Which utensils are best for cooking and storing food.

Leading a healthy lifestyle is now fashionable. Moderate exercise and a balanced diet are the key to a long life and a flourishing appearance, but simply eating “good” foods is not enough. Products must also be skillfully prepared in the “correct” dishes. Fortunately, world technologies do not stand still, but offer new types of materials that facilitate the already “difficult” life of an urbanized person. Understanding this diversity is not easy, and even more so to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages. In today's review, we will tell you which dishes are most suitable for cooking and storing food.

1. The most fragile
In a light and convenient enamel pan, you can cook and store any dishes without fear that the products will change their color and taste. And the enamel itself does not deteriorate under the influence of salts or acids contained in food. Such pots and pans are easy to clean, food almost does not burn. But enamelware has one serious drawback - fragility. Sooner or later, chips and cracks appear on it, especially if it is “successfully” dropped, cleaned with abrasive powders, hard brushes, or subjected to “thermal shock”. If the enamel has broken off or a crack has appeared, the dishes should be thrown away without any remorse. It is impossible to use dishes with defects in the enamel coating for cooking - heavy metal compounds get into the food.

2. The most tender
Food in non-stick pans can be cooked without the use of oil, it does not burn at all, it is well and evenly fried. Teflon (special non-stick coating) is inert and does not enter into any chemical compounds if it is not damaged, scratched, etc. Therefore, non-stick cookware should not be cleaned with abrasive detergents and wire sponges. During cooking, you need to use only wooden spatulas and spoons, and even better if these devices are made of special plastic. A nylon sponge is ideal for cleaning the inside and outside of dishes. All of the above is 100% correct in relation to good-quality expensive dishes bought in specialized stores. Cheap fakes do a lot of harm: a poor quality non-stick coating can interact with food when heated. As a result, harmful substances enter the food, which can cause serious disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and allergies.

3. The most invulnerable
Cast iron pans are very well suited for stewing and frying, which never cease to amaze chefs with their capabilities. If you do not clean such dishes with abrasive products or metal brushes, then they will serve for decades. Cast iron is prone to rust, but this trouble can be dealt with: a new cast-iron pan must be lubricated with vegetable oil and ignited in the oven or on gas. It is advisable to repeat this procedure several times before frying food on it. Caring for such dishes is simple - the used frying pan is poured with boiling water and gently rubbed with a sponge or soft washcloth, then wiped dry and lubricated with vegetable oil, and before the next use it is well heated.

4. Most comfortable
Stainless steel cookware is strong and durable, resistant to oxidation, while cooking in it, the products do not lose their taste and vitamins. In such dishes (note that the bottom is thick) you can cook with little or no oil and water. To do this, it is enough to get a well-fitting lid and select low heat. Utensils made of this alloy allow cooked food to stay hot longer, because shiny surfaces cool down much more slowly than matte ones. However, this dish is not suitable for everyone. Studies show that the nickel component of stainless steel (a good "stainless steel" is an alloy that contains 18% chromium and 10% nickel, and the rest is iron) can cause allergic reactions in some people.

5. The most harmful
The only advantage of aluminum cookware is that the food in it cooks quickly. But significant shortcomings negate this advantage. First, aluminum cookware can warp when exposed to "thermal shock," so cool it down to room temperature before washing it. Secondly, when heated, aluminum releases harmful substances that remain in the finished dish. Thirdly, in foods boiled in aluminum cookware, vitamin C is almost completely destroyed. And you can’t cook sour dishes in such a pan, since aluminum does not tolerate contact with acids. In such dishes it is not recommended to cook spicy dishes, stew and fry vegetables, boil milk. It is also contraindicated for the preparation of children's food.

6. Most secure
Glassware is the least of all complaints. It is food neutral and cleans well. Simple glass is smelted from a natural material - sand. Silicon oxide, which is used in the production of glass, is chemically resistant and does not interact with others, but, given our "Chernobyl" past, it would not hurt to keep a dosimeter in the kitchen, and before pouring the soup into a new plate, measure its radiation background . It happens that the plate "fonit". Separately, let's talk about crystal. According to the technology, lead oxide is added to domestic crystal products, due to which the glass becomes more durable, rings beautifully and dazzlingly shimmers in the edges. But scientists unanimously declare that it is impossible to drink from crystal glasses, since lead oxide migrates into drinks. If the soul still asks for the clink of crystal glasses, discard the old crystal and buy new foreign-made glasses (global manufacturers have replaced lead oxide with less toxic barium).

