Choosing the right kind of cookware brings out the best taste in your cooking. But to choose the most suitable cookware for your style of cooking can be a hassle.
These days, we have tons of options out on the market, which may leave customers overwhelmed. You may end up choosing the wrong kind (or even worse, you might make do with whatever you have in your home for years longer than you should!)
To make this choice easier for you, let’s dive into the world of cookware and explore the best options available. We’re going to explore ceramic cookware vs nonstick. Both are inherently different, having their own distinct pros and cons, but that doesn’t mean either one is better than the other.
It is important to note that both are crucial for respective recipes, so not choosing the right one for the right recipe may hurt your reputation as the best cook around.
With the most well-researched and reliable insights, let’s discuss each of these two options in detail.
Contents
Everything You Should Know About Non-stick Cookware
Non-stick has been the most popular cookware choice for all of us for the past decade or so. Heavily marketed and deemed as a revolutionary cookware, non-stick can be found in almost every kitchen, be it in the wild west or bustling east.
The major reason to choose non-stick is its surface, which does not require much oil or grease. This allows you to prepare your food with fewer total calories. It is an excellent choice for preparing delicate products such as lean meat cuts, cheese omelets, salmon (or any other tender fish, for that matter), and stir-fried vegetables.
Retaining their nutritional value while minimizing the fat content makes non-stick a popular choice for those who prioritize oil-free cooking every day. Another reason to prefer non-stick cookware is its easy-to-clean property. You don’t have to scrub it for long, and with just one wash, the grease comes out easily.
However, all of these advantages do not make it the absolute perfect product – it has some drawbacks as well.
Non-stick is coated with a special type of polymer, known as Teflon, which allows it to be grease-free and appropriate for fragile cooking. Despite being quite revolutionary, this material is known to be harmful for human health.
When this cookware is heated at high temperatures, Teflon particles get absorbed in the food and can consequently contaminate it.
Even FDA and EPA have warned the public against using non-stick cookware frequently. Plus, lower-grade Teflon tends to chip easily if any sharp object is used on it, leaving the cookware surface cracked. Not only does this make your cookware look ugly, but the metal exposure itself may also be harmful for your health.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Non-stick Cookware
Pros
- The most prominent advantage of non-stick cookware is its non-stick surface. You can cook your food with minimal amounts of fats, and your cookware does not require hard scrubbing afterwards.
- Certain food items can be made completely oil-free, making this cookware option the best choice for health-conscious individuals.
- The non-stick cookware allows you to cook your food more quickly with fewer turns and flips, since the heat within is spread evenly.
- Non-stick cookware is usually more modern and sleek in terms of its design, so it gives your kitchen a trendy look.
- The cleaning part requires diligence, but is never a hassle. Just a dab of liquid dishwash can clean all of the oil and residuals.
Cons
- While Teflon is a useful material, it can also have some harmful effects on your health. If you cook food at high temperatures for long time periods, your food is likely to get contaminated with polymer particles.
- There is another downside when you use non-stick cookware at high heat, which is the release of Teflon’s unpleasant toxic fumes. This kind of cookware is most suitable for cooking at low to moderate temperatures.
- Non-stick pots cannot be used to tenderize meat for long hours.
Non-stick cookware should not be heated before the ingredients are put in. Heating it empty can lead to an increased amount of contamination when food is added.
Cooking foods with an acidic nature can lead to erosion of the Teflon.
The surface can easily chip if metal spatulas or forks are used against the surface, making your precious non-stick cookware less effective and a bit uglier. Intensive scrubbing leads to erosion of the surface before you even know it.
The clearest disadvantage of non-stick is its low lifetime. With time, the Teflon can get de-layered. This is bad news for your health, as it will make its way into your food and then into your stomach as well.
Our Recommended Non-stick Cookware Set
T-fal Ultimate Hard Anodized Nonstick 17 Piece Cookware Set
- Set includes: 8, 10 and 11,5 inch fry pan, 11.5 inch lid, 10.25 inch square griddle, 1 quart saucepan with lid, 2 and 3 quart saucepan with lids, 3.5 quart deep sauté pan with lid, 5 quart dutch oven with lid, 3 quart steamer insert, and a 1 egg fry pan.
- Durable Construction: The hard anodized exterior and forged design is built to stand the test of time. Titanium Non-stick coating keeps food sliding smoothly, making cooking easier and cleanup a breeze.
- Thermo-Spot Technology: Unique heat indicator turns solid red when pans are properly preheated so you'll know exactly when to start cooking for perfect results every time.
