Teflon, or Polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE. The most famous and popular to date coverage. Type of heat-resistant plastic, which is applied to aluminum. Teflon is “afraid” of metal devices (scratched), overheating and large temperature drops (the coating wears out faster). It is not harmful to health with proper use of dishes. It is believed that you can not leave empty pan with teflon coating on the fire - in this case, the pan may overheat, and substances hazardous to health may get into the air. In other cases, when cooking Teflon is safe.
Ceramics - A new trend in the "pan" fashion. Ceramics is considered a more natural and environmentally friendly material, you can use metal blades with it and not be afraid for coverage. However, ceramics, especially cheap ones, wear out faster. And the naturalness of the ceramic coating is just an advertising move; in practice, the technology of production and deposition is no less complex and no closer to nature than teflon. Ceramic coating is a complex chemical composition.. Therefore, the less manufacturers talk about the naturalness of their "ceramic" coating, and the more they confirm the safety of their products with certificates of reputable organizations - the more trust they have.
Reinforced non-stick coatings (titanium, diamond and other) - are made on the basis of PTFE with the addition of strength-giving materials. Frying pans with a reinforced coating last longer - but they are more expensive.
What kind of frying pan should I buy?
It is better to choose a griddle with a coating - ceramic or teflon - you decide. Cooking on a new ceramic skillet is more pleasant than on a similar teflon one - the coating slides better. But ceramics loses non-stick properties faster - therefore, Russian buyers are still not very positive about ceramic pans. Just do not believe the myths about the naturalness of a coating - these are all advertising wars aimed at unsuspecting customers. There are no scientifically validated data on the damage of both ceramic and Teflon pans - so buy what you like more.
And it is better to have several different pans on the farm. Ceramic heat up faster, they are very convenient to fry meat or fish. In deep cast iron without coating prepare stews. And Teflon is simply indispensable, for example, for pancakes.
Another myth is that you can not cook in a pan with a scratched coating. He sent, of course, to the fact that people more often buy dishes. All materials used in the manufacture of utensils are permitted and safe for contact with food. Of course, frying pans of well-known manufacturers in Russia and Europe are safe - cheap products “from the market” can be made of anything and anywhere, it is difficult to give guarantees here. Therefore, inexpensive pans are better to buy in large stores (IKEA, Auchan and other chain stores), which monitor the quality of the dishes they sell.
