Anolon Kitchen | Brown Bakeware With Rectangular Shape And Raised Edges | Color: Brown | Size: Os | 5_Dollar_Item's Closet
Avoid until Anolon reveals the coating chemistry.
This Anolon bakeware uses an unnamed non-stick coating with no PFAS information from the manufacturer. Brand silence on coating type raises concern.
The safe swap
Caraway
Caraway Ceramic Baking Sheet
100/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Excellent.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Nonstick coating, type unspecified
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
Non-stick, chemistry undisclosed
Advertised as non-stick but coating type is not explained.
No PFAS disclosure
The company has not publicly discussed PFAS in this product.
Category baseline
cookware is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
Teflon-type coating thermal decomposition (fume risk)
If this uses Teflon-type coating-based nonstick (unconfirmed), overheating above 500F can release perfluorinated gases; inhalation poses known respiratory irritation risk. Anolon's silence on chemistry means you cannot rule this out.
Coating degradation and flaking
Aluminum leaching (if aluminum substrate)
If the substrate is aluminum rather than steel, and if nonstick coating has microscopic voids or degradation, contact with acidic foods (tomatoes, vinegar, citrus) can dissolve small amounts of aluminum. The health significance of baking-related aluminum exposure remains debated but is a known risk of aluminum cookware.
PFAS
Nonstick polymers may contain plasticizers, catalysts, or other processing aids that can migrate into food at elevated temperatures. Without Anolon's disclosure of exact chemistry, the identity and safety of non-PFAS components cannot be verified.
Source: ATSDR ↗What’s reassuring
Lead
Modern bakeware from established US-market brands like Anolon is not known to use lead-based glazes or cadmium pigments in finishes, as these violate FDA food-contact limits. No specific recalls for this product line cite heavy metal contamination in the brown coating.
Source: ATSDR ↗The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
This is metal bakeware (steel or aluminum substrate) with an unspecified nonstick coating, Anolon does not publicly disclose whether it uses Teflon-type coating (Teflon), ceramic, or proprietary polymer chemistry. The brown color suggests a dark non-stick surface, likely to improve baking performance. Without coating chemistry transparency, you cannot assess whether Teflon-type coating-based formulations or degradation products pose inhalation risk at high temperatures, or whether the ceramic alternative has its own leaching profile.
The brand's record and disclosure
Anolon (owned by Meyer Corporation) has not made public commitments to PFOA-free or PFAS-free nonstick formulations, nor do they routinely disclose coating chemistry on product pages. The brand is well-established in mainstream cookware retail but has a history of silent positioning on nonstick safety rather than proactive labeling. No major recalls specific to this bakeware line have been documented, but this reflects absence of public incident data, not confirmed safety.
How it compares in its category
Anolon nonstick bakeware sits in the mid-market segment. Compared to budget alternatives, it typically offers better coating durability and heat distribution. Compared to ceramic or stainless alternatives (which avoid Teflon-type coating entirely), it sacrifices transparency for convenience. Many competitors in the same price range, Calphalon, T-fal, similarly withhold nonstick chemistry details, making this a category-wide weakness rather than an Anolon-specific flaw.
If you buy it
Never exceed 500F to minimize any Teflon-type coating fume risk; hand wash only, avoid metal utensils and abrasive cleaners. Inspect the coating monthly for chips, scratches, or peeling; discard immediately if surface integrity is compromised, as flaking coating particles are a direct ingestion risk. Replace every 3-5 years even if undamaged, since nonstick coatings degrade invisibly. Do not preheat empty; always add food or fat first.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 35% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Anolon has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
Safer alternatives in Bakeware
Caraway
Ceramic Baking Sheet
Coating degradation and metal substrate exposure
Limited concern
Aluminum substrate leaching (if aluminum core)
Limited concern
Thermal shock and coating fracturing
Limited concern
✓Verified PFAS-free by a third party
GreenPan
GreenLife Ceramic Nonstick Bakeware
Ceramic nonstick coating
Coating degradation and aluminum leaching
Limited concern
Microcracking and ceramic particle shedding
Limited concern
Lower risk, ceramic nonstick avoids Teflon-type coating and PFOA.
✓Verified PFAS-free by a third party
Staub
4-Piece Baking Dish Set
enameled cast iron
Enamel degradation and iron leaching
Limited concern
Thermal stress fracture of enamel
Moderate concern
Lower PFAS concern, enameled cast iron baking dishes without nonstick coating.
⚠Risky category by default
More bakeware grades
How we score: every product runs through the same public 0–100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.