Clean, Nonstick Cookware: Transforming the Kitchen for Human and Planetary Health

From omelets to air-fried treats, modern nonstick cookware makes cooking effortless with minimal cleanup. However, many of these pots, pans, baking sheets, waffle irons, slow cookers, countertop ovens and more are coated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—known as “forever chemicals”. These substances can leach into food, accumulate in the body and pose serious health risks, including hormone imbalances, altered immunity, inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, kidney disease, adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes and cancer. They also harm the environment, affecting wildlife, soil and water.

Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as hazardous, and the manufacture of PFOA was voluntarily phased out by 2015 in this country, imported products may still contain them.

 

Seeing Through False Claims

“Even when a label claims PFOA-free or PFOS-free, manufacturers often substitute newer fluorinated chemicals like GenX or PTFE [polytetrafluoroethylene, also known as Teflon] derivatives which still fall under the PFAS family and pose risks to the liver, hormones and immune system,” warns Kali Storm, a functional nutritionist and founder of Root Level Living, in Clear Lake, Wisconsin.

After recovering from a severe illness linked to mold exposure, Storm replaced her nonstick cookware with healthier options like cast iron. She advises caution with imported products, which may not disclose the presence of glazes, adhesives, bonding agents or sealants in multi-layer cookware that can introduce phenols, phthalates and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

High-quality ceramic cookware is generally considered safe. Beth Bollinger, an integrative health practitioner and the founder of Nest Wellness, in Sonoma County, California, points out that true ceramic is stoneware and porcelain. However, she notes that many ceramic nonstick pans are actually metal pans with a sol-gel ceramic coating that can contain nanoparticles, lead, cadmium or PFAS. “Always look for third-party testing certifications and avoid inexpensive ceramic-coated cookware from unknown brands,” she cautions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration imposes cookware safety regulations, but it does not test the products. The State of California goes further with Proposition 65, which requires manufacturers to disclose whether their cookware contains lead, cadmium or certain PFAS. And the European Union sets the strictest limits on cookware coatings, banning specified heavy metals and harmful chemicals, including PFAS. Third-party organizations that test products to ensure compliance with applicable safety standards and regulations include Greenscreen Certified (GreenScreenChemicals.org), SGS (sgs.com) and Intertek (Intertek.com).

 

Choosing Cleaner Options

Like Storm, Bollinger cleaned up her food and home environment, including kitchenware, after a health diagnosis, and she believes those modifications led to significant improvements in energy, mental clarity and overall well-being. Her kitchen essentials include enameled cast iron, for its nonreactive nature with acidic foods, and carbon steel, which is lighter than cast iron and heats quickly and evenly.

Bollinger suggests, “Start out with stainless steel, because it’s the most versatile and user-friendly option. High-quality stainless steel—18/10 with an aluminum or copper core for even heat distribution—is durable, nonreactive, dishwasher-safe and works for almost any cooking method, be it sautéing, searing, boiling or baking.” She acknowledges the challenge of finding air fryers and slow cookers without chemical coatings but recommends models with stainless steel baskets and true ceramic or stoneware inserts for slow cookers. She also advises verifying with the manufacturer that their ceramic is lead- and cadmium-free.

For Storm and her family, cast iron is a versatile and reliable choice. “Cast iron is incredibly user-friendly once you learn how to use and clean it,” she explains. “Many don’t realize how naturally nonstick it becomes when well-seasoned. If you cook in your cast iron regularly and clean it properly with no soap, just hot water and a scrub, you’re technically seasoning it a little bit every time.”

Storm loves cast iron’s slick surface for egg dishes and golden-edged pancakes. “The same pan can easily go from stovetop to oven. We’ve made lasagna, casseroles, cornbread, skillet meals, roasted vegetables and even apple crisps in cast iron. For stews or chili, a covered cast iron Dutch oven retains heat beautifully.” To season cast iron, she recommends using avocado oil, flaxseed oil or beef tallow, and avoiding budget vegetable or seed oils that may contain fillers and oxidize easily.

Cast iron pans naturally add small amounts of iron to food, especially when cooking acidic ingredients like tomato sauce. This can be beneficial for healthy individuals or those that are deficient, but people with too much iron in their blood might want to minimize or avoid using cast iron altogether.

 

Making the Switch

Small lifestyle changes can make a big difference in our overall well-being, and opting for cleaner, more sustainable cookware is a wise choice. As Storm points out, “When you remove toxins from what you cook in, breathe in and live around, the body can finally stop fighting and start healing.”

 

Marlaina Donato is an author, painter and composer. Connect at WildflowersAndWoodSmoke.com.

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