Pots, Pans, Dishes: Which Ones are Safe?

Here's a question from a Real Food in Little Rock reader and my (Lisa's) answer. We thought it might be beneficial to others. This is a difficult topic about which to get accurate information. We welcome input from others who have done some research in this area.

Hi Lisa & Julie,

Have you done any blog posts about pots and pans that are safe to use? I am doing a lot of reading about that right now, and it’s so hard to sort through what is safe – or safe enough and affordable. Do you have any thoughts you can share about what you’ve chosen to use for your own families?

That's a tough subject. I've done research, but still don't know for sure. This is what I've chosen for now.

Vision Cookware - made of glass. I use Vision pots on the stovetop. These pots are no longer manufactured because there were problems with them shattering when the temperature is changed too quickly. They can only be purchased used. I've had trouble with chipping and breaking mine, but I've not had any of them shatter or explode from temperature change. I heat them carefully and don't go straight from the refrigerator to high heat. Food burns easily to the bottom of these, so they are best for soups, liquids, vegetables...things that don't burn quickly. You can buy them on Ebay.

Cast iron skillets. I recently read some things about possible dangers of the preseasoned ones, but I don't really know anything about this. Mine were preseasoned, but I expect they've gotten enough use and re-seasoning by now that whatever that was is gone. I use a light coat of spetrum coconut spray on the skillet before pre-heating, then add any additional oil I want before putting the food in the pan. This works well to prevent sticking - even eggs. You can buy fitted potholders for the handles, like the red one in the picture, at Cracker Barrel.

Soapstone pot. I love my soapstone pot. It is heavy and was expensive, but they are supposed to last many lifetimes. It is great for cooking rice, beans, soups, oatmeal. I use it mostly on the stovetop, but sometimes in the oven, as well. It heats evenly and keeps food warm for a long time.

Hamilton Beach crockpot. Hamilton Beach claims there is no lead in their ceramic coating. I hope this is true. I have the version that has 3 interchangeable crocks of different sizes. The largest is a 6 quart which I use to make broth. I use my crockpot constantly.

I also have a large 7 quart Cook's enamel coated cast iron pot from Penny's which I use occassionally on the stovetop and in the oven. I have no idea if the coating is safe. I love the way they cook, but the coating isn't durable for someone who cooks as much as I do. I had a 3 quart pot which I used every day. After about 6 months the enamel had crack lines all through it and had chipped off in places. This motivated me to invest in the soapstone which I won't have to replace.

I use wooden spoons with all my cookware, not only because they are non-toxic, but also because they don't scratch. I purchased my wooden spoons from http://alleghenytreenware.com/. They are used constantly in my kitchen.

After researching lead in the glazes on dishes, I opted for cheap clear glassware from Bed Bath and Beyond and Garden Ridge. They sell it for weddings and stuff. 8 dishes for $8 - can't beat that. We break it frequently, but it's cheap to replace.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you discover anything really helpful in your research. I still have a lot of questions about cookware myself.

Lisa
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