Cookware

[alleng8304]

I know the hazards of Teflon. How does every one feel about those new granite lined pots or copper ones they advertise on TV?

 

[Kiwibird]

There's not a lot of reliable information regarding the safety of these specific coatings. Being PFOA/PTFE free doesn't necessarily mean that there isn't some other chemical in there that has not yet been recognized as dangerous to parrots. Sadly, companies churn out new chemicals all the time with wholly inadequate safety testing for human use much less checking to verify safety for pets. Personally, I would not risk it. Stainless steel/triply pans are safe and will last a lifetime. Proper cooking techniques to prevent sticking is a bit of a learning curve but it is possible to use these pans without sticking issues. SOME ceramic coated pans are reported to be safe but even if those don't release fumes, they do presumably begin to break down over time/use and could potentially flake off into food and/or leech something into the food. Perhaps not a direct potential danger to birds but could be a consideration for you and your families health and safety.

 

[noodles123]

Stainless is the best-- just go to thrift shops...

 

[EllenD]

It's not just Teflon that off-gases and kills birds. It's any coating that contains any of the "Fluorinated Compounds", such as PFOA, PTFE, etc., and there are a ton of them. "Teflon" is actually a brand-name of one particular coating that contains one or more of these Fluorinated Compounds, but is not actually a chemical or compound itself (Teflon is kind of like "Kleenex", it's a brand-name of facial-tissue, but we tend to call ALL facial-tissue "Kleenex"; Teflon is the same way, we see a black-colored non-stick coating on a pot/pan and say it's coated in "Teflon", but that isn't the case at all unless it's made by a company who is licensed to use Teflon specifically). So a lot of the time people think that if they call-up a manufacturer and ask them if a product contains any "Teflon" and they say no, that means it's okay to use around birds. And that is what typically gets people in a lot of trouble.

Typically any pot/pan that has a black-colored non-stick coating on it contains some Fluorinated Compounds and is unsafe. Just the same as some griddles and hot-plates, such as the George Foreman Grills, which are very unsafe and contain all kinds of Fluorinated Compounds in their coating. So you should always call the manufacturer of a product such as pots, pans, grills, griddles, hot-plates, space heaters, blow dryers, etc.

As far as pots and pans go, the Ceramic non-stick ones are fine, Stainless Steel is fine, Cast Iron is fine, and the REAL Copper ones are fine, meaning the expensive ones that are ALL Copper, not "Copper-plated", as a lot of those contain Fluorinated Compounds throughout their make-up under the Copper-plating.

 

[Mjhandy]

We are going through this too. We're giving the teflon pans to family but we need a few others. We have one stainless steel and one cast iron skillet.

 

[noodles123]

Fluorinated compounds can also appear shiny/silvery in appearance (almost like aluminum) if the dangerous compounds are mixed into the metal during the molding process. Furthermore, these coatings can come in colors, or they can be completely transparent. For instance, many popcorn bags (microwave) and microwave dinner dishes (paper) contain the clear coating, and heat-resistant clothing and fabrics (ironing board covers etc) also contain it.

 

[alleng8304]

thanks for all the good info

 

[noodles123]

Alleng8304---Check out thrift stores/charity shops for cheap cookware. You can find stainless for under $10.00...Check the bottom for stamps and then Google them. "Stainless" is a good indicator....aluminum is safe in terms of respiratory issues, but aluminum is associated with other possible hazards, so I don't cook with it often. I have numerous pots/pans that would cost $40-50 EACH (if they were new...and they are in perfect condition). I threw out all of my questionable appliances/pots/cookie-sheets etc and re-built my pantry within a few weeks (with VERY nice pots/pans that I purchased for next-to-nothing).
Blow-dryers/ curling irons/ space heaters etc. are other sources to consider.


There are also certain metals that (while safe in the "fume department") are not safe for birds to ingest---zinc, copper and lead (to name a few). So keep in mind that when you cook in a pot (even if it is safe for the air) you will want to make sure that you aren't cooking food that your parrot may eat if there could be traces of these metals in the food as a result of the cooking process---I don't mean obvious traces...When you cook in cast iron, for example, a lot of iron gets added to the food (if cooking acidic dishes), so I wouldn't give that to a parrot, as they shouldn't be getting human-sized portions of iron.