Each week, my inbox fills with questions: on the goodness of natural sweeteners, on fermented foods, on finding grass-fed meat or raw milk, and on nontoxic cookware. So I thought I’d share with you what I use, why I use it (and I have a little surprise for you, too.)
How (and Why) I Abandoned Nonstick Cookware
About twelve years ago, I gave away our cheap nonstick pans in favor of cast iron, enameled cast iron and stainless steel. My husband and I petsitting a coworker’s parrots, a beautiful Macaw and a talkative African Grey, and she warned me not to cook in any nonstick pans while in the presence of her parrots. I gave her a long side-eyed glance, wondering to myself if she might be a little too protective with her precious birds. So, I looked into the issue further and learned that nonstick cookware is implicated not only in the death of exotic birds like house parrots, but also other birds like chicks (read it here).
When I considered that the polytetrafluoroethylene in nonstick-coated pans could kill birds, I wondered to what extent they might negatively affect my health as well, especially with everyday use.
The Cookware I Use
So I began to switch my cookware, favoring stainless steel, cast iron and enameled cast iron. Stainless steel is excellent for searing meats, and for boiling pasta and potatoes, or for making homemade bone broth. Enameled cast iron is excellent for braising, stewing, and for making long-simmered soups and sauces, while regular cast iron is excellent for frying.
What to Look for in Stainless Steel
When purchasing stainless steel, it’s a good thing to look out for a few things: namely the metals in the steel, and its weight. Heavy pots are sturdier pots, and their weight and sturdiness helps to prevent the hot spots that tend to form in lighter weight pans, as a result foods are cooked more evenly.
Copper
Copper is an efficient conductor of heat, so stainless steel that includes copper heats efficiently and thoroughly, preventing hot spots and promoting even cooking. Because copper conducts heat so efficiently, it reacts more quickly to changes in temperature on your cooktop, so it heats and cools quickly and efficiently.
Titanium
Titanium also adds strength to good stainless steel pots, increasing their durability, and helping them to withstand the rigors of everyday cooking.
Nickle-Free
I recently developed a nickel sensitivity, and so had to switch out my regular stainless steel pans (which invariably include nickel among the metals) to a nickel-free version. I also switched out all my earring posts, as I was reacting allergically to the nickel in them as well. It’s relatively easy to become sensitized to nickel, and then to react to it after prolonged exposure, which for many of us, comes from both jewelry and cookware.
Kaylee Coles says
This is a great giveaway! I feel terrible now because we have a Green-Cheeked Conure and we live in a small apartment so she’s not very far away from the stove . . . and I had no idea nonstick pans were dangerous for birds. Guess we’re definitely going to have to look into buying stainless steel.
isabel says
Wow~! So great to learn more about this. My mum and I would be thrilled to win this to cook up some gourmet healthy foods together, as she Homeschools too!~ Would be amazing, Thank you for this generous giveaway!!!! xxxxx
Stephanie says
Are all of these cookwares safe to use on glass to stoves??
melissa says
Yes! That’s what we use!
Lindsay says
I am also sensitive to nickle in my jewelry, but I had never considered nickle in pans. What effects did the nickle in the pans have on you?
Jenny says
I think the prolonged exposure may have sensitized me to nickel so that I react to it in jewelry.
Cassie says
What were the nickel free pans you found? I am sensitive to it as well. Buttons and rivets on jeans/pants have nickel too.
Jo says
Cassie~ try Levi jeans and you will be happy 🙂 since 2000 {I believe that’s the year) Levis no longer contain any nickel 🙂 there new ones have caused no reactions!
Lauren says
I would love to cook with stainless steel cookware, but I have difficulty with food sticking. I know that if used properly, food shouldn’t stick much or at all. Any tips??
NikkiK says
Make sure you have the heat set at the right temperature for whatever you are cooking and don’t lift the food until the pan is ready to release it.
Beth says
The heavier the stainless pan, the better in terms of sticking. It helps to have a copper core surrounded by stainless steel. (My steel/copper Emeril pans work better than my plain stainless All Clad pans for this reason.) Using plenty of lard, tallow, ghee, butter, coconut oil, bacon grease, etc. will also help–as well as make your food more delicious and nutritious!
Elaine Rumsey says
I love cooking with coconut oil! 🙂
melissa says
Allow you stainless pan to heat up first, THEN add you cooking fat (plenty
melissa says
Sorry , my comment only partially posted! Yes, using a quality stainless pan that is heavy is very helpful as it allows the pan to heat evenly. The KEY is to allow the pan to heat up first, THEN add your fat (plenty), then your food. Also, depending on the type of food you are cooking, don’t move of stir your food until it has cooked enough to release from the pan (this could take a few seconds for eggs to a few minutes as in searing). I have been using this method to cook eggs in my stainless pan daily for years with NO sticking AT ALL! Not a shred of egg on the pan! As an example, to cook scrambled eggs with butter: Heat your pan. The pan is hot enough when the butter sizzles immediately on contact (but it should not brown or burn- that’s too hot) (other types of fat will not sizzle so will just take some experimenting – or practice with butter and move on the other fats once you get the feel for how long to wait). Add a nice dollop of butter and tilt to coat the pan fully. Add your whisked eggs. They should cook slightly in contact with the pan almost immediately. Stir in a folding motion only every few moments to allow the surface cooking to release from the pan. I like to do this with my whisking fork as it allows me to lift the eggs to fold/stir IF they are ready to release. A fork also doesn’t’ scrape or scoop away the valuable fat on the pan’s surface like a rubber spatula might. And it saves on dishes. =) This makes wonderfully perfectly cooked fluffy buttery tender scrambled eggs! I love it! There are YouTube videos out there on this method. Check it out. Good luck!
lara says
Hi jenny
Would you be able to tell me what symptoms you developed with nickel sensitivity
Nancy says
I am also allergic to nickle and react by breaking out much like with a poison oak rash. Very itchy, bumpy and long lasting. The only jewelry I can wear is made by Whispers.com. Had not even considered that my stainless cookware might also cause a problem! Thanks for the heads up.
