We choose our ingredients with care, we read the labels, we prioritise fresh produce. Then, we cook all of that in a pan whose composition we know nothing about. Yet, the cooking material is the only element in the kitchen that touches every food item, at every meal, for years.

A coating is not a material

This is the distinction that explains almost everything. A classic non-stick pan is not made of a non-stick material: it is an aluminium pan to which a layer of a few micrometres has been applied. This layer is what makes cooking easy — and it is also what wears out.

A coating has a lifespan. It is measured in years, sometimes months depending on usage. A metal spatula, a dishwasher, repeated overheating, and the layer gets scratched, flakes off, or detaches. Whatever appears underneath was never intended to be in contact with food.

A non-stick pan is not a durable utensil. It is a consumable that you replace every two to three years.

The question of temperature

PTFE coatings are stable under normal cooking conditions. The problem appears beyond that: starting at approximately 260°C, the polymer begins to degrade and release volatile compounds. However, an empty pan left on high heat exceeds this temperature in two to three minutes — a forgotten preheat is enough.

Titanium, meanwhile, only melts at 1,668°C. There is no domestic threshold where the material changes its nature. This is not a marketing gimmick: it is simply the difference between a material and a coating.

Material	Benefits	Limitations
Non-stick (PTFE)	Instant glide, low price	Coating that wears out and scratches; degrades above 260°C
Stainless steel	Robust, no coating, excellent searing	Everything sticks without mastery of preheating and fats
Ceramic	PFAS-free, clean look	Rapid loss of non-stick effect, often in less than a year
Cast iron	Thermal inertia, longevity	Weight, maintenance, seasoning to be kept up
Titanium	Solid material, stable, unalterable	Requires proper preheating — that's all

PFAS: why the issue won't go away

PFAS encompass several thousand fluorinated compounds used since the 1950s for their non-stick and waterproofing properties. Their common characteristic is their extreme stability: they degrade very slowly in the environment, earning them the nickname "forever chemicals."

This persistence explains the growing regulatory attention in Europe, where several member states have initiated a restriction process on the entire family rather than molecule by molecule. The scientific and political debate is ongoing; it is not closed. But the underlying logic is simple: a utensil that contains no compounds from this family does not present the problem.

Titanium has been used for decades where failure is not an option: medical implants, aeronautics, surgical instruments. It is not a kitchen material repurposed for the occasion — it is a material chosen for its stability and resistance to corrosion, of which cooking is just one application among others.

Concretely, in a home kitchen, this translates to three things. The material does not scratch like a coating: metal utensils are no longer off-limits. It does not degrade with heat: accidental overheating has no consequences. And it does not lose its properties over time: the pan in its fifth year performs just like it did on day one.

Our approach

The Glissium™ Technology surface from Maison Ferré® is structured, not applied. There is no layer to preserve — there is a surface geometry that is part of the metal itself.

How to evaluate a pan before buying it

Look for the word "coating." If it appears, there is a layer to wear out, regardless of its composition.
Check the warranty. A warranty limited to two years on non-stick properties indicates exactly the expected lifespan.
Verify compatibility with metal utensils. A manufacturer that forbids them is telling you the surface is fragile.
Ask for the maximum temperature. A low numerical response is a degradation threshold disguised as usage advice.

Changing pans is not a trivial act, and it is not a decision to be made every year. That is precisely the argument: a utensil chosen to last should be judged on what it will be like in ten years, not on what it costs today.

House tips

Never preheat an empty pan on high heat. This is the situation that damages any utensil the fastest.
A pan that sticks is not necessarily worn out. Nine times out of ten, it was too cold at the moment of searing.
Store without stacking bare. A felt pad or a cloth between two pans prevents micro-scratches.
The dishwasher is not your friend. Even on a stable material, alkaline detergents will dull the finish.