Everyone loves the way ceramic cookware looks and loves the way it cooks, but it’s absolutely crucial for a cook to choose the proper cookware. While using cookware, dealing with scratches is always a bother. That is why it’s important to avoid this problem if possible. So, do ceramic pans scratch?
Yes, ceramic pans are prone to scratching. Although most ceramic pans are somewhat resistant to scratching, with time, that resistance wears off, and it’s possible to scratch them. The best way to avoid this is by taking good care of the cookware and replace it with new cookware when the time comes.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that ceramic pans are bad or that they should be avoided. Most cookware, regardless of the variety, can get scratched (aside from stainless steel). Let’s now take an in-depth look into ceramic pans to understand if it is safe to use them once they’re scratched, and how to fix the scratches instead of throwing them away. Let’s get started!
Are Scratched Ceramic Pans Safe?
It’s usually safe to continue using a scratched ceramic pan. This will rarely cause any health concerns.
However, it may be a sign that you should think about changing your pan.
Although we’ll be discussing how to fix a scratched pan later on, the damaged lining is a definite sign that you should replace (or at least repair) your pan soon.
This has little effect on the healthiness of the food cooked on the pan, and it’s rather more important for the ceramic lining of the pans.
Ceramic pans aren’t actually completely ceramic. They’re rather metal pans – consisting mostly of metals.
However, they’re coated with a layer (or several layers) of ceramic coating.
Real ceramic would break too easily, not to mention that it isn’t a very good cooking surface.
If you’ve managed to scratch the surface of your beloved ceramic pan, more and more lining will start to come off with time, and this is a much larger issue for your cooking.
If the lining starts to come off in literal flakes and the surface is starting to become black and/or orange, stop using the pan immediately.
This cooking pan is beyond repair, as you’re witnessing aluminum being uncovered. Cooking on aluminum is very dangerous and can cause serious health concerns.
Pan covers like ceramic can be attractive in the short run, but if you want to keep them for long and want them to work properly – you need to care for them.
Hand wash the pan, don’t overheat it. The manufacturer of your pan has definitely left instructions in the packaging, explaining how to take care of your pan.
You should never use coated cookware if the coating has started to come off (not scratched, but actually coming off).
Don’t ever raise the temperature above medium heat when cooking with coated cookware, and don’t dunk a hot pan into the water as soon as you’re done with cooking (let it cool off).
Don’t use steel wool or other highly abrasive scrubbers to clean it, as this is one of the most common ways to scratch your cookware.
Also, don’t store them stacked together. The bottom of one pan will scratch the inside of another pan.
Despite all this, your pan’s coating will start to come off with time.
All cookware has its lifespan, be it a year or two, or a decade or two.
If you’re witnessing this, it’s best to get rid of it and buy yourself new cookware because the health issues caused by bad cookware can be dire.
Most ceramic pans have a lifetime of three to five years (if you use them properly and don’t scratch them).
If you keep using a scratched pan, glazes or flakes of the coating may get in your food, and you may digest them, which can be really dangerous.
Interesting Further Reading:
- Is it Practical to Cook with Pans on a Griddle?
- Can You Cook with Pans on an Induction Hob?
- Are There Dangers to Storing Pans in a Fridge?
- Is it Safe to Wash 12 Varieties of Pans in a Dishwasher?
- Are Non-Stick Coatings Used on Copper Pans?
- Do Baking Pans Have Teflon? (Why + How To Tell If A Pan Has Teflon)
How to Fix Scratched Ceramic Pans?
If your scratch isn’t big, then you could try to fix it.
There’s no harm to it, and as long as your coating isn’t dropping flakes and glazing, it’s okay for you to try to repair it.
However, when you get to that point, your pan is beyond saving.
The first thing you want to do is to clean your pan thoroughly, use a sponge and a dishwashing solution with warm water.
Dirty pans can’t be fixed. Following that, get a cookware repair spray from the cookware store and spray your pan with this spray.
The instructions should be on the can, but you’ll usually have to spray it from one foot above the pan.
This gives the pan an even coating, and it will usually fill the scratch. Make sure to spray the whole pan, not just the scratched area, to keep the level equal.
Let the spray settle for 45 minutes at room temperature, and make sure that no dirt gets into the pan during this time.
Following this, bake the pan for 45 minutes. This will allow the spray to settle down. Let the pan sit in the oven for an hour. Once you’re done with baking it, let it cool down.
Once it’s cooled down, wash the pan once again, and then repeat the process described in the first step.
When you’re done, take a look at the pan and make sure that the scratch is now fixed. If it isn’t, you’ll need to redo the whole process until it’s repaired.
If the pan is beyond repair, you’ll need to get rid of it and buy yourself a new pan, because we’ve already explained the dangers of cooking with a bad pan.
You might find some success at your local cookware store when looking for advice, but it’s likely that your pan’s done for.
