The Natural Cook
Über Member
I have a good idea of what ingredients to use for healthy vegan fare, but what about the pans and pans I cook that wholesome food in? I appreciate any all natural or green cookware recommendations!
What is the best choice of cookware for vegan cooking?
- Thread starter The Natural Cook
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A lot of china often has animal bone in it, often named as such, fine bone china. Generally, chunky less fine china is less likely to have animal bone in it because animal bone makes is even more brittle so it does not make it much use in the kitchen. Anything that is porcelain is vegan (assuming you read the next comment regarding glazes). porcelain is made from mineral complexes only, so is your only safe bet on that front.
The next problem comes with tracking down glazes that do not involve animal bone, because most do!
Also the paints/dyes/colours are a problem. most containing red (including I presume reddish brown, reddish orange etc) also contain animal bone ash. the rest I don't honestly know about.
This Etsy site (https://www.etsy.com/shop/JeanetteZeis) does vegan pottery for the USA.
Now, if we taken green to mean environmentally friendly, then I would have thought that most second hand items would qualify but I am not aware of any pots and pans that are advertised as being vegan or environmentally friendly! avoid cast iron unless you are happy seasoning it regularly (I am so it's not a problem), ceramic coated can also be an issue if the coating is damaged, but 100% ceramic is also fine because it is 100% inorganic in its truest form.
It is also pretty hard to find much on vegan pans. casserole bowls, cooking dishes, other than plastic items that are BPA free. glass/pyrex could be one route to go down. a lot of my stuff is pyrex or stainless steel. I have a selection of chunky pottery from a UK company (my family love in the potteries in the UK, an area where most of the china such as wedgewood, spode, Dalton, and the like came from.
Utensils are much easier, bamboo steamers, chopping boards, stirring spoons and much more are easily and readily available and bamboo is cheap and grows quickly. there are those who won't use it because the day we are depriving pandas of their food source, but personally I highly doubt that it is even the same 'variety' of bamboo that pandas eat that is used in the manufacture of these goods or even in areas where pandas live.
The next problem comes with tracking down glazes that do not involve animal bone, because most do!
Also the paints/dyes/colours are a problem. most containing red (including I presume reddish brown, reddish orange etc) also contain animal bone ash. the rest I don't honestly know about.
This Etsy site (https://www.etsy.com/shop/JeanetteZeis) does vegan pottery for the USA.
Now, if we taken green to mean environmentally friendly, then I would have thought that most second hand items would qualify but I am not aware of any pots and pans that are advertised as being vegan or environmentally friendly! avoid cast iron unless you are happy seasoning it regularly (I am so it's not a problem), ceramic coated can also be an issue if the coating is damaged, but 100% ceramic is also fine because it is 100% inorganic in its truest form.
It is also pretty hard to find much on vegan pans. casserole bowls, cooking dishes, other than plastic items that are BPA free. glass/pyrex could be one route to go down. a lot of my stuff is pyrex or stainless steel. I have a selection of chunky pottery from a UK company (my family love in the potteries in the UK, an area where most of the china such as wedgewood, spode, Dalton, and the like came from.
Utensils are much easier, bamboo steamers, chopping boards, stirring spoons and much more are easily and readily available and bamboo is cheap and grows quickly. there are those who won't use it because the day we are depriving pandas of their food source, but personally I highly doubt that it is even the same 'variety' of bamboo that pandas eat that is used in the manufacture of these goods or even in areas where pandas live.
Superior Choice – Inert, Non-Reactive Cookware
Earthenware and ceramic
are inert and they emit a far-infrared heat, the most effective and beneficial heat for cooking, which enables a full range of subtle flavors to emerge. Excellent for lengthy simmering and baking, these beautiful but breakable items require special handling.
Do not purchase ceramic-coated cookware. Just like other non-stick cookware, the synthetic ceramic surface layer degrades with normal use. Purchase only 100% ceramic cookware; it is nonreactive, contains no toxic metals or synthetic polymers and it withstands erosion and temperatures up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. Only diamonds and sapphire have harder surfaces than ceramic.
Spanish cazuelas and older Romertopf baking dishes are excellent earthenware choices and you may find casseroles and pie pans from your local potter. (Note: antique ceramic or earthenware pots may contain lead. Inexpensive lead-testing kits are available at hardware stores.)
Enamel
is a fused glass surface overlaying a light metal–or a heavier cast iron–pot. With proper care, quality enamel cookware lasts a lifetime. There are various brands available; do an on-line search for users comments to determine the line that best suits you. Note: inexpensive enamel cookware has only a thin layer of enamel and is not as durable as that with two or more layers.
