With all of the holiday cooking so many of us have been doing recently, it seemed like a good idea to use this blog to give a refresher on selecting healthy cookware. Currently, no healthy options for cookware sold as “non-stick” are available. Any sealers and coatings that are used to make a non-stick surface will allow these potentially harmful chemicals to leach into food, especially if the seal is scratched or the food is acidic. The top three types of non-leaching cookware are stainless steel, glass, and enamel. Cast iron is also acceptable to use while transitioning away from unhealthy cookware, but it does release small amounts of iron into food so cannot be considered non-leaching.

Following are brand recommendations along with benefits and disadvantages of each.

• Stainless Steel: Several good brands of stainless steel are available, including All-Clad and Calphalon. Look for “non-reactive” stainless steel, and be sure that if aluminum is present, it is limited to the core of the pan as in tri-ply cookware. Aluminum may leach into acidic or salty food if it comes into direct contact with it. Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer, although no solid research studies have been published. Stainless steel is not naturally non-stick, but you can prevent sticking by adding more oil when cooking. Anything that sticks to the pan can be easily cleaned off by adding a little baking soda and water and allowing this mixture to simmer for a few minutes.

• Glass: Glass frying pans are hard to find but are sometimes sold online. Be sure that the pan is pure glass (Pyrex brand usually is) and has not been coated with a non-stick sealant. Glass frying pans have qualities similar to stainless steel pans. They are a little harder to clean, because you have to let them cool completely before adding baking soda and water or you run the risk of the glass shattering because of temperature changes.

• Enamel: Le Creuset seems to be the best brand available, but any cast iron pan that is coated with sand-based (as opposed to lead-based) enamel is acceptable. Enamel is probably the most naturally non-stick surface available. Enamel pans come in a variety of shapes and colors, which can be fun. Enamel-coated cast iron pans are generally more expensive than glass or stainless steel. They may chip at the edges, but they are still safe to use as long as the cooking surface itself is not chipped.

• Cast Iron: High-quality cast iron is durable, inexpensive, and if properly seasoned can provide a non-stick surface that parallels many pans marketed as non-stick. Many people already have at least one cast iron pan hiding out in their cupboard, which makes it easy to slowly transition away from Teflon and aluminum pans without having to make new purchases. Cast iron pans tend to be heavy, so if you are buying, look for pans with two handles for lifting. Cast iron also has a tendency to rust if not properly cared for, so be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly when cleaning and storing your pan. If you are regularly using cast iron pans, it is important to research the purity of the metal involved by checking into the production practices of the manufacturer of your particular pan. High-quality pans, such as those made by Lodge—the only domestic maker of cast iron cookware, are made from pure molten iron converted from steel.  Cooking in cast iron does release small amounts of elemental iron into food which can be beneficial for people who need an iron boost, but is not advisable for those with iron storage issues such as iron overload disease (hemochromatosis).

Related posts:

1. Nutrition on a Stick (no, not the Iowa State Fair)