The inception of non-stick coatings in the mid-20th century is closely intertwined with the history of color in cookware. Both have come a long way in the years since.
From Basic Black to Brilliant Hues: The Colorful Evolution of Non-stick Coatings
Color Revolution: the Evolution of Non-stick Coating Colors
Non-stick cookware was first introduced in the 1960s. Made with a material called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), they were available in basic black or dark pewter. The reasons behind the limited color palette were two-fold: there were very few high-temperature pigments available at that time and darker colors were good at hiding surface wear since the coatings were not as durable as they are today.
As non-stick coatings became more popular, manufacturers began exploring ways to enhance their visual appeal with color, particularly white. While white interiors were more appealing to consumers than black, it ultimately proved to be less durable and tended to stain more easily so it was not widely commercialized at that time.
In the 1970s and 1980s, some manufacturers started introducing cookware with colorful exterior finishes, often using enamel or porcelain coatings. While these colorful exteriors added aesthetic value to the cookware, they had no impact on the non-stick performance of the pan interior.
The real breakthrough in non-stick color cookware came in the late 1990s and early 2000s when manufacturers developed new PTFE non-stick coatings with more advanced technology. These improvements enabled the development of more colorful non-stick coatings for the interior of cookware, giving consumers the benefits of easy food release while adding a vibrant touch to their kitchens. At that time, red and blue coatings were introduced and proved to be very popular for their splash of color.
Another development in the early 2000s was the introduction of ceramic "sol-gel" non-stick coatings, an alternative to traditional PTFE non-stick technologies. These formulations are typically made from inorganic materials such as silica in combination with reactive agents to form a binder that is applied to the cookware surface. Ceramic coatings became popular due to their high-temperature resistance and increased surface hardness. Learn about FUSION® Pro, our new sol-gel 'ceramic' non-stick coating for consumer cookware.
Compared to traditional PTFE coatings, ceramic non-stick coatings allowed lighter and brighter colors to be achieved, offered improved stain resistance, and were available in a wider range of finishes from low to high gloss that appealed to cookware designers and consumers. The time for white and pastel colored non-stick cookware had arrived.
Beginning around 2010, a new trend in non-stick color effects emerged with spattered/speckled and textured finishes. In conjunction with this new stone effect, some manufacturers also improved the abrasion resistance of the non-stick coating. This offered consumers both aesthetically pleasing finishes with improved non-stick durability.
It is a well-established fact that copper is the best conductor of heat. Copper cookware, while exceptionally attractive, comes with a high cost and high maintenance, making it inaccessible for most home cooks. Around 2017, a new trend was born when coatings and cookware manufacturers developed alternatives to copper cookware that provided consumers with the beautiful aesthetics of copper, plus the benefits of non-stick performance. Some copper-colored non-stick coatings were specially formulated to offer uniform thermal conductivity and even heating of real copper cookware.
Throughout the evolution of non-stick coatings, food-contact safety regulations also added limitations to the color pigments that could be used. Colored pigments above a certain amount in a non-stick formulation can also impact the non-stick and durability performance. Even today, this consideration limits the use of certain colors in non-stick coatings for housewares.
Despite that, non-stick coatings are available in a wide range of colors and effects, including green, orange and purple. Some coatings today are even designed to change color when they reach a certain temperature, which is useful for monitoring the cooking process.
From the original black coatings to the bright and colorful coatings of today, non-stick coatings have come a long way in a relatively short amount of time. As non-stick technology continues to evolve, consumers will have a broader selection of colors, finishes and performance options to consider.