Speaking of cookware, I often wondered how it is even pertinent to our health or why safety measures are compulsory.
Well, now I know why exactly cookwares can directly leave an upsetting influence on your health.
For instance, some of the cookwares consist of harmful chemicals or sets of toxic elements that slowly start to poison our bodies. And its contingencies often go under mere notice, whereas eventually, it leads us to severe health issues.
So, what’s downright necessary to suppress such complexities is to choose the safest cookware available in the market.
However, determining the safest cookware for your regular use won’t be easy as long as you crave perfection.
Flaws are there, but luckily there are competent cookwares with ample safety measures, which will help you eliminate the concerns.
Now, lingering no further, let’s fathom what types of cookware are safe for health and probably reigns over the conventional ones!
Types of Cookwares in Brief
To make sure that you don’t receive any cryptic message, I would like to inform you that this entire article is not about the types of cookware.
It’s about the cookware materials which decide the safety quotient.
So, when speaking of what types of cookware are safe for your health, I am trying to convey the idea of different cookware materials as in aluminum, carbon steel, cast iron, ceramic, and the sky is the limit. I will be precise on each of them one by one.
First, let’s glance over some common types of cookware that you must need and then wade through the materials which are wholly safe for your cooking spheres. This way, you will decipher what materials are promising for the cookware types.
Skillet
Here you have a skillet, which is also known as a frying pan. This one is immensely used in every household. Not only in brown Asian families but also in white communities, people are obsessed with fried food; hence, the skillet is one of the staple utensils of every kitchen. You can consider it as a kitchen workhorse.
Now let’s talk about its construction! A typical skillet has a flat surface with an oval-shaped siding, which ensures faster and safer cooking.
Because, the round siding resists the oil from overflowing outside, and the flat surface holds your ingredients in place. However, mostly fry pans or skillets don’t include any lids. It’s just a plain pan to fry veggies, meats, or whatever you admire!
Stockpot
Secondly, you have a stockpot that is typically larger than other cookware. It has a flat surface with a built-in deep pot, including a closing lid. This cookware is used for cooking fluids or liquid food by asserting maximum heat or steam.
It’s ideal for cooking liquid or soups in the stockpot because it doesn’t require close contact with the heat. Also, it works well with moderate heat exertion, and the dimensions of these stockpots make them sophisticated for retaining the ingredients submerged or wholly sunk.
This comes in different sizes and materials. You can cook stews, soups, pasta, porridge, stocks, or literally any fluid intakes.
Cast Iron Skillet
This is another form of skillet which are pretty similar to traditional fry pans. The only difference is in the material they are crafted of.
And surprisingly, this disparity makes a significant difference in your cooking aspect as cast iron skillets are heavier, stronger, and capable of producing heat better than a regular skillet.
However, the intricacy with these skillets is that it requires pre-seasoning. Otherwise, your food is going to stick with the surface. Hence, when using a cast iron skillet, make sure you have pre-seasoned it.
Griddle
A griddle is primarily known as a grill pan, which has a ridged and large base. There are flat surface griddles too, but for replicating the ridges on your meat, a ridged base will work better.
When you are working with a griddle, you don’t need to baste it with a lot of oil. Just a few drops of oil and you are good to go. Your daily breakfast diet as in omelets, pancakes, boneless chicken, or meat are no longer complicated or too messy to cook if you have a grill equipped in your kitchen utensils.
For better and safe cooking, make sure your griddle has a handle to spread the oil all over the surface and for smooth movements.
5 Types of Cookwares That Are Safe for Health
In this segment, I have outlined 5 types of cookware that are safe for your health and will help you unravel the health hazards so that you can eliminate them taking necessary steps.
1. Cast Iron
Well, cast iron cookwares are considered as one of the most obsolete or old fashioned kitchen stationary. Yet, sometimes the saying sounds rational as in old is gold! Definitely, it is!
Cast iron cookware is superior to other materials because of its durability and resistance. It reigns over other cookware in almost every aspect, as in the safety profile it exhibits even in intense cooking sessions.
Now, talking about safety, it doesn’t release any chemicals even after persistent use. Unlike other cookware materials, cast iron has utmost reliance because of its zero chemical indulgence.
Here, one thing which you may found baffling is that its iron discharging tendency. Cast iron cookware emits iron, which gradually adds up with your meal and increases the iron levels.
It can be problematic if excessive iron consumption is harmful to your health; however, intaking extra iron is often considered as a benefit that fosters your health condition and boosts the immune system.
On the other hand, cast irons behave like non-stick cookware if you are pre-seasoning it well before cooking.
So, this was cast iron for you, which is sturdy, reliable, cost-efficient, safe, and easy to use!
2. Anodized Aluminum
There are loads of controversies regarding aluminum cookware. Before I get into it, let me tell you what kind of aluminum cookware is advised to use and only deserves your trust. So, there is cookware made of aluminum, and there are different versions of them.
While wading through those versions, make sure you choose the anodized ones!
It has a thin layer comprised of aluminum oxide that keeps the surface sturdy and immune to corrode.
It’s the safest version of aluminum from many options. In contrast, when you choose to have non-anodized aluminum cookware, you basically invite toxicity in your regular diet. Hence, make sure that the material is anodized aluminum.
Note
You might be unaware of the fact that some recent researches prove that aluminum is high at releasing toxic elements when the heat is produced.
Hence, even if your mother gifted you aluminum cookware—as it was vastly worshiped for its lightweight, ease of use, and effortless cleaning process—you’re advised not to use them.
Because, the lack of scrutiny led many of us to fatal health diseases like Alzheimer’s and neurological deformities. And ironically, both of us might stay in contact with aluminum in our daily life. But as the surveys dictate that aluminum is toxic, it will be better if you can rely upon other materials than aluminum.
3. Copper
Thirdly, you have copper cookware that is wholly free of chemical and toxic elements. On top of that, it generates heat uniformly and lasts long.
One thing that can be problematic is if you have Wilson’s diseases. This disease corrupts your ability to metabolize dietary copper.
Thus, copper accumulates in your body due to digestive issues, and this accumulation can cause severe or chronic health hazards.
So, you can rely on copper as long as you aren’t a patient of Wilson’s disease.
4. Non-stick
Pardon me to interrupt, but remember that not all non-stick cookware!
You need to be selective here. For instance, Teflon/PTFE/PFOA contents are a big no!
Hence, if your non-stick pan or cookware releases Teflon/PTFE/PFOA traces, it’s better not to use them. Otherwise, if your non-stick cookware isn’t comprised of such elements, then you can hold on to non-stick cookware without stressing out.
5. Stainless Steel
Lastly, you have stainless steel cookware, which is a composite of iron, chrome, and nickel. And the reason why this is called stainless is that it’s immune to rust and corrosion. Thus, it becomes an exquisite material for cookware.
Basically, stainless steel cookware has its distinction, which is to emit heat evenly over the surface. Hence, when you are using a stainless-steel cookware, your food is absorbing the heat uniformly.
And this is one of the quirks of stainless steel, which makes it great! Mostly if you are looking for a griddle with high caliber, corrosion resistance, and faster heat distribution, then stainless steel cookwares aren’t only the ideal choice but also the safest one!
Bottom Line
Well, that’s a wrap, but there are few other options like ceramic, glass, etc., which are safe for your health. But I will say not entirely! Each of them can be problematic or a threat to your health. So, here you have to decide which one has the least risks depending on your health state.