Home cooks often like to spend their time considering what to eat, searching for mouthwatering recipes, visiting grocery stores and markets, prepping meals, and, of course, eating. What we eat undeniably supports our optimal health – but the tools we use to cook our food play a role, too! Here at the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, we also teach our Culinary Nutrition Expert Program students about healthy cookware, and how to choose between the multitude of options when shopping for cookware.
Why Do We Need to Care About Our Cookware?
Many materials that companies use to formulate cookware aren’t inert. They release compounds that interfere with our health and can have negative consequences.
Stainless Steel Cookware
The non-stick cookware, like Teflon, is what we are most concerned about. Teflon and other non-stick materials such as pots and pans contain chemicals such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PFTE) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). As we cook, these toxins may be released into our food and inhaled (particularly if the pans are scratched). They may cause cancer, interfere with thyroid function, cause flu-like symptoms, and have even been detected in human breastmilk.
Cooking with aluminum
Although data suggests metal cookware can leak into our food as we cook, this migration is sped up when we use acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus. metal cookware is popular because it conducts heat quickly. Multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, and other neurological conditions have all been related to high levels of aluminum in the body. Additional research revealed that lead, cadmium, and arsenic may all be dissolved in aluminum.
Cookware made of aluminum can also be hard-anodized and anodized. Manufacturers coat pots and pans with an aluminum oxide coating using acid and an electric current during the anodizing procedure. It is a thick layer that doesn’t peel or chip. Cookware made of aluminum that has been hard anodized is safer than ordinary metal.
Cooking with copper
Cookware made of copper is undoubtedly attractive to look at, and like aluminum, it conducts heat efficiently. The accumulation of copper can, unfortunately, burden the liver and brain, produce gastrointestinal problems, harm our DNA, and travel into our meals from the pans. The majority of commercially available copper pots and pans have a stainless steel, tin, nickel, or non-stick coating inside. Stainless steel is a safer option than other coatings that could scrape off copper pots. It’s ideal to use vintage copper pots that have been handed down from senior family members solely for décor.
Copper and hard-anodized aluminum aren’t our first picks because there are so many superior options available.
Using stainless steel when cooking
Pros
* widely accessible
* Durable
* Affordable
* Free of PTFE and PFOA
* Doesn’t respond significantly to foods
* Utilizable and clean
* Comparably light drawbacks
Cons
* Isn’t non-stick, so stainless steel isn’t ideal for recipes like pancakes, omelettes, crepes, etc.
* Stainless steel is made from iron and carbon, with small amounts of chromium and nickel. When you see the numbers stamped on stainless like 18/8, that means the pot or pan has 18% chromium and 8% nickel. This isn’t a problem for most people unless they have a nickel allergy.
Cast Iron Cookware
Pros
* Durable Affordable
able to bear high heat and maintain heat well.
* PFTE and PFOA-free.
* They are simple to move from the stovetop to the oven to the table (excellent for one-pot meals!)
* easy to season and clean.
* may aid in the reduction of both adult and pediatric iron deficient anemia.
Cons
* really heavy
are a source of iron, therefore even if you don’t have an iron deficiency, you need still be cautious (and eating acidic meals will make more iron leak from the pan).
* They need frequent seasoning to function more efficiently.
* prone to rust if not properly maintained.
PFOA
***Perfluorooctanoic acid, sometimes known as PFOA, is a synthetic compound that is produced as a byproduct of making fluoropolymers. Due to the characteristics of PFOA, it is frequently utilized to create goods that are intended to withstand heat, water, grease, and sticking. One well-known item among these is non-stick cookware.
All Teflon products available today are PFOA-free. As a result, there is no longer a need to be concerned about the consequences of PFOA exposure on health. But up until 2013, PFOA was still employed in the manufacture of Teflon.
PTFE
***The interior of nonstick pans is coated with PTFE, a fluorinated material. Use of PTFE-coated nonstick cookware is secure. Using nonstick cookware, delicate food cooked at lower temperatures tastes better. Your PTFE-coated cookware will last longer if it is properly stored and cared for.
Enamled Cast Iron Cookware
A powder glass coating is burned onto enameled cast iron.
Pros PFTE and PFOA-free
It is naturally non-stick (needs no seasoning).
simple to clean
non-reactive to foods and won’t leak any chemicals
Well-maintains heat Doesn’t rust
Resilient and lasting
Cons May chip; expensive; heavy
Almost as non-stick as a properly seasoned cast iron pan, but not quite.
Purely Ceramic Cookware
It should be noted that if you choose this option, make sure the product is 100% ceramic. There are manufacturers of ceramic-coated cookware that use lead-containing non-stick coatings and glazes. Fully ceramic is not the same as ceramic-coated.
Pros
* PFTE and PFOA-free
* simple to clean
* Non-reactive
* zero heavy metals
* neither peels nor leaches anything into your meal.
* evenly conducts heat
* Can be used for storage in the fridge or freezer, as well as on the cooktop and in the oven.
Cons
* Non-stick not a thing?
* Does not function on induction stovetops (since there is no metal in it)
* Extreme temperature swings can cause it to crack (for instance, adding a frozen object to a hot pan will do this).
* It will be scratched by metal objects.
Cooking with Glass
Pros
*Benefits Affordable
*widely accessible
*PFTE and PFOA-free
*Not going to contaminate your food with chemicals Oven and dishwasher safe
Cons
*can fracture, chip, or shatter
*sensitive to temperature changes, which could lead to its breakage.
How Does Silicone Bakeware Fare?
In addition to silicone tools, silicone mats, loaf pans, muffin cups, and molds are frequently used in baking. The Academy of Culinary Nutrition is located in North America, where silicone bakeware is typically accepted as being safe up to 425 degrees. However, there is no concrete evidence that silicone is safe, and there is also no concrete evidence that it is detrimental. Because of this, we advise utilizing silicone only if you won’t be heating it. For dishes like chocolate and other no-bake sweets, freezing extra herbs in olive oil, freezing nut/seed milk cubes or sauce cubes, etc., we like to use silicone molds.
WHAT AMOUNT OF PANS AND POTS DO YOU NEED?
If you’re setting up a totally new kitchen or replacing toxic appliances with non-toxic ones, investing in healthy cookware can be worthwhile. However, in our opinion, you don’t need to purchase expensive 12-piece sets in order to prepare healthy meals. In the Culinary Nutrition Expert Program, one of the first topics we cover is how to set up and arrange your kitchen, including how many pots and pans you should have.
This is where we advise you to start if you want to cook and eat well:
1 tiny pot
1 big to medium pot
1 frying pan/skillet
The sizes of the pots and pans you buy will depend on how many people you plan to feed (if you’re cooking for one, you might prefer tiny cookware, and larger pots for families or batch cooking). A dutch oven or casserole and a sizable shallow dish that is rectangular or square are other nice-to-haves.
The kinds of meals you enjoy eating should be taken into account as well when looking for cookware! If you like to cook soups, stews, and one-pot dishes, buying a couple sizable pots would be beneficial to you. Consider using a second skillet or frying pan if you prefer to cook cuisine that requires additional pan frying.
If money is tight, consider thrift shops for affordable options in healthy cookware. Just make sure to verify the materials and research the brand and manufacturing process to assure safety. You can also scavenge your family members’ kitchens for healthful cookware that they hardly ever use!
You’ll use the pots and pans you buy frequently, whether that’s daily, frequently during the day, or occasionally throughout the week. Always keep in mind that the quality of your food and your general health will be directly impacted by your choice of healthy cookware. This means that they are valuable investments that can be passed down through the generations of friends and family.