amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

Thmom · 03-13-2005, 10:15 PM

so my aluminum post prompted me to think more about my cookware... I have some stone ware but would like to get some enamleware and I'd also like to get more ceramic dishes to eat off of...

anyway my point is that I'll likely be buying this used so is there markings or things I need to look for when buying used ceramics and enamelware?

MotherMoon · 03-14-2005, 11:03 AM

I have read you have to be careful with enamelware because of lead content. I think the same may be an issue for ceramics as well. Something about the glazes. But, I do not know anything further. I use all stainless and cast iron. I am slowly switching my bakeware to silicone.

Thmom · 03-15-2005, 01:36 PM

yeah I had heard the same thing about lead and was wondering if there were markings or something I could look for lol buying new will take me a lot longer.

arasmama · 03-15-2005, 01:44 PM

I just found this about lead in enamelware:
"Enamel-coated iron and steel is colorful, stain and scratch resistant and does not pick up food odors. It does not contain lead, except in some glazes for slow-cooking pots (crock-pots). However, the amount of lead leached into food from these pots does not exceed FDA standards. In the 1970s excessive levels of potentially toxic cadmium was found in pigments used to color the interior of enamel cookware manufactured overseas. The FDA prohibited the importing of these products at that time. However, manufacturers have discontinued the use of pigments with cadmium, so that the enamelware now marketed is cadmium free."

All enameled cast iron I have found is white on the inside. Look for "Le Creuset" or "Made in Belguim" on them. Le Creuset is made in France. The one that is made in belguim has another name also, but it is printed so small it wear off fast, so the made in belguim is easier to read. When I am doing a goodwill sweep, I just look for bright colors. Much of the older enamaled cast iron is orange on the outside of the pots. Very easy to spot. New Le Creuset comes in different colors, but most are quite bright - blue, green, red. Look for wooden handles too, a lot come with wooden handles.

I wouldn't buy anything that says "made in china". I found another article that said they were using very high cadmium and some made it into the country before the FDA stopped it.

You can tell enameled cast iron because it is HEAVY. Even the tiny pot I bought at goodwill weighed a ton.

Thmom · 03-15-2005, 02:44 PM

thank you Allison! I need the simple, spelled-out steps!! Thanks!!

MotherMoon · 03-15-2005, 02:53 PM

What would the advantage be of enameled cast iron over basic cast iron?

Thmom · 03-15-2005, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MotherMoon

What would the advantage be of enameled cast iron over basic cast iron?

you can boil in it.

arasmama · 03-15-2005, 11:44 PM

and it doesn't stick. I would rate it about like teflon in the sticking department.

Amethyst · 03-16-2005, 01:33 AM

Isn't one of the benefits of cast iron cooking the iron that gets leached from the pot? That won't happen with enamel, right?

MotherMoon · 03-16-2005, 11:22 AM

I don't have much stick in cast iron unless DH gets a hold of it. I cook in it all the time with no trouble then he gets a hold of one and all but ruins it. Ugh! Anyway, I boil in stainless.

crazyestonian · 03-16-2005, 01:12 PM

Ignorance on my side:

why shouldn´t you boil in cast iron?

I have used my cast iron pot for making stews and soups and it is not enameled, it is one of those ancient camping type pots, huge and heavy.

--anu

Thmom · 03-28-2005, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyestonian

Ignorance on my side:

why shouldn´t you boil in cast iron?

I have used my cast iron pot for making stews and soups and it is not enameled, it is one of those ancient camping type pots, huge and heavy.

--anu

The few times I've tried to boil in cast iron it has ruined the seasoning and added oil to the water/sauce this might not be such an issue for thick sauces (like I always made spagheti sauce in cast iron) but trying to boil water for noodles didn't work well

apbooklady · 03-28-2005, 02:15 PM

I don't use cast iron for this very reason- I don't believe that our bodies are designed to utilize metals in rock form. I believe that we need to eat veggies which have "digested" the mineral. I personally use stainless steel with a copper core so there is no chance of aluminum in my food. I love my cuisinart set

Kerrilynn62000 · 03-29-2005, 12:20 AM

I love my stainless steel pots & pans...Paderno. They are made on Prince Edward Island, Canada. We bought a wok to add to the collection of Paderno when we were in PEI a couple of years ago. I love them too because I can use them on the griddle on my woodstove...my other set of stainless steel ones wouldn't get hot enough or hold the heat. The Paderno are similar to Logastina. I bought a Logastina pressure cooker (before they were available in Canada) at a garage sale from a woman who brought it with her from Europe. It is stainless steel too.

We were able to use the Paderno on our woodstove during the ice storm of 1998 and again when we've lost hydro due to storms.

We also sometimes use the cast iron we own.

We got rid of all the "teflon" type coated ones many years ago and I had always avoided aluminum. My mom had an expensive enamal on steel & I never liked them. They were so heavy & would get chipped and the bottoms always ended up getting marked up.

Did I say I "love" my Paderno pots yet?

chicaflora · 03-29-2005, 09:28 PM

PEI, and I was there and didn't even know! :-(

I have a Le Creuset factory store two minutes from my house

And my mom just spent $250 on me there... I got four pans and some little utensils. I got the "flame" color (orange and red) and absolutely love it.

For those that use this, how can I cook fried (for lack of a better term) eggs in this without it sticking? (non scrambled, like sunny side up?) I tried for the first time this morning and it stuck badly.

Smiles,
Christy