.
A well seasoned cast iron pan is a no stick pan that is bird safe.
Food can get low levels of of inorganic iron if the pan is not well seasoned but that has nothing to do with issue of “fumes” that are toxic to birds.
Cast iron pans emit no toxic fumes
Cast iron pans will last a millennium.
They require your due diligence but cook quite nicely when dealt with properly as explained in the video below.
written by mitch rezman
approved by catherine tobsing
your zygodactyl footnote
Linda
10 Jun 2017Thank you so much for this helpful article. Do you have any thoughts on copper, such as Copper Chef non-stick or any other copper lined pans???
WindyCityParrot
11 Jun 2017glad to be of help Linda – copper lined pans are not a problem for birds
Michelle Connell
19 Nov 2018Thank you so much…. came here tonight specifically looking for the answer. I just bought 3 thinking they were safe…but all would have gone back had I not found out definitively….thank you both again!(&YAY!)
Andrea Matthews Clark
10 Aug 2017Hello. Because I have a sweet little parrot, I won’t let my husband cook with nonstick pans. He just bought two All-Clad’s new HA1 nonstick pans, which state that they are environmentally safe and free from toxins. He’s convinced this will be safe. I’m dubious and can’t find any posts about this. Any info you can share? Thank you! — Andrea
WindyCityParrot
10 Aug 2017Hi Andrea
I called All Clad
Good news bad news. All-Clad’s new HA1 nonstick pans are POFA free but incorporate PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) which is generic for “Teflon”
That said, they can be used at low temps with the bird not in the room – you’ve been warned
mitchr
Andrea Matthews Clark
10 Aug 2017Thank you for this info. Doesn’t sound like it’s worth the risk. Appreciate your quick response!
MMinLamesa
13 May 2018Believe me-and Mitch-ditch them. You just never know when you’re going to get distracted and burn something. I’ve done it a couple times in 14 years with my macaw but I have stainless steel cookware. I came back to a smokey kitchen which otherwise would have been a death sentence for her.
Andrea Matthews Clark
10 Aug 2017Hello. Because I have a sweet little parrot, I won’t let my husband cook with nonstick pans. He just bought two All-Clad’s new HA1 nonstick pans, which state that they are environmentally safe and free from toxins. He’s convinced this will be safe. I’m dubious and can’t find any posts about this. Any info you can share? Thank you! — Andrea
WindyCityParrot
10 Aug 2017Hi Andrea
I called All Clad
Good news bad news. All-Clad’s new HA1 nonstick pans are POFA free but incorporate PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) which is generic for “Teflon”
That said, they can be used at low temps with the bird not in the room – you’ve been warned
mitchr
Andrea Matthews Clark
10 Aug 2017Thank you for this info. Doesn’t sound like it’s worth the risk. Appreciate your quick response!
Donna Manning
19 Oct 2017Please advise me. I have a 12-year-old dove I’ve had since he was 4 weeks old. I just purchased an electric fry pan that says that the interior is “die cast.” Is this safe for my dove?
WindyCityParrot
19 Oct 2017Hi Donna
“Sounds” safe but I would call the manufacturer – I’ve been fooled before
best
mitchr
Lisa
13 May 2018Good topic, thank you for the article and the discussuion! I agree about the thrift stores, I see Revere Ware stainless steel and Farberware pans frequently and they’re so good. I have one Calphalon pan and always wondered about it. Mitch, if you can revive or write anew about interior paints soon that would be great too! Contractors are always telling me we can use any of the new low-odor types but I can’t pull the trigger. I recently read about Romabio paint, and that sounds like the only true non-toxic type to me. Cheers.
Artlover
13 Jun 2018Hi, thanks for the info. Is Xylan safe? I’m looking for a safe Panini gril.
CK
22 Oct 2018Hello, which brands of pans can you recommend? Any links?