Safest Cookeware?

Any concerns you might have can be answered at the Environmental Working Group's website at www.ewg.org. They have a wealth of information there! ;-)

I went to culinary school and as far as I know non-stick means teflon. The best pots to buy are heavy bottomed stainless or copper pots. You can also cook in cast iron. However some foods like eggs will still need to be cooked in a non-stick pan or you will spend a lot of time scrubbing dishes. I hope this helps

I recently purchased Calphalon One (infused, anodized) cookware. It does not contain teflon and is nonstick. Beacause it in infused/anodized and non-pourous, it does not flake. One note about cast iron, you cannot use it on a glass cooktop as it gets so hot it can crack the glass. I almost bought a stainless steel set, but ultimately decided on this and have been happy except I had to send the large skillet back for a replacement. Everything was sticking to it and it wouldn't come clean even though I was cleaning it per the company's instruction. It's been 3 weeks and I haven't heard from them, so we'll see. Supposedly they have a lifetime warranty. We got our set on e-bay, much cheaper than the retail price (even at an outlet store).

I use the glass Vision Cookware. I really like it because I don't have to worry about any toxins in my food. However, really like eggs and hate it when my eggs stick. I have found a skillet that is made from titanium and ceramics. It is restaurant grade so that means that it can't have things like Teflon flaking in the food. I found it at Sam's club last year. The company was doing a promotional thing there and I only bought the skillet. I wish I would have gotten the deaper skillet also. It was $70, but I am telling you it is the best skillet I have ever owned. I use it every day. You can even put it in the oven. Supposedly they are really expensive online, but a lot cheaper when you can catch them being promoted at Costco or Sam's. Who knows, you might be able to find a deal. The bottom of my skillet says:

PRO-HG Preferred, commercial grade, american made, Vollrath, Keweunee, Wisconsin

I hope this helps.

18/10 stainless steel is a great choice; buy the heaviest you can afford, as the heavier pots and pans hold more heat. As you may know, 18/10 is a reflection of the gauge of the steel and remember, heavier is better. I recommend buying cookware that can go from stovetop to oven, and therefore suggest ovenproof handles. I am a HUGE fan of cast iron cookware. Once it is fully seasoned, it is essentially non-stick and practically indestructible. It holds heat beautifully. The single drawback is weight and the amount of time to get it to seasoned perfection. I own five pieces (dutch oven, three skillets, grill pan) and find them indispensable. Some cast iron is advertised as 'seasoned' when you buy it, but it really does take love and time to get there. If you are in a position to afford enameled cast iron, it is the only purchase you'll ever have to make. Le Crueset is the brand name that comes to mind...great colors, enormous price tag, tremendous cookware. There are other enameled cast iron cookware lines, but Le Crueset is the benchmark.

happy cooking

I love my stainless All-Clad.
Consider a copper pan for things like eggs. Once seasoned, virtually non-stick.

The thing with the high-end cookware, it may be pricey at first, but you will NEVER have to replace it.

I admit, I still occasionally use a nonstick pan, so, if you must - NEVER EVER use high heat on your non-stick. If you do, you may as well throw it out. It breaks down the composition of the surface & releases the toxins. (for those of you who were wondering)

I love my Visions glass cookware, that was made in the 80s by corningware and they no longer make. Some of mine I have owned since the 80s and some I bought more recently on ebay.

Dr. Mercola has a nice set of safe cookware you might want to check out.

Good for you! I dont use ANY non-stick. Its all made of nasty chemicals that get into your food. I use a combination of cast iron (for fry pans), stainless steel for cooking liquids (regular pots or saute pans) and enameled cast iron for my big soup pot. Lodge is the company that makes quality cast iron, and also enamel. Buy pre-seasoned cast iron and its so easy to use, although there will be an adjustment period as you learn to cook with it. Very reasonably priced. You can go directly to the Lodge website or buy through Amazon.com Just know that cast iron should not be washed with soap, just scrubbed with a stiff brush and dried right away.

I love my cast iron and find it easy to use & clean. It just takes getting use to, no soaking or soap. I have 2 large skillets (one belonged to my husbands grandmother), a small skillet & a small round griddle that I use a LOT. I do have a non-stick pan that I like too but I know some people have worries about those.

But look into the cast iron, they are awesome.

