I haven't used any of those since I was little...what advantages do they offer over, say, stainless steel?

Thank you for the support!  I can see the web statistics, but it's always good to hear directly from my readers.

JS

There are other options for those who don't like either...Real Pyrex CorningWare and Pyrex Visions are ceramic and glass that is safe for oven, microwave, and stovetop...in fact the Pyrex Visions glass that I have is resistant enough to heat shock that it can go from freezer to oven (or at least was advertised as such back in the day!)

Digging this site, by the way!

I love my cast iron too -- but no matter what its partisans claim, eggs simply won't slide off the way they do with a good non-stick pan.  Personally, I'm a lot more concerned about what's cooking in the pan...though I'm open to being proven wrong.

JS

Another benefit (or so I have heard) of cast iron is that thye provide an extra source of iron in the diet. Not so important in the grass fed red meat paleo world but still a plus, especially for menstrating women.

PFOA is indeed a suspicious chemical (and we will hopefully learn a lot more about it this year), but Teflon pans are a trivial source of it in our environment -- and probably aren't an important source in our bodies AFAIK.  See this table of typical PFOA content, which shows that butcher paper (and food contact paper of all kinds, including microwave popcorn bags) can contain thousands of times more PFOA than Teflon.  

Also note that the main sources in our environment are "stain repellent" carpet and upholstery treatments, sealants for stone, tile, and wood, food contact paper...and there's a lot more PFOA in dental floss than there is in Teflon cookware!

In support of this, wastewater treatment plants emit more PFOA than they take in, because it's a breakdown product of all these carpet and fabric treatments.  (There's no PFOA in Teflon: it's a chemical used in manufacturing.)

My opinion: be very careful not to burn your Teflon pans, and don't use any that are losing their "shine" or flaking, whether from overheating or long use.  However, as of now, I'm much more concerned about the carpeting and furniture in my house and workplace, and about the use of "wax paper" and dental floss.

That being said, I use cast iron for bacon and for searing meat, because a 12" Lodge skillet costs only $20 and can withstand high temperatures without risk of damage.  The Calphalon comes out when I need to fry eggs or veggies.  And I see no need for Teflon saucepans, deep-fryers, or anything else.

JS

Quick question: Any thoughts on Chris Kresser's cookware post?

I love my anodized aluminum pan (per your recommendation!) and am loathe to toss it. Any thoughts on the absolute risk of my pan? Any thoughts on alternatives?

(FYI: I have cast iron and treat it well, but it doesn't compared to my anodized skillet in non-stick-iness and low-maintenance-iness. Also, I have family members (who I hope aren't reading this post!) who aren't diligent about pan care when it comes to my cast iron.)

Thanks!
@

You're right about the limitations.  Ceramic knives are great for cutting…but you can't use them for boning, or for anything where the blade might hit something hard.  And yes, real ghee is delicious!

Tracy:

The "green" non-stick pans I've seen get terrible reviews because the non-stick doesn't like to stay on the pan…do you mean the Ozeri version?  Because it seems to be the best of the lot — and even there, a meaningful number of the reviews say that the coating either stopped working or flaked off relatively quickly.

Ozeri seems to be replacing the unhappy customers' pans, but I'm still skeptical.  Plus Calphalon just replaced my 12" skillet, and it has a lifetime warranty.  Now that I have a cast iron skillet I use that to cook bacon and sear hamburgers (I also use it with a rack for prime rib).  Anything with eggs goes in the Calphalon.

I've seen the muffin tin trick done with spaghetti sauce and chili, too.  I eat way too much, though, (these days I'd go through an entire 12-pack of frozen chili "muffins", so I use the Takealongs.

JS

I would say another item that is essential for the kitchen is a ramekin (well, ramekins) - great for holding herbs, spices, veggies etc that you've cut up during prep, great for serving small side dishes, great for lots fo things... and you can get 'em at a dollar store.

Another - a silicone muffin pan. Why? For freezing 'pucks' of bone broth. Pour 1/4 - 1/2 cup of broth in each muffin cup, stick in freezer, then pop out the pucks when frozen and store in a big ziploc in the freezer (they'll peel right out of the cup). Super easy to grab a puck or two when you need them and chuck them in a pot. They are also great for freezing single servings of, say, chicken liver mousse.

Yes, the research Scotlyn linked to looks pretty convincing.  I'll probably revise my recommendations.

Maggie:

Slow cookers are great...and if you replace the plastic knob on the cover with a ceramic one, you can even take out the inner pot and put it in the oven for better temperature control.  I do this a lot.

JS