5 ms·

I'm generally pretty pro-chemical in moderation. I haven't fried a decent egg on cast iron yet, and I enjoy breathable waterproof fabrics. I understand the con

I'm generally pretty pro-chemical in moderation. I haven't fried a decent egg on cast iron yet, and I enjoy breathable waterproof fabrics. I understand the concern, but I guess I don't understand the risk yet. My understanding from chemistry class was that PF- compounds are so useful because of how inert they are. Their indestructibility is what makes them mostly harmless - if you eat a pile of (room-temperature) Teflon, it just goes right through your body.

mrob 3y ago
You need other, more dangerous, short-chain PFAS to make those inert PFAS polymers. Costs would greatly increase if manufacturers weren't allowed to release any to the environment. I think enforcing this and increasing prices is a better idea than a ban.
- legitster 3y ago
  I suspect then the reason seafood is becoming the chief source of PFAS is that most of this is made in China and lax environmental rules means most of it is getting dumped down the Yangtze. Getting a $20 Teflon pan instead of a $15 one but they actually dispose of the chemicals properly seems like a no-brainer here.
  - ars 3y ago
    Teflon is not a PFAS anyway, so that's not really the issue. It's waterproofing that's the problem - for example paper straws.
    - nerdbert 3y ago
      > Teflon is not a PFAS anyway, so that's not really the issue. No but PFASsen are used (and typically discarded poorly) in the production of Teflon.
cmclaughlin 3y ago
Fried eggs on Teflon pans are rather soggy in my opinion… My preferred pan for fried eggs is stainless steel. With plenty of butter the eggs crisp up and release from the pan with no stick at all. The only real trick is to not flip too soon.
- legitster 3y ago
  > The only real trick is to not flip too soon. Do you manage to get a runny yoke? I legit went through 2 dozen eggs trying to get a perfect fried egg on stainless steel. I tried everything - hot pan, cold pan, oil, butter, swirling the pan, a touch of vinegar. I could not find any combination that worked - I suspect that you either have to have very particular equipment.
  - npstr 3y ago
    Try more heat. It needs to crisp at the bottom while staying runny at the top. Don't let them sit in there once done, get them out to stop the heat transfer. I only do one side.
    - legitster 3y ago
      So it only works for a specific type of egg? My wife prefers over-easy - that's basically impossible on stainless?
      - goalieca 3y ago
        Over easy is easy on cast iron. I tend to put a spoon of butter, spread it a little, and crack the egg into it. The butter should sizzle but not brown too quickly. You should be able to slide the egg in the pan like on a nonstick.
  - justsomehnguy 3y ago
    I would support more heat argument. SS easily heats but easily cools. You can cheat with a lid - just seconds the whites would be in your preffered condition (ie with/out crust) cover the pan, sing aloud 'We all live in the yellow submarine, yellow subma' and move the pan off the stove, but don't let it rest under the lid too long! In 20-30 seconds it would catch to be the nice, yet runny one, but anything longer and it would be more thicker, though if you like subs/burgers with eggs - it's a way to it. PS you can sing something more palatable for you, if you wish *grin*
codyb 3y ago
I fry a fair amount of eggs over easy on my cast iron and get good results so it's definitely doable. I think preseasoned cast irons are fairly cheap these days although I picked mine up on Craigslist with a set. For the most part, cleaning the cast iron is two seconds of chain mail scraping under the faucet because not much really sticks to it and there's just the small leftovers that weren't worth scooping, then I put it on the stove for a minute or two while I wipe up other things and just let the water evaporate off so it doesn't rust.
- burnished 3y ago
  I got nicely seasoned cast iron at Target for cheap, was very surprising. I like sticking mine in the oven and letting it preheat to dry them, plus it's genuinely pretty convenient to store them there when unused anyway.
elil17 3y ago
Long chain like PTFE is fine. The issue is short chain fluorosurfactants (think PFOA and GenX) which contaminate the environment around the factories that make PTFE, harm the workers in those factories, and probably end up in trace amounts in the final products as well. These are very chemically stable in that they don't react well with most things, making them long lasting in the environment, but they do interact (but not react) with animal endocrine systems, which makes them so dangerous.
Zigurd 3y ago
I have used ceramic nonstick pans for eggs and pancakes and the like for years. Also, trying to cook completely without butter or oil, unless you have highly specific dietary restrictions, is unnecessary.
ifaxmycodetok8s 3y ago
staub enameled cast iron are great for eggs and other things that usually stick to non-enameled cast irons or stainless
Eumenes 3y ago
I make eggs every morning on a stainless steel pan - I find it just as easy to clean as Teflon. Most restaurants use stainless steel.
- mrguyorama 3y ago
  Stainless still is only hard to clean if you suck at doing dishes. After you cook something, let them soak (really just let them sit with water and dish soap in them) for like an hour and you can almost just rinse them out. Even dishwashers with modern soaps have little problem with them once you soak them.
projektfu 3y ago
I use stainless steel and it works fine. I hate frying eggs on cast iron. I need to wait so long for it to come up to a reasonable temperature, it always seems to overcook the whites and leaves the yolks cold. Every time I mention having trouble with cast iron, people jump out to tell me I'm holding it wrong and it's so easy, but it's really a finicky way to cook. However, a seasoned stainless steel skillet is a lot like an aluminum teflon skillet except that it doesn't care if you heat it too hot, in my opinion.
- nlavezzo 3y ago
  The 15" version of this pan is magic. It is super easy to season (apply some oil / butter, get it really hot a few times, wipe it off with a rag, repeat) and is very non stick with just a light coating of oil. Of course never clean it with soap. Water only if necessary. Afterwards I always just pour some oil on and wipe it clean with a paper towel. https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/carbon-steel-pan?sku=CRS15 https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/carbon-steel-pan?sku=C...
  - putnambr 3y ago
    > never clean it with soap. This is a myth. I was struggling with getting a good non-stick-ability on my Lodge, until someone pointed out the 'patina' is really just burnt carbon and does nothing for non-stick. The non-stick seasoning comes from polymerized oils, which aren't affected by lye-free soaps. I haven't had any sticking issues since I've started washing my pan with soap after a messy meal and leaving a microscopic film of Crisco on after drying.
    - legitster 3y ago
      It was years before I understood this and got a good patina on mine. Give the pan a good clean and do a lot of gentle frying dishes in a row. The soap myth harkens back to the day when soaps were actually pretty caustic - they were lye based formulas that you had to use gloves to wash dishes with. That stuff would eat through enamel.
- 3y ago
andersrs 3y ago
Stainless steel pan + butter + a stainless spatula + chainmail or steel wool. I cook can egg on stainless everyday and it's easy to clean. Teflon pans are not inert. The fumes from a hot teflon pan can kill birds. Don't call for the meme that saturated fats are bad. Butter is safer than unsaturated fats which change when heated.
- hnav 3y ago
  not to distract from your central point, but while the saturated fat in (unclarified) butter doesn't smoke like veg oil, the proteins in it do seem to burn up
- tredre3 3y ago
  > The fumes from a hot teflon pan can kill birds. Thank you, I was unaware of that. Important to note that it happens only when the pan is grossly overheated (280C/580F) [1]. For reference frying an egg is done at 300F. Still a concern, it's not that hard to imagine being distracted and leaving an empty pan on a coil set to high, it will likely reach 600F after a few minutes. 1. https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/teflon-polytetrafluoroethylene-poisoning-in-birds https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/teflon-polytetrafluoroet...

