telflex

[debiannp]

Where is the best place to buy the telflex sheets? It is time for me to learn more intricate techniques.



Debi

[eachpeachpearplum]

Just www.google.com for teflex sheets and you will get a wealth of replies, then just compare prices.

Cheers

[exurb]

personally I don't use them because they're Teflon. I don't buy stain resistant/wrinkle resistant clothing with teflon in it, or other teflon "cookware" /utensils.

Excalibur Teflex sheets are solid, reusable sheets made with Dupont Teflon. Our Teflex sheets have 25% more coating for increased durability

I've seen great prices for them on Ebay if you want Teflex.

Silpat type sheets (and other brands of them) are made from food grade silicon, I prefer them. I try to just use the dehydrator tray or the plastic mesh tray where ever possible, stuff like crackers, cookies, burgers.

google: teflon PFOA
if you want more info about teflon.

It's personal choice, so whatever works for you.

[SamuelWilson]

Please buy your teflex sheets from Alissa and help support this website. Here is the link to her online store.

http://www.alissacohen.com/teflexsheets.html

[RawTruth]

SamuelWilson is right -- buying products that you need from Alissa helps this forum be here for us.

As to teflon/teflex -- the temperature in dehydrating doesn't get high enough to cause problems with the teflon. I researched this thoroughly a year ago when I started dehydrating - I am extremely cautious about introducing toxins and potentially carcinogenic substances into my environment. I'm personally satisfied that using them at the low temps we do is safe. That said, I also rarely use solid sheets, but use techniques instead that allow most items to be dehydrated on the mesh sheets.

Whatever you do, have fun with your food!

[Jan]

Hey, Rawtruth,

What techniques? I'm interested. . .

Jan

[exurb]

thanks so much ambiguous, I appreciate your reply.

I also believe in supporting Alissa's products, and am about to order a second book and DVD to give to my mother.

But I don't want to buy any more teflon. Raw Truth I hear what you're saying about your environment, but with teflon to me it's also the broader environment that I'm concerned with. I don't want to support a market for teflon, since the pollutants are shown to be incredibly persistent and have turned up all the way into the Polar Bears.

ambiguous, the EPA investigation your second link refers to concluded with a record fine to Dupont as outlined in this recent article. It's a good easy-to-read article that sort of spells out the situation, but if you do the simple googles I recommend you will find lots. google: telfon pfoa
or try teflon pfoa environmental

http://www.organicconsumers.org/food...pont121605.cfm

or here's another brief article about the EPA-Dupont lawsuit

http://www.ewg.org/issues/pfcs/20051214/index.php

It's personal choice, but I think it's pretty easy to substitute something else. Worth a little looking into first before deciding anyway.

[Misty*Mountain]

Here's another vote for the Teflex-free camp . . . I was really surprised to learn that so many raw foodists thought nothing of using a teflon-coated product in food preparation--yuck.

And if you think Teflon is doing no harm if you don't heat it, check out these articles:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3697324.stm
http://www.checnet.org/healthehouse/...sp?Main_ID=600

You can also find articles saying that the coating itself is not harmful to the end user if used properly, but even if it's just the manufacturing process that's dangerous, I think it's worth our time to use an oiled sheet or pan made of something else whose production is less destructive for our non-stick needs.

interesting... i was just wondering about this as i was loading my flax seed cracker mix onto my teflex sheets.. can anyone suggest an alternative to using teflex sheets when dehydrating runny foods??

[SamuelWilson]

I use thin wooden trays with an edge, it keeps your crackers from making a mess in your dehydrator.



You only have to use these just long enough for the crackers to start to dry enough so that you can then just lay them on a teflex sheet. Remember, that using anything with a solid bottom like these wooden trays will increase the dehydration time.

I rub the trays with a very light coat of flax oil so that the crackers do not stick to the tray.

[karenisraw]

couldn't you just use wax paper or saran wrap, although that is wasteful as well. or a piece of plastic like a cutting board or a shallow glass pan?