7. The most expensive
High temperature only "hardens" ceramic dishes, but before buying such kitchen utensils, be sure to make sure that they are heat resistant. It does, however, have a few downsides. Ceramic absorbs grease quickly and is difficult to wash off. In addition, high-quality ceramic dishes are very, very expensive, despite the fact that they easily break, crack and crumble. But that's not all that an ordinary clay pot can scare us with. It turns out that you need to be afraid of the drawings that abound in ceramic dishes. To prevent the lead and cadmium from these patterns from entering the food, ceramic ware is usually covered with a thin layer of glass. But still it is better to buy ceramic dishes without "decor".

8. The most environmentally friendly
We are talking about edible dishes - plates made of bamboo, sugar cane, starch and water. These ultra-ecological cookware is suitable for the microwave, oven and refrigerator. It effectively fights the problem of environmental pollution: under normal conditions, it takes 180 days for complete decomposition, and in water it disappears without a trace in just 2 days.

9. The most plastic
Silicone cookware is durable and can withstand temperatures up to 280C. It can cook in ovens and microwave ovens, freeze food. Silicone is an inert material that does not rust or crumble, and does not interact with products. The smooth surface of silicone cookware has non-stick properties, and thanks to its amazing plasticity, you can easily remove what has been cooked or frozen from it.

10. The most unpredictable
Plastic utensils can only conditionally be called safe. Depending on the type of plastic, such utensils may contain many harmful substances: if you constantly use plastic utensils, they accumulate in the body and over time can cause metabolic disorders and provoke cancer. Additives that are used in the production of plastic utensils migrate into the product or liquid under different conditions, so if you are still forced to use such utensils, then do it strictly for its intended purpose and try to minimize food contact with it. For example, do not drink hot drinks from disposable plastic cups, do not feed babies from unbreakable polymer dishes (pediatricians warn that glassware is most suitable for children).

In this article, we will look at the different materials from which modern cookware for thermal processing of food is made, and find out which cookware meets modern safety requirements.

From the high school chemistry and physics course, we know that chemical elements react with each other, form various compounds that may be unsafe for humans. The structure of the alloys from which the dishes are made is different, and it affects the quality of the food.

Ideally, the dishes should be chemically inactive, neutral, so that the taste of the products does not change, and so that various substances are not released into them. Consider what kind of dishes are.

Clay dishes

Pottery is safe, proven for thousands of years. Even if clay particles enter your body, you will not get poisoned, nothing bad will happen. but avoid cooking and eating from earthenware decorated with bright colors . Such paints may contain lead, cadmium, zinc. So for food, it is optimal to use earthenware without painting and / or store only dry foods in it.

copper utensils

Copper has a high thermal conductivity, which means it takes less time to cook food, which helps retain more of the nutrients in the food. But you can not store food in copper dishes. Especially foods with high acidity - copper oxidizes.

Copper utensils are good for everyone, but they are very expensive.

Cast iron cookware

Many people think that good old cast iron is very good: pans do not wear out, last almost forever, do not deform, and keep heat well. We hope you remember that cast iron (it contains 97-98% iron) rusts without special care - regular calcination and lubrication with oil. Cast iron is a porous alloy, so care for cast iron cookware will be special.

Lilia Gushchina, head chef of the MitStar cafe, notes that porous cast iron cannot be considered safe : "We don't cook twice with the same oil because it's unhealthy, but somehow we let the remaining oil in the cast iron pan heat up over and over again, releasing carcinogens into the food."

To prevent this from happening, it is logical to apply a special coating to cast iron, but so far no company has achieved success in this direction. We wrote more about cast iron pans in the article.

Enamelware

The task of enamel is to protect the metal from oxidation, interaction with products. But this effect persists only until the first chip or crack. And then everything, the way for acids to the metal is open.

Note that the enamel itself (red or brown) is not safe - it contains a lot of magnesium and manganese, and its excess in the body leads to loss of appetite, drowsiness. The safest dishes with white, gray, blue enamel. However, enamel does not solve the problem of food burning at all.

Stainless steel utensils

Stainless steel is used to make surgical instruments - this is the main answer to the question of the safety of stainless steel. In the production of such steel, an alloy of iron, nickel, chromium, manganese, and copper is used. Steel does not rust, retains its appearance, food rarely burns on it. We can say that such dishes are chemically neutral - they do not interact with acids or alkalis.

