Nonstick

Cookware
Update By Kristin V. Montalvo

Consumers buy more nonstick cookware than any other kind. In fact,
according to the Cookware Manufacturers Association (CMA), 90 percent of
all aluminum cookware sold today is nonstick. Since nonstick technology is
constantly changing, it is important to keep your customers abreast of the latest
advancements. By arming your staff with the proper information about nonstick
technology, they’ll be ready to answer some of the common consumer questions
and concerns, and be better equipped to confidently sell the category.

The Differences
Between Nonsticks
Nonstick cookware is a dynamic
but often confusing category for both
consumers and retailers. A basic knowledge
of the various types of nonstick cookware
can mean the difference between a lost sale
and a healthy trade-up to higher-margin
items. Major differences exist between
nonstick cookware surfaces. Over the years,
improved techniques for adhering nonstick
coatings to pans have led to different grades
of nonstick cookware.
According to the CMA, there are five
basic levels of nonstick coatings or layers
on the market today, ranging from the least
expensive one-coat systems to the more
advanced (and expensive) multicoated ones
with ceramics or other materials added to
the nonstick base to make it stronger and,
as a result, more durable.
Following are the basic differences
among the five levels:
A one-coat system is the least expensive
application method and is generally used
for mass-market items. The single coat of
nonstick is applied directly to the pan and
then cured at a high temperature. Generally,
one-coat systems are the least durable of
the nonstick coatings.
A better grade of nonstick cookware, the
two-coat system, has a dual layer coating: a
primer coat is applied before the nonstick
coat to provide added adhesion. Dual-layer
nonstick cookware is more resistant to
scratching and peeling, and with proper
care, should last longer than single-layer
nonstick cookware.
As price increases, so do the layers of
coating. Three-coat systems are used mostly
on gourmet-level products and incorporate
a primer, an intermediate coat, and a
finishing coat. Between each of the multiple
coatings, the pan is run through a “flash-off”
or drying step before the final cure.
Three-coat systems can also be
reinforced in two ways. External
reinforcement is typically done by spraying
the surface of the pan with molten stainless
steel to provide greater surface area for the
coating to adhere to.
Three-coat systems that are internally
reinforced employ a step in which tiny
particles of a hard substance are added
to the primer and mid-coat. The final,
topcoat of a three-coat finish is not usually
reinforced. Not only does this technology

46 The Gourmet Retailer Magazine | march 2007

provide a longer life expectancy to the
nonstick surface, it also prevents peeling
and blistering. Three-coat systems are
incrementally more durable than dual-
layer, and so forth up to four or more
layers.
As a rule of thumb, higher-end nonstick
coatings will provide better performance
for the user, last longer, and won’t peel,
blister or crack. Educating your customers
about the differences between your
nonstick inventory and lower-quality
versions is essential.
The Nonstick
Controversy Heats Up
When nonstick cookware was
introduced in the 1960s, it stirred a mini-
revolution in the American kitchen. For
decades since, nonstick cookware has been
praised by home and professional cooks
alike due to its easy cooking and cleaning
properties. A pan with nonstick coating
makes easy-to-lift omelets and cleans
up like a dream. Plus, it requires little
or no oil to keep food from sticking and
disperses heat evenly.
Yet, while home cooks have embraced
nonstick cookware, some are now
questioning the safety of the category
since an Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) advisory board asked regulators last
year to examine whether a chemical that
gets Teflon and similar coatings to bond to
a pan may cause cancer and other illnesses.
The chemical in question,
perfluoroctanoic acid or PFOA for short, is
used in the production of Teflon and other
nonstick coated cookware. But according
to nonstick manufacturers, while PFOA is
used in the manufacturing process, it is not
present in the finished product.
“During the production process, all
PFOA is 100 percent removed and
captured in filters, which are then
discarded in compliance with applicable
laws. That is where the EPA comes
in — on the environmental side of the
raw material manufacturers,” explained
nonstick cookware manufacturer
SCANPAN, in a statement. “The PFOA
issue is an EPA issue, not an FDA
issue. It is unfortunate that the media
shows the image of a Teflon pan while
reporting on PFOA. They should show
the image of a factory producing PTFE
(polytetrafluoroethylene) and capturing
and filtering out the PFOA.”
According to Hugh J. Rushing,
executive vice president of the CMA,

