Handbook of Kitchen Management
Table of Contents
- Preface
- A Guide to Kitchen Hygiene
- A Guide to Kitchen Ergonomics
- Work Must Be Economical
- A Guide to Cookware
- Prevent Food from Sticking to Cookware
- A Guide to Food Packaging
- A Guide to Food Containers
- A Guide to Kitchen Knives
- A Guide to Cutting techniques
- A Guide to Sharpening Knives
- A Guide to Cutting Boards
- A Guide to Washing Food
- What's Next?
A Guide to Cookware
This is a guide to the types of available cookware, their pros and cons, and what to buy.
Avoid Non Stick Cookware
No matter the brand, the non-stick coating wears, tears and flakes off the cookware over a period of time. This usually happens while cooking and therefore, the residue lands in food. This contamination is a health risk for the following reasons—
- A synthetic chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)1 has been or is still used to manufacture Teflon. This substance has been classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” by The International Agency for Research on Cancer2. The CDC has also issued a fact sheet3 warning that studies on animals showed PFOAs affect growth and development, reproduction, and injure the liver.
- In 2006, because of the health and environmental concerns of PFOAs, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the US ran a program called the PFOA Stewardship Program4 asking chemical industry giants to reduce PFOAs by 95%, which they achieved by 20135. The catch is, PFOAs aren't eliminated and we do have no information on the use of PFOAs in the manufacture of non stick cookware in other countries. Therefore, better safe than sorry.
- Notwithstanding the above point and whether or not PFOA is used in non-stick cookware, the coating emits chemical by-products at high temperatures that can cause flu-like symptoms in humans1.
Most families continue using non stick cookware even after the first wear and tear of the coating, thereby increasing the chances of consuming the non-stick compound along with food. Doesn't sound like a healthy decision.
Some people make chemical concoctions from ingredients in the kitchen and administer it to remove the non stick coating completely. This works only to the point of visually convincing you of the removal of the coating and giving you a false sense of security. In reality, it is impossible to remove the non stick coating completely from a utensil. Here is why.
The surface of a metal utensil is never truly a flat surface due to manufacturing limitations6. Sunken areas in the surface exists that are too small to be caught by eyes, but big enough to be filled by the non stick compound. Because the area is like a well, the amount of non stick compound in there much more than in other areas, and the bond is so strong that home made chemical concoctions are simply not good enough to remove them. This why you see a metal surface filled with black spots even after the removal of non stick coating.
But that is not to say that these stubborn non stick residues will never leach out. Gradually, subjected to constant heating, cooking and acidity of food, it will too leach out.
Health is always a trade off for the convenience of non-stick cookware. The fact is, all materials leach at some point. But non-stick coatings leach quite easily and their chemicals are relatively more dangerous thus making non stick cookware the most dangerous cookware.
Alternatives to Non Stick
A properly manufactured metal or alloy cookware is the next best alternative to non-stick cookware. They do not leach as liberally as the same cookware manufactured sub optimally; or as easily as non-stick cookware. Here is the comparison of these materials based on the factors of heat retention, longevity, maintenance and toxicity of the materials:
| Heat Retention | Longevity | Maintenance | Toxicity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel | Medium | Medium | Low | Non-toxic |
| Cast iron | Very high | Very high | High | Non-toxic |
| Non stick and ceramic | Low | Low | Low | Toxic |
| Aluminium | Medium | Medium | Low | Non-toxic |
| Hard anodised aluminium | High | Medium | Low | Non-toxic |
So what material to buy? Stainless steel utensils give you the best balance between heat retention, longevity, maintenance, toxicity and cost too. Cast iron comes next, followed by aluminium and hard anodised aluminium.
Please buy properly manufactured utensils. By that we mean utensils manufactured by good standards. Else the material will wither quickly. Unfortunately there is no accepted convention by which consumers can judge the manufacturing quality. All they can do is buy reputed brands.
The practical downside of non non-stick materials is that food sticks to it. However, this tendency can be reduced as discussed next.
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Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), and Related Chemicals, American Cancer Society. View resource. ↩ ↩
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PFOAs are classified as 2B, meaning they are "possibly carcinogenic to humans". View classification. View meaning. ↩
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Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Factsheet. View resource. ↩
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Fact Sheet: 2010/2015 PFOA Stewardship Program. View resource. ↩
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2010/2015 PFOA Stewardship Program - 2014 Annual Progress Reports. View resource. ↩
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Physics tells you that there is no perfect flatness because of the atomic composition. But we don't need to go that far in discussing flatness of utensils. The manufacturing limitations yield roughness relevant enough for this topic. ↩
Corrections?
We base our writings on science and reasoning, but we could be victims of cognitive biases whilst doing our research. If there are any inaccuracies in our writings, please do let us know.