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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Cancerous Pots and Pans

Have you read those reports about Teflon and Non-Stick Cookware being dangerous and possibly causing cancer? We've been worried about that for some time since we have Circulon Cookware. Curtis got rid of one of our pans long ago...and I just put our other pots and pans up on Craigs List. (Not that I'm trying to give someone else cancer...but other people don't seem to be as concerned as we are.)

Anyway...I found this news story this morning... it makes me even more glad to get rid of our cookware.

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=1289732n


Anyone have any good non-cancer causing cookware they could recommend?

10 comments:

woosterweester said...

Yeah, we got rid of our old stuff a year ago too. We figured we might as well make the healthiest choices we could. We were able to turn in our frequent flyer miles and get stainless steel pots and pans. They're not as easy to clean...especially scrambled eggs, but they were recommended to us as a good, non-toxic choice. We've also been "experimenting" going without a microwave for a year...and no we're not alarmists either but we try to do what we can.:) We figure we can't eliminate toxins completely, but we can reduce them--at least in our home.:) Good luck!

Kristi said...

Which brand did you end up getting?

And I think the microwave is next on our list. It was broken for a couple of weeks and I realized that I COULD live without it...yeah, I think that is cause for concern as well.

VikingMom said...

My non-stick pans died years ago. Over time I've replaced them with Calphalon's anodized aluminum pans. (Not the non-stick type.) They're pretty hardy and work well. I also use cast iron pans. Not only are they easy to clean, they are also a source of iron everytime you use them. When they're seasoned well they're awesome for eggs. My griddle works just as well for eggs as a non-stick does.

Good luck with all the changes!

P.S. I rarely use our microwave for anything. I'm not concerned about health issues with it...I just don't use it very often--usually just for defrosting.

VikingMom said...

Also, about the anodized aluminmum...people have been concerned about cooking with aluminum in the past. Anodizing tames it somehow and makes it all happy. (I can't think of the right terms right now..."Happy" will have to do!)

Lyn said...

I'm confused - especially since I have the same cookware you have! How did you know Circulon has the cancer causing chemicals? It is anodized aluminum, as is Calphalon, or at least, so I thought. I thought they were the same thing - only Calphalon is like the top of the line.

We went through the scare with aluminum cookware about 20 years ago, so I got rid of aluminum and went to stainless steel. Used it for about 15 years, then I got my Circulon which I love! Now I need to get rid of it??

VikingMom said...

It's the teflon covering on the anodized aluminum. The calphalon I have doesn't have the teflon coating. When teflon gets hot it emits dangerous fumes and other lovely things.

Joy.

Sarah B. said...

I'm just going to go out and get some hot stones.....that has to be safe, right?..lol. And all those big words you guys are sharing are just confusing, I have NO IDEA what kinds of pots and pans I have. Augh!

Heidi said...

Oh Sarah, I'm with you... I think the hot stones would work well. :)

The pans we have are cheap ones from Target. I'm thinking that those are probably not the best choice....

Thanks for the education Kristi - now I know to be careful of non-stick stuff!

Kristi said...

I'm not trying to freak everyone out, but I do think it is a point of concern. It makes sense though...I mean, there are chemicals coating the pans, and with heat those chemicals can start to leak into our food.
From what I understand, the real problems start to happen if a pan is left on the burner too long without anything in it, or if it burns...those high temperatures cause the most damage.

And with regards to microwaves...if we're not supposed to STAND next to microwaves, why would it be safe to eat food that was in a microwave. Don't get me wrong...I still use one...but it is something to think about. It is radiation after all.

woosterweester said...

Oh, we got the Emeril cookware set. It was the only one offered by our credit card mileage program.:) So, who knows if it's that fantastic or not. Gets the job done, I guess.:) OH, and we have our kids sleep in plastic bubbles...is that weird?:)