If This Happens, You Should Definitely Throw Out Your Nonstick Pan

My kitchen counter is clean enough to dine from, but hiding in the cabinets below are no less than seven nonstick pans in varying degrees of deterioration, wobbling atop each other with the occasional wooden bowl mixed in. Some have bent handles, some have handles that swivel precariously when you grip them, some are scratched, some are dented. Sound familiar?

Well, here's one telltale sign that it's time to toss out your nonstick pan or other nonstick cookware: "If your non-stick [sic] pan is scratched, it's probably still useable (albeit slightly less non-stick), unless the coating is actually chipping off. But if you notice that more than scratches, toss the pan; it's not worth the risk," writes Kristie Collado on The Daily Meal.

It's worth noting that many experts think that these coating bits from the pans likely pass through our bodies without causing any harm, but we're guessing you still don't want your sautéed peppers and onions tossed with a garnish of nonstick pan.

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Additionally, once the coating starts coming off, the pan begins to lose its nonstick qualities. Well, I guess that whittles my cabinet collection down to five pans now — how about you?