Made in Denmark

Made in Denmark

FAQ

Where is my Gastrolux cookware made?

Gastrolux cookware is cast, coated, checked and finished at our own factory in Ryomgård, Denmark. Squeeze-cast aluminium cookware has been made in Denmark since 1956, when G.A.L. Thorsen began production in Lystrup; the Gastrolux brand itself was founded in 1994.

The aluminium is Scandinavian recycled aluminium. The coating material is developed and supplied by Weilburger in Germany, and we apply it ourselves in Ryomgård – which is how we keep both quality and cost under our own control.

Not every part is Danish. Pyrex glass lids are made in France and lid knobs in Germany. The cookware itself – pans, pots and sauté pans – is Danish.

Every piece is squeeze-cast rather than pressed from sheet metal, which is what allows the 8 mm base and, on induction models, an induction plate cast into the aluminium while it is still molten.

Every Gastrolux piece carries its own production code, laser-etched into the base after the final quality check, before the item is packed.

The code identifies exactly which item it is and when it was produced, and it gives us access to the quality assurance data for that specific production batch.

If you ever contact us about your cookware, that code lets us trace the piece back to its batch – which is why it is worth keeping in mind if you need to get in touch.

Both versions look and cook the same way. The difference is in the base.

On induction models, a stainless steel plate is cast into the aluminium while it is still molten, rather than attached to a finished base. It becomes a structural part of the pan – not a disc fixed to the underside – which is why it will not loosen or separate in normal use.

You can tell the two apart in two ways. Visually, the induction base shows the cast-in plate; the standard base is plain aluminium. And the item number of every induction piece begins with 17, in both ranges. On shipping documents, EVO items carry an additional PF prefix – for
example PF17124A.

Both versions work on gas, electric, ceramic and halogen hobs. Only the induction version works on an induction hob – which is the one detail worth checking before you order, not after.

Gastrolux handles are attached without screws, rivets or welding. The fixture is formed as part of the casting process – no screws to work loose, and no hunting through the house for a screwdriver when they do.

Two things follow from that. There are no rivet heads inside the pan, so the cooking surface stays smooth and easy to clean. And the handle holds securely when you shake or toss a pan, which is exactly what it was designed for.

If a detachable handle ever needs replacing, we can send you a new one that you fit yourself – we just need the production code from the base of the pan.

The two ranges share the same foundation: an 8 mm squeeze-cast aluminium base, a cast-in induction plate on induction models, detachable-handle options, and a lifetime warranty against the base warping. What differs is the coating – and that is where the choice is made.

If food release is your first priority, BIOTAN® PLUS is the range to look at. It is our performance-led non-stick surface: extreme food release, no added fat needed for release in normal use, and the most forgiving surface we make for eggs, pancakes, fish and other delicate foods. Use silicone or wooden utensils.

If PFAS-FREE coating chemistry comes first, that is EVO PFAS-FREE. It is PFAS-FREE from production and supported by Eurofins migration testing, and offers solid food release through a silicone-based coating system, with a small amount of cooking fat recommended for best results. The surface is more scratch resistant, tolerates metal utensils according to the user manual, and withstands oven temperatures up to 300 °C with the handle removed.

Neither range is a lesser version of the other. They are built for different priorities, and both are sold with the same pride.

BIOTAN® PLUS is the non-stick surface on our performance-led range. It uses GREBLON® C3+, a three-layer coating system developed by Weilburger in Germany and applied at our factory in Ryomgård.

The three layers each do something different. The basecoat anchors the system to the metal. The midcoat gives it reinforcement and functional depth. The topcoat is the cooking surface itself – the layer that delivers the food release and the easy cleaning.

In normal use, BIOTAN® PLUS does not require added fat for food release. You can still use oil or butter when a recipe calls for it, or for flavour and browning. It is the most forgiving surface we make for eggs, pancakes, fish and other delicate foods, and it is used with silicone or wooden utensils.

