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Updated: October 1, 2024

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Katie T’s Cottage Home Fun Fact #39

For my 39th fun fact, I want to share that I want to learn how to make cheeses! I’ve already made mozzarella and cottage cheese, but I’m hoping to attempt cheddar soon!

Does Non-Toxic Mean What We Think It Does?

So this is what I know. Quality cookware containing “non-toxic” advertising is the hype, and for good reason. We want to know that the products we use in everyday cooking aren’t going to have health risks down the road.

Unfortunately, just because it claims to be nontoxic, and passes specifications doesn’t mean there won’t be problems and findings later on.

Let’s take, for example, silicone. A popular alternative to plastic with the benefit of high heat retention.

Originally, I jumped on the silicone bandwagon. I had silicone mats for my cooking sheets, baggies, and even spatulas.

My husband complained of things tasting like silicone when I cooked certain meals. At first, I didn’t know what to think until I froze some raw milk in a silicone bag and was disgusted with the flavor left behind in the milk. I didn’t even finish my coffee, it was that bad.

From that point on, I started making small shifts away from silicone. If it could leach into the milk that much, who’s to say it’s not doing that to the rest of the food?

But if you investigate, there’s not a lot of substantial information proving silicone to be toxic. If anything, experts “consider” it to be safe.  

So, with that said, if a company uses “non-toxic” as a means of advertising, take it as the base value. Then, investigate, use common sense, and try to make the best decision on what tools you use in your kitchen.

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Is Emile Henry Bakeware Non-toxic?

This is what I know.

These pans consist of high-resistant ceramic clay with a glaze coating. The coating results in a nonstick layer without the added toxicity a conventional nonstick teflon pan has.

Even though Teflon pans are deemed “safe”, the dark truth has been exposed on how damaging these nonstick toxins are. Dark Waters on Netflix is a great movie to watch if you want to learn more about this lawsuit.

Emile Henry pans are crafted in Burgundy, France. Knowing that the EU has more regulations and restrictions regarding toxic chemicals and additives (compared to the US) tells me that the brand has more legitimacy when they claim their products to be non-toxic.

Not to add that they don’t use plastic in the packaging of their cookware, just recycled cardboard.

Does Emile Henry Stand the Test of Time?

I purchased my Emile Henry kitchen pans after I got married. I did a lot of research beforehand, and there was a major sticking point in making the purchase.

The 10-year limited warranty.

If any company can provide a warranty, especially a whopping 10 years, I believe they have the goods to back up their brand.

So, while yes, the cookware is a bit on the pricey side compared to alternatives, I’d rather know that I can invest in a product that will last and not need replacing.

And so far, 3 1/2+ years in, they still look new. Especially compared to my Dutch Oven, which I bought around the same time.

My Dutch Oven is an enameled cast iron pot. While the ceramic Emile Henry pans are coated in a glaze, the enamel is the metal coating equivalent.

All things equal, the Dutch Oven sees more action when I am cooking (scraping it with a spatula). However, it is significantly more scratched than the Emile Henry Pans, plus I am unable to get residual burnt food from the bottom of the pot.

The thing is, this bestseller from Amazon has always been less scratch-resistant from the start. It didn’t take long to get to where it is today.

And that is no surprise because the brand, Emile Henry, prides itself on its product’s resistance to scratches with the family’s guarded secret formula.

To further prove that Emile Henry’s cookware stands for quality, they have their employees stamp their initials on the bottom of the pan to hold for accountability. Thankfully, mistakes are uncommon due to the quality of care provided by each of the artisans.

Additional Benefits of Emile Henry Bakeware

For reference, I have the 8”x8”, 11”x8”, and 13”x9” casserole dishes, along with the 9” pie pan, loaf pan, and small oval baker. All of the pans are the color sugar white.

Of all my Emile Henry pans, the casserole dishes are used the most because of the type of dishes that I make. I use the small oval pan the least, but I am still glad I bought it because sometimes I need a smaller pan.

These pans are dishwasher safe, although I wash mine by hand to allow for more room for other dishes in the dishwasher.

Also, due to the quality control and type of clay, these pans do not chip or crack easily. This means the pans can withstand cutting directly on them without getting scratched or damaged.

Lastly, the pans exhibit thermal shock properties, making them freezer-to-oven safe. Not to add, the quality burgundy clay evenly diffuses heat to the center of the dish while holding on to heat, as the clay has superior heat retention to keep dishes hot longer than the alternative ceramicware.

Minimalist Living: Pans Serve Multiple Uses

Emile Henry pans are considered a minimalist kitchen essential in my book. Now full disclaimer, I’m more of a liberal minimalist at heart. And by that, I mean I am not a hard-core minimalist, but I like to keep my area clean and not have excess stuff hanging around that doesn’t serve a purpose.

These kitchen essentials coincide with minimalist living in my book because they have multiple uses. First and foremost, the primary purpose is to cook. The secondary reason is that they are nice-looking pans, and I don’t feel the need to take the food out of the pan and transfer it to a platter for our guests or a party.

This flexibility is great because it makes for one less dish to clean at the end and one less thing to do. It is also one less platter taking up room in my kitchen because I can use these pans instead.

Best Bakeware Pans for your Non-Toxic Kitchen

So, there you have it! The top reasons why I like Emile Henry pans and why they outperform other kitchen bakeware pans.

I hope you enjoyed learning about the best bakeware pans for non-toxic living! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions! Comment below if you have an Emile Henry pan too!!

The post Best Bakeware Pans for your Non-Toxic Kitchen first appeared on Katie T's Home.