Cooking with traditional nonstick cookware, which is coted with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or what they call it as teflon, can cause the coating to break down and release harmful fumes and chemicals into the food you're preparing at high temperatures. Ceramic coatings are made from a mineral that looks like sand and doesn't wear down like PTFE does. This makes them safe for food and good for the environment.