What is the cooking surface made from? I see the house is stainless steel but no mention of the cooking surface materials. Is it non-toxic?
1258360
Teflon. It may be BPA Free as someone said but that does not mean it is 100% safe. All teflon has The chemical - called perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA - is used to make compounds called fluoropolymers, which are used in turn to make Teflon and other products like oil and water-repellent coatings on carpet, textiles, leather and paper. If you cook at very high temperatures some of the chemicals can be released in the air as carcinogens. That said, I use my 5-1 Griddler often and just make sure I don't turn the heat way up. It's just another thing for us to worry about. The FDA came out with this over 14 yrs ago and still has done nothing one way or the other.
1258361
Teflon. It may be BPA Free as someone said but that does not mean it is 100% safe. All teflon has The chemical - called perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA - is used to make compounds called fluoropolymers, which are used in turn to make Teflon and other products like oil and water-repellent coatings on carpet, textiles, leather and paper. If you cook at very high temperatures some of the chemicals can be released in the air as carcinogens. That said, I use my 5-1 Griddler often and just make sure I don't turn the heat way up. It's just another thing for us to worry about. The FDA came out with this over 14 yrs ago and still has done nothing one way or the other. Teflon. It may be BPA Free as someone said but that does not mean it is 100% safe. All teflon has The chemical - called perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA - is used to make compounds called fluoropolymers, which are used in turn to make Teflon and other products like oil and water-repellent coatings on carpet, textiles, leather and paper. If you cook at very high temperatures some of the chemicals can be released in the air as carcinogens. That said, I use my 5-1 Griddler often and just make sure I don't turn the heat way up. It's just another thing for us to worry about. The FDA came out with... » Read More Teflon. It may be BPA Free as someone said but that does not mean it is 100% safe. All teflon has The chemical - called perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA - is used to make compounds called fluoropolymers, which are used in turn to make Teflon and other products like oil and water-repellent coatings on carpet, textiles, leather and paper. If you cook at very high temperatures some of the chemicals can be released in the air as carcinogens. That said, I use my 5-1 Griddler often and just make sure I don't turn the heat way up. It's just another thing for us to worry about. The FDA came out with this over 14 yrs ago and still has done nothing one way or the other. « Show Less
1258362
There's no mention in the manuals or on the plates either. There are no California-type warnings anywhere on it or in the manual.
1258363
its seem to be the same material that the foreman grills are made of but much thinner
1258364
If you have a bird, any teflon will kill it if it is in the same room or even close. make sure you burn it in in the garage or elsewhere, or you will weld their little airsacs shut and they will die. google it yo
1258365
Teflon is a brand, this is not Teflon! Yes it is BPA free. Yes it does contain PFOA. The product is called Xylan. It is FDA approved. I will die from eating sausage patties that I intend to make on it before the coating will kill me! Don't be an alarmist, call Cuisinart! Great customer service! Oh, she said watch out if you have small birds in close to where you are using it. That's why I haven't self cleaned my oven yet, I have a dog and a husband and it is winter...P.S. You should smell my new oven when I turn it on!
1258366
its completely toxic. its made out of poison and killer bees. everyone who has used this grill is dead.
1258367
The cooking surface is made of hard anodized non-stick. On the box it says BPA Free,(non-toxic) and it's also in the description on the Cuisinart website. That was a big concern for me also. They really should have included BPA Free in the product description on Amazon.
1258368
Shelley is correct. The plates are as non-toxic as any cooking surface can be these days--until perhaps some other health risk is discovered for non-stick cooking surfaces.
1258369
It is similar to the ceramic coating on my Cuisinart cookware. It is not like any of the Teflon grills I have seen.
1419867
It's not stainless steel on inside I can tell you that. Some kind of plastic I'm afraid. I have one of these and this aspect is the one thing I worry about rather. Do the high temperatures result in the plastic seeping carcinogens into the water? I'd love to know for sure this was not the case.
512477
It did not say on package that it was stainless, I think it is aluminum, not positive though. We have used quiet often. Wife says it is very nice compared to the other non stick surface.
900906
The outside coating is stainless steel, the cooking pot is coated with a non-stick material.
1321110
I'm not sure what type of metal it is.... it is not ceramic or glass but some type of metal. It is not non-stick. I'm guessing stainless steel?
2253399
Mine is stainless steel. There is no nonstick coating to speak of. It's not like a coating you might find on a pan or pot, it's simply stainless steel. With a little oil, I have had no issues.
1785670
Non Stick ceramic over stainless! The best and worst of both worlds! I also drink all day, but because this surface does not get any utensil contact, It seems to stay put. I have used mine for about 6-7 months now, and use lemon juice and vinegar to clean it with, and I would recommend anyone do this prior to first use. It will wash clean any surface contaminants and as long as the seal isn't broken or damaged, you shouldn't get any toxicity unless you are highly sensitive or allergic to non stick.
1791605
It appears to be (may not be) stainless. As for "non-stick", not sure. Never had any prooblems with sticking, though.
353828
I called Caphalon today to inquire, because I was interested in this based on the rave reviews - but I refuse to buy toxic cookware. They told me that the bronze is just for the color. I asked what the non-stick coating was, if it wasn't actually some kind of bronze coating. They stated it was their standard non-stick coating. After asking a third time, I was told it was "PTFE". In other words, Teflon. Heavily disguised with marketing of a "bronze non-stick" coating. Can't get away from this stuff!
1909599
With the exception of the wooden handle, the entire pot is stainless steel. I would never cook in aluminum - I don't even use aluminum foil.
1720271
yes it most certainly does, this is NOT a non-stick surface. but that's the point. non-stick cooking surfaces are actually toxic, and folks who want to eat healthy, organic, holistically, etc avoid those surfaces. After cooking with this stainless cooker, just soak the SS pot in the sink for a while, and the left over rice wipes right off with a soft sponge.
1986817
It is just stainless steel. You can scrub this pan with a steel wool pad without damaging it. I just love it.
1933050
It looks like Teflon, but I'm pretty sure it's not. These days there are dozens of formulations for non-stick surfaces. Almost all non-stick surfaces will have a certain expected lifespan, even if treated gently. The surface on this skillet should last a long time; I'm hoping for as long as the rest of the skillet. A five to ten year lifespan for this skillet and surface is about what I expect.
2173806
Hi, it is actually made from burnt hardwood. It is 'food grade'. Some cheaper varieties aren't.
913265
It's not a non-stick surface like traditional non-stick pans. The materials used are infused into the pan all the way through. My suspicion is that indeed the non-stick factor is covered as the pan would only consist of the part touching the heating element and the handle.
1907835
Thank you for responding. Around here we are warned not to use drums for cooking or heating if they are used. Even with industrial cleaning the metal is porous enough to retain some of the chemicals that may have been in the drum, which may be very toxic. When heated the metal might release these chemicals. There was a report that an entire family was sickened and died from this here in the Mobile Alabama area. Good luck.
984989
I am not an expert on different cookware materials. At this point I use mostly clay, or cast iron, and enameled cast iron. I like the kinds of materials that hold and distribute heat most consistently. I do know that clay has been used as cookware material for centuries (I think it may have been the first practical cookware ever used). I do not think there are any issues in regard to safety, toxicity, or nutrition. I just love the way clay "treats" food either in a cooker, on the stove or in the oven.