BIOTAN® PLUS carries a three-year warranty on its non-stick functionality, subject to correct use and the warranty terms.

Customers ask, so here is the straight answer: yes, when used correctly and according to the user manual.

BIOTAN® PLUS is PTFE-based. PTFE is a well-established non-stick coating technology, used because it gives excellent food release, easy cleaning and low-fat cooking. Independent risk assessment guidance from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) states that under intended use, adverse health effects from PTFE-coated cookware are not expected.

The rule that matters is heat. Do not severely overheat an empty pan. PTFE coatings should not be exposed to extreme overheating, particularly around 360 °C and above, where coating decomposition can occur. In normal cooking, with food or liquid in the pan, that is not the situation you are in. The 90-second empty-preheat limit and the low-to-medium heat guidance in the user manual exist to keep you comfortably clear of it.

Scratches do not make BIOTAN® PLUS unsafe. According to BfR, accidental ingestion of tiny detached PTFE particles from a scratched coating is not expected to affect consumer health, because PTFE is inert and passes through the body unchanged. What scratches affect over time is performance – which is why we recommend silicone or wooden utensils.

One thing we will not tell you: BIOTAN® PLUS is not PFAS-FREE. It isn’t, and PTFE is precisely why it releases food better than anything else we make. If PFAS-FREE coating chemistry is your priority, EVO PFAS-FREE is the range to look at – and we would rather sell you that one than disappoint you with this one.

Yes. In 2018 Eurofins tested Gastrolux BIOTAN® PLUS items – a 28 cm sauté pan and a roasting dish – against the BfR recommendation for temperature-resistant polymer coating systems used in frying, cooking and baking.

Specific migration of 22 PFC substances: not detected.
Specific migration of TOrF: pass.
Specific release of metals: pass.

Full reports are available to partners and distributors on request. Read that result for what it is. It is a migration test on the finished product: it shows what does not come out of the pan under the test conditions. It does not make BIOTAN® PLUS a PFAS-FREE product, and we will not present it that way. BIOTAN® PLUS is a PTFE-based coating – see “Is BIOTAN® PLUS safe?” above.

At the surface of every EVO PFAS-FREE pan is GREBLON® Q-LINE, a silicone-based coating system from Weilburger, applied at our factory in Ryomgård, Denmark. It is PFAS-FREE from production – the substances are not part of the coating from the beginning, rather than removed from an existing formulation afterwards.

A representative Gastrolux EVO sample was tested by Eurofins Product Testing Denmark for specific migration of specific PFAS substances. Under the stated test conditions, migration was not detected. The result was Pass. Full documentation is available to partners and distributors on request.

EVO PFAS-FREE offers solid food release, and a small amount of cooking oil or butter is recommended for best results. That is a recommendation, not a workaround: a thin film of fat improves release, improves the feel of cooking and protects the surface over time.

The surface is scratch and abrasion resistant, and tolerates metal utensils according to the user manual. With the handle removed it withstands oven temperatures up to 300 °C, and up to 180 °C with the handle attached.

EVO PFAS-FREE carries a three-year warranty on its non-stick functionality, subject to correct use and the warranty terms.

It means the coating is formulated without PFAS from the start, rather than reformulated to remove them later. The distinction matters: a coating built PFAS-FREE from the beginning is a different thing from one adjusted after the fact.

What we can document is this. Eurofins Product Testing Denmark tested a representative Gastrolux EVO sample for specific migration of specific PFAS substances. The test used 95% ethanol as a simulant, an exposed area of 8.4 dm², a simulant volume of 1500 ml, and six hours at 60 °C. Every tested substance came back below its limit of detection. Those limits run from 30 to 500 ng/kg depending on the substance; PFOA, PFBS, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFNA and PFDA were all below 30 ng/kg. The result was assessed against EFSA Journal 2020;18(9):6223, with the conclusion Pass.

We are deliberate about what that test shows and what it does not. It is a migration test – it measures what passes from the cookware into food under the stated conditions. It is not a test of every substance that exists, and it was carried out on a representative sample rather than on every piece we make.

