Cookware

[Grimace]

So I have a bit of a problem. I'm looking into getting a bird once I move (My roommates are completely fine with it, and are all very good with animals etc etc.) and there's just one problem. The cookware. They have some stuff they are bringing, which involves a bunch of nonstick pans and etc.
How dangerous exactly are these to birds? If the cage was across the house and behind a door I stuck some weather stripping on would it be okay?

If not, I'll just buy a set of cookware for everyone to use if need be. (probably would be the best option for peace of mind anyway)
Can someone recommend a good set of pots/pans/whatever that I could just get? Less expensive would be a plus for those, if possible.

Is anything else a big concern for fumes? I've heard hair dryers can be, but are those enough to actually effect a bird not right near them?

 

[JerseyWendy]

Stainless Steel, cast iron, and ceramic cookware is safe, and not all of it is super expensive.

I personally wouldn't worry about the hair dryer, as long as you don't plan on actually blow drying your bird.

Looky, the subject of cookware has come up quite a bit:

http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/42144-again-about-non-stick-cookware.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/8023-bird-safe-nonstick-cookware.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/bereavement/24792-reminder-non-stick-cookware-parrots.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/24533-bird-safe-cookware.html

 

[Grimace]

Stainless Steel, cast iron, and ceramic cookware is safe, and not all of it is super expensive.

I personally wouldn't worry about the hair dryer, as long as you don't plan on actually blow drying your bird.

Looky, the subject of cookware has come up quite a bit:

http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/42144-again-about-non-stick-cookware.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/8023-bird-safe-nonstick-cookware.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/bereavement/24792-reminder-non-stick-cookware-parrots.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/24533-bird-safe-cookware.html

Ooh, okay thanks!
Out of curiosity, is this especially a parrot thing or are all birds just as sensitive to it? I'd assume they all are, but I figure there's no harm in asking.

 

[jenphilly]

All birds as in chickens and wild birds? All birds have sensitive respiratory systems. Ever hear old stories of how miners would take a canary into mines so if it died suddenly they knew they had leak or air quality issues long before it affected humans.

 

[getwozzy]

All birds have air sacs, so when they breathe air, it not only goes into their lungs but these air sacs- which are located in various areas of their body. The issue with Teflon, aka PTFE, is that it off-gases at certain cooking temperatures. These gases then fill the birds lungs and air sacs and poisons them, which can be fatal.

 

[veimar]

I'm glad someone posted the previous threads already, one of which was mine. Yes, non-stick cookware is VERY DANGEROUS!!! I had no idea about that after about a month since I had my parrot and was totally freaked out when I found out. Hey I have to post this again:
Mainstays 10" Non-Stick Skillet - Walmart.com
I'm low income right now and cannot afford to buy expensive new cookware (almost all of mine was non-stick), but this pan is AWESOME! I had it for over a month already and it's better than non-stick. If you have a walmart in your area just buy a few pieces of this white cookware and you'll be fine. BTW, teflon is BAD for humans as well, especially babies - so just do some research.

 

[inge]

Very good quality can often be found at chef's supply stores for much cheaper than typical retail outlets. Usually it is not a name brand but will last forever. I would start with the most used item and then buy one at a time as you need or can afford.

My understanding is that the issue with teflon is the high heat. I am not an expert by any means. I do have a small teflon pan that I use for eggs only, so it is never heated above medium-low and I run the fan and bird is in another room. I am looking for an alternative--does anyone know if enameled cast iron is ok? That is actually my fave cookware.

 

[MikeyTN]

Through research that enameled cast iron is safe to use! We use cast iron pans all the time as it is safe around birds.

 

[MonicaMc]

It's not Teflon you need to worry about.... it's PTFE. PTFE is found in many non-stick coatings - not just Teflon. Here's a list of some pans and coatings that may contain PTFE.

1. All-Clad
2. Autograph
3. Calphalon
4. Circulon
5. Duracote
6. Emerilware
7. Excalibur
8. Excaliur
9. Farberware
10. Florun
11. Flura
12. George Foreman
13. Greblon
14. KitchenAid
15. Krups
16. Meyer
17. Resistal
18. Scanpan
19. Silverstone
20. Supra
21. Teflon
22. T-Fal
23. Xylon

More info about PTFE....

Bird-Safe Cookware: Is There A Killer In Your Kitchen?

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



There *ARE* non-stick pans out there that do not contain PTFE. If a pan doesn't say it's PTFE-Free then you need to contact the manufacturer for more information. Hard anodized aluminum made without PTFE may be perfectly safe to use around birds! I have one set of these pans that have been in use for *years* around my birds!

 

[LoriP]

Is anything else a big concern for fumes? I've heard hair dryers can be, but are those enough to actually effect a bird not right near them?

As someone else mentioned the issue with non stick is high heat. The figure I read was above 600f. Which is not likely to occure in a hair dryer or even at normal cooking temps, but could easily when pre-heating a pan or letting one boil dry. As soon as I found out about this problem I started replacing my non-stick cookware..Since then I have several times overheated a pan (usually by starting to heat water & forgetting about it) and each time have practically gotten on my knees and thanked God that I read and heeded the warnings

 

[SilverSage]

As a child I had many birds "just die" on me, and my mom cooked with non stick cookware. I also fed them only seeds, to be fair, but I didn't know better at the time. My mom cooked on a different floor of the house and kept the fan on above the stove, and I still had birds dying on me.

When I married I registered for a set of stainless steel cookware, and it is FANTASTIC. Just learn to soak your dishes right away and wash them fairly quickly.

OR you could season them with coconut oil for a safe non stick option!

Here are instructions for seasoning with coconut oil on stainless steel:

On medium to medium high heat, heat your pan for 2-3 minutes.
Melt a little coconut oil or other high heat oil in your pan and swirl the oil around to evenly coat the pan. Allow the oil to smoke (don’t worry, we will be tossing this oil out)! Once the oil has smoked, turn off your burner and remove pan from heat source and allow to cool completely. You know your pan is seasoned and ready if you can see your mirror reflection of yourself in the pan (more details are in the video about this).
Once the pan has cooled, pour out the oil and wipe the pan out with a paper towel. You now have a seasoned nonstick stainless steel pan.
I am going to give you an example on how to cook an omelette in your seasoned pan. Simply preheat your pan on medium low heat for 2 minutes. Pour your egg mixture into your pan with no oil at all! Add desired ingredients (cheese, meat, veggies). Allow the eggs to cook for several minutes without disturbing. After a few minutes, flip you eggs and allow to cook another minute or two. Your eggs will slip right out of the pan, no sticking! (You can view this in the video as well). There is no need to ever wash the pan with soap, just wipe out with a paper towel as nothing will stick in the pan, cleanup takes about 10 seconds. This method is very similar to seasoning your cast iron skillet or wok. As long as you don’t use soap on your pan, your pan will remain nonstick. If you are using higher heat, you might need to add a little bit of oil.

These are not my directions, but the site I got them from sells things so I can't post the link.

I suggest talking to your roommates ahead of time and seeing if you can all go in together for some new cookware. Go ahead and hit up the used stores first for cheap options. If they are not down for that, offer to buy all the cookware. If they cannot agree to not use their stuff to keep your bird alive, then you either need no bird or new roommates, sadly.

Keep in mind that other things like air fresheners especially things like FABREEZE are TOXIC to birds and should never be used near them. Same goes for chemical cleaners.

 

[wendaustin]

Well yes, All feathered creatures as in chickens and wild fledglings? All winged animals have touchy respiratory frameworks. But you could keep that anywhere as well.