The Right Stuff: What Type of Cookware Should I Use?

The Right Stuff:  What Type of Cookware Should I Use?

When it comes to getting your kitchen ready for business, the first thing to as is, do I have the right stuff? Just like an artist needs their paints, brushes and canvasses, you need the tools of the trade, the ones that will make life easy and get your meals on the table quickly and safely. For me, there are a few items I could not LIVE without. I know there are a lot of choices out there, so it can be hard to rake through it all, but there are the fundamentals that make cooking a breeze, starting with cookware.

I always share, it you’re using Teflon, it’s time to get off the bus, Gus and get a new pan, Stan. Teflon pots and pans are engineered from man-made metal, polymer/plastic materials and other chemicals and lure you in with their inexpensive price tag and non-stick promises. But don’t be lured. At high temperatures, Teflon can emit up to six toxic gases when the heat gets turned up, including two carcinogenic (cancer-causing) gases, including:

  • TFE
  • HFP
  • Carbonyl fluoride (COF2)
  • PFIB (Perfluoroisobutene)
  • Carbon tetrafluoride
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Trifluoroacetetic acid (TFA)
  • Difluoroacetic acid (DFA)
  • Monofluoroacetic acid (MFA)

Even DuPont, the makers of Teflon, suggest you should never heat your coated pots and pans above medium heat. I have a feeling they haven’t spent much time in the kitchen.

Stay safe and cook with the right stuff. So what are the alternatives? Here are some things to look for:

– Safe and doesn’t emit harmful toxins when heated

– Easy to clean and can withstand super high temps

– Free from metals and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)

– Non-leaching material that wont’ transfer metals or bacteria to your food

– Non-stick coating that won’t peel

– A performance warranty on your cookware investment

– Eco-friendly manufacturing

My favorite pick hands down is ceramic cookware. I’ve found it to be the best to work with, safe, great at high temps and easy to clean. When I happened upon Xtrema cookware, it became my favorite, go-to brand for a good reason.

Let me explain.

I was making shrimp stock and simmering it over low heat. Silly me, forgot to turn the stove off and it cooked ALL NIGHT…long after the water evaporated. I know. Thank the good Lord above I didn’t burn the house down!! When I woke up, the shrimp peels had all but disintegrated into the pot. I thought I would have to throw it away for sure. Heartbroken I decided to try and save it because it’s my favorite pot. I soaked it for 30 minutes and I kid you not, it cleaned up like a champ and looks good as new! Xtrema meets all the right qualifications for good cookware also has a 50 year warranty and the stuff cooks food evenly and perfectly every time. I can’t recommend it enough.

 

This is where skimping and settling for the cheapest kind of cookware won’t serve you. Stock up on the right stuff and it will take care of you for the long haul.

Stay safe, friends.


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