Most cookware these days is made with teflon (or other harmful chemicals), which makes them “non-stick”, but does often leach toxins into food while cooking. This article explains why teflon should be avoided wherever possible.
Here’s a comprehensive guide to transitioning to non-toxic cookware, with lots of product “swap” ideas. Keep in mind: it’s important to make changes at your own pace, in a way that isn’t stressful. You don’t have to change everything at once. Every effort will make a difference!
Personally, I try to stick to mostly stainless steel, cast iron, and glass for my cookware and appliances.
Pots / Pans
Avoid pots and pans that are labeled as “non-stick”, teflon, or aluminum. Look for pans that are stainless steel or even copper (I’ve never personally tried copper cookware). I have found good deals on stainless steel pans at Ross or Homegoods.
Crock Pots / Slow Cookers
Unfortunately, crock pots do leach toxins into food (to some extent). Don’t stress over it, though! Eating nourishing foods cooked in a crockpot is still 100x better than going to McDonalds and eating their french fries. We’ve ditched our crockpots and now use dutch ovens. We won’t be going back!
That being said, if you want an electric slow cooker, instant pot bowls are stainless steel, and they have a “slow cooker” setting. I’ve used this many times, especially for making broth. The temperature for slow cooking runs low, so “medium” is more like “low” on a crockpot, and “high” is more like “medium”. You can get an instant pot in up to a 10 quart size—which is really big! You’ll need to get a glass lid to use the slow cooking function.
Dutch Oven
Cast iron or enameled cast iron dutch ovens are the best way to go. We have the Great Jones “dutchess” and baby dutch” and love them. I use them multiple times a week for slow cooked meats and bone broth. My husband also uses them for baking bread! There are fancier brands available such as Le Creuset, but those are very expensive.
Air Fryer
This is a tough one. Most air-fryers on the market are non-stick / teflon. And the ones I’ve found so far that are stainless steel, actually have aluminum attachments (unfortunately). We have the cuisinart stainless steel air fryer. It works great, but it isn’t easy to clean. We replaced the aluminum air fryer tray and baking sheet with stainless steel ones from amazon. If you come across a truly all stainless steel air fryer option, please let us know!
Baking Sheets
We got our stainless steel baking sheets from amazon for a really good price. They actually wash much easier than the aluminum ones do!
Baking Dishes
Opt for glass baking dishes instead of nonstick or aluminum. These are easy to find in stores and online. Make sure to coat them with some butter or tallow before using them so the food doesn’t stick!
Measuring Cups
Look for stainless steel or glass measuring cups instead of plastic! These should be easy to find.
Cutting Boards
Look for wooden cutting boards instead of plastic ones.
Waffle Maker
Cast iron waffle irons would be best, but let’s be real…they’re very hard to use. There may be some ceramic ones out there but I haven’t found a great option yet. Let us know if you find a good option!
Dehydrator
We use our heavy duty stainless steel dehydrator all the time (use the code “ribeye03” for a discount). If you make homemade jerky, it’s well worth it to get a big stainless one.
Outdoor Cooking
We love using our pellet smoker (Camp Chef) for smoking meats. Most outdoor grills should be fine. The grates are typically made of stainless steel, carbon steel, or cast iron. Some are made with aluminum, which isn’t ideal, but I wouldn’t stress about it too much. Another outdoor cooking tool we love is our solo stove. We have fires almost every night during the winter and love roasting things over the fire!
Cast Iron
Cast iron is an excellent option for non-toxic cookware. I am yet to find a cast iron pan that isn’t pre-seasoned with seed oils (ex. vegetable oil). The best thing to do is wash your pan with soap and water to remove that “pre-seasoning”. After that, season your pan with animal fat like tallow or lard.
Silicon
Lots of bakeware can be found in silicon (ex. baking mat, chocolate molds). Personally, I don’t think silicone is great as its still synthetic. But its much better than other options like cookware containing BPAs. I still use silicon molds and spatulas occasionally.
Ceramic
Ceramic is typically marketed as non-toxic, but unfortunately often contains lead. Just be cautious of that when purchasing ceramic. We have a ceramic pan in our house, but I don’t use it very often.
In Summary
Of course, it’s not necessary to have all of these products in your kitchen. When it comes to living a low-toxic lifestyle, just do your best! Stressing over toxins is usually much worse than the toxins themselves.
When I cook at home, I always use cast iron, stainless steel, or glass. But if I’m traveling and staying in an air b&b (or at a friends house), I am willing to cook with teflon or aluminum pans if that’s the only option. Doing that every once in a while isn’t going to harm you. Striving for perfection isn’t realistic.
Remember to transition to non-toxic products at your own pace. Stressing about toxins is often worse than the toxins themselves!
Always make sure to do your own research on products, as companies can changing their practices, materials, etc at any time. If you see anything on our website that needs to be updated, please let us know! We’d love to hear from you.
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