You may have seen or read about the concerns regarding the use of chemicals like PTFE, PFAS, and PFOAs in the nonstick coating of many cookware products. We’d like to address these concerns, as well as offer assurance as to the overall safety of our Hell’s Kitchen products.
The Safety of Ceramic
Laboratory research has identified potential health risks associated with PFAS (including PTFE) chemicals. Accordingly, federal and state guidelines regarding the use of such substances in many products - including cookware - have been enacted, with more legislation pending.
With this in mind, we designed our new line to be the first and only hybrid cookware with a ceramic, non-stick coating. Since ceramic contains none of the “forever chemicals” that prompted the current and impending regulations, our hybrid cookware is as “safe” or “safer” than most other non-stick options.
Other Safety Features
Beyond eliminating these harmful materials, our new line offers features that enhance its safety profile. Hell’s Kitchen cookware has a “triclad” construction: a center aluminum core sandwiched between two layers of premium-grade stainless steel. Stainless steel is chemically inert, and its constituent metals do not react with or transfer to food in any significant way.
Further, we etch our distinctive flame pattern into the stainless surface, then apply the diamond-reinforced, ceramic non-stick coating. By filling the “valleys” created by the etching process, the coating rests slightly below the cooking surface. As a result, the ceramic coating is virtually impossible to scratch, even with metal utensils. This prolongs the cookware's lifespan while keeping the coating from finding its way into your food.
Previous Versions Still Safe
While earlier versions of our hybrid cookware used a PTFE non-stick coating, it should not cause concern. PTFE can be problematic when it is heated to 600℉ or higher; however, few recipes call for such high temperatures, and our cookware has a recommended maximum temp of 500℉. Plus, an article in America’s Test Kitchen states that the manufacturing process used for most nonstick cookware removes the smaller, or migratable, PFAS molecules, reducing the volume of chemicals that can migrate into your food. This line also features our raised stainless steel surface, so contact between the recessed coating and both utensils and food is negligible.
Ultimately, while we created our new ceramic line to be the safest cookware available, our earlier line still remains safe under everyday cooking conditions.