Best and Safest Cookware for Daily Cooking

 

Best and Safest Cookware for Daily Cooking

Kitchen equipment plays an important role in maintaining good health. Let’s see how? Cooking utensils, tableware and cutlery used for eating acts as a medium to take our food inside. So using the right material for cooking and eating purposes affects our food directly.

All the cooking utensils are made of some typical metals with basic features like strong in material, convenient shape and size and with a thick base. But all the metals are not great for cooking. There’s a lot to think about in deciding about the right items to utilize in your kitchen. Here you can find detailed information on the pros and cons of each type of cookware below.

1.      Stainless Steel:

   This is the most commonly seen cookware in our kitchens. It is also known as safest multitasking cookware in the Indian kitchen. The material is non-reactive to food, at all temperatures, so considered as safe one.         

        Pros:

• Affordable,  less expensive
•  Non-reactive to heat
•  Easy to clean and maintain
• Less weight, easy to carry.
• Can store food for a long time.
• Good for storing food in refrigerator.                                               

Cons:

·         The base easily absorbs heat and high flame catches stains to thin surfaces.

       Microwave: Not suitable.

 

2.    Copper

These are widely used cookware and non-cookware utensils in our kitchens. From ancient time, the copper utensils are considered as health protecting utensils used in kitchen. Copper is the best heat conductor and always cooks food evenly. Most of today’s copper utensils are not so good quality than they were in the old days (80’s and 90’s). Many utensils are just insulated with copper. So be attentive in choosing.

“Drinking water stored overnight in copper utensils is considered to be a healthy habit. Because, copper itself acts as an anti-bacterial agent and water purifier. Also can be considered as an internal body cleanser.”  

Pros:

·         Good heat conductor

·         Cooks food evenly from the sides

·         Good to store hot food.

Cons:

·         Expensive

·         High maintenance

·         Reactive to acidic foods in high flame.

·         Difficult to clean (Chemical based dishwashers are not suitable)

Microwave: Not suitable.

3.      Glass

The glass cookware is non-toxic and eco-friendly one. It does not react even with acidic foods. Glass cookware are suitable to store hot food, but not for cooking. Glass lids, cups, storage containers, bottles, etc. Are widely used kitchen appliances. And it’s very safe to store any items for any period of time.

Pros:

·         Good to store hot food and chilled food.

·         Possess good heat retention capacity.

·         Transparent and easy to monitor.

·         Good for storing food in refrigerator.

Cons:

·         Typically sensitive, easily breakable.

Microwave: Suitable

4.    Plastic

There will be a lot to discuss about plastic. The word plastic got much famous in recent time and is ubiquitous in our kitchen in all types. An Australian based food and research unit termed plastic as “A Silent Gun in the Kitchen“. Yes, it’s true, the plastic usage in kitchen has equal pros and cons. How far its useful, same way dangerous! Plastic is flexible and durable, so popular in usage. But, plastic melts easily. Storing warm or chilled food items in plastic containers or bags should not be encouraged. And mainly cooking in plastic utensils is strictly prohibited. Storing any dry food stuff or edibles for short periods is advisable.

There is no safe plastic. Every plastic leaves its side effects on food. And all the plastics are Non environment friendly.

 

Pros:

·         Durable and flexible

·         Easy handling

Cons:

·         Storing hot and chilled food is not good. Plastic melts and mixes with the food.

·         Any item stored in plastic for long time changes odour

·         Not safe for refrigerating purposes.

Microwave: Not suitable.

 

5.    Ceramic

Ceramic are non-chemical and toxic free cookware. It is a good heat conductor and heat distributes eventually. It can replace non-stick pans and dishes. Utensils with ceramic coating are not durable and with high heat ceramic coating eventually wears out, should be careful. They are very good looking kitchenware since old times.  

Pros:

·         Good heat conductor.

·         Good for storing any food item for a long time.

·         Good for refrigerating.

·         Non-reactive to acidic foods.  

Cons:

·         Easily breakable.

Microwave: Suitable.

6.    Clay pots

These are the unique Indian cookware. These are considered to be the best cookware and kitchenware because they are non-toxic, chemical free and eco-friendly.  This is the only cookware that adds minerals to the food. Good heat conductor and food is cooked evenly and slowly. Now a days all different kinds of kitchenware and cookware are available with clay/ mud materials.  

Pros:

·         Keeps food fresh for long time.

·         Uses less oil for cooking

·         Good to store hot and chilled food.

·         Cooks tasty and healthy food.

Cons:

·         Tough to handle, weights more.

·         Cleaning is the hardest part in using clay pots.

 

Microwave: Suitable.

7.      Bamboo/ Wooden Cookware:

These kitchenware and cookware are non-toxic, chemical free and eco-friendly. Hence, they are very good and beautiful kitchenware in our kitchens. They can replace many plastic cutlery items in our kitchens.

Pros:

·         Very strong

·         Good to store hot and cool food

·         Can store food for a long time.

·         Good heat resistant and non-reactive to all types of foods.

Cons:

·         Hard to clean and maintain

Microwave: Not suitable.

8.    Aluminum

This cookware can be called as “slow poisoning cookware”. They are hard material so suits for all types of cooking, but at the same time the aluminum material is not suitable for cooking. Much proven is that, during cooking and heating the aluminum dissolves easily from pots and pans. Acidic natured foods, such as tomatoes and citrus products, absorb aluminum rapidly and mostly. The longer time food is cooked or stored in aluminum, the greater the amount of it gets into food.

Pros:

·         Good heat conduction and heat distribution

·         Highly durable.

Cons:

·         Food cooked in aluminum is considered to be unhealthy. As per WHO. a person can consume 20-30 milligrams of aluminum per day, as aluminum cookware releases some amounts of aluminum in food, overall the aluminum intake will be increased and can lead to many diseases.         

·         Aluminum cookware usage can develop the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and gastric related issues.

·         Highly reactive with acidic foods like, tomatoes, lemon, vinegar, etc.

·          

 

9.    Non Stick cookware:

These got populated from the last two decades. There are many benefits from this and only one major dis-advantage. According to “Cookware Manufacturers Association,” Pans and vessels which are non-stick is mostly made of Poly tetra fluoro ethylene (PTFE) i.e, usually known as Teflon. This chemical can change the food taste and spoil the food sometimes. Using steel type sharp materials on non-stick utensils can take off the Teflon coating and mixed into food.  Non-stick materials should be used more cautiously. Should be used in medium flame and only wooden spoons are to be used upon that.        

 

Pros:

·         Popular for its non-stick material (any food on heat doesn’t stick to the pans or pots )

·         Uses little or no oil

·         Easy to clean

·         Non-reactive

·           Scratch resistant

·         Heat distributes evenly on pan

Cons:

·         By using the high flames and sharped spoons the non-stick Teflon metal could melt and mix up with food and can develop many diseases.

 

10.  Cast Iron  

Cast iron cookware is good and non-harmful cookware. They are naturally non-stick and use less oil for cooking.

Pros:

·         Durable

·         Inexpensive

·         Maintains food warm for a long time.

Cons:

·         Hard to clean

·         Reactive with acidic foods.

·         Prone to rusting, Shouldn’t keep aside for a long time.

           

Eating home food is supposed to be a healthier habit. Here mentioned all the types of cookware, their pros and cons. Sometimes, the choice of selecting good cookware eventually comes down to the individual’s requirements and likes. And i hope that understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each type of cooking material will help you to make the right choice.

Pic ref:https://shriandsam.com/blogs/types-of-cookware-to-choose-from/types-of-cookware-to-choose-from