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Safest Cookware
What Type of Cookware Is Safest for
Cooking?
by Larry West
We are increasingly careful about the food we eat, and this concern is
spreading to the materials in contact with our food.
For example, the choice of a safe reusable water
bottle preoccupies many.
Let's examine the choices we have when considering which cookware to
use.
Stainless Steel Cookware Combines Different Metals
In reality, stainless steel is really a mixture of several different
metals, including nickel, chromium, and molybdenum, all of which can trickle
into foods.
However, unless your stainless steel cookware is dinged and pitted,
the amount of metals likely to get into your food is negligible.
Stainless steel cookware in good condition can be considered safe for
cooking.
Anodized Aluminum Cookware May Be a Safer Alternative
These days, many health-conscious cooks are turning to anodized
aluminum cookware as a safer alternative.
The electrochemical anodizing process locks in the cookware’s base
metal, aluminum, so that it can’t get into food, and makes for what many cooks
consider an ideal non-stick and scratch-resistant cooking surface.
Calphalon is the leading manufacturer of anodized aluminum cookware,
but newer offerings from All-Clad (endorsed by
celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse) and others are coming on strong.
Can Cast Iron Cookware Actually Improve Health?
Another good choice is that old standby, cast iron, which is known for
its durability and its even heat distribution.
Cast iron cookware can also help ensure that eaters in your house get
enough iron — which the body needs to produce red blood cells — as it
seeps off the cookware into food in small amounts.
Unlike the metals that can come off of some other types of pots and
pans, iron is considered a healthy food additive by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration.
Consumers should beware, though, that most cast iron cookware needs to
be seasoned after each use to prevent rust and as such is not as
worry-free as other alternatives.
Ceramic Cookware Provides Some Benefits of Cast Iron
Without the Bother
For those who like the feel and heat distribution properties of cast
iron but dread the seasoning process, ceramic enameled cookware is a
good, if expensive, choice.
The smooth and colorful enamel is dishwasher-friendly and somewhat
non-stick and covers the entire surface of such cookware to minimize clean-up
headaches.
Copper Cookware Is Excellent for Certain Uses
One other surface favored by chefs for sauces and sautés is copper,
which excels at quick warm-ups and even heat distribution.
Since copper can leak into food in large amounts when heated, the
cooking surfaces are usually lined with tin or stainless steel.
Non-Stick Coatings Can Be Safe, If Used Properly
Teflon is a non-stick coating used to prevent food from adhering to
the cookware's surface.
Some environmental and health concerns have emerged associated with
the manufacturing process of Teflon, but as for its domestic use, the answer is
more complex.
Studies have shown that non-stick coatings are stable and safe during
normal use conditions.
However, when subject to temperatures above normal cooking heat (above
500 degrees Fahrenheit), fumes can be released.
For a yet to be discovered reason, birds appear sensitive to
those fumes.
The American Cancer Society states that there are no known risks
associated with Teflon-coated cookware.
With proper use and care, these pots and pan—which constitute more
than half of all cookware sales in the U.S.—should be safe to use.
Frederic Beaudry
Associate professor of environmental
science at Alfred University in New York
Ph.D. in wildlife ecology from the University
of Maine
Experience
Dr. Frederic Beaudry is a former writer for
ThoughtCo who contributed articles on pollution, global warming, and climate
science for three years. He is an associate professor of environmental science
at Alfred University in
New York. Prior to teaching, he worked as a wildlife biologist, focusing on the
ecology and conservation of birds and turtles. Beaudry has authored several
scientific papers on land use and conservation and has conducted research
examining land use changes and their effects on bird and amphibian communities.
Education
Beaudry has a B.S. in biology
from Université du Québec à Rimouski and an M.A. in natural resources
from Humboldt State University. He earned a Ph.D. in wildlife ecology at
the University of Maine. Beaudry completed postdoctoral research at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison.
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