The Low-Toxicity Guide to Pots & Pans

Updated: 16th July 2020 | Originally Published: August 2018 You may have chosen to cook and buy organic healthy food, but have you thought about the pots and pans that you use when cooking? While many of us make the conscious effort to choose healthier and cleaner ingredients, it's important that we also consider the cooking surfaces that our food is being cooked on. Recently we received inquiries from many of our customers about low-toxic pots and pans, and today, you can look at this article as a guide, covering types of low-toxicity recommended cookware and brands. We’ll throw in some tips too!

Types of Low-Tox Cooking Surface

1. Enameled Cast Iron
2. Raw Cast Iron
3. Stainless Steel and Carbon Steel
4. Ceramic Stoneware
5. Safe Non-stick options - PFOS and PFOA Free

Why are they low-tox?

1. Enameled Cast Iron

Unlike raw cast iron, this type of pot and pan has an enamel finish to cover the raw cast iron both internally and externally. Enamel is created from glass particles that are fused to an underlying layer of high heat, creating a non-porous finish that protects the core material of your pot and pan. It has excellent heat conductivity too. These are the dutch ovens or pots and pans that come in gorgeous hues like the ones you see from Staub and Le Creuset. They are not required to be seasoned before using, not prone to rust and can be easily hand-washed with soap. A point to not get confused with is that the enamel coating is stick-resistant and not non-stick. It's important to note that while this form of cookware is fantastic and easy to use, including both in the oven and on induction cooktops, you should use them only on low to medium heat as high heat will damage the enamel coating. Recommended brands:

1. Le Creuset
2. Staub
3. Chasseur

2. Raw Cast Iron

The only similarities between raw cast iron and enamelled cast iron are that they are both wonderful heat conductors and can be used in many of the same ways. What sets them apart is that raw cast iron is more prone to rust and requires pre-seasoning before using. and enameled cast iron doesn't. The positive of raw cast iron is that with seasoning, you create an exceptional natural non-stick coating and you are able to cook it on higher temperatures than enamelled cast iron. Raw cast iron can be used to cook pretty much anything on the stovetop and oven. But because they lack the enamel coating, they fare much better on a grill and on open flames compared to their enamel coated counterparts. It's the very reason why it's a camper's favourite cookware to use outdoors. Manufacturing Tip: Lodge cast irons, come with factory seasoning. It’s to help you kickstart your seasoning task straight out of the box. During production, natural soy-based oil is applied with strong heat to allow polymers to form layers of seasoning, equivalent to 10 or 15 rounds of home-seasoning. The benefits, of course, is so the food you cook won't stick to your cast iron pan. Recommended products under Lodge: Lodge Logic Square Grill Pan 26cm Lodge Logic Cast Iron Skillet Lodge Cast Iron Round Griddle 27cm Other Lodge Cookware

3. Stainless Steel and Carbon Steel

Stainless Steel The material is made out of metal alloy, usually with 10-11% chromium. If you didn’t already know the body requires small amounts of chromium, which it generally gets from a normal healthy diet quality food source with like vegetables i.e. broccoli, tomatoes, and barley. Technically the alloy that is used to construct high-quality stainless steel cookware strengthens the pot surface by making it more resistant to leaching and rusts. In fact, it should be good at resisting heat and not react with food. The positives of stainless steel cookware is that they are able to handle high cooking temperatures and won't release any chemicals when cooking at these temperatures either. Carbon Steel The pan material that can sear like cast-iron, performs like a stainless tri-ply and is as slick as a non-stick. It’s a material that is made with 1% carbon and 99% iron. There are NO non-stick coating properties applied to these types of cookware. It has slightly less carbon than cast-iron, making it less brittle. It also means the makeup of any skillet or pan can be much lighter with high durability. A few things we learned about carbon-steel skillets are, like cast-iron, it rust when it’s bare which means it requires seasoning. Some brands offer pre-seasoned pans while others arrive sheathed, in sticky beeswax. Carbon steel pans are the most commonly used cookware types in commercial cooking environments like restaurants where they are low maintenance and very affordable, they also allow chefs to use them on high cooking temperatures which is important when you have to get food cooked and prepared quickly. Recommended cookware: Scanpan Clad 5 De Buyer Mineral B

4. Ceramic Stoneware

Typically made of natural material such as clay and can usually withstand high baking temperatures. You’ll find that most stonewares are also dipped in ceramic glazed to seal it. Speaking of which, the Heritage Stoneware collection from Le Creuset is resistant to cracking, crazing, and rippling; making it perfect for marinating, baking, roasting and even serving. With ceramic stoneware, you’ll find that the taste of your food is well preserved. Recommended for baking options: Le Creuset Stoneware Chasseur Stoneware

5. Safe Non-stick options - PFOS and PFOA Free

In recent years, non-stick cookware has been receiving backlash over the possibilities of ingesting harmful chemical of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which is a binding chemical was used in the construction of Teflon. This chemical was proven to be harmful and studies showed that continuous exposure to this chemical could cause cancer. The US company Dupont which invented Teflon faced a huge series of law-suits and fines from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the USA and was forced to remove PFOA from Teflon's composition and has been completely PFOA free since 2015. The problem with Teflon is that when Teflon is heated at high temperatures of around 500 degrees it releases fumes that can potentially be dangerous and harmful to our bodies. TODAY manufacturers found a way to bond natural materials together with the metal core to strengthen the pan so as to avoid flakes and corrosion and it's important to note that Teflon is no longer made with these chemicals. Here are some of the best options: Scanpan - The first brand that uses their own patented Stratanium+ non-stick coating that is hardwearing and free from PFOA and PFOS completely. This, of course, accompanied by careful use and care of the pan in its lifetime. What's good to know as well is that they use 100% recycled aluminium in the construction of their pans, so Scanpan is a great choice for the environment too! Woll Diamond Lite - Made in Germany, Woll is the benchmark of quality non-stick cookware. They use natural diamond crystals with non-stick for greater heat resistance and conductivity and like Scanpan, are also free of PFOA in their construction. Swiss Diamond - Similar to Woll, Swiss Diamond has non-stick cookware that is also infused with diamond crystals and made in Switzerland.

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