Hi C., I Think the cordon blue cookware is the safest that I have researched because it is medical grade and it's density helps with the sticking issue. I would never use any teflon like substance!!!They are now coating cast iron with teflon so watch out! The cordon blue is expensive but it is guarenteed for life and made in the USA and you can work on a payment plan. I am not sure beyond that-but I would be very interested if you find out any other options...I am one of the owners of Green Mother Goods and we are always trying to find answers/products and looking for feedback.~meredith anders
____@____.com

I have Salad Master cookware: It is made from "surgical" steel. A little different from stainless steel. But this is very expensive. It has been well worth it and I love cooking with it. Do not get any Teflon or Aluminum. Iron is ok but very heavy. You have to season the pan. The pores in Iron are large and can get rancid. Glass has lead in it. How much??? They have to put lead in glass cookware so it want break.
I did a taste test one time using different cookware. Boil water with a spoon full of baking soda. Taste the difference. Glass-tasted like lead, Aluminum-old penny, Teflon-left the nastiest taste in my mouth. Cant even begin to describe it.
Stoneware is suppose to be good but who has pots and pans made out of stone. Only pizza trays and if you go to a restaurant that cooks on stone slabs.
Anyway, look into Salad Master, they'll come out and cook dinner for you.

I "think" it is all teflon if is is coated. The iron is safe to use and as the name, has iron in it. It is very heavy though. I would get stainless steel for sure. The Teflon begins to flake off over time and is unhealthy. I would get an iron skillet to use for things like spag sauce, corn bread, etc you can't use soap to clean it, you just rinse in hot water and scrub. Very nice to have. Farberware is supposed to be good and not too pricey. Pots and pans can be expensive. Calphalon is really good but really pricey.

W.

Check Amazon for the kitchenaide stainless steel, it's on sale for a really good price. I have some and love it. The only drawback, from the reviews, is that the skillets are very sticky. I haven't used mine yet because I have cast iron which is wonderful. I don't think any of the dark coatings, such as anodized, are cast iron, although I could certainly be wrong. I tossed all my teflon and most of my aluminum and won't go back. It's just not worth the added toxins in my family's body.

Cast Iron is heavy, so you will know that it is cast iron. It also helps put iron in your food. ( : Good luck!

Hi, C. B

Where are you getting your information about Teflon? I'm 62 years old, who has raised 2 children who I gave birth to and my husband and I adopted 2 North American Indian children(my sons are both 40 one is a doctor back on the reservation and the other has been in the AF Medical Corp for 22 years and my two daughters one is 38 with 3 children and Misty Wind we lost 9 months after we adopted her from Scarvy which she had when we adopted her she was 3 but she looked like she was only six months. I have used Teflon since it came out and nothing has harmed any of my loved ones, yet. I graduated from Fannie Farmers Cooking School in 1966. I use Stainless Steel now since that is all flat top stoves will allow you to use on them. But before my husband that he would replace my old stoves with the flattop, I used either castiron skillet and pans and good old Corningware for both stove and oven. My mother before she died gave me a set of Princess House type of cookware, but I only used that when company is coming for like Thanksgiving. There are many of us old folks around who have used Teflon for many years. As long as you're cooking with love everything will work out at least that is what my husband's dad's mother told me as she was teaching me how to make buttermilk biscuits, Red-eye gravy and grits back in September 1967. With all those cooking classes at Fannie's and a little old lady from the Backwoods of NC taught and recipe to cooking the Best Tasty Husband. I enjoyed that old lady's lessons until 1979 when she died at 104. She never saw the inside of a Nursing Home except to see friends. She lived on a farm out in Yancey County doing her gardening with her old mule up until three days before she died. I'm a nurse who does Hospice Care and most of my patients are old farm folks and a lot of what they eat would disturb a lot of the modern day medical people. And most of my folks are in their late 90's and I have 3 who are over 100 and a lot of them do things that now-a-days we are told are harmful to our health. C. if you know any old folks ask them what they like to cook with. S. G

I had similar research and invested in enameled cast iron, Le Cruset. I think Rachael Ray and Emeril make similar less expensive products. I love Le Cruset everything tastes great. I call them my "magic" pans.

Saladmaster touts itself to be the safest in cookware but it is pricey to say the least. You may want to read up on why they claim to be the safest and compare products. They will also have helpful info on what's not safe (to make themselves look better). Good luck!

I have had these same questions about what is the safest cookware. Recently I emailed an eco-advice column to ask the experts, and the response is here:

http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2008/10/08/index.html

:)

There is a process of flash coating cookware with tiny metal beads that does not involve Teflon. When you see it in the stores you will notice the entire pot or skillet looks a flat, dull grey inside and out because the entire piece of metal is put through the process. But, while this cookware is heavier and safer than Teflon, eventually that, too, will wear out. There are many excellent products on the market that are not Teflon coated and are non-stick without any kind of coating. They do not have to be copper-bottomed to be "good" cookware. I have one cook pot from Belgique which is simply stainless steel with a high gloss finish top to bottom. It is not non-stick if you burn something in it but, otherwise, it is almost literally care free. It does have a very solid bottom plate. I have, on more than one occasion, burnt foods in my pot. It takes little or no effort to get the burnt 'gunk' out of the bottom and, after six years of 'abusing' my wonderful little pot, it is still as beautiful as the day I got it and looking good for the next six or ten or longer!