mrob 3y ago

You need other, more dangerous, short-chain PFAS to make those inert PFAS polymers. Costs would greatly increase if manufacturers weren't allowed to release any to the environment. I think enforcing this and increasing prices is a better idea than a ban.

legitster 3y ago
I suspect then the reason seafood is becoming the chief source of PFAS is that most of this is made in China and lax environmental rules means most of it is getting dumped down the Yangtze. Getting a $20 Teflon pan instead of a $15 one but they actually dispose of the chemicals properly seems like a no-brainer here.
- ars 3y ago
  Teflon is not a PFAS anyway, so that's not really the issue. It's waterproofing that's the problem - for example paper straws.
  - nerdbert 3y ago
    > Teflon is not a PFAS anyway, so that's not really the issue. No but PFASsen are used (and typically discarded poorly) in the production of Teflon.

cmclaughlin 3y ago

Fried eggs on Teflon pans are rather soggy in my opinion… My preferred pan for fried eggs is stainless steel. With plenty of butter the eggs crisp up and release from the pan with no stick at all. The only real trick is to not flip too soon.

legitster 3y ago
> The only real trick is to not flip too soon. Do you manage to get a runny yoke? I legit went through 2 dozen eggs trying to get a perfect fried egg on stainless steel. I tried everything - hot pan, cold pan, oil, butter, swirling the pan, a touch of vinegar. I could not find any combination that worked - I suspect that you either have to have very particular equipment.
- npstr 3y ago
  Try more heat. It needs to crisp at the bottom while staying runny at the top. Don't let them sit in there once done, get them out to stop the heat transfer. I only do one side.
  - legitster 3y ago
    So it only works for a specific type of egg? My wife prefers over-easy - that's basically impossible on stainless?
    - goalieca 3y ago
      Over easy is easy on cast iron. I tend to put a spoon of butter, spread it a little, and crack the egg into it. The butter should sizzle but not brown too quickly. You should be able to slide the egg in the pan like on a nonstick.
- justsomehnguy 3y ago
  I would support more heat argument. SS easily heats but easily cools. You can cheat with a lid - just seconds the whites would be in your preffered condition (ie with/out crust) cover the pan, sing aloud 'We all live in the yellow submarine, yellow subma' and move the pan off the stove, but don't let it rest under the lid too long! In 20-30 seconds it would catch to be the nice, yet runny one, but anything longer and it would be more thicker, though if you like subs/burgers with eggs - it's a way to it. PS you can sing something more palatable for you, if you wish *grin*

