Did you just come across an article regarding the biosafety of kitchen utensils? Or are you about to move into a new home? Does buying the correct pans for your kitchen seem like a headache to you? Well, we’ve got you covered. There’s now a wide variety of products available in the market.
It doesn’t entirely depend on the safety of the utensils. Once you buy a pan, make sure you know the correct technique to clean it. Can you cook everything in that pan? Will your pan destroy at high flame? You will get the answer who is better in ceramic vs cast iron debate.
Ceramic vs Cast Iron
Ceramic
Ceramic pots are the new popular thing when it comes to the world of cooking. These utensils are environment friendly, easier to clean, and an excellent alternative to non-stick pans. The ceramic coating is just clay and earth minerals. Most ceramic users have enough reason to avoid using other utensils. Especially the nonstick category which is coated with heavy metals. Most of these metals absorb in the meals we cook.
Ceramic pans are easier to clean. You don’t have to stress over what soap to use or what temperature the water should be. These pans are scratch-resistant and easier to wash. Make sure to soak your pans in water, if you find yourself struggling with nasty post-cooking-stuck-on-food. Any dish soap and a little baking soda would do the job for you.
Cast iron pans react with certain foods. If you add acidic ingredients like lemon or vinegar they tend to burn quickly. Similarly, cooking with Butter can turn into a nightmare with Cast Iron pans. But with Ceramic Pans, cooking becomes easier.
These pans are more ingredient-friendly and don’t brown too quickly. Similarly, cooking with butter can turn into a nightmare with cast iron pans.
However, ceramic utensils can’t hold heat for longer durations. They are not built for heavy cooking. Anything that involves cooking for more than 3 hours on the stove is not for ceramic pans. Unlike cast iron pans, which are unable to provide even heating, ceramic pans do a wonderful job. Ceramic pans release Infrared rays, which makes even heating possible. Once the pan is heated evenly, it leads to better cooking.
Unlike cast iron pans, ceramic utensils need a little bit of extra care. They might not be chemically infecting your meals but they destroy pretty quickly. Once you’re done cooking, avoid placing your utensils under cold water. And remember, not to cook on high flame.
Cast Iron
If you’ve inherited all your kitchen utensils from your grandmother, chances are you are familiar with cast irons. These smooth surface pans were the thing back in the 90s. Even now, a lot of people prefer using cast iron pans. We’ll go over a few reasons why users still prefer these. Before we jump into the health hazards that come with Cast Iron pans.
People believe cast iron utensils are indestructible. There is a chance your mom might be having one from her mother’s time. They somewhat appear solid and slight kitchen trauma does not affect them. Unlike ceramic utensils that get damaged pretty quickly.
Cast iron utensils tend to hold heat for longer durations. The pans stay hot for as long as you’d want them to be. This makes them ideal for cooking steaks and other hard meat. However, these Pans can’t provide even heating.
Cast iron pans aren’t as safe as most sellers would like us to believe. Even slight scratches to the Pan while cleaning it can damage it. The damage leads to breaking off the seal of protection. Once someone breaks them, there’s a risk that you might be ingesting some metal with all of your meals. Wouldn’t that be super unhealthy?
However, given the ambiguity that comes with the safety of cast iron utensils. There are a few things you can do to maintain the utensils in good health. First, is the concept of “seasoning utensils”, the more you cook in these pans, the more protection they get. The oil and fat make a layer that makes cooking easier. The ‘seasoning protection’ prevents any metal from being a part of your meal. Unlike ceramic utensils, you have to be very careful how you wash these cast iron pots and pans. While cleaning avoids aggressive scrubbing and hot water.