I agree. Get rid of the pan. It's not safe to use.

Agree. Ditch.

Throw it away.

And go to goodwill, get a cast iron pan for 50cents, season it well and enjoy its nonstickyness.

This is why I just don't like non-stick: it wears out. Even with the best quality and great attention paid to care and maintenance, it will need to be replaced far more often than any traditional pan. I wish there was a way to get them re-coated or something so there would be less waste.

Definitely pitch it. A few years ago, it was reported that Teflon is harmful to health, particularly when chipping.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/06/consumer_report_1.php

We got rid of our nonstick pans completely and are using only stainless or cast-iron.

toss it for sure. It's sad. Especially when the pan seems to be a good heavy metal pan, but it's the safe way to go. Once the non-stick coating starts to chip, you can't stop it, often times the metal underneath is not meant to be cooked on directly (and that's why it's rusting).

NO -- toss it!

My parents use an old retired non-stick pan as a birdfeeder (drill hole in pan and attach securely to pole). And yes they are handy and have a good sense of humor.

My first thought was that I didn't think it could be rescued, but google suggests otherwise. It does involve some caustic chemicals or seeking out someone who can do sandblasting.

http://www.ehow.com/how_6730024_remove-nonstick-coating-cookware.html

It probably wouldn't be worth it if the pan is aluminum, though.

As you inherited the pan, it's most likely already exceeded its warranty period. You can, in theory, just use a Dremel or sander to remove the coating and polish the surface underneath, but that's an awful lot of work just to save an old pan, and you may still have to seal or treat the polished surface to be able to use it for cooking again.

Best option: Take it to a recycling facility, get a few bucks out of it, and enjoy your beverage of choice.

Toss! Teflon is scary. Oh man, once you go iron skillet, you'll never go back! I have a big one and a tiny one, perfect for frying one egg, and I'm toying with the idea of getting a medium-sized one. Indispensible.

It's a good question. I tried extreme heat to remove teflon. Put in out in the yard on a propane burner lit the thing up and ran like the dickens... it got who knows how hot. The teflon was transformed to some other awful stuff which was un-removable... experiment over, pan went to the scrap place.

I like the 'silsmil's' idea of re-purposing the thing, just don't know what to suggest... saw the handle off - short-range, ninja frisbee...

fi_burke

I wish I could find cast iron at thrift shops near me at any price. 50 cents would be a steal. Those pieces get snapped up quickly, and I hear they are generally around $20.

I have two great pieces of vintage cast iron. One came from a guy at a flea market who rescues old cast iron and cost me $14. The other I almost tripped over late one night. It was on the curb with someone's trash. It took some work, but underneath a bunch of rust and the damaged seasoning was a very nice Wagner 10" square skillet.

Brand new cast iron pans are relatively inexpensive. I think you can buy them for less than $20.

I'm glad that this has included some discussion of cast iron. 'Hyacinth' is right - new cast iron is relatively inexpensive. Vintage cast iron is worth the effort finding and restoring. It generally has a smoother finish on the cooking surface. I don't mean to discourage from buying new cast iron, just want to encourage seeking out the vintage stuff. If you get it can care for it - it'll be around for 'billions and billions of years.'

Must agree with the advice to find a cast-iron pan, preferably a vintage one. I had been using the "good" (expensive!) Calphalon nonstick pans, but even those are flaking after only a couple years. I recently got my great-grandmother's cast iron skillet from my Mom, and damn- that may be the best gift I've ever received! I will never buy a nonstick skillet again- it is MUCH less sticky than the best non-stick, and cleaning it is a breeze.

I wouldn't try to save this pan.

Cast iron is great, but it requires maintaining the seasoning and it is mega-heavy. If there is an elderly person in your life who frequents your kitchen, chances are you will hear complaints about the weight.

I use Scanpan for my nonstick needs. I don't know if it's as safe as iron, but it is far more durable than Teflon, you can use metal utensils and it goes in the dishwashers. Not as slick a surface as Teflon, but when I scald milk to make yogurt, it cleans up easily afterward.

Thanks for this question and discussion. We've been using a teflon pan that makes this one look brand new. We have a stainless steel but fall back on the teflon. I'll toss it this week.

Dude, do not keep a nonstick pan that has a pierced coating. Working in a kitchen store, I see this kind of thing all the time. It's terrifying.

I would replace it with a ceramic pan. I've just been given a ceramic wok, and it's been pure joy. It's a new, green way of coating pans, and I'm sold. I don't know how it will hold over time though.
My pan is an "Earthchef" (http://www.earthchef.net/fr/), and I'll replace my teflon non-stick pan with those when they will be wearing out.

According to findings like the above Treehugger link, Teflon is unsafe even when brand new. I threw all mine away.

If it's a Calphalon pan, send it back to them, and they'll likely replace it, as most of their lines have lifetime warranties. I've taken advantage of this time and again, and it certainly makes me loyal to Calphalon (and their higher end lines are made in my state, Ohio). You write a letter explaining the problem, if they determine you've used their recommended care and cleaning advice, about 6 weeks later you get a brand new pan in the mail. I'd say a new pan is definitely worth the price of shipping!

If it's not Calphalon, do what the others said and ditch it, I wouldn't want to risk ingesting nonstick coating, or rust.

I, too, recommend not using the chipped Teflon pan.

I love cast iron, but we have a new ceramic top electric stove and cast iron isn't recommended for use on the cooking surface (it looks like a glass top, but is really a type of ceramic). Anyone know if the coasted cast irons are less likely to scratch and damage the cooking surface?

What about the equivalent problem for enameled cast iron? I have some (inherited) le creuset pans that I love but can't quite afford to have re-enameled yet. Are they safe to use even where I can see the cast iron peeking through the enamel?

Yes, you can use chipped cast iron.

No, you cannot use chipped teflon.

We've had decent luck with some of the "green" nonstick pans which work more or less like well seasoned cast iron, which we also have. I don't like stinky things in the cast iron.

Did you know you're supposed to season non-stick pans, similar to the way you season cast iron? Read about it on a blog a few months ago, but can't remember which one.

I'm having a very hard time finding a good, large skillet that's not non-stick coated or cast iron.

My glasstop stove directions specifically tell me not to use cast iron pans--not sure if it's because they're so heavy (and therefore cooks are more likely break the glass with them, or whether it has something to do with the bottoms often having a little ridge around the edge).

Cast iron is almost non-porous. My mother would never cook anything with tomatoes in cast iron, because she said the acid in the tomatoes messed up the cast iron. Like a good daughter, I never put anything with tomatoes in my cast iron skillets.

MUSE2323: With many glass cooktops, it's not a matter of IF the cast iron will break the cooktop, but WHEN. Swiss Diamond makes a lovely 12" nonstick skillet that will work on a glass top, and the non-PFOA nonstick coating is guaranteed.