But stainless steels are different. For instance, in order for the dishes to be as safe as possible, nickel should be no more than 10% . And it is not recommended to store food in such dishes - metals can penetrate food.

According to studies (1), high doses of nickel lead to respiratory failure, protein dystrophy, allergies, promote the development of cancer and increase the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women.

It is also important to know what kind of chromium was used in production - trivalent (natural) or hexavalent (created in production and ecotoxic). The latter can cause lung tumors, allergies, gastritis and stomach ulcers, accumulate in the liver, bone marrow, lead to disorders of the nervous system and decrease in reproductive function (2).

aluminum cookware

Perhaps the most common in Soviet times, due to its cheapness and lack of corrosion, a natural oxide film forms on the surface of the metal and protects it, but is easily destroyed by acids. In Soviet times, many people knew that it was impossible to ferment cabbage in aluminum dishes - the cabbage would change color to gray and acquire a metallic taste.

According to scientists (3) excess aluminum in the body negatively affects the central nervous system, bone marrow, kidneys, lungs, female reproductive system . With intoxication, speech disorders, loss of consciousness, coma occur, immunodeficiency develops. Aluminum accumulates in tissues and its toxic effects, such as Alzheimer's disease, may take several years to appear.

However, recently there have been a lot of cookware made of aluminum alloys with silicon, which is becoming more and more popular because it does not rust. To prevent aluminum from interacting with food, a special coating is applied to the dishes. The coating recipe is different - but they not only cover the metal, but also improve its properties - in particular non-stick.

Cast aluminum pans with non-stick coating have long been a hit with housewives. How safe are they for humans?

Non-stick coating is a relative newcomer to our kitchens, it is still being studied and tried to find its flaws. Fortunately, modern technology allows rigorous testing of coating formulations, and manufacturers can provide detailed instructions for the proper use of such cookware.

Du Pont, the inventor of Teflon, confirms that when heated above 300 degrees Celsius, Teflon begins to release fluoride compounds . But it is worth remembering that modern stoves heat up to 220 degrees. So there is no danger of harm.

Here is what Anton Aleshin, technologist at JSC Neva Metal Ware, says about coatings: “Non-stick coatings really protect the metal from contact with food. In this case, it is recommended to use wooden or silicone spatulas when cooking, so as not to leave deep scratches on the surface to the metal. Minor damage to the coating is not terrible.

It is very important that the coating was not very thick- the thicker the coating, the more likely it is to cease to be solid, cracks will appear, through which vegetable acids will penetrate to the metal. Modern coatings are made multi-layered, where each layer is independent and at the same time thin.

The temperature regime is an important point. If the pans are overheated, overheated, then the coating can be burned, it will become unusable, the food will burn. And this is a signal that such dishes can no longer be used.

Any visible damage to the coating should be replaced. . In particular, our company provides a free replacement of dishes within the warranty period.”

Lilia Gushchina, the chef of the MitStar cafe, explains how to properly handle cooking utensils: “Questions arise - how best to use frying pans for frying food so that the meat is not only tasty, but also healthy.

Firstly, the less fat when frying, the better . If you still use oil, it is better to buy special olive oil for frying - Yes, it is more expensive, but safer for health.

Secondly, in order to avoid overheating the coating of the pan, you need to heat it over low heat - for induction cookers this is mode 6, for electric stoves - 2.

Harm and benefits of infrared sauna

At Bambino Story, we often discuss healthy eating and share interesting recipes. But it is impossible to cook tasty and healthy dishes without good high-quality dishes. Properly selected pans and pots help to cook with a minimum amount of fat, and also provide optimal thermal processing of food while preserving vitamins and beneficial trace elements. That is why we invite you to talk about how to choose dishes and what materials are best to give preference to. We will tell you about the intricacies of using different types of utensils and reveal a few secrets of choosing the best quality kitchen utensils.

What dishes to choose for the kitchen

When the question arises of which cookware to choose, we are most often interested in the difference between the materials from which pots and pans are made. A lot really depends on this - the durability of dishes, the quality and taste of food cooked in it, the complexity of caring for it, the ease of cooking, etc. Therefore, it is extremely important to understand what advantages and disadvantages each material has.

