Your Guide to Non-Toxic Cookware & Healthy Pans

It’s Wednesday night, and you’ve just slaved over a healthy meal for your family. You seared salmon and sauteed veggies and complimented it with the fluffiest rice. Sounds delicious, right? Well, what if I told you that the healthy meal you just worked so hard on is contaminated with toxic chemicals that came from your cookware?! I know…this would happen in 2020. But the truth is, it’s been happening for far longer. Cookware has no regulation, and most pots and pans are made from or coated with toxic chemicals. But don’ t worry, we don’t need to ruin healthy meals with unhealthy cookware. Today, you’re going to discover the best non-toxic cookware so that your healthy meals can stay healthy. 

The Problems With Conventional Cookware 

Nonstick Coatings

We all want a quick and easy clean-up after scrambled eggs, but what’s easy isn’t always worth it. The coating used to create Teflon nonstick cookware contains PFOA and PTFE, which have links to elevated cholesterol, hormone disruption, cancer, and other health issues. When heated, those chemicals break down and produce toxic fumes into the air that the chef and family members breathe in. With regular use, the coating will start to peel, meaning that you are consuming them in your food as well. 

But that’s not even the worst part. PFOAs are not biodegradable, meaning they stay in the environment and bioaccumulate in our bodies. So the toxins in your body in your body now, will be passed onto your children and in a more dangerous form! 

Traditional Teflon nonstick pans should be the number one thing you get rid of today. 

Heavy Metals 

Colored enamel pans sometimes contain heavy metals like cadmium and lead. Scratch and chip the surface of your pan (which you probably will!), then heavy metals are bound to leach into your food. Heavy metals have been linked to anxiety, depression, acne, and more. It’s an absolute must to make sure that there are no heavy metals leaching into your meals. 

Nanoparticles 

Cheap ceramic cookware wear and tear will result in a release of nanoparticles like titanium dioxide. Opting for 100% pure ceramic nonstick cookware brands tested for third party safety is an absolute must! 

Class Action Lawsuit Against Green Pan 

Greenwashing isn’t only hiding behind beauty products and food labels; it’s also found on cookware. The popular cookware company GreenPan is involved in a class-action lawsuit for false, misleading, and deceptive advertising. California purchases claim that the marketing of their products as “toxin-free”, “healthy ceramic”, “reinforced with diamonds”, and “good for the environment”, is misleading. Be wary of labeling before you purchase. Always purchase from a trusted quality company. Below are some of our favorites. 

The Best Non-Toxic Cookware 

Cast Iron 

Cast Iron is my go-to non-toxic cookware. They are fabulous for searing meats and creating that “nonstick” surface without all the toxic chemicals…just add a little bit of olive oil (; Remember always to keep your cast iron pans seasoned and never ever wash them with soap! A tablespoon of salt rocks will do the job just fine. 

 Here’s a couple rules to go by before purchasing your cast iron:

1. Make sure to get one without any enamel or coatings– just plain cast iron. 
2. Never buy cheap. Cheap cast irons are thin and can chip and probably won’t live up to all the hype you hear about them 
3. High-quality cast iron pans will come pre-seasoned making cooking up your dinner a sift. 

I couldn’t live without my cast iron skillets. I love sticking a whole chicken in there with a bunch of veggies and letting it cook in the oven. A great USA brand is Lodge. 

Le Creuset Dutch Ovens 

Don’t we all want to cook elegantly like the French?! Bring a little bit of France into your kitchen with a Le Creuset dutch oven. Not only are these dutch ovens non-toxic and safe, but they are also great tools for helping all of your cooking dreams come to life. 

Soups and stews? No problem. Fresh oven-baked bread? Piece of cake. These healthy cooking pots and pans are cast-iron covered in a nontoxic enamel that doesn’t react with any food that touches it. Not only are they completely safe for your family meals but they are also sturdy classics that can be passed down for generations. 

Le Cruesets have the durability and heat retention of a cast iron but with a hard porcelain enamel glaze backed onto the interior and exterior surface. There is some concern surrounding heavy metal leaching from pans with enamel coating, but you don’t need to worry about good ole’ Le Creusets. 

If you’re looking for a non-stick-like surface without all the toxic technology, then you my friend, deserve a Le Creuset. Yes, ok, they are a bit pricey– but the investment is worth it. They’ll bring love and life to your healthy cooking.

X-TREMA PURE CERAMIC COOKWARE 

X-trema is an all-natural alternative to non-stick and metal cookware. Unlike most ceramic cookware that claim to be 100% ceramic, Xtrema actually is. Made from 100% pure ceramic (all the way from the glaze to the core!) all of their pots and pans are free from PFOA, PTFE, coatings, dyes, glues, and polymers. And all of their cookware is third party tested for heavy metals. That means literally no nasty chemicals leaching into your meals. 

X-trema is one of my favorite brands for healthy cooking pots and pans because it has that non-stick quality without all the chemicals. All pots and pans are third party tested for heavy metals. Bonus: this safe cookware will last–no flaking, peeling, or annoying scratches. 

Stainless Steel Cookware 

If you’re looking for nontoxic cookware that won’t break the bank, stainless steel is a great option. But be weary of contamination from other metals like lead and nickel. Make sure you’re not automatically opting for the cheapest set or brand because it’s likely that they won’t stand the test of time and you’ll have to reup soon…especially if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen. 

The best nontoxic stainless steel cookware will be made from 18/10 high quality stainless steel with an aluminum core for good heat conduction. You don’t need to worry about the aluminum from the core leaching because it will be completely encased in high quality stainless steel. 

All Clad has some wonderful stainless steel cookware that allows for an even heat and easy clean. 

The Always Pan 

We have got to talk about the non-stick pan that is getting a lot of notice these days: “The Always Pan” by Our Place. This non-toxic and non-stick Pan is made with no PFOA, PTFE, or GenXchemicals. So then how is it actually non-stick? The Always Pan uses a sol-gel non-stick coating made from silicon dioxide which is praised in the cookware industry as a “ceramic non-stick”. 

It’s called the safest non-stick option on the market as its tested for standards of ceramic coating (no heavy metals can pass through coating) as well as polymeric coating (meaning absolutely nada can pass through the coating). 

It’s approved by both the FDA and EU standards for food safety. But here’s why I think everyone loves this healthy pan: it’s an 8-in-1 cooking pan! 

Steamer and strainer, sauté pan, saucepan, saucier, skillet, fry pan, non-stick Pan, and spoon rest. It comes with a custom spatula and steamer basket- so it’s like a whole cooking set in one. 

So if you’ve been hearing a lot of buzz around this pan, there’s a reason.

Non-toxic Food Storage 

Before we end, I need to touch on food storage…because what would be the point of getting all this non-toxic cookware just to store your leftovers in something toxic? 

Plastic tupperwares and baggies are an absolute no-no when it comes to food storage. Plastics contain phthalates (hormone disruptors), BPA, BPS and other dangerous chemicals that can leach into your food when heated or scratched. 

Always opt for glass storage. If your glass containers have plastic lids, either don’t fill the glass to the top or put a piece of parchment paper or Bee’s Wrap on top of the food BEFORE snapping with the lid. Bee’s Wrap is an all-natural and sustainable alternative to plastic wrap and we LOVE it in our house. To learn more about Bee’s Wrap check out this article

And there you have it: your guide to the best non-toxic cookware and healthy pans. Do you have any of these safe cookware products and absolutely love them? Or do you have another non-toxic pan that I didn’t mention? Let me know in the comments below.