My favorite brands of safe, nontoxic cookware that last for years and look beautiful to boot!
My husband and I recently took a trip up the East Coast. During this driving marathon, I was amazed by the number of cookware outlets we saw along the way!
With the many brands of cookware on the market today, which are the safest and best for the constant cooking required to raise a healthy family?
I outline my favorite types of cookware as well as brands I’ve vetted and which of these I personally use below.
Stainless Steel
I love stainless steel for cooking everything except acidic foods (more on what to use instead for these types of dishes below).
As you’ve probably already noticed, stainless steel comes in a wide range of grades and types.
The grade of stainless steel is usually identified by three numbers such as 302 or 304. These digits are used to describe the overall quality, durability, and temperature resistance of the steel. The second number associated with stainless steel comes paired, such as 18/10 or 10/0. This indicates its composition, giving the percentage of chromium and nickel used in the alloy.
304 stainless steel is the same as 18/8. It is often called surgical stainless steel. It is also the minimum type one should purchase for cookware!
Recommended Brands
There are a couple of brands of surgical stainless cookware that I have vetted and recommend that meet these specifications.
Cuisinart ($$) is a decent quality stainless steel cookware brand. If the budget is tight, I recommend buying a piece at a time at places like TJ Maxx, Ross/Marshalls, Homegoods, or At Home stores. You can frequently find pans for half the normal retail price this way.
Cuisinart pans have an aluminum core to improve heat conductivity. Since the aluminum does not touch the food, however, it is safe to use unlike some other brands such as All-Clad that blend the aluminum with stainless steel.
My second recommendation is what we use in our home: Queen Cookware ($$$$). I was fortunate to receive a complete set as a wedding shower gift thirty years ago!
Three decades later, these Made in the USA pieces are all still beautiful as well as functional. They’ve held up perfectly even with all the cooking I’ve done raising three kids! It is still the primary cookware I use on a daily basis.
I thought they no longer made Queen cookware, so I’ve told people over the years to find pieces at estate and garage sales. However, my husband recently told me that they do still make it under the new name iCook. You can check it out here via my husband’s distributor link.
Enameled Cast Iron
While enameled cast iron is a safe choice for cookware, please note that I do not personally use it myself for several reasons.
First, I find it too heavy for my liking.
Secondly, the heaviness of cast iron is such that it will also scratch glass cooktops or crack them if one slips from your hand. Since our stovetop is glass, this is another reason I avoid this heavy type of cookware.
If you choose cast iron, be sure to use enameled versions.
Unenameled cast iron tends to result in food that is excessively high in this mineral. Adult men and post-menopausal women are susceptible to negative health effects from too much iron in the diet.
More on hemochromatosis (iron overload) from cast iron cookware in the linked article.
Recommend Brands
LeCreuset and Staub are my favorite vetted brands for cast iron pans or dutch ovens.
LeCreuset is available online or via outlets around the United States.
Staub is also available online. In addition, like Cuisinart, pieces can be found at half the normal price at stores like TJ Maxx, Ross/Marshalls, Homegoods, and others.
Keep your eyes peeled especially during off-peak buying times.
Cookware for Acidic Foods
For acidic foods, stainless steel is not ideal as it can leach nickel (toxic in any amount) or excessive chromium into the food.
For these dishes, I use my clay or stoneware Vitaclay.
These beautiful appliances look amazing on the counter and can quickly simmer up a pot of bone broth or pasta sauce just as efficiently as the stovetop approach. I prefer the low setting used with the timer so things shut off properly if I am busy doing other things.
Not sure if the clay or stoneware model is right for you? See my review of the stoneware versus clay Vitaclay at the link.
Bakeware
I do not currently recommend any of the nonstick bakeware on the market.
In addition, any bakeware containing silicone is toxic and should be avoided.
While aluminum is not the best choice either, there is a way to use aluminum bakeware safely if better alternatives are not in the budget for the time being.
Unfortunately, the toxic bakeware choices tend to be the most widely available as you have likely noticed!
Despite the preponderance of nonstick, silicone and aluminum, there is still safe bakeware on the market that is also budget-friendly if you know what to look for!
Suggested Brands
My favorite brands of bakeware are Norpro and Pyrex.
I use Norpro cookie sheets, cake pans, and pizza pans. They are shiny and beautiful and clean up easily even after use with the oven broiler. I also purchased a set for my son’s off-campus house at college.
I use glass Pyrex loaf pans to bake bread and have for many years. They are very durable and I have yet to even crack one!
Brands to Avoid
I am not fond of any of the newfangled brands that tout safe nonstick surfaces.
For example, GreenPan is one brand that I have examined in detail. My review of Greenpan is available at the link.
When you call these companies to inquire about what the nonstick surface is made of, you are typically told that it is “proprietary”, but that all the materials are safe and tested to be non-leaching.
