Hello sunshine!
Let me be frank with you: I like eating, but I don´t like cooking. I am actually always trying to avoid it, so whatever I do in the kitchen has to be quick: soup, tahini, humus, broccoli with soy sauce. You get the picture. Fortunately I have a great cook at home!
As cooking is not my thing, I have never paid much attention to the cookware I was buying. I just wanted something practical that didn´t give too much work. Non-stick cookware seemed to be the answer for this. However, sometimes the easiest way is the hardest way.
Non-stick cookware is available everywhere, so why should it be a cause of concern? Well, as you have read in my book Back to Natural, we have an obligation towards ourselves, for the sake of our health and well-being, to be informed consumers.
Probably you already know that non-stick cookware is coated with teflon. What you don´t know is that “[t]oxic fumes from the Teflon chemical released from pots and pans at high temperatures may kill pet birds and cause people to develop flu-like symptoms (called “Teflon Flu” or, as scientists describe it, “Polymer fume fever”). […] The long-term effects of routine exposure to Teflon fumes, and from Teflon flu itself, have not been adequately studied“, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). So what is the alternative?
After researching about the pros and cons of each type of cookware, we came up with four alternatives:
- Stainless steel: it is strong, durable and known for maintaining heat. However, extra care should be taken to avoid food from burning. As stainless steel contains not only carbon steel, but also other metals such as chromium and nickel it is important to choose a high-quality product
- Cast iron: it is affordable, extremely strong and durable, but it needs proper care and maintenance to prevent rust
- Glass: it is expensive as well as fragile. It will probably break if it falls and it can also break due to thermal shock
- Titanium: probably the best option in the market, but way too expensive!
We ended up buying a high-quality stainless steel cookware – one small, one medium and one big pot plus a medium pan – and we are happy with our choice. However, if you decide that you want to continue using non-stick cookware, I advise you to do the following:
- Cook at the lowest temperature possible
- Use an exhaust fan
- Don´t use it on a daily basis.
So, are you ready for change?
Nurture yourself,
Natacha