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Ceramic and stainless steel cookware are both mainstays of the modern kitchen. Both of these are trendy additions to any home, and both of them are going to perform excellently for the majority of your cooking. But which is better for you?
The truth is that ceramic cookware and stainless cookware are both very different. Because they cook so differently, it can be very difficult to determine which is better for you.
Stainless Steel Cookware
Stainless steel cookware is made out of metal, with no interior layer of non-stick material. Often, stainless steel will be made with a high polish, which creates some form of non-stick surface even though it’s not technically non-stick. To provide a non-stick surface, stainless steel pans can be seasoned. However, they don’t generally season as well as something like cast iron.
A high quality set of stainless steel pans will last someone an exceptionally long time. At the same time, it can be difficult to learn how to use stainless steel cookware, as it’s more difficult to make sure that food doesn’t stick. If food does begin to stick to the surface, it will burn.
The right oils and butters need to be used to prevent food from sticking, and some foods (such as eggs) are notoriously difficult to cook in a stainless steel pan.
Once someone learns to use stainless steel, on the other hand, it can produce some fantastic results. Many of the thick-bottomed pans are excellent for retaining heat and distributing it, cooking foods slowly over time or producing remarkably even sears. Stainless pans can also be used in virtually any kitchen environment.
Is Stainless Steel Cookware Safe?
Stainless steel cookware is safe, because it is made out of a metal surface rather than a non-stick interior. Non-stick products are sometimes made with potentially harmful chemicals, which can be released at high temperatures.
However, that doesn’t main stainless steel cookware healthy. Stainless steel cookware may not be considered to be healthy because it does require the use of butters and oils to make sure that nothing sticks to the pan.
Related reading: Stainless Steel Vs Non-Stick Cookware: What Should I Get?
Ceramic Cookware
Ceramic cookware is made with an interior, non-stick ceramic surface. Unlike traditional non-stick pans, ceramic pans are not known to release potentially toxic chemicals when used at high heats.
Further, ceramic cookware has a harder surface, which is less likely to scrape or to chip. Ceramic cookware makes many methods of cooking much easier, because it doesn’t require butter or oil, and because food will naturally release from the pan.
Ceramic cookware is made with an interior, non-stick ceramic surface. Unlike traditional non-stick pans, ceramic pans are not known to release potentially toxic chemicals when used at high heats.
Further, ceramic cookware has a harder surface, which is less likely to scrape or to chip. Ceramic cookware makes many methods of cooking much easier, because it doesn’t require butter or oil, and because food will naturally release from the pan.
However, because it does have a ceramic interior, it cannot be used at very high heats. This makes it a less than ideal option for things like searing meat. Further, ceramic cookware may have its interior surface damaged by the use of metal utensils. If you’re going to use ceramic cookware, you need to use wooden or silicone utensils instead. If the ceramic interior is damaged, the pan or pot will usually need to be replaced.
Is Ceramic Cookware Safe?
Ceramic cookware is completely safe. And it’s also a healthy option, because you can cook without butter and oil. Unlike Teflon or other versions of non-stick material, ceramic does not have any chemicals that unbind themselves during the process of cooking. The product is glazed rather than coated, which locks in the non-stick material and prevents it from potentially contaminating food or air.
Advantages of Ceramic Cookware
Ultimately, the major advantage to ceramic cookware is that it’s a very easy product to use. With ceramic cookware, you don’t need to use any grease in order to prevent food from not sticking, and you will find that ceramic cookware is not only extremely easy to cook with, but also very easy to clean. Ceramic cookware is completely safe, provides an excellent cooking surface, and is affordable.
On the other hand, ceramic cookware cannot be used at overly high temperatures and it can be permanently damaged through the use of metal utensils and other hard implements. This means that while ceramic cookware can produce many of the results of stainless steel, it’s still not good for high heat cooking or the purposes of usability.
Stainless Steel vs. Ceramic Cookware: Which Is Best?
As with many questions related to cookware, a lot of this is going to come down to preference. While many well-stocked kitchens should have a few different cookware options, stainless steel is going to win out in the kitchens that take cooking seriously. Here’s why.
Ceramic pans cannot be used at high heats nor can they be used in the oven, which means there are types of cooking that ceramic cookware simply cannot do. Meanwhile, there are many things that are harder to do with stainless steel—such as create the right non-stick surface, or clean it after cooking—but there is nothing that cannot be done in stainless steel. Stainless steel can handle any type of cooking and will handle it with greater levels of durability.
Durability is also a key component in determining which type of cookware is best. Stainless steel pans can get scratched and battered but will still perform generally the same as they always did. Meanwhile, if a ceramic pot or pan becomes dented or scratched, its non-stick surface is going to chip away, and it will no longer have the benefits that it once did.
There’s a reason why most kitchens are going to use stainless steel pans: it’s because they’re a versatile cooking solution that can be used for virtually anything. At the same time, those who only do some light to moderate cooking, or those who are mostly concerned of ease-of-use and fast cleaning may lean towards ceramic cookware for those benefits.
If you have only a single set of pots and pans around, it should really be stainless steel. However, nothing is holding you back from having a complete set of stainless steel pots and pans as well as a non-stick ceramic pan or two. Having both options is usually ideal, and while you don’t want to lean too hard on ceramic pans, they’re still worth having around.