codyb 3y ago

I fry a fair amount of eggs over easy on my cast iron and get good results so it's definitely doable. I think preseasoned cast irons are fairly cheap these days although I picked mine up on Craigslist with a set. For the most part, cleaning the cast iron is two seconds of chain mail scraping under the faucet because not much really sticks to it and there's just the small leftovers that weren't worth scooping, then I put it on the stove for a minute or two while I wipe up other things and just let the water evaporate off so it doesn't rust.

burnished 3y ago
I got nicely seasoned cast iron at Target for cheap, was very surprising. I like sticking mine in the oven and letting it preheat to dry them, plus it's genuinely pretty convenient to store them there when unused anyway.

elil17 3y ago

Long chain like PTFE is fine. The issue is short chain fluorosurfactants (think PFOA and GenX) which contaminate the environment around the factories that make PTFE, harm the workers in those factories, and probably end up in trace amounts in the final products as well. These are very chemically stable in that they don't react well with most things, making them long lasting in the environment, but they do interact (but not react) with animal endocrine systems, which makes them so dangerous.

Zigurd 3y ago

I have used ceramic nonstick pans for eggs and pancakes and the like for years. Also, trying to cook completely without butter or oil, unless you have highly specific dietary restrictions, is unnecessary.

ifaxmycodetok8s 3y ago

staub enameled cast iron are great for eggs and other things that usually stick to non-enameled cast irons or stainless

Eumenes 3y ago

I make eggs every morning on a stainless steel pan - I find it just as easy to clean as Teflon. Most restaurants use stainless steel.

mrguyorama 3y ago
Stainless still is only hard to clean if you suck at doing dishes. After you cook something, let them soak (really just let them sit with water and dish soap in them) for like an hour and you can almost just rinse them out. Even dishwashers with modern soaps have little problem with them once you soak them.

projektfu 3y ago

I use stainless steel and it works fine. I hate frying eggs on cast iron. I need to wait so long for it to come up to a reasonable temperature, it always seems to overcook the whites and leaves the yolks cold. Every time I mention having trouble with cast iron, people jump out to tell me I'm holding it wrong and it's so easy, but it's really a finicky way to cook. However, a seasoned stainless steel skillet is a lot like an aluminum teflon skillet except that it doesn't care if you heat it too hot, in my opinion.

nlavezzo 3y ago
The 15" version of this pan is magic. It is super easy to season (apply some oil / butter, get it really hot a few times, wipe it off with a rag, repeat) and is very non stick with just a light coating of oil. Of course never clean it with soap. Water only if necessary. Afterwards I always just pour some oil on and wipe it clean with a paper towel. https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/carbon-steel-pan?sku=CRS15 https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/carbon-steel-pan?sku=C...
- putnambr 3y ago
  > never clean it with soap. This is a myth. I was struggling with getting a good non-stick-ability on my Lodge, until someone pointed out the 'patina' is really just burnt carbon and does nothing for non-stick. The non-stick seasoning comes from polymerized oils, which aren't affected by lye-free soaps. I haven't had any sticking issues since I've started washing my pan with soap after a messy meal and leaving a microscopic film of Crisco on after drying.
  - legitster 3y ago
    It was years before I understood this and got a good patina on mine. Give the pan a good clean and do a lot of gentle frying dishes in a row. The soap myth harkens back to the day when soaps were actually pretty caustic - they were lye based formulas that you had to use gloves to wash dishes with. That stuff would eat through enamel.
3y ago

andersrs 3y ago

Stainless steel pan + butter + a stainless spatula + chainmail or steel wool. I cook can egg on stainless everyday and it's easy to clean. Teflon pans are not inert. The fumes from a hot teflon pan can kill birds. Don't call for the meme that saturated fats are bad. Butter is safer than unsaturated fats which change when heated.

hnav 3y ago
not to distract from your central point, but while the saturated fat in (unclarified) butter doesn't smoke like veg oil, the proteins in it do seem to burn up
tredre3 3y ago
> The fumes from a hot teflon pan can kill birds. Thank you, I was unaware of that. Important to note that it happens only when the pan is grossly overheated (280C/580F) [1]. For reference frying an egg is done at 300F. Still a concern, it's not that hard to imagine being distracted and leaving an empty pan on a coil set to high, it will likely reach 600F after a few minutes. 1. https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/teflon-polytetrafluoroethylene-poisoning-in-birds https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/teflon-polytetrafluoroet...