Posted by Janet Harriett on Jan.16, 2010

ⓒ iStockPhoto - qbanczyk

My daughter is moving out and getting her first apartment on her own, so she needs to stock her kitchen. I want to start her off with the safest cookware possible, but the choices are overwhelming: copper, aluminum, stainless steel, enamelware, glass, iron. What kinds of pots and pans are safest?

As you suspect, cookware is not created equal. Some types of materials leach metals or other hazardous materials into the food. For energy savings, make sure that whatever cookware you choose has a tight-fitting lid.

Stainless Steel Cookware

For saucepans, stainless steel-clad copper is a healthy and energy-efficient choice. Copper promotes quick, even heating, but cooking directly on copper risks copper toxicity from leaching cookware. Because of this, most copper pans are clad in stainless steel on the cooking surfaces. Take care to not scratch the surface of the pans with abrasive cleansers or scouring pads, since that opens up the opportunity for nickel to leach into the food from the stainless steel. If you choose aluminum for saucepans, make sure it is anodized aluminum, which keeps the aluminum from leaching out of the cookware.

Glass Cookware

Glass is the best choice for baking dishes, loaf pans and pie plates. You can also get a glass kettle for heating water on the stovetop, instead of a stainless steel or aluminum kettle. A burner-top diffuser should be used with a glass kettle to avoid breakage. Glass is inert, so it won’t leech chemicals into the food. Glass cookware also easy to clean.

Cast Iron Cookware

For skillets and stovetop griddles, seasoned cast iron cookware is a healthy choice, and heats evenly for easy cooking. Proper seasoning, which can be done with organic raw coconut oil or another healthy fat, provides a nonstick surface equal to any commercial nonstick cookware so you can saute with water or broth instead of additional oils. If the seasoning wears thin, iron can leach into the food, which actually adds an important mineral as long as your daughter isn’t prone to hemochromatosis or other disorders linked to excessive iron. With the seasoning maintained, the transfer of iron into the food is minimal. Ceramic or enamel coated cookware is as safe as cast iron, but without the maintenance of keeping the cookware seasoned.

Avoid Nonstick Cookware

Teflon-coated nonstick cookware may be convenient, but the convenience comes at a price. At high temperatures, nonstick coating can give off toxic fumes that have been known to kill pet birds and may be harmful to humans, too. Teflon coating may flake off the cookware if damaged by using rough utensils, providing an opening for the underlying aluminum to leach into the food. More importantly, the production of teflon-coated pans exposes factory workers to dangerous chemicals.

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