Partners and distributors can request the full report.

BIOTAN® PLUS is a separate matter. It is PTFE-based and is not PFAS-FREE – see “Is BIOTAN® PLUS safe?” above.

Low to medium heat. Gastrolux cookware is built to heat evenly right up to the rim and to hold that heat, so high settings are rarely necessary and are the most common cause of coating damage we see.

Start on low to medium and let the pan come up gradually. Do not preheat an empty pan for longer than 90 seconds. Once the pan has reached the temperature you want, turn the heat down and start cooking. At medium heat a Gastrolux pan is fully heated within two to three minutes.

If you want to check that the pan is ready, drop a little water into the pan. When the droplets dance across the surface rather than evaporating instantly, the pan is at temperature. Reduce the heat slightly and add oil or butter, then your ingredients.

Never leave cookware unattended on the hob. If a small amount of butter placed in the pan starts to smoke and burn, the pan is too hot – take it off the heat and let it cool for three to five minutes before continuing.

When taking cookware off the hob, lift it rather than sliding it. Crumbs or grit on the hob surface can scratch it.

BIOTAN® PLUS should never exceed 260 °C.

The counter handle is the short second handle opposite the main one. It gives you a two-handed grip when a pan is heavy or full, which makes lifting and serving steadier and safer.

It also carries the diameter of the pan – useful when four pans are stacked in a cupboard and they all look the same from above.

One thing to know: Gastrolux cookware heats evenly right up to the rim, so the counter handle gets hot during cooking and stays warm for some time afterwards. Always use an oven mitt or potholder when you take hold of it.

To check whether a pan has reached temperature, use the pan itself rather than the counter handle – see “What heat setting should I use?” above.

Yes – but the limit depends on the range and on whether the handle is attached.

BIOTAN® PLUS
With the detachable handle removed: up to 260 °C.
With the detachable handle attached: do not exceed 180 °C.

EVO PFAS-FREE
With the detachable handle removed: up to 300 °C.
With the detachable handle attached: do not exceed 180 °C.

Two-handle items – sauté pans, stock pots and roasting pans with cast handles – are oven-safe to 260 °C in both ranges. Pyrex glass lids and lid knobs are oven-safe to 260 °C.

If your cookware has a detachable handle, take it off before the pan goes into the oven, and clip the cool handle back on to take the pan out. Cast handles do get hot in the oven – always use potholders or oven gloves.

Place cookware at least 5 cm from any heating element. The area directly next to an element often exceeds the maximum temperature, even when the oven itself is set lower.

BIOTAN® PLUS should never exceed 260 °C under any circumstances. These figures are the same as in your user manual, which is the document to follow if you are ever unsure.

Overheating is what happens when cookware is held at high heat for longer than it needs – most often when an empty pan is left to preheat too long, or when the heat is not turned down once the pan has reached temperature. It is the most common cause of coating damage we see.

Every non-stick coating has a working range. Held above it, the coating degrades: the surface loses its release properties, and in severe cases it can blister, peel or flake. That change is permanent and cannot be repaired.

Two limits keep you clear of it. Never preheat an empty pan for longer than 90 seconds, and cook on low to medium heat, turning the heat down once the pan is up to temperature. BIOTAN® PLUS should never exceed 260 °C.

Not every mark is overheating. Discolouration of the base, a brownish film inside the pan, or light surface scratches are cosmetic and do not affect how the pan performs. Blistering, peeling, flaking or exposed aluminium are a different matter – see “The coating is peeling or flaking” below.

Damage caused by overheating is not covered by the warranty, which is why the heat guidance in your user manual is worth following from the first use.

No. Neither a barbecue nor an oven grill is a controlled heat source, and both routinely go well past the limits the coating is built for.

Over charcoal or gas flames there is no thermostat and no way to know what the pan is actually reaching. Under an oven grill element, the heat comes from directly above at close range, which is a different situation from the oven temperatures listed above – the surface of the pan can exceed the set oven temperature by a wide margin.

