I’m sure you’ve read that non-stick cookware is coated with chemicals that aren’t exactly great for us? According to treehugger.com, the chemicals {PFASs} used in non-stick cookware and packaging have been found in samplings of human tissues. What effect those chemicals have on EXACTLY has yet to be determined. A recent study conducted by scientists concluded that the chemicals should be removed and avoided entirely. The manufacturers of the chemicals stand by the claim that some of the chemicals are safe, and the rest should be phased out slowly. What’s a cook to do?
If the non-stick dilemma isn’t enough to get you down then consider this: Remember the big push to get BPA’s out of our cookware/drinkware a couple of years back? As a result, now most things you buy let you know that they are BPA free. While BPA definitely was something we needed to remove, the same article on treehugger claimed that it was replaced with different, equally disturbing chemicals. Sheesh! Apparently it was one battle fought in a long war.
I kind of miss the days where you could go into a store and blindly assume that whatever you purchased would be safe for your family. I know it was ignorance, but it was blissful. On top of the that, I kind of see why people still buy non-stick. It’s a big fat pain in the behind to scrape food off of your pans. They are affordable, and I don’t really think we notice the effects of them on our bodies until years later when we all start growing extra limbs and are like, “oops.”
I personally use my Le Creuset cast iron pots that I have been sloooooowly collecting over 20 years. Cast iron is supposed to be safer too, but in my opinion, it isn’t great for cooking potatoes or eggs {even though mine has long been seasoned}, plus you aren’t supposed to cook anything acidic in it {spaghetti sauce, etc.}. Treehugger offered 9 suggestions of safer choices for cookware, both of the above mentioned were on there, and some I’ve never heard of.
I guess when it comes right down to it, I’m curious if YOU avoid non-stick cookware? If so, what do you use? How has it held up?
~Mavis
Radha says
I avoid all non stick now. For the last decade or so, I have used basic Lodge cast iron skillets (ones that needed to season myself). I find them to work better than my old non stick. These are very inexpensive compared to other choices and I have skillets in all different sizes now – 10, 12 and 17″. Costlier enameled cast iron pans don’t tend to be as non stick in my experience but they are good for making sauces.
JC says
The thing with BPA is that you need an extremely high dosage of it over a long period of time to have any negative effects. The chemicals that have replaced we for the most part know even less about (my fiance did a college thesis on it and likes to inform anyone who will listen). As far as I’m concerned anything plastic might as well be avoided. Glass and metal have been around longer and shown to not have the negative effects.
Dianna says
I have phased out my non-stick pans over the years and I just have one left. I don’t actually like Le Creuset (gasp!), especially for frying jobs. I like my plain old Lodge cast-iron frying pans. I keep them well seasoned. For eggs, the trick is to heat it up, then grease it right before you put the eggs in. Also don’t let it get too hot.
I have two enameled cast-iron dutch ovens I got from Ikea that I love too. They are enameled on the outside but plain cast-iron on the inside.
Bonus: I used to be deficient in iron and I have been fine since I switched to cooking with cast iron.
Rosaleen says
Many of the early non-stick coatings left visible flakes in food. Yum-NOT! Consequently, I didn’t jump on that bandwagon. I do like cast iron and Corningware. My new favorite pan is one of those ceramic-coated green ones. It does need an occasional good scrub and re-seasoning, but even burned-on cheese doesn’t stick! I can make low carb non-gluten pancakes in the flip version. We had given up on pancakes when a family member was diagnosed with diabetes.
Susan says
I’ve been using Le Creuset for about 4 years now and was given a new piece just yesterday! (4 litre soup pot). I also use a cast iron frying pan and a cast iron Dutch oven. I’m low iron so I’m hoping 2 these will bring my numbers up.
Lisa says
I got rid of all my non-stick several years ago and opted for stainless steel – I love them! Except for cooking eggs … I use one small non stick just for that (which isn’t super often). But I like the above tips about eggs in cast iron!
Vickie says
I’ve used cast iron for many…years and didn’t know that you were not supposed to put spaghetti sauce or anything acidic in it. As a matter of fact I just did that this afternoon for dinner. Wonder why not?
I quit non stick after the last bad news about it and went to stainless steel cookware. No worries now.
Joanna says
I am phasing out my non-stick Teflon pans and am getting the Green pans from Costco.
Tisha says
The reason you do not cook acidic foods in cast-iron is the chemical reaction can cause an metallic-off taste. I think some are more sensitive to this than others. This would not happen in an enameled pot like Le Creuset. I am not 100% positive, but I am guessing that enameled cookware also does not help one take in more iron as there is a barrier between the iron and the food. For eggs, I prefer my well-seasoned blue steel crepe pan. Potatoes are wonderful in regular cast iron. I never used non-stick as I hated having to worry about what utensil I was grabbing.
Jen Y says
I cook in my cast iron more than anything – I don’t have any problems with eggs or potatoes sticking. I think the trick is to p reheat your pan & let it get hot before adding food. I use cooking spray with eggs & liquid oil – usually a little evoo – with potatoes.
