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Safe and Healthy Cookware – Don’t Eat Until You Read This Twice

Safe and healthy cookware isn’t what I thought it was. Teflon releases toxic PFOA’s and PFOE’s. 9 out of 10 Americans have toxins in their bodies due to non-stick cookware. My mom always told me to cook, whenever possible, in an iron pan or pot because it is healthy, adding more iron to your diet. Mom didn’t have this one right! Her decades old iron pots were not examples of safe and healthy cookware.

In the cookware world, there are three choices you can make when it comes to the type of cookware you choose: inert, non-reactive cookware, moderately reactive cookware, and reactive cookware. Mom’s iron skillet was in fact a moderately reactive piece of cookware and although she was right in thinking it added iron to our diet, it is not a good kind of iron to be consuming.

The premier choice of safe and healthy cookware is and always has been inert, non-reactive cookware. This type of cookware is the oldest and most reliable cookware known to man – from terra cotta pots to glass coffee pots.  Terra cotta is the original inert cookware. Bamboo steamers and chopsticks have also been around forever, providing centuries of civilizations with safe food.

More modern cookware such as enamel and silicone are also inert and safe for cooking. Enamel cookware, such as the exquisite Le Creuset cookware sets, is made from inert materials. However, just because it is enamel doesn’t mean it is safe. Cheaper enamel cookware often chips – and once it is chipped, it should no longer be used. Investing in cookware such as Le Creuset, is a wise choice.

Silicone cookware is also inert, approved by the FDA and safe up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit. There are many new cookware items made from silicone, especially baking materials – trays, molds, pans, spatulas – which stand up to heat and do not emit toxic vapors when over-heated. Not only are they safe and healthy cookware, but they are often pretty cool looking!

Cookware that is rated as moderately reactive is the second best type of cookware. Stainless, heavy-gauge, or surgical steel are safe, but food should be removed from the cookware as soon as it is cooked to prevent transfer of a metallic taste. The more a steel pan is scratched, the more pronounced the metal taste will become. Cast iron and carbon steel are also moderately reactive and it is a wise idea to remove food from them immediately, as well.

Reactive cookware is not recommended for any type of cooking. Although reactive cookware is often convenient – “non-stick” is its hallmark – it can emit harmful, even fatal fumes if overheated. Non-stick techniques have improved since their unveiling in 1944, but the surface can still become unsafe and prone to comingle with food. Aluminum pots and pans are also reactive and once chipped, they should be thrown out.

Of course many of these types of cookware react differently with different types of foods, and most of them release noxious fumes when overheated. But by investing in safe, well-made cookware – such as the Le Creuset line – you can protect your family for years to come. Choose wisely when choosing safe and healthy cookware.