Home chefs and kitchen novices might be familiar with the controversy of non-stick cookware, which has come under fire in recent years for allegedly making people sick.
Over time, the polymers that are used to give non-stick cookware the ability to let go of sticky foods like eggs break down when exposed to high heat. The resulting fumes are thought to make people sick.
Now, a content creator whose videos primarily focus on cooking with stainless steel—a popular alternative to Teflon-coated non-stick pans—is urging people not to buy certain kinds of pasta because of the role Teflon plays in their production.
In a video that has drawn over 1.5 million views, the Steel Pan Guy (@steelpan.guy on TikTok) says people should look for pasta that has a rough surface, as that means it was cut with a bronze die, rather than a Teflon one.
“Crazy, wait until you hear this,” he says off-camera. “So big Teflon has their hands in the pasta industry. There’s two different types of pasta. There’s Teflon die and bronze die. Bronze die’s got that rougher shape, like this brand here if you look closely, rough in texture. Then there’s Teflon die, which is smooth in texture.”
Pasta cut with a Teflon die, which gives the pasta its shape, are typically going to be more affordable brands on supermarket shelves, he says.
“The cheaper brands, usually, are the Teflon die and yes, it does go through a Teflon device and it gets squeezed into the pasta,” he says. “Always use bronze drawn, or bronze die pasta. The way you know is looking for that rough texture, and this is what big Teflon doesn’t want you to know.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @steelpan.guy via TikTok direct message and to Barilla via email regarding the video.
What is a Teflon die in pasta making?
Most modern mass-market pasta producers use a die attached to an extruder to shape the pasta dough into a desired shape. This die, attached to the extruder, is most often coated in Teflon, which makes the pasta smooth and unable to hold onto sauce.
Bronze die are more traditional, but have fallen out of favor because they are more expensive, per Epicurious.
What is the practical difference between Teflon and bronze-cut pasta?
While some might be turned off from using anything associated with Teflon altogether, there is a real and practical difference between the quality of pasta produced.
Both types are perfectly serviceable pasta, but the Teflon die-cut pasta will be smoother, and bronze die-cut will be rougher as noted by the poster.
For true pasta enthusiasts, this means that bronze-cut pasta can hold on to sauces better, while Teflon-cut pasta might just have the sauce slide off. This can change your experience of the pasta and sauce together, if it does not stick to the pasta.
What do shoppers think?
Some viewers commented on the video that they would continue to purchase the pasta format that was in their budget, as bronze-cut pasta tends to be slightly more expensive.
“I pay 99 cents for my pasta because that’s in my budget,” one commenter wrote.
“I buy what I can afford,” another said. “And I just don’t care anymore. I’m tired.”
“I’m buying whichever is the cheapest,” a commenter wrote.
@steelpan.guy stop using teflon pasta
♬ original sound – Steel Pan Guy
Others wrote that they boarded the rough pasta train a long time ago. Some said they straight up are not purchasing pasta manufactured in the U.S.
“I’ve been using DeCecco for years for the simple fact that it’s made in Italy, always check addresses on products,” one commenter wrote. “Product of Italy doesn’t mean it’s made in Italy. The address will let you know.”
“I only use pasta from Italy,” another commented. “I don’t buy anything made with American wheat. Italy doesn’t use Teflon either.”
“Preach. I work for an Italian food brand that only sells bronze cut pasta,” a third added. “It’s more expensive but is 1000x times better in quality and actually sticks to the sauce! Barilla is bottom of the barrel.”
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