BIOTAN® PLUS should never exceed 260 °C, and no Gastrolux coating is designed for uncontrolled heat.

For oven use, see “Is Gastrolux cookware oven-proof?” above. Direct flame, barbecue and grill elements are outside what the warranty covers.

The smoke point is the temperature at which an oil begins to break down. It differs from oil to oil. Heated past it, the oil degrades, its flavour changes, and residue bakes onto the cooking surface and becomes difficult to remove.

The practical rule is to match the oil to the heat. For frying and searing, choose an oil with a high smoke point: rapeseed or canola, vegetable oil, extra light olive oil or coconut oil. Extra virgin olive oil and butter are not suited to high heat – both carbonise and leave a brown film on the surface – so keep them for low heat or for finishing.

Never use aerosol cooking sprays. The propellants leave a residue that builds up on the coating and is very difficult to remove.

How much oil you need depends on the range. BIOTAN® PLUS does not require added fat for food release in normal use – oil and butter are a choice, for flavour and browning. With EVO PFAS-FREE, a small amount of cooking oil or butter is recommended: it improves release, improves the feel of cooking and protects the surface over time.

Damage caused by using oil above its smoke point is not a manufacturing defect and is not covered by the warranty.

This is one of the places where the two ranges genuinely differ.

BIOTAN® PLUS – silicone or wooden utensils. The topcoat is what gives BIOTAN® PLUS its food release, and a metal edge is exactly what wears it down. Stainless steel whisks and turners will leave light marks on the surface. Those marks do not automatically reduce how the pan performs, but they accumulate, so we recommend silicone or wood.

EVO PFAS-FREE – metal utensils can be used. The EVO surface is more scratch and abrasion resistant, and metal utensils can be used according to the user manual. Choose utensils with smooth, rounded edges and use them normally, to turn, stir, lift and serve.

For both ranges: normal surface scratches are cosmetic and do not automatically reduce non-stick performance. Blistering, peeling, flaking or exposed aluminium are a different matter – see “The coating is peeling or flaking” below.

Neither range is a chopping board. See “Can I cut or blend in my cookware?” below.

No – and this applies to both ranges.

A knife blade, a blender or a fork scraped hard against the surface will cut into the coating rather than mark it. That is a different kind of damage from the light surface marks utensils leave: it goes through the layer that does the work.

This holds for EVO PFAS-FREE too, even though EVO tolerates metal utensils. Turning, stirring and lifting with a metal turner is fine; cutting is not. The difference is the edge and the pressure, not the material.

Use a chopping board, and transfer food out of the pan before cutting it. Damage from cutting or blending in the pan is not a manufacturing defect and is not covered by the warranty.

No, for either range. Use a glass or ceramic container instead.

Marinades are the clearer case. Most contain tomato, wine, citrus or vinegar, and prolonged contact with acid damages the coating. A pan is built for cooking with acidic ingredients, not for holding them for hours.

Storing leftovers in the pan is the more common habit, and it is worth breaking too. Food left standing dries onto the surface and takes more scrubbing to remove than it would have taken to rinse straight away, and oil left in the pan builds up over time.

Rinse the pan after each use, and move food into a container for marinating, storing or refrigerating.

Rinse after every use. It takes a moment while the pan is still warm and prevents oil building up on the surface over time.

Use hot water, a dish brush or sponge and ordinary washing-up liquid, then rinse and dry. There is no need to wait for the pan to cool – its own residual heat warms the water instantly.

Cold water is fine too, if you prefer. The base is thermo-shock resistant and repeated hot-to-cold cycles are what it was built for. Hot water is simply the quicker of the two.

If food has dried on, soak the pan in hot soapy water for a few minutes and wipe it gently with a soft sponge. For stubborn residue, a paste of baking soda and a little water, left on the area for a while and then wiped off, will lift it.