I am now in the market to replace all of my cookware with similarly made pots and pans. I have determined that my preference is Cuisinart. If you want to do an experiment, go to the store and find a set of Cuisinart cookware and Wolfgang Puck cookware. I tried them side by side. They look similar but there is a HUGE difference! The WP set has 18 pieces, while the Cuisinart has only 14, but the Cuisinart set weighs more than the WP. It is not a burdensome weight, but it is solid and that's important. You want to get something that is going to be able to absorb the heat and distribute it fully and evenly without developing hotspots. Many pots that are advertised as having even heat distribution are still prone to hotspots. The Cuisinart is a bit more expensive as are some of the other brands mentioned. In my local Sam's Club, the Wolfgang Puck cookware is currently selling for $99 and change while the Cuisinart is gong for $143 and change. But they say you get what you pay for and the difference in quality is well worth the difference in price. Besides, in the long run, the Cuisinart will last for years and years and still look brand new so it will save me HUNDREDS of dollars in cookware I won't have to buy in the future.

Farberware tends to be of a fairly thin metal and you will need to replace it in a couple of years. Even Calphalon, after a very few years, will begin to warp and discolor. You recall that old saying, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen?" That's something to remember when buying pots and pans. One of the keys to good cookware is to have something that can take the heat without showing signs of age and wear either visually or performance-wise.

So look for something that is going to be able to cook well, has minimal maintenance, and durability. As you are probably aware, that Teflon skillet gets replaced every year or so and, on today's glass top electric stoves, you cannot use cast iron. Even if you have an open element or gas stove, while the cast iron will last for many years, it requires seasoning every six to 12 months to keep it 'non-stick'. So your ideal choice would be something that has the longevity of Grandma's cast iron cookware combined with the ease of care of Teflon. I have not tried some of the cook sets others have recommended but, before you choose anything, do your hands-on research. Go for something that is not so thin it will soon warp, the bottoms will develop a bump at the center, and it no longer cooks evenly. Uncoated cookware has become more and more serviceable (non-stick) without the carcinogen hazards of Teflon and it looks brand new for years. Getting good cookware is a big investment, but it is one you will be glad you made.

We recently stopped using our old non-stick pans. We purchased a stainless steel set from All Clad and 1 pan for eggs from Green Pan, new non stick technology with NO teflon. Happy with our choices so far.

I sell Tupperware and we sell a line of cookware called chef series it is excellent in quality but it is very pricey. Before I got back into selling Tupperware I bought Rachael Ray's cookware and love it.

Hi C.;

Ok, I am throwing my 2 cents in as well. First. FLAWLESS Teflon?=NO such thing. It's a marketing ploy. La Creuset is the rave right now but, porcelain is capable of chipping too. Is it a guarantee that it will? NO. But is it a guarantee that it won't? ALSO NO. I swear by 3 things. GLASS, 18/10 STAINLESS STEEL (the other poster was correct, get the HEAVIEST you can afford) and last, CAST IRON. Both stainless steel and cast iron if properly maintained are non-stick AND can go from stove, to oven, to broiler. Just make sure that the handle is not polymer on the SS.
I began using Cast Iron years ago. It truly is not that difficult to care for imho. It is a bit heavy but you will adjust and can always use both hands (with a thick pot holder)and lift like a bowl and, the amount of missed school days have been reduced GREATLY for my children.
Non stick is HORRIBLE, it breaks down and leeches into your food. Ingestion will wreak havok with your immune system. Aluminum cookware will do the same thing. You can buy both cast iron and stainless steel, used,or, new from ebay or such places. If buying used cast iron, make sure it sits flat and that there are no cracks. Pre seasoned is a fallacy, but it is easy to season and maintain yourself.
People flock to Griswold. I own some but prefer Wagner. It seems to be the perfect one for me. It is thicker than say Lodge, and is well made. The cooking surfaces of my Wagner's seem smoother. I'm not saying Griswold or lodge aren't, I just prefer Wagner.
If you really want to test the non stick vs cast iron,
Make skin on chicken breasts however you normally would in non stick cookware. Remember the taste. THEN season with S & P, brown skin on chick pieces in cast iron pans and transfer to a 350 degree oven for 40 min. Do not add oil, butter, anything. A seasoned cast iron pan does not need it, the fat in the chicken skin will melt down and serve as the oil.
For a quick dish, this is the best and easiest chicken EVER, and may i ask, can it get better? No added oils, sprays, bs AND corn bread cannot be beat!
I know i babbled, but I will never use anything but Cast iron, glass and SS. Do not use onions in Cast iron, it will bring you back to step one in the seasoning process, that is where SS comes in. Its great for things such as stir frys.
Good luck. I like you, am all about natural!