I found this really alarming article about the
Dangers of Teflon, if you're still cooking with non-stick cookware, read it. Apparently the gasses emitted from Teflon have been killing pet birds and doing God-knows-what to the health of millions of families. The article says that "At 680°F Teflon pans release at least six toxic gases, including two carcinogens, two global pollutants, and MFA, a chemical lethal to humans at low doses."
So if you're still cooking with (and eating and breathing) Teflon, its time to send 'em out to be recycled and get yourself the real deal, cast iron.
The Martha Stewart line has an adorable
Red Enamel Cast Iron Chili Pot but its made in China -and I like to err on the side of caution by assuming everything in China contains lead- so I'd skip that one and go with the original,
Lodge Cast Iron.
Pros and Cons of Cast Iron:
Pro-
- Non-toxic
- Lasts forever (your grandchildren will cook on this if its taken care of)
- Distributes heat evenly
- Won't scratch
- Versatile - can be used in oven or stove top...heck, you can even use it in an open fire.
- Food just tastes better (At least my family thinks so)
- Cheap. They're very reasonably priced, especially when you consider you'll never have to buy another one. You could also find old ones at garage sales and thrift stores that just need to be re-seasoned.
- Many brands are made in the USA, like Logic.
Con-
- It's heavy. But this could be a pro if you want to keep upper body strength.
- Requires seasoning and special cleaning. Th pans from Lodge come pre-seasoned with veggie-based oil. And you just have to hand wash them with salt instead of soap and then immediately dry them to prevent them from rusting.
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