I also think how they’re cleaned effects how well they work. I boil water in mine with a drop or two of Dawn, scrub well, rinse well then set back on the hot stove to dry in seconds.
Glenda says
We have only used stainless steel, glass, and cast iron for decades. I threw out all plastic years ago and only use Pyrex glass for freezing, baking, or storing. I couldn’t find stainless steel muffin tins, so purchased the coated one’s; however, I never put food directly in them. When I bake muffins or cupcakes I use the unbleached paper muffin cups inside the trays.
Tamara says
My husband occasionally reminds me of the iron/tomato “problem” but I have always cooked my sauces in my cast iron and always will. They always taste good and there’s never been a problem with the cast iron.
AlysonRR says
I have stainless skillets for omelets and because my husband can’t be bothered to learn the (very few!) rules associated with using my beloved heirloom Lodge pans. The number of times I’ve had to reseason them! Aauugh!
I let him use the Lodge enameled cast iron pans (3.5 and 5qt covered) because the care is more simple, though.
christy says
seems everyone is on the same page…great! i bought le creuset years ago when it was affordable. however, if one of those falls off the air drying rack onto the floor, the porcelain coating cracks and flakes off. now i only pick up le creuset if i see one at the second hand store. stainless steel is an old stand by…works nice for incorporating browned bits into a sauce. and after i figured out a fool proof way of seasoning cast iron, it is virtually non-stick. the more chemicals we ban from our households, the healthier we, our children, and our grandchildren will become. no one has studied the cumulative effects of the myriad components of the chemical soup we are exposed to. each little thing adds up. for example, i never bought pajamas with ‘flame retardants’ for my child…now we learn that the chemical even contaminates the lint from our dryers and it is dangerous to handle. mostly…the ‘pioneer way’ is the way to go.
Jean says
I loved loved loved my cast iron pans and dutch oven until my husband was diagnosed with Hemochromatosis. Bloodwork from an annual wellness check revealed that his iron levels were super high. Thankfully, he hadn’t experienced liver problems yet and was able to get his iron levels down through phlebotemies (donating blood) every couple of weeks for several months. Though not necessarily the cause of the problem, the cast iron contributed to it. I learned from a friend who is a nurse on the liver transplant floor at our local university’s hospital that Hemochromatosis is the most common reason for liver transplants. Patients don’t know that their iron levels are too high until the damage is done.
Lana says
Taking dandelion root capsules can clean up the liver. You may want to look into that since it is an easy and inexpensive way to improve your husband’s health. A friend who had non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver greatly improved by doing the same. He used to be yellowish green and now he has healthy looking normal skin tone. Vitacost would be the cheapest place to get them. Nature’s Way is the brand our friend used.
Lisa says
Cast iron and stainless steel all the way. Pretty much every piece was rescued from Goodwill. The “upperclass” areas have the best selection, I’ve found $100 pans for $12.
As for cast iron, I find even better than Lodge are the antique brands of cast iron, like Griswold and Wagner. The older ones are a lot smoother, like glass, and hold their seasoning better. They are a deep, deep black and a pure pleasure to cook with. I never have sticking problems with them, while I do sometimes with Lodge. Ignore the cheap no-name brands at camping stores and like, those are very, very rough and sometimes impossible to hold a season.
Like others have said, warm up the pan first. That gets the molecules moving. Then add your oil, I use olive or coconut oil. Then let the oil warm up, the oil seeps down into the “pores” of the metal. Then add the food. When I cook eggs, I add some butter or bacon grease, for flavor. Use a low to med heat. Cast iron retains heat so you’ll need less. Steel will have hotspots and cold spots, so it’s easier to use with milder heat.
Wynne says
I agree! I have a Lodge and two Griswolds, and the Griswolds are much nicer. They’re thinner (though still substantial) and so much easier to lift, plus the inside is machined more smoothly. I got mine at Pennsylvania flea markets, but they’re on ebay, too. Just be careful about dimensions! My Dad thought he bought a fantastic Griswold until he received it and discovered it was tiny–one pancake size. (grin)
maryann says
I haven’t used non stick pan in years since I was tired of replacing them after hubby would scratch them using a fork or knife in them. So for the past 10 yrs or so I have only used cast iron, granite ware or stainless steel pans.
Linda says
I love these glass pots and pans my mom bought-Visions. They cook everything beautifully. I wish I buy more. They are pretty pricey on eBay.
Kristina says
We have a pet parrot, so we got rid of our non-stick pans ages ago, because non-stick coatings, when heated, give off fumes that are toxic to birds. I cook in cast iron or enamel cast iron. Cast iron is so very heavy, too heavy for my elderly parents. I’ve considered getting one carbon steel pan, which I understand you can season just like cast iron, just as an experiment to see how it stacks up. I understand they are lighter than cast iron. Has anyone had any experience with them?