I’m sure you’ll agree that our health and wellbeing are greatly impacted by the quality of food we eat, how we cook it, and very importantly the tools we use when cooking.
As much as it is always recommended to eat organic foods which is a habit that a lot of people adopt today, the nutritional value of such foods can easily be ruined if that food is not cooked with care. One of the most common ways through which this happens is from the pots and pans we select to use.
Fortunately, over the years, cookware manufacturers have devised a lot of different ways to utilize the conductive properties of materials such as copper and aluminum. At the same time, they have been able to overcome their reactive qualities with acidic foods which bring us to today’s main agenda. In this post, we’ll cover some of the best materials to use with acidic foods.
What are acidic food items?
Acidic food items, as the name suggests are food items with a relatively high acidity level. We measure this through the pH level found in the food item.
Tomatoes, for instance, with a pH of between 4.3 and 4.9 is considered acidic. High animal protein foods are also considered acidic though the research backing this up is limited. Additionally, some dairy products are also considered acidic.
Considering you may, at one point need to use your cookware with some of the foods above and many others that are high in acidity, you must get cookware that’s non-reactive with them.
The best materials to use with acidic food items
To be on the safe side, here are some materials which have proven to be non-reactive with acidic foods.
Anodized aluminium
The first material I’d recommend is also the most common one in the manufacture of cookware. Aluminum is preferred for use due to its lightweight nature and also because it’s really good when it comes to conducting heat.
In addition to this, aluminum is also one of the most abundant metals on earth, and foregoing such a resource would make the production of cookware expensive.
The disadvantage of using plain old aluminum in making cookware is that it is highly reactive with acidic foods such as tomatoes. When aluminum is ingested, it may result in Alzheimer’s disease. Because of this, experts worked on a solution called Anodization.
Anodization means that aluminum, through the process of electrolysis has a controlled level of natural oxidation. It normally entails the immersion of the aluminum in a chemical bath after which an electric current is applied to it. As a result, an oxide is produced from the resulting rush on the aluminum and it’s because of this oxide that the aluminum is hardened and made resistant to corrosion from acids.
Even better, you can go for aluminum that has undergone hard anodization. This is slightly different whereby a higher voltage current is used at a lower temperature which in turn results in more durable and harder cookware.
Non-stick cookware
Whereas stainless steel is proven to be safe in manufacturing most cookware, you may have to use non-stick pans and pots in some cases. After all, they are easy to maintain, right?
The thing, however, is that not any non-stick pan is viable for use in your kitchen. The reason for this is that until 2014, PFOA was used in making such cookware. What happens when such cookware is subjected to high temperatures is that they produce PFOA which is a known carcinogen – potentially cancer causing.
To get the same cooking experience and not be exposed to health hazards, you’d be better off using ceramic coated, stone-coated, titanium-reinforced, or diamond coated cookware.
Here are some advantages of using healthy non-stick equipment.
- They are amazingly easy to clean
- You get the health benefit of low-fat and oil-free cooking
- They remain safe since even under high heat, they don’t release any toxins into your food
Pyrex cookware
Many people like to watch their food cook and as much as you may have a glass lid, it may just not be enough. The main disadvantage of using glass for cooking is that it easily breaks. This happens when the glass is weak and is subjected to rapid temperature changes. Also, like all glassware, they shatter upon high impact.
Regardless of the disadvantages, they are the preferred choice of most especially on stoves with a glass top.
When it comes to cooking, not just any glass would do. You’ll need to use Pyrex cookware. as compared to other kinds of glass, Pyrex is borosilicate that is different from other types of glass since it has a high resistance to chemical exposure. Because of this, you don’t have to worry about corrosion when used with acidic foods since it has over 80% silica.
Additionally, Pyrex also has a high resistance to thermal expansion and thermal shock – as it has a lower level of expansion and contraction – due to temperature changes.
Corning ware
In the past, corning ware was mainly based on ceramic-based products but over the years, they have migrated to being exclusively made of stoneware. Because of this, you get aesthetic advantages plus they are easier to clean.
The most important thing when it comes to Corning ware is that they are highly resistant to corrosion by acidic foods. Because of this, they are preferred when preparing foods or when you need to store acidic foods in the refrigerator.
Besides their non-reactive nature, Corning ware is known to retain heat well, so it can be used on electric, ceramic, and gas stovetops. In addition to this, they won’t absorb smells, stain, or discolor regardless of what you’re cooking, and the level of decorations is limited by the manufacturer’s imagination.
Final Verdict
To wrap things up, the importance of getting cookware that’s resistant to corrosion should come as a priority since doing otherwise could expose you to a lot of health hazards. As such, depending on what you’re cooking, be sure to invest in any one or a number of cookware recommended above.
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