Non-Toxic Cookware | Why Make the Swap?

I am ashamed to admit that I have been through more cookware in my short adult life than one should. I really should have listened to the advice of my Gram and just get something nice that would last. Hindsight, y'all. Here are my thoughts.

Fast-forward to my late 30s (I don't believe it, though; I am only, what, 22?), and I started searching again. However, my whys are different.

• How will this affect the long-term health of my family?

• Is it worth the social media and marketing hype around it?

• How long is it going to last?

With those priorities in mind, I began sifting through endless Black Friday promotions, YouTube reviews, personal testimonies (thank you friends who shared theirs!), and website FAQ/support pages. Needless to say, by the end of this, your girl was going cross-eyed trying to keep everything straight.

I was able to narrow it down to:

• Green Pan

• Hexclad

• Caraway

• All-Clad

There were a few honorable mentions:

• Our Place

• Cuisinart

• KitchenAid

With my short list in hand and as any Type - A person will do, I began making a list of pros and cons for each based on my own research.

Green Pan - Ceramic Non-Toxic Cookware

Green Pan was one of the original non-sticks. Do y'all remember those commercials? Sheesh. But, after digging into some YouTube reviews and additional user reviews, here's what I found.

Pros:

• Non-toxic cookware

• Stanely Tucci has a collection (I do love him.)

• Several different types of collections

• Colors to match styles/decor

• Smaller sets were cost-effective

• Wholesale partner availability (ie: Costco, Sam's Club, etc)

Cons:

• Reviews shared that they did not last long (I am talking sub two years), and for the price point of a pretty full collection, I was not replacing them that quickly.

• Staining, staining, staining. It's great that they are aesthetically pleasing but it comes with a cost.

• Several different types of collections (it was Pro, too, I know) made it hard to narrow down what to even begin looking for.

Hexclad - Hybrid Non-Toxic Cookware

I have been seeing these ALL over social media from influencers. But, was it worth the hype? I just hope Gordon doesn't yell at me at for this.

Pros:

• Lifetime warranty

• Great marketing

• Awesome Black Friday discount/promotion

• Gordon Ramsey

• Wholesale partner availability (ie: Costco, Sam's Club, etc)

Cons:

• Claims to be non-toxic. Their site says that they are non-toxic but being the detective that I am, I discovered that they still contain "forever chemicals".

• Without a promotion, the sets tip over the $1k mark.

• Consumers are finding that these products are also a sub-two year life span with the lattice coating beginning to chip.

Caraway - Ceramic Non-Toxic Cookware

There's been so much chatter around this product. Let's see if I was really Caraway-ed with this product.

Pros:

• Varying bundles to fit needs and budget

• Deep color/metal combinations to fit with your style and decor

• Bakeware to coordinate with your cookware

• Offers accessories to coordinate

• Wholesale partner availability (ie: Costco, Sam's Club, etc)

Cons:

• Limited warranty

• Ceramic coating does stain and show wear (just like Green Pan)

• Full set was on the higher end of the pricepoint

• Limited lifetime use (sub two years)

All-Clad - Stainless Steel Non-Toxic Cookware

Stainless has been a tried and true staple in professional kitchens and in Canonsburg, PA (I know, I am biased). But, does it work for me?

Pros:

• Varying bundles to fit needs and budget

• Made in the USA

• Offers accessories to coordinate

• Wholesale partner availability (ie: Costco, Sam's Club, etc)

• Lifetime warranty

Cons:

• Steep learning curve if you're new to stainless

• Most expensive of all the sets/brands that I was looking at

• Varying reviews on the different lines of stainless offered

With all this (very TL; DRed list) information, what's a girl to do, especially one who has a hard time deciding on what to have for dinner?

The winner: All-Clad Stainless

Why?

Stainless is the safest bet if you are looking to remove all "forever chemicals" from your cookware. Despite the learning curve (I have been watching YouTube videos), this was the best choice for my family. I was able to leverage my Costco membership and score a 12-piece set for under $580 and that includes taxes. Costco currently has a Black Friday promotion running that helped bring the price down.

In short, take the time to learn about the brands you are supporting, how you cook, how often, and what your budget is.

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Blog header image via All-Clad and can be found here.