Which Cookware is Healthiest?

Green Living Healthy Home

So you spend a lot of time thinking about your food, but how about what you use to cook your food?

Chances are this doesn’t get as much thought.

But it absolutely should!


Some cookware leaches unhealthy toxins into your food.

Nonstick Cookware and Bakeware (including Teflon)

Nonstick synthetic surfaces are made with the plasticizer polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which emits a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) when heated. The PFOA from heated nonstick cookware is known to kill pet birds! Yes yes, we are much larger than little birds, but this is still concerning nonetheless.

Unfortunately, nonstick surfaces are easily damaged, allowing the coating to flake off and get into food. According to a study by the 3M company, PFOA is found in the blood of 90% of Americans, including the 600 children tested. PFOA bioaccumulates and persists in the environment. That is, it is not excreted by the body but builds up and up and up. Toxicologist Tim Kropp of the Environmental Working Group told the New York Times in 2005: “Any amount of PFOA you are ingesting may be a problem because we don’t know what levels are safe.”

Plus, PFOA is released at relatively low cooking temperatures. Teflon maker DuPont reached a $16.5 million settlement with the US Environmental Protection Agency for failing to report the health risks of PFOA — DuPont had claimed that Teflon starts to emit dangerous chemicals only at temperatures above 660ºF, but EWG conducted tests that showed it does so at 325ºF.

Aluminum Cookware

Aluminum is a heavy metal that attacks your central nervous system. Research shows aluminum can produce toxic, oxidative stress in the brain. For this reason, aluminium has been linked to degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Some studies suggest that Alzheimer’s patients have an abnormally high amount of aluminum in the amyloid protein plaques that characterize the disease, although the exact connection remains unclear.

For me, I follow the precautionary principle with this one: if there are safer alternatives (like the ones discussed below!) conveniently available, I’m going to choose those.


Luckily, there are a number of healthier cookware options.

Stainless Steel Cookware

Stainless steel is my personal favorite option. I have a great 8-piece set that covers all of my 2-person-household’s needs (in addition to some tempered glass and one porcelain-enameled cast iron piece, which I talk about below). Stainless steel pots and pans brown foods better than most other options, and are very easy to clean.

You can also season stainless steel pots and pans to make them virtually nonstick:

  • Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of salt into your pan
  • Heat the pan to the point where the oil is almost starting to smoke, and then let it cool
  • Scrub the salt into the pan using a clean cloth or paper towel
  • Wipe the pan out, oil it again, and wipe it out again
  • Do this process when the pan is new and repeat it periodically

As with seasoned cast iron pans, clean the pan by wiping it with a bit of warm water but without soap/detergent. If any food gets stuck to the pan, you may need to scrub it with detergent and redo the seasoning process.

SUGGESTIONS


Tempered Glass Cookware

I’m sure we all have at least 1 piece of tempered  glass cookware (likely a casserole dish).

This option doesn’t work for stove-top cooking, but it works very well for cooking and baking in the oven. It is also safe to marinate foods in tempered glass cookware, which is convenient. And the best part? You can take it from the oven straight to the fridge for storage when your meal is over! Less dishes to clean = awesome.

SUGGESTIONS


Cast-Iron Cookware

The classic cookware can be preheated to temperatures that will brown meat, and can withstand very high temperatures. It is extremely durable and can be seasoned to provide a smooth, stick-resistant surface, and can even be purchased pre-seasoned.

However, there is some concern regarding the iron leached into food as its being cooked — an excess of dietary iron promotes oxidation and has been proven to promote dangerous oxidation of cholesterol. So it may not be the best option for everyday cooking.

SUGGESTIONS


Porcelain-Enameled Cast Iron Cookware

Generally speaking, porcelain-enameled cast iron cookware yields great cooking results and are very long-lasting, making them well worth the upfront investment (they are a little more pricey).

Most can be used on the stove top, in the oven, and under the broiler, making them very multipurpose (and, again, worth the investment).  Plus, the enamel is impervious to acids, so it can hold raw or cooked foods that are marinating — in other words, less dishes to clean!

Le Creuset is the French darling of the porcelain-enameled cast iron cookware brands. Pricey, but in my personal opinion, 1 piece is all you need: a dutch oven.

SUGGESTIONS


Have you transitioned to healthier cookware options?

If yes, what is your favorite option? Please share in the comments below!

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  1. Thank you for the Interesting information. I am in the market for new cookware and I am looking at copper. What are your thoughts on that?

  2. Hi, Priya! I am not 100% sure about copper pots. But I would be concerned about the copper leaching into food too much and causing copper toxicity. Just something to consider/look into if you go with that option!

  3. Thanks Nadia for this awesome blogs. I have been using aluminum as cookware unknowingly it releases toxins. As you said, we predominantly use stainless steel and copper ware vessels. Heard from some research that copper vessels are good for health.
    Any idea on that?

  4. We got a Green Life skillet at Walmart recently, (on sale for $15.00) after the final major mess with one of our seasoned sticking stainless skillet. So far we Love it. It is advertised to be O.K. from a health stand point. I am looking forward to seeing what you say, from an experts stand point. we have to do something. Thanks.

  5. Hi Nadia,

    Do you have any information the OrGreenic Ceramic Nonstick Cookware from Target? Also, GreenLife that Target sells? Thanks so much.

    Wendy

  6. Hi Nadia, I do own the enameled pan set and I love it! They are slightly naturally nonstick and durable, I can even scrub them with a pumice stone no problem! I also own these http://amzn.to/1Vqcps1 and they are amazing too! They warped a little bit, but durable they are, I can use metal utensils on them and no scratching! 🙂

  7. My fiancé & I have an electric cook top, relatively new, which I don’t like. I got new, lovely, stainless steel skillets to replace the old non stick ones there were also here before me. I love them, I prefer cast iron and got lovely new ones before the stainless but fiancé guy is afraid they will damage the darn cook top, so they are stored for now. So now he wants non stick skillets that won’t mark up the cook top. The stainless ones do seem to do that. I am at the end of my known options???? I will use serious cleaner on the bottom of the stainless steel ones and keep trying but if you know of any non stick ones please let me know. I did treat the new stainless ones and they are much better at being non stick.

  8. Have a fleet of lodge cast iron + a stainless steel pot for all of my slow-simmers. I love both, but my favorite is a large frying pan that is perfect for meals that require browning before baking. Less mess, yay! Plus you get a great arm workout 😉