For burnt-on fat inside the pan: warm it up, place it in an empty sink, add about 1 cm of water and a drop of washing-up liquid, and scrub in circles with the rough side of a sponge. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Never use steel wool or abrasive scouring pads on the cooking surface.

The outside of the base is more robust. If it has silvery marks from aluminium dust, apply a ceramic hob cleaner or oven cleaner, leave it for ten minutes, then rub gently in circles and rinse.

Pans, pots and sauté pans: hand wash. Glass lids, lid knobs and steamer inserts: dishwasher is fine.

Rest assured your cookware won’t melt and your dishwasher will also survive – this is not a warning, it is a recommendation. The reason is the detergent. Dishwasher tablets are strongly alkaline, and over time that shortens the life of any non-stick coating. Hand washing is quick anyway: hot water, a soft sponge and a drop of detergent.

On non-induction bases, the dishwasher can also leave a thin dark powdery film. It is aluminium oxidation on the outside of the base, it does not affect cooking, and it wipes off. To remove it, see the note on silvery marks in “How do I clean my Gastrolux cookware?” above.

Once the non-stick effect has worn down, it cannot be restored – which is the honest reason we keep recommending the sink over the machine.

That is carbonised oil, not a change in the coating itself. It builds up when cooking oil is used above its smoke point, and it accumulates over time rather than appearing at once. Extra virgin olive oil, butter and aerosol sprays are the usual causes.

It does not damage the pan and it is not a coating defect, so it is not something the warranty needs to cover – it comes off.

Make a paste of baking soda and a little water, spread it over the area, leave it for a while, then wipe it off. For heavier build-up, use the method for burnt-on fat in “How do I clean my Gastrolux cookware?” above. Very heavy build-up may not come away completely.

The way to avoid it is to match the oil to the heat – see “Which oil should I use, and what is a smoke point?” above.

Put something between the pans. A sheet of kitchen paper, a tea towel or a felt pan protector is enough.

The reason is simple: the base of one pan is harder than the cooking surface of another. Stacking them bare means the two grind against each other every time you take one out – which is how pans pick up scratches from a cupboard rather than from a kitchen.

If you hang your pans, that works too, provided the surfaces are not touching.

Stop using the pan for non-stick cooking and get in touch with us. There is a real difference between cosmetic marks and damage, and it is worth knowing which you are looking at.

Cosmetic, and not a problem: light surface scratches from utensils, grey marks transferred from a metal utensil, discolouration of the base, a brown film on the cooking surface. None of these automatically reduce how the pan performs. The brown film has its own answer above.

Damage, and worth reporting: blistering, flaking, peeling, or bare aluminium visible under the coating. These change the surface itself and cannot be repaired.

One note on the two ranges: the BfR statement about PTFE particles applies to BIOTAN® PLUS only. EVO PFAS-FREE is a silicone-based system and contains no PTFE.

Write to us at info@gastrolux.com with a photograph of the pan and the production code from the base – the code tells us which item it is and which batch it came from, which is where any assessment starts.

What happens next depends on what caused it. Coating that has failed in normal use is a different case from coating damaged by overheating, by cutting in the pan or by dishwasher use, and the warranty covers them differently. We would rather look at it than guess.

Gastrolux cookware carries two warranties, and both apply to BIOTAN® PLUS and EVO PFAS-FREE alike.

Three-year warranty – non-stick functionality of the coating.
Lifetime warranty – the base staying warp-free.

Both apply to correct use as described in your user manual, and are subject to the applicable Gastrolux warranty terms. The user manual is the document to follow – not this page.

Thermal shock is covered, not excluded. Taking a hot pan straight to cold water is what the base was built for and is not treated as misuse.

Some things fall outside the warranty: damage from overheating, oil build-up and carbonisation, cutting or blending in the pan, metal utensil damage on BIOTAN® PLUS, abrasive cleaning, dishwasher damage, and normal cosmetic marks and light scratches.

If you think your cookware has a warranty issue, see “The coating is peeling or flaking” above for how to get in touch.