The Always Pan from Our Place is free of PFAS, PTFE, PFOA, lead, and cadmium, based on both the manufacturer’s claims and independent testing. Consumer Reports tested the Always Pan for 96 different PFAS compounds and found none. That puts it in a safer category than traditional non-stick pans, though the full picture of ceramic coating safety is more nuanced than the marketing suggests.
What the Coating Is Made Of
The Always Pan uses a proprietary ceramic coating called Thermakind, which Our Place says is composed mainly of sand derivative (silica), water, and alcohol. The pan body itself is made from 100% post-consumer recycled aluminum. This is typical of modern ceramic non-stick cookware, which uses a silica-based coating applied over metal rather than the traditional PTFE (Teflon) approach.
Ceramic non-stick coatings work differently from Teflon at a chemical level. PTFE belongs to the PFAS family of chemicals, sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment and the human body. Ceramic coatings sidestep that concern entirely. They create a slick surface through a process called sol-gel, where silica and metal oxides are sprayed onto the aluminum base.
What Independent Testing Found
Consumer Reports tested the Always Pan alongside other cookware marketed as non-toxic. The pan came back clean for all 96 PFAS compounds in their testing panel. This is significant because some cookware brands that claim to be “non-toxic” have failed similar tests. In the same Consumer Reports investigation, certain other brands did contain detectable PFAS despite their marketing claims. The Always Pan was not one of them.
Our Place also states the pan is free of lead and cadmium, two heavy metals that can leach from some cookware glazes. However, publicly available third-party test results showing specific lead and cadmium levels in parts per million are not readily accessible for the Always Pan.
The Limits of “Non-Toxic” Ceramic Coatings
While the Always Pan avoids the well-known concerns associated with PTFE cookware, ceramic coatings carry their own set of questions that are worth understanding. The American Ceramic Society has raised several points about ceramic-coated pans in general.
First, if ceramic-coated pans are overheated, the coating can decompose, sometimes within months of purchase. Because many sol-gel coating formulas are proprietary, it’s not always clear what chemicals may be released during that breakdown. The coating can contain organic polymers as part of the manufacturing process, and once the surface degrades, those compounds could leach into food or release into the air.
Second, researchers have identified titanium dioxide nanoparticles in some ceramic-coated pans. A 2016 study showed these nanoparticles can migrate into food during cooking. While titanium dioxide is considered safe in its bulk form, the nanoparticle form raises different health questions. It’s unclear whether the Always Pan specifically contains titanium dioxide nanoparticles, as the full composition of the Thermakind coating is proprietary.
These aren’t reasons to panic, but they do explain why some materials scientists are cautious about labeling any ceramic-coated pan as definitively “non-toxic.” The absence of PFAS is a clear win. The long-term behavior of the coating as it wears is less well understood.
How It Compares to Traditional Non-Stick
The biggest safety advantage of the Always Pan over traditional Teflon cookware comes down to what happens when things go wrong. Both ceramic and PTFE coatings should stay below roughly 480 to 500°F. But when PTFE is heated past that threshold, it begins releasing fumes that can irritate human airways and are genuinely dangerous to pet birds, whose respiratory systems are extremely sensitive. Ceramic coatings don’t carry the same fume risk, making them a safer choice for households with birds or anyone who occasionally forgets a pan on the stove.
Traditional PTFE pans made after 2013 no longer use PFOA as a processing aid, which was the most concerning chemical in older Teflon manufacturing. Modern Teflon pans are safer than their predecessors. But they still belong to the PFAS chemical family, and for people trying to reduce their overall PFAS exposure, ceramic is the cleaner option.
Making the Coating Last
The practical reality of ceramic non-stick pans, including the Always Pan, is that the coating wears out faster than PTFE. Most owners report the non-stick performance declining noticeably within one to three years, depending on use and care. As the coating degrades, it becomes less effective and potentially more prone to the chemical migration issues researchers have flagged.
To get the most life out of the coating, avoid metal utensils, skip the dishwasher, don’t use cooking sprays (which leave a residue that builds up on ceramic surfaces), and keep heat at medium or below. Preheating an empty ceramic pan on high heat is one of the fastest ways to damage the coating. Once the surface is visibly scratched, chipped, or food starts sticking consistently, the pan has reached the end of its useful life as a non-stick surface.
The Always Pan is a genuinely better option than traditional Teflon if your goal is avoiding PFAS exposure. Its coating tested clean in independent lab work, and its base materials avoid the most well-established cookware toxins. The honest answer is that no non-stick coating is perfectly understood in terms of long-term safety, but among the options available, ceramic coatings like the one on the Always Pan sit at the lower-risk end of the spectrum.