A few years ago I threw out every piece of conventional cookware in my kitchen and never looked back.
If you still have non-stick pans you've never tested, or pots you grabbed without thinking too hard about what they're made of — take a few minutes to do these three simple tests.
You can run them right now, in your own kitchen, with things you already have.
Test 1: The magnet test
Stick the magnet to the bottom of your stainless steel pot or pan.
If it grabs on firmly, that's good news. It means higher iron content and lower nickel, so it's less likely to leach metal into your food.
If it barely holds or slides right off, that pan likely has more nickel in it. Nickel leaches over time, and it leaches faster when you're cooking anything acidic. Tomato sauce. Lemon. Vinegar. Wine.
Most people assume a magnet not sticking means nothing. It's telling you what the pan is made of.
Test 2: The scratch test
Run your fingernail lightly across the surface of any non-stick pan.
You're looking for scratches, flaking, or peeling.
Here's the part that matters: even tiny imperfections let PFAS into your food while you cook. Not just heavily damaged pans. Any break in that coating.
If your non-stick pan is scratched even slightly, it's done. Toss it.
Test 3: The acid test
This one takes 20 minutes and it's the most revealing.
Simmer tomato sauce, or any acidic food, in the pan for about 20 minutes. Pour it into a bowl. Taste it, then look at the pan.
Metallic or bitter taste means metal is leaching into your food.
Discoloration in the pan means surface corrosion or a chemical reaction.
Run this one on aluminum, unlined copper, or any pan where you don't actually know what metal you're cooking on.
So what do you do with the results?
Pass all 3? Keep cooking. You're fine.
Fail one? Replace that piece. You don't have to gut your entire kitchen this week. Start with whatever failed, then work through the rest over time.
When you replace something, look for stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel, or true ceramic (not ceramic-coated, which is a different thing entirely).
I use 360 Cookware at home. Here's why:
✓ Made in the USA with surgical-grade stainless steel
✓ Zero PFAS, PTFE, or aluminum touching your food
✓ Lifetime warranty (mine still look brand new after years!)
It passes the magnet test. That's the whole point.
Right now, you can save 25% OFF their pots & pans with code FOODBABE.
Shop 360 Cookware here →
Go run the tests. Then tell me what you found.
Xo,
Vani
P.S. At Food Babe, we only promote products we love to use. If you buy a product we link to, we may earn a commission.
P.P.S. Want the full breakdown, including the 5 toxins to avoid and the red flags to watch for at the store? Grab the free Toxic Cookware Exposed guide here.
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