Safe Cookware Options

Yesterday I shared the dangers associated with nonstick cookware. But if you don’t use nonstick products, what can you use?

Fortunately, there are several options that are safer than nonstick:

Cast iron

While it’s heavy and needs maintained, cast iron cookware can benefit your health. Every time you cook with it, small traces of iron seep into your food – and iron is a nutrient everyone needs.

Other benefits include durability, heat retention, even heat distribution, and affordability.

Maintenance is a downside, though. Before using cast iron, it needs seasoned. Wash your pan with hot, soapy water and dry. Line the bottom rack of your oven with aluminum foil, then coat the entire pan (inside and oat) with a vegetable-based oil. Put in a cold oven, turn the heat on to 350 degrees F, and bake for an hour.

Cast iron cookware shouldn’t be washed with soap unless you plan on reseasoning it. To clean your cast iron pans, wash with hot water and a stiff bristled nylon brush. (To remove stuck-on food, fill the cookware with water and boil to loosen.)

To avoid rust, dry the pan with a towel before storing it. To remove rust, scour it with steel wool and reseason before using again.

Ceramic

Ceramic cookware is similar to cast iron cookware, because of its heat distribution. One huge benefit is that it doesn’t need seasoned. The enamel makes the cookware fairly non-stick, and it’s also safe for the dishwasher.

Stainless steel

As I shared yesterday, I’ve been cooking with stainless steel cookware for the past six years and am completely happy.

Stainless steel cookware may not be the safest option, though. Stainless steel contains nickel, chromium, carbon, molybdenum, and other metals. There’s a chance that these metals can leach into your food if the stainless steel cookware is pitted.

As long as your cookware isn’t pitted, metals shouldn’t leach into your food.

Anodized aluminum

An electro-chemical anodizing process locks in anodized aluminum cookware’s aluminum content. In theory, aluminum shouldn’t leach in to food. But like stainless steel, it may not be the safest choice. Aluminum is suspected to be linked to Alzheimer’s disease, so many people try to limit their use of the metal. Like other kinds of cookware, beware of dings and scratches.

Strictly based on the cookware’s performance, anodized aluminum shouldn’t react to acidic foods, and it has a nonstick surface.

Talk back

What kind of cookware do you use? What do you prefer?

Disclosure: Purchasing products through links in this post will result in a commission for Accidentally Green. Thank you!

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Suat Eman/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Hilary Kimes Bernstein

Hilary Kimes Bernstein is a Christ follower, wife, mama, and journalist. She writes about making healthy decisions that honor God and happen to help the environment at Accidentally Green. Short and sweet - like her writing - Hilary is the author of several healthy living eBooks.

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