PTFE, ceramic, "green" coatings — the non-stick market is a maze of marketing. Here is what actually matters and what does not.
What Teflon actually is
PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene, brand name Teflon) is a synthetic polymer. It is inert to almost every chemical, has a very low friction coefficient, and is stable up to about 500°F. Above that, it begins to decompose and release fumes that are harmful to birds and mildly to humans.
The manufacturing byproduct PFOA (used to bond PTFE to the pan) was phased out globally by 2015. Every non-stick pan sold today is PFOA-free.
Ceramic coatings
Ceramic non-stick is a sol-gel silicon dioxide coating. It is genuinely PTFE-free. The trade-off: it wears out fast. A ceramic pan is a two-year pan, not a ten-year pan.
When non-stick makes sense
Eggs. Delicate fish. Crepes. Pancakes. For everything else — searing steak, browning onions, roasting chicken — a stainless or cast iron pan is better. A non-stick pan is a specialized tool, not a workhorse.