Sorry, but that answer doesn’t fly with me.
I want to know EXACTLY what is in these materials! Assurances by a customer service representative that all is on the up and up isn’t sufficient information for me to buy these products.
Due to the tendency toward deception and half-truths in the industry, I tend to stick with the tried and true: quality stainless steel, enameled cast iron, and (tested) clay or stoneware.
Considering a Different Cookware Brand?
Since there are so many cookware brands on the market today, I wanted to give you a few safe ones to consider that I use (or would use) myself.
If there is another brand that you have your eye on but are not completely sure if it is truly safe, I am happy to take a look for you via Healthy Home Plus!
After signing up, use the purple chatbox on any page of the blog to reach out to me with the brand in question, and I will dive in to examine it for you 🙂
This has gotten a lot of good press. Can you give an opinion?
The “Our Pan:”
Thank you Sarah
Hi there, if you need a specific product vetted, please use the purple chatbox on any page of the blog.
I contacted All Clad and asked if they blend the stainless steel with the aluminum and if any aluminum comes in contact with food. They assured me no aluminum is in contact with food when cooking. Are they lying to me? I wish you’d give more information because I’ve looked online and cannot find anything else about this. I spent over $300 on a large stock pot and now I’m afraid to use it and you haven’t replied.
Hi Dianna, not sure what to make of their response. On their website, it specifically states that the stainless steel and aluminum is “blended” to make a new type of metal. That sure says to me that the aluminum comes in contact with the food.
Can you please share with us what type/brand pan that you use to cook eggs? Thanks.
I’m curious as to what type of pan you use or recommend for cooking eggs- my family’s favorite breakfast staple. Scrambled, sunny-side up, omelettes… we love it all. But without some type of non-stick surface, clean-up is a chore. I have one of the ceramic surface pans but read that you don’t trust them. What do you recommend? Some safe brands I researched were from Caraway Home and Branch Basics. Thank you!
yes , what about the copper cookware i see on TV?
i use it and love it, but…. will recycle it if toxic.
I haven’t looked into that cookware.
Hello Sarah. What’s wrong with all clad copper core pans ? Is the outer surface both aluminum and stainless steel ? I’m asking because it’s the cookware I use and if it’s truly toxic I want to get rid of it. Thanks.
Yes, I would like to know more about All Clad, too! I have a large stock pot that was very expensive. I thought I was buying an excellent brand. I need to know more because I don’t want to use it if it’s toxic.Di
I have a fairly extensive set of Revere ProLine stainless cookware. It is, in my opinion, far superior to any stainless I see on the market today. Rather than an aluminum core, the original ProLine used copper, a superior heat conductor. Unfortunately, like so many good things, it is no longer manufactured, but is is sometimes available used on eBay, for example.
I’ve always wondered if the stoneware from Pampered Chef is actually created with truly healthy materials – especially since their products appear to all be made in China. Ugh. I have used them for years, but can never get a good answer on “how” they’re made and what they’re made with. Have you ever studied this brand of bakeware? Thanks so much for all your useful research and tips.
I haven’t looked into that brand as of yet.
Thank you for your reviews on cookware. I have a question about cookware for a toaster oven, right now, that is all I have to use. What would be the safest glassware available at this time to use? Any help appreciated.
Thank you
I would have to spend some time looking into glassware for toaster ovens. I do not have a good answer at this time. Our toaster oven came with a stainless steel pan, which is what we use.
Corningware for toaster oven?
Hi Sarah,
Do you know anything about Salad Master brand? They claim to be the only truly non toxic cookware on the market. It is very expensive and it’s not sold in stores.
Thanks for your time!
Melissa
It’s my favorite and I use it everyday! The investment is worth it!
I have been using Salad Master for over 25 years. I used to love my LeCreuset pots but after the Salad Master demo, I gave them away! The convincing factor was how they change the taste and composition of the food and therefore the nutrients…..very simple demo. The SM rep asked for a variety of pots and pans made from different materials and put water and baking soda in each, heated them up and had me taste. The LeCreuset was vile! I was so sad because I used that pan a lot and it wasn’t cheap. The Salad Master tasted like straight up baking soda-no alterations. The cooking system is to never go above medium heat etc. Big investment but not when you consider your health. I imagine you can look up a rep in your area and request a demo. I do not have anything to do with the company and I do not know anyone who is a salesperson.
I just saw a video today about another bake set called Bakersware. It is a 3 piece set, a 9×9 square pan and 2 round pans. It is a blend of metal and silicone.
Thanks
Silicone is discussed above in the article … it is mentioned briefly, but it is to be avoided even when blended with metal. It’s similar to “stainless steel” pans that are actually a blend of stainless and aluminum (like the fraud company All-Clad). A toxic material blended with a nontoxic material is still toxic.