I don't like hard anodized.....I find it hard to clean unless you are very careful.
I have never seen newer ( in the past 20 years) non stick peel....scratch yes....but not peel like the older stuff did.
I heat an empty non stick pan....but not red hot....
Excess heat....I forget what the numbers are but it's HOT before it starts emitting fumes.
But I don't use a non stick for anything that needs a hot pan....I use it for eggs for gently sauteeing mushrooms and onions.
But don't use your non stick pan like a grill pan....because it's not.

Every pan I have ever seen that was non stick did peel, including new one's. They emit a toxic gas when heated to high and there are questions as to how good the polymers they are coated in are for consumption and human health. The largest manufacture of non stick services also has a very large medical company, all of their tests have said that it is safe, great wonder(these are the same people who said silicon breast implants were safe even after women started getting sick). Less biased studies are not entirely sure. If you cook with the right pans and use the correct temperature you don't need to expose your self to them.

I like hard anodized aluminum pans and own several, I also own ss and cast iron. I find that very little sticks to the surface and they are not hard to clean with soap and water or comet if needed. The are not supposed to go in the dishwasher(at least the brand I own) but I don't have a dishwasher at the moment and rarely put pots and pans in anyway.

Every pan I have ever seen that was non stick did peel, including new one's.

Mine must be exceptional, then...

mercedes,

I don't believe I have ever seen you or you pans, I hope yours haven't peeled, although that will not stop the pan from leaching things into your food. Just this morning the news reported that the US EPA, last month fined DuPont about 16 mil for hiding information about health risks. And yesterday that they need to phase out one of the key ingredients in the next few years.

Hard Anodized is an aluminum pot or pan which goes thru some process which seals the metal or something like that, you can look up the process on Google. It is not non stick and can be used with hard utensils, but not dishwashed. Non Stick is hard anodized which has been coated with a non stick process and is just as heavy and has the same properties as plain hard anodized, no dishwasher, but the added caution that you have to use wood or plastic utensils and things don't stick to it when you cook. They don't peel if you treat them according to directions. Whether or not they are harmful to people is always open to debate and a personal choice.

mgmsrk,

I heard the news yesterday, btw, but this thread is not about how harmful the PFOA in teflon may be, or is it?

The original question was "I know the non-stick surfaces eventually peel. What about the hard-anonized (sic)?"

Lindac stated she's never seen nonstick pans peel in the past 20 years. That's my experience, as well.

Your "Every pan I have ever seen that was non stick did peel, including new one's." is wrong. Nonstick cookware may scratch but it certainly does not peel.

I have to say I had a T-fall non stick fry pan about 4-5 yrs, no peeling or scratching, gave it away because I was given a 10 inch All Clad non stick, 3 yrs no scratches or peeling. But I admit I baby the pan. Hand wash and careful of which utensil I use. (only use it for eggs, grilled cheese sometimes onions/mushrooms.)
As for anodized I had one 3-3 1/2 qt I used to use for potatoes/oatmeal, great pan, easy to clean, cooked evenly. Hand washed this too.