Discard chipped enamel cookware. Once the underlying metal is exposed, it reacts with food and enamel fragments find their way into your food.
Glass
coffee pots and casserole dishes are inert and affordable. Favor glass containers for storing food. By the way, if you’ve got old glass bake ware, don’t replace it with newer glass! Pyrex and Anchor Hocking, our two major domestic producers of glass bake ware, are currently using a soda lime glass that can shatter under high heat. European glass wear is made from the more durable, and pricy, borosilicate glass, as was our domestic glassware prior to the 1980s.
Bamboo
steamers and paddles as well as wooden spoons, chopsticks and crockery are non-reactive and modestly priced.
Paper Goods
are, in some applications, effective. Line reactive aluminum muffin tins or cookie sheets with 100% un-bleached muffin cups or parchment paper. (Note: natural parchment paper is coated with non-reactive silicon, not the chemical quilon). And for food storage, as is practical, favor waxed or butcher paper over plastic wrap or bags.
Titanium
Note: While 100% Titanium is non-reactive, it’s too pricy for cookware. Titanium coated cookware is typically aluminum cookware with a fused synthetic polymer-titanium, nonstick coating. It is reactive and not recommended. SaladMaster’s line of surgical grade (316) stainless steel pots includes titanium;
A Good Choice – Moderately Reactive Cookware
Stainless steel
is the least reactive metal, and for many people, the most versatile and healthful cookware option. It makes an acceptable set of basic pots, pans and bake ware. Because it unevenly conducts heat, most stainless cookware is clad or encloses an aluminum core. The term “ply” refers to the number of layers; the higher the ply, the heavier the pot and the more resistant it is to warping. Most stainless steel is 18/10 meaning that it contains 18% chromium and 10% nickel. The 18/0 designates a nickel-free product.
Remove food from metal as soon as it is cooked to minimize it developing a metallic taste. Once stainless steel has been scratched by heavy scouring, it will leach chromium and copper (if it contains copper). Therefore don’t scour stainless cookware. When you’ve burned something onto the pot, cover it with baking soda, salt or a strong detergent and let it rest for a day or more if necessary. The soda will “lift” off the scorched food.
A stainless steel knife is less reactive than a carbon steel knife but it doesn’t hold its edge quite as well.
Carbon steel
is inexpensive, thin, lightweight and ideal for a wok or crepe pan because it rapidly conveys heat. With use, it will develop a non-stick like patina but prior to that do not use it with liquid or acidic ingredients and dry it thoroughly after every use to prevent rust. Since carbon steel is reactive, do not use a carbon steel knife for cutting acidic foods like citrus or tomatoes.
Cast iron
pots are good for quick breads, pancakes and for sautéing vegetables. Do not, however, use cast iron for soups, liquids or acid foods as these foods leach harsh-tasting iron from the pot. Although a soup cooked in cast iron becomes iron-enriched, this heavy metal is not bioavailable.
Silicone cookware.
If you use silicone cookware, purchase only 100% silicone that is FDA approved and safe up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit). This is critical as there are countless silicone formulas and some products, such as the popular bake sheets, are only silicone coated. But does an FDA approval mean that silicone cookware is non-reactive? Not according to a 2005 British study that determined while the overall the chemical migration from the silicon into foodstuffs was low, it does occur.
The advantages of silicone include heat resistance (below 428 degrees Fahrenheit), flexibility, the fact that it can go directly from the oven or microwave into the refrigerator or freezer and that it is generally easy to clean.
Borrowed from
http://www.vegkitchen.com/product-guide/healthy-cookware/
Where the article in full, links as well, is available.
Earthenware and ceramic
are inert and they emit a far-infrared heat, the most effective and beneficial heat for cooking, which enables a full range of subtle flavors to emerge. Excellent for lengthy simmering and baking, these beautiful but breakable items require special handling.
Do not purchase ceramic-coated cookware. Just like other non-stick cookware, the synthetic ceramic surface layer degrades with normal use. Purchase only 100% ceramic cookware; it is nonreactive, contains no toxic metals or synthetic polymers and it withstands erosion and temperatures up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. Only diamonds and sapphire have harder surfaces than ceramic.
Spanish cazuelas and older Romertopf baking dishes are excellent earthenware choices and you may find casseroles and pie pans from your local potter. (Note: antique ceramic or earthenware pots may contain lead. Inexpensive lead-testing kits are available at hardware stores.)
