Stainless Steel vs. Cast Iron: My Journey to Finding a PFAS-Free Egg Pan

a stove top with scrambled eggs in a mini cast iron skillet, and an empty stainless steel pan in the background.

June 4, 2026 Food and the Environment, Spoonful

If you’ve ever tried to swap your nonstick pans for a PFAS-free alternative, you know it’s not just a kitchen upgrade, it’s a journey. For me, this experiment was driven by one goal: finding a safe PFAS-free pan that I can realistically cook in. This pan review is based on my own experience, specifically with cooking eggs. I have fried eggs or scrambled eggs almost every morning, so this is an important pan swap I need to be confident in.

PFAS and Nonstick Pans

PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of synthetic “forever chemicals.” Due to their widespread use and presence in the environment, many PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals. PFAS may be present in grease-resistant paper, microwave popcorn bags, stain or water repellents, non-stick products, and more. PFAS are associated with numerous health and environmental effects (US EPA), such as increased risk of some cancers, developmental, and reproductive effects.

In Maine, there is a PFAS in Products Program (Maine Department of Environmental Protection) enacted in Public Law to help stop PFAS pollution. The phased timeline started in 2023 and is planned to continue until 2040. As of January 1, 2026, cookware products with intentionally added PFAS are prohibited. This will eventually phase out the sale of products that contain intentionally added PFAS in Maine.

I’ve always used nonstick cookware, but now I’m trying to make a swap. This journey started because I created the UMaine Extension Mainely Dish recipe video series, and when I was making the recipes, I used nonstick cookware. This was pointed out by a colleague that there is a risk of using nonstick cookware due to PFAS. This was a valid point, so before filming more food videos with new cookware I wasn’t familiar with, I wanted to learn how to cook with other options besides nonstick.

Pros: This may be self-explanatory, but it’s nonstick, so food doesn’t get stuck to the pan as easily, and it’s an easy cleanup.

Cons: Certain non-stick coatings on cookware, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commonly known by its brand name Teflon, may contain PFAS. PFAS are associated with numerous health and environmental effects.

Takeaway: If your non-stick pans are in good condition, not scratched or peeling, and used at appropriate temperatures, you don’t have to toss your nonstick cookware tonight. But, to reduce your exposure to PFAS, it would be best to find a PFAS-free alternative like stainless steel or cast iron.

Stainless Steel Pans

Buying a stainless steel pan was the first option I went with. It seemed less intimidating than cast iron, and when I was in culinary school, this was a popular cookware choice.

Pros: It heats up quickly, it’s not as heavy as cast iron, you can use it on the stovetop or put it in the oven as long as everything, including the handles, is stainless steel, and it’s PFAS-free.

Cons: The quality of the stainless steel pan you buy matters, so it could be expensive. The stainless steel handle gets very hot, so use caution if you’re not used to this material. The process of getting the pan heated correctly is a science that I have not mastered. I’ve had one, maybe two, successful attempts where my eggs did not stick and burn to the pan. When food burns onto the pan, it’s not easy to clean up. All-Clad has a beginner’s guide on How to Cook with Stainless Steel Cookware that explains all the steps, and the key piece to the process is patience. Good luck!

Takeaway: Not to be dramatic, but I really don’t like the stainless steel pan. It turned making breakfast into a much longer process. I stopped making eggs in the morning because of the frustration of using this pan instead of my nonstick one. Maybe you guessed it, I went back to using my nonstick pan for a while. Then I remembered my goal, no pans with PFAS, so I bought a cast iron skillet to try.

Cast Iron Skillets

My husband has a big cast iron skillet, which we have only really used when we go camping. In my head, cast iron skillets are meant for when you are tenting outdoors and cooking food over the fire, not in a home kitchen. Also, the couple of times I tried using it when we went camping, the fried eggs got terribly stuck and burned. Cleaning that in the woods was not easy, so you could see why this was my last option to try.

Pros: It’s more affordable than I thought, you can cook with it on the stovetop or in the oven, and it’s PFAS-free.

Cons: It’s more high-maintenance compared to other cookware. The handle gets very hot, so use caution if you’re not used to this material. To help with that issue, there are various types of handle covers. I have a silicone one that works well.

Takeaway: You, in fact, can use cast iron in a home kitchen. It’s not just used over a fire pit while camping. My mini cast iron skillet is so cute and lives on our stovetop right now. I’ve had a lot more success cooking eggs in my cast iron skillet compared to stainless steel. We have a great blog about Cast Iron Basics that I referred to on this journey, and it helped me learn how to season and clean my pan. Have I done the right cleaning and seasoning process every time? No, no, I haven’t.

The Journey Continues

As a reminder, this review was only based on cooking eggs. I have a larger stainless steel pan I bought to make large recipes, like vegetable stir-fry, and it’s mostly been a success, but still not perfect. Through this process, I have alternated between committing to using a PFAS-free option and going back to my nonstick pan. For now, I am going to stick with my cast iron skillet for eggs and maybe be brave and attempt to make eggs again in my stainless steel pan when I’m feeling like I have the patience for that process. Thanks for following me along on this journey!

No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.

Resources

Author

Alex Gayton, MS, RD is a registered dietitian (RD) and has been with University of Maine Cooperative Extension since January 2020. Alex is a supervisor and the social media coordinator for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program’s (EFNEP) Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages. She also is the creator of the Mainely Dish recipe video series. Alex loves food photography, baking, and cooking plant-based meals!