Titanium and stainless steel

Shiny cookware made of stainless steel and titanium not only has a very beautiful appearance, it is also quite strong and durable. It does not scratch or deform, it is very easy to care for it. It is also resistant to oxidation. Titanium and stainless steel do not come into contact with food during heating, which means that the products do not lose their beneficial properties and taste during heat treatment. Stainless pans keep all the vitamins in food, and also provide reliable storage of ready meals.

The only thing you need to pay attention to when buying such dishes is that despite the fact that titanium and stainless steel do not emit harmful substances when heated, they contain nickel, which is a strong allergen. Therefore, before using dishes made from these materials in the kitchen, it is advisable to make sure that none of the family members are allergic to them.

How to choose stainless cookware

• Quality stainless steel cookware can't be cheap. The high cost of the material and complex manufacturing technology lead to the fact that such dishes have a high cost. Cheap in the transition, you can buy not only a low-quality, but also a fake that is very dangerous to health

• When choosing a stainless steel pan, you need to pay attention to the parameters of the walls and bottom. The wall thickness must be at least 0.5 mm and the bottom thickness at least 3 mm. The bottom of such pans can have from 3 to 7 layers. Usually, additional layers of aluminum are allowed between stainless steel, which keeps heat well. This allows the bottom of the pot to remain hot for a long time and also prevents food from burning. The only disadvantage of such a multilayer structure is the long time it takes to heat it up.
• Good stainless steel cookware should be perfectly polished. No scratches or roughness. The impeccable walls and bottom of the stainless steel pots provide the safest conditions for storing food.
• It is also very important to pay attention to the lid, which should fit snugly against the pan. In no case should she hang out.

Enamel

Enameled utensils are made from steel and coated with enamel, which is considered a completely safe material. Such dishes are used for cooking and storing various dishes, as well as pickles and marinades. It can be used every day. The only thing the hostess should remember is the fragility of the enamel. If you handle enamelware carelessly, chips and cracks may appear on it. And when water gets into them, rust can occur. That is why, when choosing stainless cookware, get one that has a stainless steel rim that prevents damage.

Teflon

This coating, which has good non-stick properties, has one strong drawback - when heated, toxic substances begin to be released from the surface of Teflon pans. The effect of these substances on the human body has not been fully studied, but it’s still not worth risking health. In addition, the use of Teflon utensils involves the use of wooden spoons and spatulas that do not scratch the coating, which is not always convenient.

Ceramics

Ceramic pans are made from steel, aluminum or cast iron and coated with an organic silicon coating that is considered safe and environmentally friendly. Ceramic pans have good non-stick properties, allowing you to cook food on them with minimal use. But when choosing an expensive ceramic frying pan, one must also take into account the fact that the components that provide the non-stick properties of the coating gradually disappear. And soon the frying pan becomes no longer so practical.

An important positive property of ceramics is its wear resistance. Such pans can be heated and scratched as much as you like. The only thing that ceramics will not survive is sudden changes in temperature. If you pour cold water on a hot ceramic pan, it may burst.

How to choose ceramic dishes

• It is very important to choose the right thickness of the bottom of the pan. A thicker bottom will last longer, but it will also weigh more. The thin bottom is comfortable to use, but it may soon become deformed. Therefore, do not take pans with a bottom thinner than 4 mm.
• When choosing ceramic dishes, you need to pay attention to the price. Cheap ceramic frying pans are often not heat-resistant or even made from materials that are hazardous to health.
• Give preference to trusted brands. Having bought a really high-quality ceramic frying pan, you will enjoy its impeccable service for several years. And by purchasing a fake, you run the risk of throwing it into the trash after the first frying.

Aluminum

Aluminum cookware is considered rather an echo of the Soviet past. Although many housewives still like to cook in aluminum saucepans. This is due to the fact that milk does not stick to the aluminum bottom. But you need to take into account the fact that when sour food is heated in aluminum dishes, harmful substances that enter the human body begin to be released from its surface. Therefore, you should not use such dishes for cooking and storing sour and spicy dishes.

Cast iron

This material has a number of excellent characteristics - it is safe for health, provides uniform heating of food, slow cooling of dishes, and also does not allow food to burn to the bottom. The only negative is the huge weight of cast iron pots and pans. You can’t throw pancakes on them, but the stew will turn out very juicy and tender.

