Interestingly, those products were manufactured in Chaska, MN.

When I was trained to weld sub-assemblies, I was told that fumes from the welding process could cause flu-like symptoms if exposure was excessive. I later learned this condition is known as Fluoropolymer Fume Fever. Thankfully, my time as a welder was brief, and I moved on to a different company where I truly began to focus on filtration technologies. Still, the experience stuck with me and sparked a journey of self-education. When my wife and I started a family, I made it a priority to eliminate non-stick cookware from our kitchen. Improper use of non-stick cookware can result in the off-gassing of volatile compounds, the effects of which on human health are not yet fully understood.

My hope is that people will remove both the phrase non-stick cookware and the concept itself from their vocabulary and their kitchens. Learn how to cook with stainless steel or cast iron. Please don’t fall for executive chef gimmickry—at least not until there is validated, third-party testing on the toxicology of the materials used in manufacturing these products.