- Premium Design: Riveted silicone handles provide a comfortable grip, while the vented tempered glass lids trap heat and moisture while maintaining visibility.
- Versatile Cooking Options: This set can withstand oven temperatures up to 400°F (lids up to 350°F) and is suitable for all stove tops, excluding induction, making it a versatile and reliable addition to your kitchen. Limited lifetime warranty.
Everything You Should Know About Ceramic Cookware
Ceramic cookware has been a relatively recent addition to the cookware market, serving as major competition to all its counterparts. Its popularity is soaring among kitchens around the world.
Using clay as the initial raw product, Ceramic Cookware is baked at a very high temperature, and then shaped in such a way that it gives off a very finessed look at completion.
What people love most about ceramic cookware is its fine surface. Your food glides easily on it with just a moderate amount of oil. Ceramic is highly durable, and can withstand higher temperatures than regular non-stick options. This means that you can cook your food for hours without worrying about contamination.
As far as chemicals or plastics are concerned, ceramic cookware dispels all worries, as it does not contain any synthetics. The surface neither cracks when heated, nor does it erode when scrubbed. However, as much as it appears to be a perfect choice, its surface shelf life reduces rapidly with frequent usage.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Ceramic Cookware
Pros
- Ceramic cookware purchased from reliable sources is 100% toxin-free, making it a healthy, environmentally-friendly, and safe choice for your cooking.
- Made from just clay and sand, and then treated at a very high temperature makes it a solid and non-breakable option.
- Ceramic cookware is the most appropriate for heat-intensive cooking. Whether it is beef or veal, overnight stew or deep-fried confectionary, this cookware is a one-stop solution for all your cooking needs.
- If you are a cleanliness freak and like your pots well-scrubbed, ceramic is the option for you. Ceramic guarantees you that its surface will not come off by any kind of brush or stain remover.
- Ceramic cookware always gives off an attractive, glossy shine that regular run-of-the-mill cookware lacks.
Cons
- The ceramic surface can lose its non-stick properties after frequent heating and usage. After that, although it can still be used for cooking purposes, it may leave you a sticky layer at the bottom to clean after use.
- Ceramic cookware should always be hand-washed, because once it loses its non-stick properties, it becomes difficult to handle.
- Ceramic cookware may not be the most environmentally-friendly option out there. Yes, it doesn’t contain any polymers, but the extremely high temperature at which it’s made ultimately releases gases into the atmosphere.
- Once the shelf life of ceramic surfaces is over, it becomes quite difficult to work with. The only standing solution then is to buy a new one.
- Metal spatulas and forks may leave your ceramic cookware scratched with visible lines and color differences.
- If you are using a cheaper version, then the heat may not spread evenly.
- There’s a possibility of lead and other binding chemicals being present in your ceramic cookware if you buy it from unreliable sources.
Our Recommended Ceramic Cookware Set
Vremi Ceramic Nonstick Cookware Set
- This 8 piece ceramic cookware set includes 2 dutch oven pots, 1 casserole pot with lids and 2 angled frying pan skillets for an omelette or crepe, and can go directly from stovetop to table as serverware
- This pot and pan set is made of a durable and non-toxic die-cast aluminum body with a nonstick ceramic coated surface that heats quickly and evenly and releases food easily with no scraping
- Features bakelite ergonomic wood tone handles for easy tossing and turning and lids that have small gap between lid and body for mess free steam release and cooking
- Each piece has an induction-compatible spiral bottom to work on gas, electric or halogen stove top (Important: For induction, burner diameter should not exceed pan or pot diameter base. Not oven safe)
- Premium pots and pans set comes in modern green, blue or yellow color with white accents to brighten your home or apartment kitchen. Clean the cookware set in the dishwasher or hand wash with soap and always keep the cookware dry after cleaning. Discoloration may occur on the bottom of the pans after long term use or repeat washing.
Concluding Thoughts
The tough choice to make ceramic cookware vs nonstick ultimately depends on your needs and the kinds of foods you prepare most frequently.
Non-stick is a great option for preparing those breakfast omelets and making nutritious fillets for your lunch.
Ceramic is undoubtedly excellent for preparing your stews, rice, tough meat, and deep-fried items.
Both offer a range of advantages and disadvantages, but with proper care and careful usage, you can extend their benefits and reap a larger shelf lifespan out of your cookware purchase. Whichever option you go for, try to invest in a good-quality item that lasts for years with proper care.