Nonstick Advances
Here’s a rundown of the latest nonstick advances:
➊ ➋ ➌ ➍

➊ Eclipse: A three-coat, internally reinforced nonstick
system developed by Whitford Worldwide. The primer coat
contains a blended combination of resins and unusually
hard materials, permitting a far higher percentage of special
reinforcing elements. The midcoat — actually a primer used
in other Whitford reinforced systems — also contains the
special reinforcing elements. In addition, the topcoat is rich
in fluoropolymers, and is dedicated entirely to “release” (the
nonstick characteristic).
Besides releasing Eclipse, Whitford recently launched
the Product Knowledge Network (PKN), a Web-based
information portal providing retailers at all levels access
to important information on nonstick coatings for
consumer products, such as cookware, bakeware and small
electrics. PKN is a neutral site. It does not promote any
brands or specific products, but rather provides general
information regarding nonstick coatings that retailers can
use to gain an advantage in buying and selling. Visit www.
productknowledge.com for more information.
➋ Teflon With Radiance Technology: This new nonstick,
bronze-colored coating from DuPont features a triple-layer
system designed to reach optimal cooking temperatures
quickly and evenly on low to medium heat. The nonstick
surface was developed to help save time in the overall
cooking experience. This new technology also features a
durable, scratch-resistant surface tough enough to use with
most metal utensils.
➌ SCANPAN PROFESSIONAL: Features a SCANPAN patented
nonstick surface that is created by firing a ceramic-titanium
compound into the pan at 36,000° F and twice the speed of
sound. The ceramic-titanium particles become one with the
pan at that point. A subsequent application of a specially
formulated PTFE provides the nonstick effect. There is no
tool in the kitchen that is harder than this surface, which
permits the use of metal spatulas.
➍ Diamond Reinforced Nonstick Cookware: From Swiss
Diamond, this cookware is coated with an ultra-hard
nonstick nano-composite which contains real diamond
crystals, high abrasion resistance, exceptional thermal
conductivity, and perpetual nonstick properties. The
coating is applied on high-quality cast aluminum through
a production process that forms a virtually indestructible
cooking surface that won’t crack, blister or peel.
www.gourmetretailer.com 47
 Nonstick Cookware Update
the problem is an environmental, not a
consumer products one.
“So far as consumers are concerned,
we’ve seen less sensational press on nonstick
coatings of late,” explained Rushing. “We
have been emphasizing to the media and
consumers alike that studies have failed to
show that any PFOA is contained in foods
cooked in nonstick pans, even those with an
abraded or scratched finish.”
According to Rushing, in another
development, on November 16, 2006,
the U.S. EPA and the Fluoropolimer
Manufacturers Group (FMG) “mutually
agreed to discontinue their work on a
project designed to determine if heating
certain fluoropolymers like PTFE to
temperatures near their melting point
generates PFOA.”
Like virtually all substances, nonstick
coatings eventually succumb to heat
and ultimately break down. The fumes
released during exposure to extreme heat
may be harmful to the extra-sensitive
respiratory systems of certain exotic birds.
It must be noted that such temperatures
— usually exceeding 660° F — are never
reached during normal kitchen use. Only
if the pan is cooked dry or is otherwise
left unattended and overheats can such
nonstick compounds start breaking down.
“In other words, nonstick cookware
has been used in millions of households
around the world for over 40 years, and
authoritative agencies around the world
have confirmed its safety when used
as intended,” explained Rushing. (See
sidebar: Safe Cooking With Nonstick)
Retailers Remain Optimistic
Despite the extensive publicity about
possible health concerns surrounding
the category, many retailers say nonstick
continues to perform well.
In fact, according to Rushing, nonstick
cookware remains the most popular type of
cookware, with 90 percent of all aluminum
cookware sold today being nonstick.
Rushing estimates shipments of nonstick
aluminum cookware in 2006 totaled roughly
$600 million — not including November
48 The Gourmet Retailer Magazine | March 2007
and December — and through October,
aluminum cookware sales were up 9 percent
over the previous year. In addition, sales of
anodized cookware with nonstick are ahead
21 percent over last year, he noted.
“Sales in the fourth quarter for nonstick
cookware were up 15 percent for us over last
year,” said owner Paul Fricke of Cincinnati-
based Cooks’Wares, Inc. “The category
is still very strong.” Fricke’s best-selling
items continue to be nonstick fry pans from
SCANPAN Classic and Professional, Swiss
Diamond, All-Clad, Cuisinart and Culinary
Institute of America.
Kitchenware store Complements to
the Chef in Asheville, N.C., has not seen
a decline in sales of nonstick cookware
either. In fact, owner Tex Harrison said
Swiss Diamond continues to be one of
their best nonstick sellers. “The line is No.
1 in fry pan sales and up by 25 percent in
overall sales from last year.”
Nonstick continues to be a great
performer for Jennifer Baron of Brooklyn,
N.Y.-based A Cook’s Companion as well, yet
she has noticed additional customer inquiries
regarding the category.
“We have not experienced a decrease in
sales of nonstick cookware and even added a
couple of pieces, but many of our customers
have questions regarding its safety,” she
explained. “We spend time discussing
articles, news reports and general nonstick
‘gossip’ with our customers more than ever.
After rational explanation and discussion,
most buy the nonstick pan that they came
in for. A few customers won’t buy, but their
minds were usually made up before coming
into the store.”
Baron sells nonstick items from All-Clad,
Meyer, Cuisinart, Kitchen Supply and Nordic
Ware. “Fry pans have always, and continue
to be, our best-selling nonstick items,” she
said. “We also sell loads of nonstick bakeware.
There seems to be no fear from the customer
regarding that category.”
Terry Monroe of Stillwater, Okla.-based
Murphy’s Department Store, told us
only 2 to 3 percent of their customers ask
questions about the health and safety issues
of nonstick cookware.
“Oklahomans are relatively less excitable
about things like nonstick cookware and other
health concerns than people in other parts
of the country,” Monroe explained. “Some
wish to be informed, and our employees are
prepared to discuss the issues and advise
customers who are avoiding one sort of
product for whatever reason. However, other
than curiosity, we do not find large numbers of
informed persons making substantial changes
in what they intend to purchase.” T
Safe
Cooking
With
Nonstick
What exactly
do nonstick
manufacturers
mean when they say
“use as intended?”
According to the
nonstick cookware
manufacturers we spoke with, this
means cookware should never be
left empty on a hot stove or oven, or
allowed to overheat. When empty, a
frying pan can reach 750° to 800° F after
several minutes on a high burner. Always
be sure that oil, water or food materials
are in the cookware prior to heating it.
Most nonstick brands are safe at
temperatures up to 375° F and a few as
high as 450° degrees F.
Another way to ensure safe cooking
with nonsticks is with proper care.
Today’s nonstick coatings are more
durable than those of just 10 years
ago. Special use and care instructions
on how to prepare, maintain or
clean nonstick vary by manufacturer.
According to some manufacturers,
their nonstick cookware surfaces will
withstand metal utensils; however,
others recommend using only wooden
or plastic utensils regardless of how
durable they claim the nonstick
coating is. It’s always best to check the
manufacturer’s recommendations for
care before advising customers.
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