How to choose the right dishes

In addition to the selection of material, there are also general rules for choosing kitchen utensils. So, for example, it is desirable to give preference to heavier cast dishes, which provide uniform heating of food, and welded handles, which, unlike riveted ones, ensure the integrity of the coating.

In addition, it is important to choose the right thickness of the bottom of the pan. Pots with a thickness of at least 2.5 mm are normally suitable for gas and electric stoves. But for stoves with glass ceramics, you need to take dishes no thinner than 4-6 mm.

Pay attention to what convenient elements the dishes are equipped with. Pots and pans can have opening steam holes, cool handles, temperature sensors and other little things that provide maximum comfort during cooking.

Be sure to ask the seller for which stoves and for what type of heat treatment this or that dish is intended. If you often, it makes sense to purchase glass or ceramic pots, which, in addition to cooking on a conventional stove, can also be used to heat food in a microwave oven.

Good luck with your purchases!

In the kitchen, you can do without a bread machine or a yogurt maker and, if you really try, without martini glasses. But no kitchen will be left without a frying pan and a couple of pots, regardless of the style, footage and taste preferences of the owners. Not only your comfort and appearance of the kitchen interior, but also the health and taste of cooked dishes depend on the right choice of dishes, which is why the choice of kitchen utensils should be approached as thoughtfully as possible.

When choosing utensils for cooking, the closest attention should be paid to the material from which it is made, as well as to pay attention to the quality of workmanship, the manufacturer and, of course, the appearance, because beautiful modern utensils can not only play a utilitarian role, but also serve as an excellent interior decoration.

Production material

Cast iron cookware has been known to mankind for many hundreds of years, however, it is still considered one of the best. Saucepans, ducklings and pots made of cast iron are great for stews, especially since the food in them practically does not burn.

Cast iron heats up quite slowly, but it gives off heat evenly and is ideal for long-cooked dishes. In addition, it is completely safe in terms of health and will serve your family for many years with proper care. Remember also the ability of cast iron to retain the accumulated heat for a long time: dishes can be allowed to “reach” to full readiness even when the stove is off.
The only disadvantage of cast iron cookware is its considerable weight, which, however, is compensated by the excellent taste of the dishes cooked in it.

Advice: To make cast iron cookware last longer, wipe it thoroughly after washing to avoid rust, and do not leave food in it for long periods of storage.

Cookware made of cast iron coated with a protective enamel is less prone to rust and will last much longer. The thermal regime of such dishes remains the same, however, the enameled surface makes it easier to clean the dishes and makes them look more attractive, the main thing is to be careful with such dishes so as not to inadvertently damage the enamel.

aluminum cookware

Aluminum utensils were quite common in Soviet times, but now they are considered not very useful for cooking, especially spicy and sour dishes, since aluminum is capable of releasing harmful substances.

Oddly enough, aluminum utensils are good for boiling milk, because it does not burn at all in it, so it’s still worth having a small saucepan for dairy dishes on the farm.

Advice: choose aluminum dishes with thick walls, as thin ones can be deformed during operation.

Steel utensils with a cheerful enamel coating are also familiar to most of us since childhood. Steel is a durable, practical and environmentally friendly material, however, nickel, which is part of it, in rare cases can cause an individual allergic reaction.

The enamel coating retains all the properties of steel, adding to them an attractive appearance and ease of maintenance. However, when choosing enamelware, you should be especially careful, giving preference only to reliable manufacturers who can guarantee the quality of enamel application. To ensure the quality of enamelware, pay attention to the fact that its edge is even and carefully painted over, and the inner surface does not contain spots and dots.

Reminder: It is not recommended to use enamelware with a damaged top layer!

Best of all, enamelware is suitable for preparing liquid dishes: a variety of soups, compotes, etc.

Coating

In addition to the material of manufacture, the inner coating of the dishes also plays an important role, especially when it comes to a frying pan or stewpan. If you want your favorite omelet or pilaf not to burn, and the pan to serve for a long time and not cause difficulties in care, pay attention to the presence of a special coating on it.

Modern non-stick coatings allow you to cook with minimal oil, and therefore make food much healthier.

There are two main types of non-stick coatings for pans on the market today: classic black based on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a polymer that is highly resistant to high temperatures and household chemicals. Such a coating is often called "Teflon", but this name is not entirely accurate, as it indicates the product of only one company.

