Better Bakeware

Take a peek inside your kitchen cabinets and you might be surprised to find that you have some toxic bakeware in there. Perhaps you aren’t surprised, maybe you know you should replace that non-stick cookie sheet but you just have no clue as to what you should replace it with.  Thankfully, we will be covering both of these topics. Why we should replace our bakeware and what to replace it with!

Ask anyone what they use for bakeware and most will answer that they use non-stick. Unfortunately non-stick bakeware is not all that great. Sure it might keep your food from sticking but those same chemicals that save your arms a bit of scrubbing also leach toxins into your food and home. Most are made out of aluminum and then coated in Teflon. These two things alone are linked with birth defects, cancer, and developmental disorders. So there is your “why”. We shouldn’t use non-stick bakeware because the chemicals and materials in them are toxic to use and it's preferred to limit our exposure as much as possible.

What to replace it with? There are actually a few options.

 

Glass

The wonderful thing about glass is that it obviously contains no yucky stuff. Also depending on the type of glass you chose, it can also double as food storage. Many glass storage options such as Pyrex and Anchor Hocking can be used not only in the oven but in the fridge and freezer as well. This is especially handy for that leftover lasagna; you can cook it in the glass and once it’s cool you just pop on a lid and store it in the fridge.

 

Stainless Steel

This is what most closely resembles non-stick bakeware. It’s essentially the same except that it’s made out of stainless steel and of course, it’s not coated in Teflon. Stainless Steel is also a bit more durable than aluminum bakeware. Great stainless steel brands: Norpro and American Kitchen.

Ceramic/Stoneware

First off, as far as I can tell ceramic is always stoneware that has been coated with ceramic. Ceramic bakeware is smooth to the touch and you can use soap on it. Stoneware is the cast iron of the bakeware world. There is no need to spray or grease stoneware. Much like cast iron, you do not wash unglazed stoneware (as opposed to ceramic) with soap. Simply scrub with water until if feels smooth. Both stoneware and ceramic can be used in the oven, fridge, and freezer. Most ceramic bakeware come with either glass or plastic lids so it also makes a good food storage solution. One thing to note with ceramic bakeware is that you want to choose ceramic that uses a glaze that is not lead based. Also stoneware has come a long way from just pizza stones, there are now stoneware muffin pans, loaf pans, pie pans and so on. My favorite stoneware is Pampered Chef.

Cast Iron

Many of us are familiar with cast iron cookware but most have never even heard of cast iron bakeware. Just like that cast iron pan that grandma use to use, cast iron bakeware is built to last. This stuff will last forever. As like stoneware, you do not wash with soap but simply hot water. Lodge seems to be almost the only brand who makes cast iron bakeware.

Silicone

Silicone is the new bakeware. It’s pretty much sand that is transformed into this rubber like material which is non-stick. Currently it is considered safe although I personally refuse to use it for bakeware. If I can cook something and it has a strange smell to it (the product not the food) then I don’t think it’s all that safe. However, as I said so far it is considered to be safe. Only time will tell if it truly is.

I know it can be daunting trying to find safe alternatives to our kitchen tools. Hopefully this post has helped explain the safer options.