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Best Eco Friendly Pots and Pans
When making our home more sustainable, kitchen items like pots and pans are not the first to come to mind. The kitchen's sustainability is also essential because numerous pots, pans, and utensils have toxic materials like Teflon, flame retardants, heavy metals, and other chemicals. When pots and pans are heated, these chemicals can leach into food. Below is a list of some of the best sustainable cookware. To be more sustainable, check out our sustainable living guide.
Fortunately, increased interest in eco-friendly kitchens has led to the emergence of more sustainable, non-toxic cookware for your home. Whether you're roasting a chicken, a batch of scrambled eggs, braising veggies, or baking a cake, below you will find what to look for when browsing cookware—there are many sustainable brands you can feel safe using.
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How To Choose The Most Sustainable Cookware
Shopping for eco-friendly, healthy cookware is easy when you know what to look for. The first thing to avoid is Teflon, a traditional, non-stick cookware ingredient.
As a matter of fact, ovarian, prostate, bladder, and testicular cancers have been linked to PFOAs-also known as PFAs. Although Teflon has largely been eliminated in new cookware manufacturing, other non-stick coatings may still contain PFOAs unless explicitly mentioned otherwise. Plus, PFOAs remain in the environment for many years. Since the FDA permits certain PFOAs in cookware and other consumer products, avoiding cookware brands that aren't PFOA-free is crucial.
Choosing specific cookware materials can lower the possibility of exposure to PFOAs and other toxins. The best choices for cookware include:
- Cast iron. As long as you don't have high iron, cast iron pans are a durable, long-lasting choice for any kitchen. Additionally, over time, they'll get seasoned, which means the flavor will get even better – with minimal cleanup needed.
- Enameled cast iron. A step up from traditional cast iron pans, non-toxic enamel surfaces help prevent sticking and rusting. Therefore, this type of cookware may last longer than its unenameled counterparts.
- Stainless steel. Stain steel cookware is an excellent choice since it's highly durable and distributes heat well. They also won't tarnish or affect the flavor of your food—make sure to prepare the pan properly before cooking to prevent sticking.
- Ceramic. Since ceramic is non-toxic and easy to use, it is one of the best options for cookware. Plus, it is more eco-friendly (and comes in various colors and styles.
Our Top Picks For Sustainable, Eco Friendly Cookware Brands
Our Place has been lately advertised everywhere and for the right reason. The brand's sell-out product, The Always Pan, is an eight piece cookware in one, making it excellent for minimalists. The pan is made of nontoxic, non-stick ceramic and is free of toxic materials like PFOAs, heavy metals, lean, and more. Also, it comes in a wide range of earth tones that look amazing in any kitchen. They also offer knives, plates, and mugs to help you set up your new eco-friendly.
Purely ceramic, versatile, and non-toxic, Xtrema produces some of the best sustainable cookware options available today. Xtrema cookware is known for retaining heat evenly across every pot and pan, delivering a clean, even bake or sautée from beginning to end. Plus, you can use the pans anywhere, from the microwave to the stovetop or the barbeque grill, offering more creativity to bring all your inventive cooking creations to the table. But, the best part? These pans are so durable they are made to last forever and ever.
A beautiful line of waterless cookware made from surgical grade stainless steel in America by Americraft Cookware. Go from the stovetop directly to the oven.
360 Cookware is an American-based company that handcrafts high-quality, sustainably produced innovatively. First, a key feature of 360 Cookware that is worth expanding on is Vapor Technology. This feature sets these products apart from their competitors and makes these pots and pans a great addition to your kitchen. Vapor Technology enables food to cook in its natural juices without adding water, broth, or oil. In essence, the natural liquid in food becomes vapor, gets trapped on the locked lid, and drops back into the food, cooking food faster and evenly.
Caraway is a newer company that cares as much about consumer health as it does its design. This sleek ceramic-coated cookware operates at maximum non-stick capacity without any chemicals. Additionally, their ceramic coating is made from minerals and needs smaller amounts of oil or butter, which makes cooking prep and cleanup. You can choose from saucepans, Dutch ovens, sauté, and fry pans. As if that's not enough to love, their cookware has attractive color options like sage, Silt Green, gray, navy, and perracotta.
Lodge Cast Iron has been producing high-quality cast iron cookware since 1896. Today, Lodge sells a wide range of items, from seasoned cast iron to enameled cookware, bakeware, and more. On top of that, cast iron is a very durable and long-lasting material made without toxins. In addition, Lodge is a company that is committed to sustainable practices. For instance, they only use biodegradable packaging, implement company-wide recycling, and use equipment that minimizes energy use.
Great Jones makes modern and functional cookware that allows you to create the best meals. The brand's non-toxic, enameled cast iron is also non-stick and easy to clean. These products are also dishwasher-friendly and multifunctional, so they are for no-fuss use and care. Great Jones is also highly known for its other kitchenware, like their bakeware, including non-stick baking sheets, which are PFOA-free and require minimal oil or parchment paper for the perfect baked goods. Another reason this brand stands out is that they've been known to take a standpoint against unfairness and support equality endeavors in-house and throughout society.
You don't have to look any further if you are looking for a transparent cookware company. Ozeri cookware is made with Greblon ceramic in their cookware, and this material is 100% free from PTFEs, APEOs, NMPs, NEPs, and PFOAs. This means you will not find harmful chemicals in the cookware—but lots of bonuses. For example, the textured surfaces of their pans distribute heat evenly for a perfect cook. Since the base of their pans is made from heavy-gauge die-cast aluminum, it has extended longevity and is free from heavy metals.
Curating A Safe Kitchen With Non-Toxic And Sustainable Cookware
From Dutch ovens to baking pans to spoons and utensils, most kitchens have opportunities for toxins and other harmful materials to seep into our food. Fortunately, when we opt for sustainable cookware, it is a healthy investment that protects our families and the environment for a better future.