A novelty is the “ceramic” non-stick coating of white color, which is more resistant to minor scratches and mechanical damage. This coating, of course, has nothing to do with traditional ceramics and is a complex composition with sand nanoparticles.

The only drawback of all non-stick coatings is their fragility, which is why when handling such utensils, it is imperative to follow simple precautionary rules.

Rules for handling non-stick cookware:

• do not use metal, only wooden or silicone spatulas;
• wash only by hand, with a soft sponge;
• use detergents without abrasives;
• it is better not to overheat the dishes and not to expose them to sudden changes in temperature;
• It is best to cook over medium to low heat.

Paying attention to details

In addition to the material, coating and appearance, when choosing cookware, you should pay attention to details that usually escape attention, but are important components of your future culinary comfort.

What to look for when choosing dishes:

• dishes with a thick bottom and walls, at least 2 mm, will last longer;
• it is better to give preference to models with solid, welded handles;
• in dishes with a relief bottom, food will burn less than in a regular one;
• pay attention to the lid: it is very convenient if it has a small hole for steam to escape;
• try to pick up a set of pots of different sizes, including, do not forget about a sufficiently capacious capacity;
• when choosing dishes, remember which stove you will cook on;
• do not forget about the appearance, which should be combined with the interior style of the entire kitchen.

Beautiful and comfortable utensils are a guarantee that you will cook with pleasure, and the everyday process of cooking will really turn into a culinary art that will delight all family members.

This has been a matter of public concern in recent decades. Television and radio programs often discuss the negative impact of various materials on the human body, especially those that we use in the kitchen. In Soviet times, the safety of dishes was not asked: either all products were of high quality and harmless, or there were no appropriate sanitary and hygienic examinations. Perhaps both the first and second, because the vast majority of Soviet citizens used cheap aluminum utensils. In our country today, the choice of dishes is simply huge: for every color, taste and budget. But since the size of the wallet does not allow everyone to purchase expensive, but this does not always mean high-quality dishes, many stop at simpler options. They will be discussed. Currently, low-quality tableware made in Asian countries is widespread in Russia. It is this dish that most often falls into the category of harmful and dangerous to human health.

100% harmful melamine tableware

Melamine tableware has long been recognized as hazardous to human health. But it is still supplied to Russia from Turkey, Jordan, China. Moreover, in these very countries it is not for sale (probably, it is specially produced to be used as a poisonous weapon against the Russians). In the European Union and other self-respecting states, the sale of melamine tableware is also prohibited. The same applies to the now so popular melamine sponges: do not use them, their particles are not washed off the dishes at all.

Harmful metal utensils

When preparing hot drinks in tinned copper containers, metal ions are released into the liquid. The same thing happens when cooking hot dishes.

It is not recommended to store cooked food in metal utensils, scratch the inner surface of pots. Since otherwise, metals can penetrate into food and, accordingly, then into your body.

The above recommendations apply even to elite dishes of world famous brands. All metal pots and pans emit unsafe nickel and chromium ions to a greater or lesser extent. It is especially dangerous to leave sour and salty food in a metal dish: it will definitely absorb a huge amount of released ions.

Harmful aluminum cookware

Currently, aluminum utensils are tacitly recognized as the most harmful metal utensils for human health. According to the results of comparative tests, aluminum cookware is at the very bottom of the rating in terms of safety impact on the human body.

It has been established that aluminum utensils change their chemical properties when interacting with salt, soda and various acids. In this regard, it is forbidden to cook sour foods in aluminum dishes, such as cabbage soup, sauerkraut, sorrel, various kissels, compotes, stewed and fried vegetables, as well as bake food in foil in it. In addition, there is a hypothesis that aluminum cookware releases harmful metal ions into food when the temperature rises. Therefore, it is not recommended to boil milk in aluminum pans.

The facts of food poisoning of people who daily ate food cooked in aluminum utensils were registered. Therefore, refrain from frequently using aluminum products in your kitchen. Do not store even water in aluminum dishes for a long time: it has been noticed that with prolonged water content in an aluminum flask, a kind of metal oxide precipitate forms on its inner surface.

Claims by aluminum cookware manufacturers that an oxide film coating prevents harmful metal ion emissions from entering food are reckless. Aluminum, regardless of the presence or absence of a layer of oxide film, constantly penetrates into food during cooking.

