Cast iron and stainless steel pans are the GOAT: From a materials health perspective, sometimes, simple is best (and safest). Plus, cast iron and stainless steel are extremely durable—with proper care, you could have your pans for life—and you can toss them in the oven or over a campfire.
Why not non-stick pans? Well-known for their use in non-stick cookware, PFAS (per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances) are often called “forever chemicals” because they do not fully degrade from living tissue, or the environment, and are associated with health issues like thyroid disease, asthma and even certain cancers. The Green Science Policy Institute recommends
avoiding non-essential use of products with PFAS.
Retire old non-stick pans. PFOA, part of the PFAS group of chemicals, was used to make Teflon coatings until 2013 when it was phased out. If you have any non-stick pans this old haunting your cabinets, it's a good idea to stop cooking with them.
What about newer non-stick pans? There are some hard-to-miss, beautifully designed pans that have entered the market in recent years. Many of them have oriented their brands around having safe/non-toxic, non-stick coatings. We'd like to get a better understanding of the formulas behind their non-stick coatings before we officially endorse them. That said….The Green Science Policy Institute has identified some popular non-stick options that have been tested to be PFAS-free. So: if you need a better than baseline choice for a non-stick pan ASAP, these are a good bet.