Did you just buy or consider buying a MasterClass pot or pan and then think… “Is this non-toxic?” or “Is it dishwasher safe?” If so, we’ve got the answers for you. MasterClass is a prolific kitchen cookware producer making pots, pans, casserole dishes, and more. To find out if MasterClass has the right cookware for you, look no further.
Table Of Contents:
Is Masterclass Teflon Free?
MasterClass offers non-stick cookware containing Teflon. This includes their MasterClass Heavy Duty Frypans but may also include other products. However, the vast majority of MasterClass cookware is made with other materials like stainless steel, carbon steel, and ceramic.
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Should You Avoid Teflon?
Teflon is a trademarked polymer non-stick coating. Some people will tell you that it’s unsafe to cook using Teflon cookware. However, the truth is much more complex. A chemical used in the production of Teflon, perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, is a polymer classified recently as a “Forever Chemical.” These “Forever Chemicals,” or PFAS, can be found in many places worldwide, including probably your bloodstream right now. The issue is that they do not break down whatsoever, so they will remain intact in the environment for an unknown period of time, hence the name.
A Deep Look at PTFE
PTFE or polytetrafluoroethylene is the chemical commonly found within Teflon non-stick coatings. This is also a “Forever Chemical,” but its danger is often oversimplified and overestimated. When in gaseous form, the chemical can be toxic and has been responsible for a “Polymer Fume Fever” reaction.
In 2012, a 29-year-old Japanese man put some water on the stove to boil in a Teflon pan and fell asleep. When he awoke 5 hours later, there was a lot of smoke. When he took the pan to the sink and poured water on it, fumes were expelled from the pan explosively, and he inhaled a large amount of them. He had a fever, a cough, and shortness of breath for less than three days and returned to normal.
Cases of “Polymer Fume Fever” are incredibly uncommon because they require heating a Teflon pan to temperatures above 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, for “Polymer Fume Fever” to cause any irreparable damage to somebody, they’d likely already need to be sick or have severe breathing issues.
You’ve probably heard that if your Teflon coating is chipped, even a little, you should throw the pan away immediately. However, it’s likely that if you ate chips of PTFE from your degrading pan, you would be totally fine. In solid form, PTFE is very stable and unreactive, giving it a good opportunity to pass through your body with no harm done. However, this doesn’t stop activists from rightfully leading a charge against the use of “Forever Chemicals” in cookware, as the damage to the environment is still very real and very significant.
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Is MasterClass Cookware Oven-Safe?
For the most part, any metal or ceramic pot or pan will be oven-safe. The main thing to look for when trying to make sure would be the handle or lid. If there is a plastic, rubber, or wooden handle or knob on the cookware, you should check the product description or box before you put it in the oven.
Non-slip silicone handles like the ones often found on MasterClass saucepans are generally safe for use in the oven and dishwasher. Cookware with a Teflon coating is also generally oven-safe; however, avoid letting it reach temperatures above 500 degrees Fahrenheit to stay on the safe side.
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Is MasterClass Cookware Non-Toxic?
MasterClass cookware is generally considered non-toxic, including non-stick cookware containing PTFE. PTFE is very inert and unlikely to cause any harm unless inhaled. Another concern some may have is aluminum’s tendency to leech into other substances at high temperatures.
However, aluminum is only found in MasterClass Heavy Duty Frypans, the same pans with a Teflon coating. If you wish to avoid these concerns altogether, consider any of the other pieces of MasterClass cookware, or non-stick cookware that doesn’t contain PFOA or PTFE like Curtis stone cookware!
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Is MasterClass Cookware Induction Compatible?
MasterClass offers stainless steel, carbon steel, and ceramic coated cookware listed on their website as induction safe. Their Teflon-coated Heavy Duty Frypans are not listed as induction safe, so it’s important to avoid using them on induction discs or cooktops. The induction process could easily overheat the core of the pans and bring the temperature of the Teflon too high to be safe.
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Are MasterClass Pans Dishwasher Safe?
