Do the chips from my non-stick Calphalon pan end up in my food?

I purchased a 10-inch GreenPan, above, to replace a 10-inch non-stick pan from Calphalon that has chipped and peeled badly, below. Where did the pieces go?

We have always hand washed this Calphalon pan, a favorite for making omelets, frittatas and shrimp, and used bamboo implements to turn items.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

We prepare food at home five or six days a week, using a mixture of old and new cookware, both non-stick and metal.

In recent years, I've purchased a number of Calphalon frying pans and flat-bottomed woks, and my experience with durability has been mixed.

Both a small, non-stick wok and a non-stick 10-inch frying pan chipped and peeled, even though both were always hand washed.

Where do the pieces go, into my food?

The wok, which had a metal cover, was a favorite for pan roasting sliced fennel and potatoes, then adding a fresh fish such as fluke and finishing the dish in the oven.

I sent that one back to Calphalon, and the company replaced it with a covered non-stick pot like one I already had. I've never used it.

I used the 10-inch non-stick frying pan for preparing thick frittatas, starting them on the stove and finishing them under the broiler.

I use bamboo or wood implements with my non-stick cookware or to cut wedges of frittata.

Now, I plan to send back the badly chipped 10-inch frying pan to Calphalon, and want nothing in return except an explanation of why some of the company's non-stick cookware chips and peels, and others don't.

The Calphalon symbol on the pan's handle. The bottom is marked "1390 10", Toledo, Ohio, USA."

GreenPan is 'healthy'

To replace the 10-inch non-stick Calphalon pan, I purchased a 10-inch GreenPan with a hard, anodized exterior free of PFOA, a chemical; lead and cadmium.

The packaging is labeled "healthy ceramic non-stick."

Benefits listed include even heat distribution thanks to a thick aluminum core; non-stick, easy to clean Thermolon interior surfacing, with no blistering and no peeling; and a large stainless steel handle.

The coating is heat resistant up to 850 degrees.

I bought the 10-inch GreenPan Lima from Amazon.com ($29.99 with a free bamboo turner), and as a member of Amazon Prime, I received free two-day shipping.

An 8-inch GreenPan Lima is $19.99 on Amazon.com. 

This morning, I used the new pan and a little olive oil to prepare an egg-white omelet stuffed with fresh spinach and reduced-fat cheese.

The omelet slid easily in the pan and I had no trouble getting a spatula under it to turn it over the spinach and melted cheese.

GreenPans also can be purchased from the company's Web site: The Original GreenPan