Cooking: High Quality Cookware

Non-stick cookware has never been very eco-friendly – until now. The problem with nonstick cookware was always a chemical called PTFE, which is… bad, bad, bad! (Lots of harmful chemicals and energy gets wasted in the process of creating “normal” non-stick coatings).

But now, a company form the Netherlands developed an alternative that is much more resilient than other “green” non-stick cookware.

They use N² Technology (what a fancy-shmanzy name, huh?) and to put it short: it’s better.

It’s the first time that such a high-quality eco-friendly non-coating cookware is launched to the mass-market – you’ll be able to get it at your local Walmart store soon.

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.

Nonsticking titanium cookware is pretty new in the field of high-quality cookware. It’s still very expensive and surely not a low-budget item. But if you are looking for premium cookware, then price won’t be your first consideration anyway.
Titanium is great for cooking because it is both extremely strong, durable and lightweight. I myself am currently looking at some Titanium cookware because I’m kind of always on the move, traveling a lot and moving a lot too. I recommend you go to a store and just hold a titanium pan in your hands to get the actual experience of how it feels to have a titanium pan in your hand – it’s extremely light and great for road trips, canyon tours, or backpacking. And I dare to say that it could be the perfect hiking cookware too.
Health-conscious cooks will be specially fond of the fact that titanium is great for low-fat cooking without you having to handle the cookware carefully like you have to do it with Teflon cookware, which, once scratched, shouldn’t be used anymore because of the possibility of leaking of dangerous poisonous substances into the food.
Other than with some other kinds of non-sticking cookware Titanium is also a safe material for cooking equipment – no toxins will be released if you scratch it (and did I mention that it’s scratch proof? And how about that it won’t bend or warp even if you use it to cook on high flame for years and years?).
The food will also taste great because titanium doesn’t contaminate the food with any coating materials or metal byproducts.
Titanium in deed is the metal that is the strongest compared to any other metal that is as light (or if you want to get fancy you can say that it has the highest strenght-to-weight ratio of all metals).

So again, if you’re an “on the road cook” who’s traveling a lot, or if you are mobile cook (I was surprised about this – there are actually cooks that come to your house and cook for you in your own house! A private chef for rent so to speak) then titanium cookware is definitely worth looking into.
I recommend you also read other articles on high-quality cookware or email me your questions about high-quality cookware at info@highqualitycookware.com