Non-Stick Cookware That Is Not Scratched?

[ruhbehka]

DS (3.5 yo) recently had symptoms of being glutened. I've gone over his diet for the last few days and double-checked everything... no gluten.

He seems to have gotten sick somewhere between dinner and breakfast. One possibility is that DH made our gluten-free dinner in our (not scratched) non-stick skillet. I had made a quesadilla in it for me recently (last use??).

But again, not scratched. Can we switch back and forth or do we really need dedicated non-stick? (We take very good care of our pans to avoid damaging them.)

[sa1937]

If it would put your mind at ease and if you feel you can afford it, I'd buy an inexpensive set of nonstick cookware to use for gluten free foods. Have you replaced or have duplicates of any other things that might create a problem for your son? (wooden spoons, toaster, separate condiments, etc.)

I am getting rid of a mish-mash of old stuff (i.e., ancient) and am going to do a complete gluten free kitchen. Much easier for me since I live alone and then I don't have to worry about cross contamination. That's my project for this next week after just having my endo/biopsy on Fri.

[psawyer]

If the skillet is in good condition, and was cleaned thoroughly, then there should be no special issues just because it is a non-stick pan.

Anything that is shared between gluten-free and regular food needs to be washed properly after use with gluten-containing foods. That applies equally to your plates and utensils as well. A dishwasher is good.

[gary'sgirl]

I have read in several places (wish I could remember where) as well as been told by a couple of other people that the non-stick coating on pans can absorb and leach gluten into food that is cooked on it whether or not it is scratched. I don't know if this info was 100% correct or not, but I decided to not chance it for us.

[Korwyn]

This also depends from what I've been able to find out on the quality of the pan and the coating material. Some of the non-Teflon ones are most definitely capable of cross-contamination because the micro pockets in the coating are large enough to retain material even after a thorough cleaning.

[buffettbride]

When we first went gluten-free at our house, I took great care to clean our non-stick pans very thoroughly. That said, the pans remained gluten free and we never put gluten in them again and had no problems.

I'd be hesitant to use a pan for gluten and then wash it and expect it to be 100% gluten free when I needed it to be. I'd probably invest in a set of pans (or a pan or two) dedicated to be gluten-free.