Get Rid of Toxic Cookware Once and for All
The Ultimate Guide to a Healthier Kitchen
Honestly speaking, five years down the line I wouldn’t have bothered to check out this article. I was in my 20s and carefree about most of the things around me — whether it was my finances, home, or health.
But once the 30s hit me and also after the birth of my daughter, I was a lot more mindful of everything around me. And cookware was something that caught my eye.
We are all to a certain extent careful about what we eat or drink, well at least we know the good from the bad for us to make a conscious choice between the two. But can we say the same about the cooking utensils that we are using daily? Do we know the good from the bad?
Well, here’s where we step in. Let us dive into the world of cookware and decide what works for us and what doesn’t.
WHY YOU MAY ASK.
The reasons behind selecting the right cookware are many like — retention of nutrients, durability, affordability, easy cleaning, maintenance, dishwasher/microwave safe, etc. But do you know the ONLY reason why I decided to review my cookware, irrespective of all the above reasons?
“Safeguarding against heavy chemicals leaching into my scrumptious meal”
Cooking your nutrient-dense food in a toxic environment of chemicals kind of beats the purpose. Isn’t it? All your efforts to plate a hearty healthy meal go down the drain and instead you put yourself at a higher risk of life-threatening illness.
FOR THE DATA NERDS
(You can skip this part and jump to “THE SOLUTION”. However, I strongly recommend you read this to brag at the next family meeting)
- PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl) are chemicals that are used to create the non-stick layer on most of the commonly available cookware in the market.
- PTFE, PFOS, and PFOA(C8) are different types of the above-mentioned chemical and their effect on the human body has been studied by various agencies like the EPA and American Cancer Society. And yes, they are very harmful.
- GENX and PFBS are now being used as a substitute for PFOA. But they too have been known to be harmful.
THE DISQUALIFIED-COOKWARE LIST
1.TEFLON(Non-stick) cookware although convenient, is coated with a layer of PTFE to make it non-sticky. When used at high temperatures, this kind of cookware emits toxic fumes that can easily leach into your food. You may find PFOA-free non-stick cookware in the market. But are they PTFE-free? You need to go through their product description well now that you understand the chemicals being used. Never forget that the non-stick coating comes at a price.
Some non-stick cookware is coated with safe granite; however, the coating is generally thin and chips off over time. And hence it is critical to look for scratches in such cookware to avoid contamination of food with the underneath material.
2. Aluminum Cookware would also be graded in the unsafe category as it is a neurotoxic material and prolonged cooking in such utensils can be harmful. The metal also reacts with acidic food which can further hasten the process of leaching aluminum into your food.
3. Ceramic-Coated cookware. Although 100% ceramic cookware is safe, the ones available in the market are merely ceramic-coated cookware. This coating is thin and easily damaged after prolonged use. Once so, it is better to discard the cookware as the metal underneath would slowly start seeping into your food.
4. Copper cookware. As I was studying the various cookware options available, it was rather shocking to see copper being used as cookware, when in fact it has a very different use in the traditional Indian kitchen. Copper vessels/jug is used to store drinking water overnight to be consumed first thing in the morning as per Ayurveda.
Untreated copper cookware is dangerous for your health. Too much of this copper leaching into your food can cause copper poisoning. Treated Copper cookware lined with stainless steel/tin layer is safe to use. But yet again, the layer needs to stay intact as long as you use the utensil.
Tin coating (Eelam) is a better option, at least for use in India as one can get the utensil re-coated once it is scratched. The same option is not available in the case of stainless-steel coating.
THE HEALTHIER OPTIONS
STAINLESS STEEL
It is one of the safest options available in the market. It is an alloy of steel and chromium. Sometimes, nickel, copper, and titanium are added in trace quantities to enhance their properties. It is a safer option and care must be taken to buy good quality stainless steel —grade 18/8 and 18/10. The first number stands for chromium and the second for nickel. These utensils are inert and don’t chip off like Teflon pans.
High-quality stainless steel is expensive but will last you a lifetime and are an excellent choice for cookware.
I shall cover more about this category of cookware in my next blog.
CAST IRON
utensils are made of an alloy that has 90% iron. A good, seasoned cast iron pan will form a natural nonstick layer over it with regular usage. This serves as an excellent replacement for the toxic TEFLON pans. Good-quality pans don’t contain lead or other harmful metals.
In these pans, iron does leach into your food in a minimal amount. It is a good thing as it is an essential nutrient for the body. Cooking in cast iron pans is considered good for those with anemia. However, do not forget that balance is the key.
CERAMIC UTENSILS
First, let us understand that there are two varieties of Ceramic cookware available in the market —100% ceramic cookware and ceramic-coated cookware.
100% Ceramic cookware is made from pure ceramic (made from natural clay and sand) whereas ceramic-coated pans are majorly aluminum utensils — coated with a ceramic layer. Ensure that you purchase 100% ceramic cookware instead of ceramic-coated utensil. As discussed earlier, once the coating scratches off with regular use, there are chances of metal leaching into the food.
Ceramic cookware can withstand high temperatures and is particularly safe for cooking acidic food. It consumes less oil and provides a slick cooking surface. And they are super-easy to clean! Sometimes even a nice wipe would do.
GLASS COOKWARE
Next, let us come to the favorite baking partner of many - The modest glass utensils.
As I learned about the dangers of a bad cookware inventory, I started slowly replacing the ones in my kitchen with safer ones. Baking was something that I last touched upon. I have been baking in aluminum tins for a very long time. But now, the replacement was necessary and Glass cookware was the safest option available for all my baking requirements.
Glass cookware is inert, hence NO leaching. It is the safest non-toxic cookware available. But do ensure that you use food-grade glass cookware and not handmade ones.
Follow These Steps to Change Over to Better Cooking Habits!
Plenty of cookware options are available in the market — even in the safe category. It can get overwhelming to replace all of your cookware in one go. Here’s what I did.
1. Change the cookware that you want to — GRADUALLY. It took over 3 months for me to completely change over to safer ones. The policy of — “One for One” worked well for me. For every new cookware I got, I discarded one.
2. Invest in high-quality cookware as they are more durable and will last in the long run.
3. Do not buy only one kind of cookware. Keep combinations of different types based on your eating habits. E.g., I have a ceramic pan for acidic food that I cook quite often and a pair of cast iron ones for nonacidic food.
4. Once cooked, do not store food for long in any cookware.
5. Try changing over to wooden spatulas as they are less harsh on the utensils
6. I realized this quite recently — that the steel wool we use for cleaning is harsh on the utensils and can easily scratch the layers of the utensil. I discarded them completely and only use a sponge for cleaning. Yes, it is cumbersome and takes longer to clean — but it is just about habit. Once you get used to it — you wouldn’t miss the harsh steel wool.
Healthier eating is not only about what you eat — but also about how you cook and eat. Switching over to better cookware is a one-time activity and has life-long benefits. It may even take you a year to gradually change your cookware, but once it’s done, you would be assured that the food you are cooking — is safe and healthy for you and your family.
Namaste!
Happy and safe cooking to all of you!