Beth says
Jenny, we are heavy toaster oven users and I’m concerned that they generally have Teflon/nonstick coatings on the interior, often in a light matte silver color. Have you come across any toaster ovens that are 100% free of this harmful coating?
Janet says
I would LOVE to win this set as I’ve been looking for a good ‘metal pure’ set of cookware for awhile now. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
Aminah L says
I’m so glad I read this, today. I knew about using Teflon with pet birds, but I was not aware of the effect on chicks (and I’m incubating eggs, here in the house). I will be tossing the non-sticks, and using my stainless more. It would be awesome to win this giveaway, so I don’t get fussed at for replacing all the cookware. Thanks for the opportunity, and the great info….as always. 😉
Diana Martina says
Jenny, I threw all those nonstick pans out years ago, but I’ve been told that my heavy stainless steel (Ware-ever) waterless cookware can still be bad. I heard there is a test with a magnet I can do that determines how much nickel is in cookware. Can you advise on this?
Sharon says
I became allergic to nickle after a friend pierced my ears and I used cheap wires to heal, so pretty much my whole life. I stopped wearing jewlery but it did occur to me that cookwear may contain nickle.
Mickey Trescott says
Yes! Of Course That’s what we use! Thanks
Fran says
Interesting. Did you know that dentists are using nickel-lined porcelain crowns instead of mercury. Most people have problems with nickel – earrings in the 70-80’s.
Handful says
I love my stainless steel and cast pans. However, I need a new set of stainless as the past two stepdaughter’s boyfriends each ruined one by cooking over high heat. Grrrr
Julia Erlikh says
I need a few more stainless steel pots for broths and cheese making. Thanks for the info and the giveaway!
Stef says
Like others, I had to switch to nickel-free jewelry a long time ago. But I NEVER thought about my cookware! I have all stainless-steel pots and pans, but have been wanting to replace some of them. Now I know I need THESE pans!
Thank you very much for this great giveaway!
Beth R. says
My daughter also has a nickel allergy, I never considered it would be in cookware. We use non-stick, but find that even after several years of meticulous care, the top of the line stuff starts to flake as well.
Maria says
As long as the pans are of good quality, by all means! I only use vintage Revere Ware with copper bottoms. Some of my pans are from the 60s, and they work great! It also helps to “know” your pans… I have a pretty good relationship with mine!
cindi p says
i am curious; how could you tell (besides the earring problem) that you were sensitive to nickel? i’ve never been able to wear anything but real gold or silver as earrings, but i’m not really sure if my ss cookware is nickel free. could you elaborate on how the cookware bothered you please? 🙂 thank you
p.s. it would be wonderful you’d have a “follow this thread” box that we could check; i’m not sure how to see a response otherwise
Annette says
I am wondering if you have any thoughts on the newer “non-toxic” ceramic coated stainless steel pans? I have stainless and cast iron as well as enamel coated cast iron, but was wondering about adding a ceramic coated pan, but know nothing about them.
Tamara says
So, I did the extra entries, but I don’t think it asked for my email address. It allowed me to enter the school and my zip code…guess I am confused by technology
Heidi says
Would be nice if the cookware was made in the U.S.
Dawn says
I’ve never been a fan of non-stick. When you see that black stuff coming off…don’t want that in my food. Yuck!
Carol Burgess says
This is AMAZING! Thank you for the chance! Plus donating to a school. Just awesome!
Kristine U. says
Who won? great giveaway!
Christa says
Does anyone have any advice on technique for switching from non-stick to stainless/cast iron? It seems like everything sticks/burns and is impossible to clean. I have a feeling it user error! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Alexia says
Great article! I switched out all of my non-stick cookware for GreenPan products about 2 years ago for health reasons. What’s your opinion on GreenPan or other Eco-friendly non-stick pans? Non-stick is just so much easier for me.
Michelle says
I switched to green ceramic pans, it was interesting learning about curing pans with for nonstick properties. I knew teflon and aluminium weren’t good for a while, but in time we will completely switch over.
Marc Landry says
would like to see science about how much copper, iron, aluminum enter one’s body from cookware. These are all toxins that bioaccumulate.
Starr says
I know this horrid fact from experience I lost my Macaw (my youngest child). I have also heard that nonstick cookware is the leading cause of prostate cancer. Thank you for helping people get new cookware!
Catherine says
Hi, What about tart pans? Is tin ok? Do you know of a health brand of tart pans?
Robyn says
Do you have a crock pot you can recommend?
Thank you!
Robyn
Jenny says
I recommend the vitaclay: https://nourishedkitchen.com/recommends/vitaclay/