Green Cookware

As you may already know, there is a lot of fuss regarding Teflon cookware and talk of it being pulled off the market.  Dupot is being forced to take PFOA (a chemical used to make teflon) off the market by 2015. Companies will be forced to use safer alternatives.

"Non-stick coatings can contain residues of PFOA (perfluorooctanoate), a chemical used to make Teflon and a breakdown product of stain- and grease-proof coatings on carpet, clothing and food packaging. PFOA is found in the bodies of nearly all Americans. It is a likely human carcinogen; it also has a variety of metabolic developmental, reproductive, endocrine, and neurobiological health effects. Many manufacturers of non-stick cookware have committed to eliminating PFOA residues from non-stick coatings." (http://www.ewg.org/EWGFAQ)

Feel free to check out more on this nasty stuff but the main reason I wanted to share this was to give some better alternatives if you're looking to switch.  About 2 years ago, I pitched all of my teflon cookware and began my collection to a safer set of pots and pans.  My collection includes three types of cookware:

Stainless Steel.  Stainless steel pots are great to have.  Must haves:

• Medium sized pot with steamer and lid (for pasta, stews, soups, and the steamer for veggies, etc) 
• A couple of different sized saucepans for veggies and sides
• A couple of different-sized saute pans

You can buy these stainless steel sets for anywhere from $50-$1500 a set depending on the quality you want.  Costco has these sets all the time for under $200.  The downside is that stainless is not as versatile as cast iron, which is able to be taken from stove to oven without a problem.  Also, with stainless you will need to use oil in the bottom, as they are not non-stick.  I use olive oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil.   

Cast Iron.  Last year I began collecting Le Creuset cast iron cookware.  You will find that these are much higher in price however they come with a lifetime warranty and are made to go from stovetop to oven.  Each pan is around $250 but I will use them for the rest of my life and they come in all kinds of fun colors!  All of mine were gifted to be by my mom (a gluten-free vegan who loves cooking, and my grandmother who gifted me my wok as a bridal shower gift) Cast iron has been used forever, but Le Creuset has seriously mastered it by covering it with a non-stick, non-toxic ceramic coating.  The pans I found to be of the biggest use were:

•  3 1/2 qt. Braiser- I use mine all the time! 

http://cookware.lecreuset.com/cookware/product_5-qt.-Braiser_10151_-1_20002_59120_21058

•  5 qt. French Oven-  Excellent for stews, chili, soups, roasted chicken and veggies, & pot roasts.

http://cookware.lecreuset.com/cookware/product_5-qt.-Oval-French-Oven_10151_-1_20002_10070_21057

• Square Grill Skillet- Awesome for indoor steaks, burgers, grilled chicken, etc.  They even make a panini press to go with it!

http://cookware.lecreuset.com/cookware/product_Square-Skillet-Grill_10151_-1_20002_10062_10041

• Wok- I love making Asian food and this may not be all that useful for everyone but stir-fry is a staple in our house. 

http://cookware.lecreuset.com/cookware/product_Wok-with-Glass-Lid_10151_-1_20002_10126_10015

Greblon Ceramic Coated Frying Pans.  These Ozeri frying pans are awesome! My grandmother actually introduced me to these because I warned her to get rid of her Teflon pans.  To my surprise, the next time I went to her house, she had purchased these.  They are Germany-made Ceramic coated, eco-friendly frying pans that are totally non-stick and free of PTFE and PFOA.  You can get this set of 3 frying pans for $100 on Amazon and it comes with with an 8", 10", and 12" pan.

http://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-ZP1-3P-Textured-Nonstick-Ceramic/dp/B0068SEQJE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1355263915&sr=8-3&keywords=ozeri+frying+pan

I hope this helps and gives you something to ask Santa for ;) Happy Cooking!