About Nickel Coated Cookware

This page contains information regarding the health and safety of nickel coated cookware as well as additional care and use information.

We specifically engineered our cookware with electroless nickel (EN) to improve cast iron’s overall performance (i.e. easier to clean, smoother surface, no flavor transference) while maintaining the characteristics cherished by those of us who appreciate cast iron cooking (e.g. superior heat retention, even heat distribution and durability).

What is electroless nickel (EN)?

Electroless nickel plating has been used across all industries, including the most demanding like medical and aerospace, for decades. The process involves plating a nickel-phosphorous coating onto a substrate by chemical reduction. Unlike electroplated coatings, EN is applied without external current which enables it to deposit a uniform thickness across a surface, including pits and blind holes.  EN is chosen by engineers to harden a surface, improve wear resistance, increase corrosion protection and enhance lubricity. EN can be applied to many types of substrates including brass, iron, titanium, stainless steel, and cast iron.

Health & Safety

We take health and safety very seriously. The use of nickel in coatings for food-contact surfaces has been around for many years and is approved by the FDA. Additionally, the chemicals used in our plating process meet or exceed medical grade specifications and abide by the RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) and REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) directives.

We test our skillets using an independent laboratory to ensure we exceed the regulatory guidelines provided in the FDA Food Contact Notification Chemistry Guideline and the European Union's EC1935/2004.  These tests include measuring total extractives as well as heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury. 

Nickel Sensitivity

Nickel is a naturally occurring, lustrous, silvery-white metallic element. It is the fifth most common element on earth and occurs extensively in the earth’s crust. Nickel is used in countless products by leading industries, including cookware. Additionally, nickel is commonly used in alloying, particularly with other metals to produce stainless steel widely used in pots/pans and food processing equipment.

Nickel allergic contact dermatitis (NACD) is a well- known skin condition which can be acquired after direct and prolonged contact with items which release a sufficient amount of nickel. Nickel release (not nickel content) is the most important factor in determining whether an article will cause people to become allergic to nickel or cause NACD in nickel-allergic people. Based on the average time of user contact with a GRIZZLY pan, the chance of someone having an allergic reaction is very low.  For more information on NACD, please visit the Nickel Institute (www.nickelinstitute.org)

Rust

GRIZZLY Cast Iron Cookware is rust resistant, not rust proof. Nickel is an anti-corrosion coating that significantly limits rusting. However, prolonged contact/submersion in water can result in localized rusting (particularly the logo and branding on the back of the pan). This rust will not impact the cooking performance nor shorten the life of the pan. Just remove the rust with normal washing and towel dry prior to storing the pan. Testing by independent labs, professional chefs and outdoor enthusiasts have all yielded positive feedback for GRIZZLY’s superior performance in harsh conditions.