Is ceramic cookware safe?

Is ceramic cookware safe?

Many people find it challenging to choose the right cookware because there are many different options available nowadays. The good one should also be durable, suits to your cooking style and long-lasting. Among many options available, we focus only on our interest—ceramic cookware.

What Is It?

The ceramic cookware, as the name implies, is basically a metal tool that is finished in a ceramic coating. Technically, this means ‘clay that has been fire hardened’. So, when talking about this cookware, we mean some sort of metal—usually found aluminum or hard-anodized aluminum—that has been coated with a layer (or more) of ceramic. 

This makes it different from other types of cookware materials, like traditional non-stick, uncoated aluminum and stainless-steel, for  sturdiness, heat performance and nonstick ability. 

The Benefit

Then, what is the main difference between this coating and of the other coatings available? Unlike traditional nonstick coating, the ceramic coating is free of PFOA and PTFE (also known as Teflon) as well as heavy metals that might be possibly harmful for health. The mineral surface is naturally slick so that it helps keeping food from stickiness and food burn. Moreover, it heats fast and distributes heat consistently on over the cooking surface; this guarantees that your food is evenly cooked whether it’s in the center of the pan or at the edges.

 Is it safe?

Apart from the cooking performance, the big concerning is: is it really safe for health? As known, the Teflon coating has been accused a lot of negative publicity from its potential health issues for decades. Though many recent studies revealed that Teflon doesn’t directly harm your health, it still has some effects from toxic perfume. 

When overheated—or reach higher than 450°F, the Teflon coating on the pans begins to disintegrate and releases toxic gases that can cause bird flu-like symptoms and kill your birds. Moreover, the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), one of the chemicals released when Teflon pans heat up, has linked to a host of conditions from cancer to thyroid disease. 

As mentioned above, ceramic cookware is free from these chemicals. As the results, it’s safe to use. 

How to Use it safer

• Buy trusted products.

Still, ceramic product also has some other safety concerns—it might release toxins and metals in foods such as lead, cadmium and even arsenic. This might feasibly happen if the pans are improperly made in unrestricted manufacturing, which might be found in some certain Latin American and Asian countries where regulations may be lax. While in the US where the FDA requirements are strictly enforcement (via a law Proposition 65), this fear is of concern. 

For a peace of mind, check these before buying or just buy from trusted brands since the reputable companies should comply with these requirements resolutely. For example, the Ozeri and Healthy Legend use the Greblon nonstick ceramic coats from the Weilburger Coatings, which meets both the US and European Food contact regulations.

• Keep away from high heat.

Another matter to consider, it commonly can’t resist too high heat. Though can survive the heat higher than a Teflon pan, it still doesn’t suit for high heat cooking that mostly goes over 500°F. 

If heated the pan over the safe temperature, it will destroy the nonstick ability and sturdiness of the coat, which make shorter the duration of the pan. So, we recommend using other proper tools for high temperature, such as cast-iron or stainless-steel, instead.

Is it worth to buy?

Ultimately, if you aren’t secure with Teflon pans but can’t live without nonstick feature, the ceramic products are your vigor choice. Compare to Teflon, they’re generally safer, have more heat resistance, and last longer. They might cost more expensive, but  they’re good to investment.