Recently, ceramic cookware has become one of the most popular types of green cookware on the market due to home cooks wanting a safe alternative to non stick cookware made without PFOA, yet it is actually the oldest known type of cookware that pre-dates modern human society, that offers the benefits of non-stick cookware without the dangers of PFOA (perfluorinated carboxylic acid), a potentially toxic synthetic non stick coating for cookware. There are two types of ceramic cookware on the market that potential buyers of this popular green cookware need to be aware of, 100% ceramic cookware and ceramic coated cookware.
So this begs the question: Ceramic Cookware Or Ceramic Coated Cookware: which is best?
Manufacturers and sellers of ceramic coated cookware, market this product as ceramic cookware, which offers the benefits of non-stick cookware without the dangers of PFOA (perfluorinated carboxylic acid), a potentially toxic synthetic non stick coating for cookware, but is it really 1oo% ceramic.
Since there is no industry standard for labeling 100% ceramic cookware and the cheaper ceramic coated cookware, this can potentially lead to confusion for buyers of this green cookware. Why would someone buy a 100% ceramic cookware set for $300, when they can buy a ceramic coated cookware set for about a third of the price?
The main problem that arises from a lack of industry standard for ceramic cookware vs ceramic coated cookware is confusion for the buyer. Some manufacturers will market ceramic coated cookware as “ceramic cookware”, which can cause confusion to buyers. Why would some buy a 100% ceramic cookware set for $300, when they can buy a ceramic coated cookware set, also marketed as ceramic cookware for half the price? It’s kind of like buying gold plated jewelry rather than solid gold jewelry. It looks good when you buy it, but since it is a thin gold plating over another metal and not 100% gold, it won’t last as long. Well, the same is true for ceramic coated cookware. It is basically a cheap alternative.
Also, there is some concern that when overheated, the base aluminum metal can leach through the ceramic coating and into your food, which can lead to potential health problems.
With lack of labeling standards for ceramic vs ceramic coated aluminum cookware, this forces buyers to take some time to educate themselves on the differences between these two types of cookware before plunking your hard earned money down on a new set of green cookware.
100% ceramic cookware is non reactive and made from clay and water and lasts for years, while ceramic coated cookware is basically aluminum cookware that is dipped in a synthetic ceramic material, and manufacturers are able to market this low-cost version as affordable ceramic cookware.
You can learn about Xtrema Cookware from Ceramcor here. Ceramcor was founded by Rich Bergstrom, a former executive of Corning Glass Works, the maker of Pyrex, and is the first company to make affordable ceramic cookware for home cooks, who want healthy green PFOA-free non stick cookware.
Sources:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-05-23/features/sc-food-0518-new-nonstick-20120523_1_nonstick-cookware-cookware-manufacturers-association-pans
http://cookware.mercola.com/
http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/13473/pans-with-ceramic-coating-useful
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