Pros and Cons of Clay Cookware

If you are an enthusiastic cooker and an equally enthusiastic environmentalist, then you probably already know all about pure clay cookware and all the praise it’s gotten over the last years. So much so actually that is hard to believe there can be any cons to using pots and pans that virtually guarantee a healthy meal every time.

Pros of pure clay pots

Well, let’s start with the healthy eating aspect. Pure clay is inert, which means it won’t react with your food. Even if that wasn’t the case, clay is filled with nutrients like magnesium and calcium, as opposed to toxins and chemicals like metal cookware. None of that will ever leach into your food of you use clay pots. They’re also unglazed, the pure clay ones, which is another health benefit. Additionally, the lid of the pot is not letting the steam evaporate, thus losing all essential vitamins and nutrients from the food you’re cooking. Instead, all steam is sent back into the food, making it not only a lot more delicious, but richer in nutrients.

Apart from the fact that clay cooking is healthier for us, it’s also healthier for the environment. First, the clay is not mined, so the land is not stripped or damaged in any way, Secondly, manufacturing clay pots boils down to hard working potters throwing them on the wheel, so not much energy or resources are wasted in the process. Last, but not least, they can last you a lifetime, but even if they don’t, they’re 100% biodegradable.

Cooking in clay also involves using little to no fat or oil. The vessels are non-stick because of all the steam being kept inside and the food releasing its own, natural juices. It works great for vegans, but anyone should enjoy food without any fats and oils.

Now, as far as convenience goes, clay cookware is quite versatile. This means you can use the same pot to make tons of dishes, whether they are cooked in the oven or on stove-top. You can bake, grill, fry, braise, whatever you want with the same clay pot.

Pros of clay pots

So, is something wrong with them? Well, barely. The only disadvantage, if you may call it so, of clay cookware is that it can get a little pricey. If you’re going for the 100 % pure clay, unglazed, real thing, which you definitely should, then you can expect to pay a substantial price. The good news is, and counteracts the disadvantage, that you’ll get your money’s worth. You can use these pots for decades provided of course that you take care of them properly. They’re truly the best cookware on the market!

Source by Sharon Ray