Teflon issues. What do I do?

[HolliDaze]

I feel helpless. My family has 10+ Teflon pots and pans and I don't have much money. I got dexter when I had more funds, which became unavailable soon after. I can afford to buy him all the food he needs and toys can be made. I'm trying to get a job for vet bills, but I have a more urgent issue. I need to fix the Teflon issue. I don't have the $150+ to replace their stuff, and they continue to use teflon. My/Dexter's room is right next to the kitchen. I need a solution before I lose my baby to teflon. Would an air fliter/purifier work? Would it help if I stuffed a towel under the door when someone is cooking? There are no air vents in my room. I have doors leading outside so I can increase air flow, but it is very cold this time of year. I don't want Dexter to get a chill.

 

[MNR]

Who is the main cook at your place? Can you rank which cookware the cook uses more than others, and start buying safe ones based on that?

For example, I use my 10 inch cast iron skillet a lot. I have 3 or 4 SS saucepans, but I do not use them much.

Try to convince the person that Telfon is horrible for humans and environment.

My cast iron skillet is more than 20 years old, and I will never have to replace it. Cast iron is inexpensive, good for you and environment.
I also use SS for acidic items and things that needs to be simmered long time.

You can get good deals from places like Kohls and World Market (with coupons).

 

[Love My Zons]

Well, this is something that would surely upset me. I know it scratches easily, maybe you can scratch a few? J/K but thinking here that a few of the main sizes used you can replace them here and there.

Look for a great sale on them or ask the Family kindly to be aware of the dangers. Teflon is dangerous if the pans are overheated, meaning nothing in it and smoking hot. But still, the only teflon pan we have is used outside on the grill to sautee stinky onions LOL when we do steak.

 

[Hjarta5]

For teflon pans, its recommended that you cook at low to medium heat without overheating them or preheating an empty one. Its also recommended that you dont use teflon pans that are scratched or chipped (so maybe you can hide these in the kitchen). Also, if your household uses them, it would be helpful to have the fan on above the stove so it can pull away the fumes.

As for your room, it would be helpful to keep your door closed and to have fresh air circulating. I have heard an air purifier may be helpful (without the ionizer) but the HEPA ones are just as expensive if not more than replacing the pots and pans.

Do you have a thrift shop or secondhand store near you? It may be worth to see if they have any stainless steel or cast iron ones.

 

[saroj12]

for the nonstick diehards there are ceramic pans that look and feel just like nonstick but are teflon free. we use cuisinart ceramic greenpans. They are not too expensive and make great eggs!

 

[Nikomania]

If your family can't afford to replace your pans, how about keeping your door closed whenever your family's cooking. Perhaps you could also put a reminder stickie note over by those pans to please close your door before cooking.

 

[TikiMyn]

Maybe Some sort of fan that bloed the air out your door and back into the kitchen? It might not help much though.

 

[Jas]

Perhaps a fan in the kitchen with the back door or window open, then close the kitchen door and the bedroom. Also only using the pans on a low heat and not using old ones.

 

[DQTimnehs]

Make sure the pans are not scratched.
Make sure they aren't used on anything above medium heat.
Make sure they aren't preheated empty (a minute or 2 is ok but longer is getting dangerous) and removed from heat as soon as cooking is done.
Crack a window in the kitchen when they are being used.
Turn the exhaust fan on.
Yes, close the bedroom door and block the crack.
And slowly start replacing the pans with stainless steel or ceramic non-stick.

 

[Familyof12]

My first pots and pans were from second hand stores. I bought some great stainless steel stuff that they don't even make anymore. I still have a dutch oven that I got over 30 years ago and I still use it. Even burned on crap can come off with a little elbow grease and I don't want another one because the top is clear and the thing is really heavy. I love it.

Begin small and eventually you may just have replaced all the teflon.

 

[Monica]

Are you sure that the pans contain Teflon? A pan could be Teflon free but still contain PTFE.

Are you sure that the pans contain PTFE?


Just because the pan is non-stick does not mean it contains PTFE.


There are many nonstick pans out there that are safe to use around birds. Can you contact the manufacturer of the pans to see if the pans contain PTFE? (if you haven't already)

 

[HolliDaze]

I went to the company website and the pans we own all contain ptfe. Nothing about teflon specifically

 

[Monica]

That helps.


If you can't afford to replace all the pans at once, then replace them one by one. Choose one of the most used pans and replace that first. Then the second most used pan, and replace that. Keep doing that until all have been replaced.

As mentioned, cast iron pans are bird safe and cheap! If taken care of well and seasoned, they are non-stick! I've got a dutch oven pot where the lid also works as a very short sided pan as well as a stove top 'grill'. Both cast iron. They don't get used very much though...


Sorry you are having to deal with this. Even after 18 years, my mother still has a hard time choosing pans that are safe for the birds. The first pan set we had was hard anodized aluminum and were, thankfully, bird safe! With years of use and abuse, they needed to be replaced. She wanted just one new pan and of course the one she picked out had PTFE. I "argued" with her over it, so of course she returned it and got a PTFE-free pan. I've borrowed the second set of hard anodized pans (a gift from my mother to my sister - then she moved away and gave the set back - and I eventually ended up taking it). One pan I didn't get was a high sided saute pan and my mother decided to get me a new pan for last Christmas. The first pan she chose was a regular saute pan (not high sided) and it was bird safe. Only, it was scratched up before we even used it! When she was trying to pick this one out, we had another disagreement about whether or not a pan was safe. The replacement pan for the Christmas one doesn't say that its' PTFE-free, but it is actually PTFE-free, thankfully! And it's also high sided with a lid!


And now I'm looking at moving in with a friend. My S.O. is already aware of pan issues, a little bit, and if I do end up moving in with my friend, I'll get to educate her as well! (I've already mentioned it to her, and some other possible issues - but not gone into great detail!)

 

[Teckechick]

You could also check with some of your local school district kitchens to see if they are getting rid of pans. I know some of the districts around us will surplus (recycle) old stuff when they get new. A few years ago I got a whole set of different sized SS baking pans for free.

 

[Familyof12]

PTFE is teflon. I would try to replace the pans one by one slowly. Try to get non-stick ceramic or stainless steel. I once bought a whole set someone donated and gave it as a gift to a newly wed.

 

[alshgs]

We replaced ours one by one when we first started out! We’re still doing that here and there as we go. I tend to use the same set of pans though

 

[HolliDaze]

I've spoken with my family, Im going to keep the door shut whenever someone's cooking. They re also gonna avoid preheating without anything on the pan for more than a minute or two, and co ok at lower temperatures whenever possible.

 

[Lady Jane]

I also suggest you make reminder signs and hang in the kitchen. Refrigerator front is a good place. No pans on high heat.

Important: in the meantime have all members of your household read this

Teflon Toxicity (PTFE Toxicosis) in Birds: Signs and Prevention

 

[KimKim]

Do you have Amazon prime? They have some cast iron pieces on sale often (this is a pic from right now).

 

[JLcribber]

I've spoken with my family, Im going to keep the door shut whenever someone's cooking. They re also gonna avoid preheating without anything on the pan for more than a minute or two, and co ok at lower temperatures whenever possible.

Surely there is an exhaust fan above that stove isn't there? I "would" put a sign on that fan to make sure they use it every single time and they use it on HI.

If you do not have an exhaust fan you can always put an ordinary fan in an open window in the kitchen and point it "outside" to draw kitchen odours out and they don't go other places inside the house.