Non-stick pans tend to be made of aluminum (660°C melting point), sometimes alloyed with some copper to improve thermal conductivity. Aluminum-copper alloys tend to melt in the 500-600°C range. Most aluminum alloys melt at a point which an electric stove can easily reach if left on high. The coils can glow cherry-red pretty easily, which is 815-870°C.
Lulz. I was reminded of the conspiracy theory “jet fuel can’t melt steal beams”, for some reason.
(While that statement is technically true, metals can get extremely soft while they are heated close to their actual melting points. You know this, but it’s surprisingly easy for many to overlook this basic fact because of the specific data on melting points and such.)
Thanks for filling in the gaps, btw. Data good. Nom.