Almost all non-stick pans are made with PTFE. PTFE stands for PolyTetraFluoroEthylene. PTFE has a very low coefficient of friction, which means that almost nothing sticks to it, hot or cold. Up to 260° C/ 500° F, PTFE remains relatively stable. Above 260° C/500° F, PTFE starts to decompose and is known to release a multitude of toxic chemicals. That means harmful fumes can potentially damage your respiratory system and your pan can no longer be used.
During the manufacturing of conventional PTFE based non-stick coatings, PFOA - PerFluoro0ctanoic Acid – is used and can escape into the environment. PFOA is classified as ‘a persistent pollutant of the environment’. Besides that, PFOA is a chemical that the body has the greatest difficulties in expelling and is it classed as a “likely human carcinogen”. PFOA is also sometimes called C8 but in some cases it is replaced by C6, which belongs to the same chemical group.
Thermolon™ is the patented non-stick coating that GreenPan™ uses on its products. Thermolon™ is completely PTFE-free, contains absolutely no silicone oil and uses no PFOA during its manufacture. It is a non-stick mineral-based coating with superior release properties. Mineral materials are natural substances that are safe to use. The ceramic mineral materials that are used in Thermolon™ are the same materials used to make glass and pottery. Less energy is used when Thermolon™ is applied on GreenPan™ products, which means 60% less CO2 emissions when compared with PTFE-coated pans.
This is a technology in which materials are formed from small particles suspended in Solution that Gel together to form a matrix. Thermolon™ is based on Sol-Gel technology.
Our Thermolon™ non stick coating is heat resistant up to high temperatures. This means that GreenPan™ has a safety feature. If you accidentally overheat your pan, even up to 450˚C/850˚F no toxic fumes will be released and the coating itself will not blister or peel.
Up until now this was correct, because the only non-stick fry pans available were made with PTFE, which is a type of plastic that acts as a heat blocker. The Thermolon™ non-stick coating is a mineral coating, which is a better heat conductor that is great to sear and fry your food for crisp and tasty results.
Although it is, we advise you just wash it with a little soapy water and clean it with a soft dishcloth or sponge. If you wash it over and over again in a dishwasher, the non-stick properties of all ceramic-type non-stick coatings slowly start to fade.
Yes we recommend to use a little oil or butter. Some oils can go higher in temperature – e.g. coconut oil is ideal to use in GreenPan™. Because of the excellent heat conductivity of your pan and the Thermolon™ layer, food and oil can carbonize very rapidly. So always cook on low to medium heat and only use short high heat for searing or browning.
Better not to use oil sprays. Small spray droplets heat up very rapidly and are more easily carbonized on the non-stick surface. This will affect the non-stick performance of the pan.
Yes, you can put your pan in the oven without any worries when it has stainless steel handles. When your pan has stainless steel handles with a silicone insert they are oven-safe up to 250°C/480°F. When your pan has Bakelite (mostly black-colored) handles they are only oven-safe up to 180°C/350°F. Always check on the packaging to be sure.
All our stainless steel or multilayer ranges are suitable for induction. For the aluminum cookware there are several cookware ranges that we have that are suitable for induction. To know if your cookware is suitable for induction, you always need to check the packaging. More info is available on our product page.
We used to suggest that you season your pans, but experience has shown that this is not necessary. All you need to do is clean your pan before storing and use a little butter or oil before frying.
Thermolon™ is a better conductor of heat than a traditional non-stick coating. We recommend that you cook on a lower heat setting than you would with your traditional pan. This will prevent the food from burning. After use, always clean the pan according to our Care & Use Instructions.
Everything is composed of atoms and molecules. Technically even water or table salt are chemicals. Anything that is manufactured uses chemicals of some description. In Thermolon™ we do not use any chemicals that can be classed as toxic or persistent pollutants.
There are no free atoms of the metal aluminum in Thermolon™. Aluminum is one of the basic elements that is combined with others to form compounds called alumino-silicates (clays). Such materials have been used to make earthenware pots for centuries.
