Cooking: High Quality Cookware

One of our readers recently sent in this reminder on the dangers of nonstick cookware:

As a pet owner, one thing that bothers me is people using nonstick pans (such as tefal pans) when they have pet birds. Without proper ventilation, these pans can actually harm or kill birds, as the fumes they let off whilst heating are very toxic. To make sure my birds will be okay, I prefer to use a heavy cast iron pan - they may be expensive to buy at first, but an investment in a Le Creuset pan will soon pay off - they do last forever.

My favorite type of cookware to use are the ones that are made of either glass or ceramic.

I feel that cooking with this type of material is safer than cooking with some of the other cookware materials such as aluminum. Materials used to make other types of cookware can react and even enter the foods that are cooked in them.

I also find that ceramic and glassware are easily cleaned compared to aluminum and steel. Some of the ceramic products such as the original Corning wear can go straight from the stovetop into the oven. In more modern times this has been even more useful by being able to go from microwave to the oven.

I love to use Pyrex bake ware as it is easy to see though the pan into the food that is cooking to get a good idea if it is cooking well or not.

I also enjoy the use of glass lids on the pots to check on the contents without lifting the lids and allowing the steam to escape. Pyrex glass ware is the only type of cookware I use for microwaving as I don’t want any of the plastic from other products leaking into the food.

Glass and ceramic materials also resist corrosion unlike some of their metal counterparts.

Teflon is easy to use because of it’s quality for non-sticking to food but you really have to wonder how much of the Teflon product is entering the food while it is being cooked. I have used the Visions line of glass pots and pans.

Even though they are completely made of glass, I have never broken one when dropped. I really like the different colors that they came in, amber was my favorite. The visibility to see the cooking process happening inside the pot is really a great. If you have never tried using ceramic or glass ware for cooking, I suggest you try it!

Many hobby chefs love non-sticking cookware because it’s so much more convenient when it comes to cleaning. No need for elbow grease and metal brushes after a little frying session anymore.
There are some health issues with most non-sticking cookware that you should be aware of. Because the cookware has a special coating that prevents food from sticking to it maintenance must also be taken care of. You should under no circumstance scratch the coating of your cookware - otherwise toxic substances may leak into your food when you cook.
There are new kinds of non-sticking kitchen supplies entering the market that are PFOA free - which causes the health issues. PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid or C8) is used to produce Teflon and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that it might cause cancer.
When you opt for non-sticking cookware choose quality! Do NOT go for cheap discount non-sticking cookware! Otherwise you will get your non-sticking coatings into your food - something you don’t want to happen. Read this funny review of non-sticking cookware that costs less than $10 and what happened! http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-review-4D27-3A307C4-38C73105-prod9

Non-sticking cooking equipment also won’t last for long. After they have been used for a couple of years in a row the coating will lose it’s resistance to sticking. If you wash a non-sticking pan or pot with harsh detergents or put it in the dishwasher it won’t even last that long.

The thing is that PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) is the chemical basis of almost all nonstick coatings. Now PTFE is a very soft material and that’s why it wears off easily. So then the non-sticking coating producers develop certain formulas where PTFE is mixed with other materials so that it keeps it’s nonsticking characteristics while becoming more durable. However, to make a non-stick coating resistant takes a lot of more effort - and this is what makes the difference between a $10 nonstick frying pan from RiteAid and a $200 dollar nonstick frying pan.

The benefits of non-sticking cookware are definitely as the name already suggests in their “unstickiness”. If you are into low-fat foods non-sticking cooking supplies are a good idea since they reduce the need for oil. They are also excellent for frying eggs.