MasterClass lists their carbon steel, ceramic coated, induction ready, and stainless steel cookware as dishwasher safe, along with many other pieces of cookware. However, they leave the Teflon cookware out once again. Manufacturers of Teflon non-stick cookware will often tell you to avoid the dishwasher.
Doctor Huang, a postdoctoral fellow in the toxicology program at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, believes this has nothing to do with safety. She said, “I imagine their main concern would be just that it might degrade the coating faster. So that would decrease the quality of their pans, and so to avoid unhappy customers, they might recommend not putting it in the dishwasher.”
As mentioned before, some degradation of the pans would be unlikely to cause harm. Doctor Huang remarked, “The chemical structure makes it pretty inert, and so if you were to ingest a chip of your Teflon pan, that would probably go through your system pretty harmlessly.”
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Are MasterClass Pots Stainless Steel?
All MasterClass Stockpots are made of stainless steel. This means that while they lack non-stick properties, they have antimicrobial properties, great material strength, and durability and will last a long time. There is no surface coating that can be chipped or damaged, and they will be dishwasher and oven safe.
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What is the Safest Form of Cookware?
In general, Teflon and aluminum cookware are safe. However, they pose risks under extreme conditions. Some people may not be willing to tolerate the risks out of fear that they may forget a pan on the stove for a few hours as the Japanese man did with his PTFE pan.
If you are looking for a safer material to cook with, here are some of the best! In no particular order, these materials are considered the safest to cook with: Cast Iron, Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, and Ceramic.
Cast Iron
A very basic iron alloy called cast iron is one of the oldest and most popular ways of cooking. Cast iron is made by reducing iron ore in a blast furnace and contains about 3% carbon. It also often contains trace amounts of impurities such as sulfur and phosphorus and various amounts of other elements like silicon and manganese.
Cooking with cast iron can be a delightful process, but you must be careful. Cast iron is pretty absorbent, does not handle acidic substances or dish soap well, and is easy to rust if you aren’t careful. People will recommend you “season” a cast iron pan, but it’s more like seasoning a grill than using herbs and spices.
The process of seasoning the pan includes cooking oil or fat into the pan, which creates somewhat of a non-stick surface and makes cleanup very straightforward.
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel is a more intentional alloy of carbon and iron, usually containing about 10% carbon. This material functions a lot like cast iron in that it can be somewhat “seasoned.” However, it responds better to soap and moisture and has better mechanical properties. This is a great middle-of-the-road material if you’re unsure whether you want cast iron or stainless steel.
Like cast iron, carbon steel is a simple alloy of carbon and iron, making it very recyclable and, therefore, eco-friendly.
Stainless Steel
Another iron alloy, stainless steel, is made with 10-20% chromium and usually contains other minerals like nickel. This alloy is much more corrosion-resistant than cast iron or carbon steel and is very hard to rust. Many kitchen surfaces are made of stainless steel due to their ease of cleaning, intrinsic antimicrobial properties, and beautiful chrome-like appearance.
Stainless steel cookware such as David Burke pots and pans can handle a beating and provide an environmentally conscious choice due to the material’s complete recyclability.
Ceramic
Finally, ceramic is another material commonly used for a non-stick coating on pans, but entire pans can also be made of it. A modern non-stick pan made with reinforced ceramic particles has been produced by Ballarini! Ceramic is made by firing inorganic and nonmetallic materials like silicon and clay in a kiln.
Ceramics are hard and brittle and can provide an excellent non-stick surface. However, they will break down more than a metallic pan and may not last as long, much like a Teflon-coated pan. Ceramic is also an environmentally friendly choice as it’s highly recyclable and can be broken down and cleaned without the use of toxic chemicals.
Shanny
Shanny not only has an exceptional understanding of the foodie mindset and how nutrition works, she has also achieved her Master’s Degree in Education. Outside of her academic achievements, she loves writing food blogs. It's so much more than a list of meals though! Shanny creates helpful cookware guides and delicious recipes that are easy to follow. She does all of this as a food blog writer because she loves it. That's why she spends lots of time testing out different recipes in her own home. She truly is a one-of-a-kind foodie, from her home to yours - with a story to tell, new recipes to indulge in and new tips to tantalize those tastebuds.
