Non Toxic Cookware
- Jenessa Lloret
- Oct 25, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 27, 2024
Did you know that those non-stick Teflon pots and pans you have in your kitchen cabinet are harming you every time you use them? Let me tell you how. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic chemical coating that is non-stick, waterproof, and resistant to corrosion. Teflon can cause polymer fume fever when heated above 570°F, which is also known as Teflon flu when inhaled. Symptoms of Teflon flu include headaches, fever, chills, body aches, chest discomfort, dizziness, and a cough. Teflon flu can be more serious for people who have underlying lung conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. When heated to high temperatures, Teflon can also break down and release toxins into the food itself. PTFE has also been linked to liver disease, chronic kidney disease, infertility, and low birth weight. PTFE contains chemical compounds that do not break down and accumulate over time. High levels of exposure to these compounds can increase your risk of certain cancers, including kidney, thyroid, testicular, and ovarian. Teflon also contains PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals". PFAS can increase your risk of cancers, cause developmental delays in children, reproductive issues, immune system issues, hormonal issues, liver damage, thyroid disease, and cholesterol issues. Teflon fumes can be fatal to birds because they have a sensitive respiratory system. If that doesn't scare you, I don't know what will...
With all that being said, there are ways to prevent this. You can prevent this by ditching the Teflon and switching over to either stainless steel, ceramic, glass, or cast iron. Stainless steel is considered non-toxic because it is a metal alloy that does not react with food, which means it does not leach harmful chemicals into your food. Ceramic is generally considered non-toxic because it does not contain the chemicals that we went over earlier (PTFE and PFAs), so it does not release harmful chemicals when overheated or scratched. Glass is considered non-toxic because it is non-reactive and does not leach chemicals into food. Cast Iron is generally considered non-toxic because it is a naturally occurring metal with no added chemical coatings. However, some things to note are that cast iron can leach iron into your food. Make sure your cast iron is properly seasoned, especially when new. More things that play a role in iron being leached are age, cooking time, food acidity, using liquid in the pan, and mixing in the pan. However, cast iron can be beneficial for people with iron deficiencies such as low iron or anemia, but for people with hemochromatosis (iron overload), they should steer clear of cast iron.
A year ago, I was gifted a really nice set of Teflon pots and pans as a housewarming gift, which of course I appreciated and used. At the time, I didn't have any pots or pans, so I was grateful for these ones. However, after using them constantly, I started to notice scratches and little black specks in my food. I did some research and found the reason for my hormonal issues that I've been having was in fact because of the Teflon. So, I decided to switch all of my cooking appliances, which was tedious but well worth it! I switched to the Caraway non-stick ceramic cookware set for the majority of my meals, and let me tell you, I absolutely love them and see and feel a difference; my hormonal imbalance is back to normal. Not to mention the little organizer that the set comes with makes my cabinet space very organized. I use my Lodge cast iron pan mainly for cooking meats and I wouldn't have it any other way. For my oven, I only use glass bakeware with BPA free lids for storage. I really suggest doing your research and consider making the switch for you and your family.

Some of my favorite brands of non-toxic cookware:
Caraway Ceramic Cookware (Pictured) https://amzn.to/4hg4A99
Caraway Stainless Steel Cookware https://amzn.to/4dUCf5t
Our Place Cookware https://amzn.to/3YcXARH
Lodge Cast Iron Cookware https://amzn.to/4fdrhJ8
Pyrex Glass Bakeware https://amzn.to/3BYC9wq
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