Enamel
is a fused glass surface overlaying a light metal–or a heavier cast iron–pot. With proper care, quality enamel cookware lasts a lifetime. There are various brands available; do an on-line search for users comments to determine the line that best suits you. Note: inexpensive enamel cookware has only a thin layer of enamel and is not as durable as that with two or more layers.
Discard chipped enamel cookware. Once the underlying metal is exposed, it reacts with food and enamel fragments find their way into your food.
Glass
coffee pots and casserole dishes are inert and affordable. Favor glass containers for storing food. By the way, if you’ve got old glass bake ware, don’t replace it with newer glass! Pyrex and Anchor Hocking, our two major domestic producers of glass bake ware, are currently using a soda lime glass that can shatter under high heat. European glass wear is made from the more durable, and pricy, borosilicate glass, as was our domestic glassware prior to the 1980s.
Bamboo
steamers and paddles as well as wooden spoons, chopsticks and crockery are non-reactive and modestly priced.
Paper Goods
are, in some applications, effective. Line reactive aluminum muffin tins or cookie sheets with 100% un-bleached muffin cups or parchment paper. (Note: natural parchment paper is coated with non-reactive silicon, not the chemical quilon). And for food storage, as is practical, favor waxed or butcher paper over plastic wrap or bags.
Titanium
Note: While 100% Titanium is non-reactive, it’s too pricy for cookware. Titanium coated cookware is typically aluminum cookware with a fused synthetic polymer-titanium, nonstick coating. It is reactive and not recommended. SaladMaster’s line of surgical grade (316) stainless steel pots includes titanium;
A Good Choice – Moderately Reactive Cookware
Stainless steel
is the least reactive metal, and for many people, the most versatile and healthful cookware option. It makes an acceptable set of basic pots, pans and bake ware. Because it unevenly conducts heat, most stainless cookware is clad or encloses an aluminum core. The term “ply” refers to the number of layers; the higher the ply, the heavier the pot and the more resistant it is to warping. Most stainless steel is 18/10 meaning that it contains 18% chromium and 10% nickel. The 18/0 designates a nickel-free product.
Remove food from metal as soon as it is cooked to minimize it developing a metallic taste. Once stainless steel has been scratched by heavy scouring, it will leach chromium and copper (if it contains copper). Therefore don’t scour stainless cookware. When you’ve burned something onto the pot, cover it with baking soda, salt or a strong detergent and let it rest for a day or more if necessary. The soda will “lift” off the scorched food.
A stainless steel knife is less reactive than a carbon steel knife but it doesn’t hold its edge quite as well.
Carbon steel
is inexpensive, thin, lightweight and ideal for a wok or crepe pan because it rapidly conveys heat. With use, it will develop a non-stick like patina but prior to that do not use it with liquid or acidic ingredients and dry it thoroughly after every use to prevent rust. Since carbon steel is reactive, do not use a carbon steel knife for cutting acidic foods like citrus or tomatoes.
Cast iron
pots are good for quick breads, pancakes and for sautéing vegetables. Do not, however, use cast iron for soups, liquids or acid foods as these foods leach harsh-tasting iron from the pot. Although a soup cooked in cast iron becomes iron-enriched, this heavy metal is not bioavailable.
Silicone cookware.
If you use silicone cookware, purchase only 100% silicone that is FDA approved and safe up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit). This is critical as there are countless silicone formulas and some products, such as the popular bake sheets, are only silicone coated. But does an FDA approval mean that silicone cookware is non-reactive? Not according to a 2005 British study that determined while the overall the chemical migration from the silicon into foodstuffs was low, it does occur.
The advantages of silicone include heat resistance (below 428 degrees Fahrenheit), flexibility, the fact that it can go directly from the oven or microwave into the refrigerator or freezer and that it is generally easy to clean.
Borrowed from
http://www.vegkitchen.com/product-guide/healthy-cookware/
Where the article in full, links as well, is available.
sidevalve
Guru
Just a thought - what exactly are you going to use to heat this cookware ?
- Joined
- 11 Oct 2012
- Local time
- 3:14 AM
- Messages
- 18,440
- Location
- SE Australia
- Website
- www.satnavsaysstraighton.com
Bare in mind that they are in America, so any links to anything they can purchase or staying brands that might be useful need to be American sites, not UK sites and brands.
More for ideas on what can be got than anything else. Site it mentions is no longer available, as a seperate site.
The Natural Cook
Über Member
Thank you so much for your replies! You are a very knowledgeable bunch! 
Your suggestions have been very helpful.
Your suggestions have been very helpful.
So what type of pans do you use at the moment?Thank you so much for your replies! You are a very knowledgeable bunch!