Re: Is it safe to cook in anything?

[Guest guest]

> What do the folks here use for cooking?

We've switched over to cast iron for almost all of our cooking. I

really like it. I'd like to experiment with traditional Japanese

stovetop clay pot cooking as well.

Lynn S.

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Lynn Siprelle * web developer, writer, mama, fiber junky

http://www.siprelle.com * http://www.thenewhomemaker.com

http://www.democracyfororegon.com * http://www.knitting911.net

[Guest guest]

> Aluminium cookware is not safe - agreed.

> Recently there were concerns about non-stick cookware too (Teflon) and EPA

published the

> warning.

> Now it seems that stainless steel may not also be as inert as earlier believed

(Onibasu

> blog and also an article by Mercola).

>

> So my question is - is there *any* safe cooking utensils at all?

>

> What do the folks here use for cooking?

> Does anyone use any non-stick any more?

>

> -Pratick

Seasoned cast iron cookware works very well for non-stick uses. I fry

eggs in a cast iron skillet with no stick at all! The trick is to

season it well from the beginning and to keep it lightly oiled always.

I seasoned my pan on the gas grill outdoors. Just bushed it all over,

both sides, with oil and then put the grill on 'clean' (hotest

setting) and let the smoke burn off.

[Guest guest]

> So my question is - is there *any* safe cooking utensils at all?

>

> What do the folks here use for cooking?

> Does anyone use any non-stick any more?

>

> -Pratick

Here's a link from the WAP site that I've found useful:

http://www.westonaprice.org/motherlinda/index.html

I use All Clad's stainless line and a Le Crueset enamel stock pot. I feel

the stainless is safe for faster cooking but I feel more comfortable with

enamel for stocks which I simmer for 12 - 24 hours.

What did the blog have to say about stainless?

I gave up non-stick over 10 years ago when my friend's bird died immediately

after she used a new non-stick pan. But you know Teflon is everywhere... I

was looking at a rug yesterday at Costco... it was wool and I was thinking

hmmm maybe it's not so toxic, then I see on the tag it's treated with Teflon

for stain resistance. Also, I almost bought a shirt for my husband and at

the last minute noticed it was treated with Teflon!

Yikes,

Kim

[Guest guest]

Pratick-

>What do the folks here use for cooking?

>Does anyone use any non-stick any more?

Enameled cast iron and enameled stainless steel, sometimes stainless steel

though I too have my doubts about it, and no, not anymore.

-

[Guest guest]

At 12:45 PM 4/5/05 -0700, you wrote:

>What do the folks here use for cooking?

>Does anyone use any non-stick any more?

>

>-Pratick

My almost-25-year-old Farberware pots and pans. I have no idea what

they're made of. Will eventually switch to cast iron but can't afford it

at this point, not even one pan. And yes *gasp* - I have this one

non-stick pan that I use a lot - fairly new, also Farberware brand.

MFJ

I don't wanna work, I wanna play in the dirt all day.

[Guest guest]

,

I really don't cook these days, but I have kept my glassware pots from

Corning because I *think* they're safe if I need to heat up water. They

certainly are resistant to heat. I once left an empty pot on a " high "

electric burner overnight and nothing happened to the pot! Or so it seemed.

The only thing that has ever made me wonder or doubt is that they are

colored.

[Guest guest]

> Seasoned cast iron cookware works very well for non-stick uses. I fry

> eggs in a cast iron skillet with no stick at all! The trick is to

> season it well from the beginning and to keep it lightly oiled always.

>

> I seasoned my pan on the gas grill outdoors. Just bushed it all over,

> both sides, with oil and then put the grill on 'clean' (hotest

> setting) and let the smoke burn off.

>

>

Also, if you heat the pan before adding fat, foods won't stick. I fry

with cast iron, have a couple stainless pots, bake in glass or cast

iron pans. The only thing teflon I own is a set of small spring form

pans from W-S.

With the temperatures climbing, I'll be eating more raw/fermented

foods in general.

Deanna

[Guest guest]

> I seasoned my pan on the gas grill outdoors. Just bushed it all over,

> both sides, with oil and then put the grill on 'clean' (hottest

> setting) and let the smoke burn off.

>

I found that a low heat worked best. I used coconut oil and placed the pan

upside down on the briquettes after removing the grilling rack. I cooked my

dutch

oven like this a couple times to get a really nice seasoning.

Mainly I do my cooking in a carbon steel wok, cast iron and carbon steel pans

and glass ceramic pots.

With stainless steel it's good to check that it is the magnetic type of steel as

the non magnetic stainless steel contains nickle.

Bruce

[Guest guest]

Pratick-

>What about cooper cookware?

>Traditionally, in India, copper pots were used a lot.

Don't copper pots need to be retinned all the time, or something like

that? I've never used copper cookware, though, so I'm not positive.

-