Aluminum has a bad property to accumulate in the human body, which can eventually lead to the development of a serious illness. If possible, it is better to refuse the use of aluminum utensils. In a number of European countries, aluminum cookware without non-stick coating has long been banned.

Harmful stainless steel cookware

Harmful stainless steel cookware is a serious problem faced by the CIS countries at the end of the first decade of the 21st century. There are a huge number of cases of acquiring harmful stainless steel utensils by hand or through online stores. Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian online stores are full of low-quality dishes of Asian origin, which, by the way, are often passed off as world-famous brands.

Good stainless steel cookware is not affordable for everyone. It is on the relative cheapness of products that Asian manufacturers are betting. But using inexpensive cookware can be hazardous to your health. The thing is that low-quality stainless steel utensils often add cheaper copper compared to other components of the alloy. Food cooked in low-quality stainless steel utensils is enriched with harmful non-ferrous metal ions and becomes unsafe for human health. You can recognize harmful stainless steel utensils by the characteristic metallic taste of food cooked in it.

It is reliably known that the manufacturers of dangerous stainless steel utensils are such Asian firms as "Happy Lady", "Happy King". Also, the Russian Rospotrebnadzor found that the "Haus Muller Zepter" utensils, which have nothing to do with real Zepter utensils, are dangerous to human health. Now the sale of Haus Muller Zepter is officially prohibited in the territory of the Russian Federation.

Enamelware is also sometimes dangerous

Safety enamel cookware can be internally coated in black, white, blue, grayish blue, or cream. If your dishes are covered with enamel of a different color from the inside, be aware that this coating contains a huge number of chemical compounds of manganese, cadmium and other metals that are harmful to health. Enamelware with brown, red and yellow inner coatings is especially dangerous.

If you have found a dish with the correct color of the inner enamel layer, still do not lose your vigilance. First, check if GOST is on the label. Secondly, evaluate the quality of the enamel coating itself: there should not be any spots on it (they always indicate improper firing and, accordingly, a poor-quality coating); the thickness of the enamel coating should be sufficient (if the pans are covered with two layers of enamel, the chances of avoiding food contact with metal are twice as high). In the presence of a thick enamel layer, dangerous ions will not break through from the metal base of the pan into food.

Next, make sure that the enamel surface is perfectly smooth. The absence of depressions and pimples will avoid the accumulation of harmful bacteria on the dishes. In addition, there should be no cracks or chips on the inner surface of the enamelware. Otherwise, it becomes hazardous to health.

According to the results of a comparative analysis, enamelware was recognized as the best option for cooking and storing food. Read more about such dishes.

Cookware with non-stick coating

Non-stick cookware has won the acclaim of millions of cooks because it can be used to cook food without additional fats, and therefore without additional calories and carcinogens. But, according to researchers, such dishes are not always safe.

In Teflon non-stick coating, for example, there is harmful perfluorooctanoic acid, which, evaporating when the pan is very hot, kills pet parrots. (Read more in the article on our website). In most cases, rats also die, in whose food particles of non-stick coating get into. The same rodents that manage to survive become indifferent to individuals of the opposite sex and generally begin to lag behind in sexual development.

It is known that Teflon was originally used in the military industry for the manufacture of radars. To date, DuPont has made no secret of the fact that its patented Teflon can harm poultry when heated to high temperatures, and that it begins to break down at temperatures above 350 degrees. However, according to DuPont, this temperature is nonsense when cooking at home.

But unfortunately, PFOS isn't the only thing to worry about with non-stick coatings. Scientists have found that when heated to 220 degrees, the Teflon coating releases benzene and other harmful substances.

Worn out non-stick coating is a particular hazard. Do not use non-stick cookware if it has damage on the inside.

If you can't afford an expensive Teflon coated pan, don't buy a cheap one, instead opt for a titanium coated pan.

When are porcelain, glass and ceramic dishes harmful?

By themselves, porcelain, glass and ceramics are harmless. Well, except that in case of serious damage to the surface from the thickness of the sintered clay of ceramic dishes, salts of heavy metals will begin to penetrate into the food.

Danger can be decorative painting on dishes made of porcelain, glass and ceramics. The painting must be underglaze so that the metals contained in the paints: cadmium and lead - do not get into food. Ware with underglaze (safe) painting is distinguished by the muted colors of the pattern. Poisonous overglaze painting is easy to recognize by the riot and brightness of colors.