Porcelain plates for hot dishes, glass salad bowls, wooden bowls… Most of us have a variety of dishes at home – the catalog offers options for every taste. However, not all materials are safe. Smart House will tell you which dishes and pots you can buy without fear, and which ones will harm your health.
As a rule, for the manufacture of dishes use:
- Ceramics (clay, porcelain, faience).
- Glass.
- Metal (stainless steel, titanium, silver).
- Tree (bamboo, birch, beech).
- Plastic.
- Paper.
What material is best for plates?
The list of safe materials for plates, bowls, and salad bowls looks like this:
- Porcelain – high-grade ceramics from kaolin (white clay). Porcelain tableware does not emit any harmful substances, and throughout its thickness, which means that it is safe even if there are chips and cracks.
- Faience is a cheaper analog of porcelain. More porous and lighter, it also does not contain dangerous impurities. Earthenware and porcelain dishes are recommended for daily use and are completely safe.
- Clay is not only white. Brown clay plates and bowls are safe, as are other ceramic dishes. They do not react to sour and spicy foods or cold and hot foods.
- Glass is another environmentally friendly material that is harmless to health. Modern glassware is very diverse in design and looks good with other materials. The most popular ones are heat-resistant and shock-resistant glass. You can also get custom glassware that can fulfill your requirement as well.
- The tree has gained popularity in the market with bamboo bowls and plates. Wooden utensils are afraid of moisture but are suitable for dry foods: nuts, hard vegetables and fruits, bread and pastries, and some salads.
It is impossible to say which material is better for plates – you can choose any of the listed ones. All of them are made from natural and safe raw materials.
What is the safest cookware for cooking?
The list of safe materials for pots, pans, and multicookers looks like this:
- Stainless steel. About 90% of the pots and pans presented in regular and online cookware stores are made from it. It equally well withstands open fire, oven, heat, and mild heating in multicookers and convection ovens. Unscrupulous manufacturers often add toxic impurities such as nickel. Steel itself is one of the safest materials.
- Titanium is a lightweight material with high non-stick properties. Titanium cookware set suitable for multicookers and ovens. When cooking over an open flame, it can release titanium dioxide, a substance with a carcinogenic effect.
- Enamelware is inexpensive and environmentally friendly if the integrity of the enamel is intact. Pots and pans with chips should not be used, as toxic substances from the metal enter the food.
- Cast iron pots and pans are hypoallergenic, non-toxic, and very durable.
- Heat-resistant glass is another neutral material. Glassware is safe for both cooking and storing food.
- Silicone remains safe at temperatures from -40 to +250 ° C, which makes it universal. In silicone molds, you can bake, freeze, reheat in the microwave, etc.
- Clay is a material that we have already noted as safe for plates. It is also suitable for cooking.
What not to buy?
Do not buy dishes with a pungent odor (especially applies to silicone), or bright unnatural colors (enamel and glass often “sin” with this). When ordering dishes in an online store where you can’t check the smell, ask for certificates confirming the safety of the material.
How to choose a set of dishes for events and trips?
An interesting question: what material is better to buy dishes for eating at a picnic or in the office? Disposable tableware has long been used at events. She is loved for her lightness, the ability not to wash, but simply to throw away, and for a low price. Is all disposable tableware safe?
Thick paper utensils are the best option. It is laminated and plain. Uncoated cookware is environmentally friendly and recyclable. Laminated is more difficult to dispose of because of the polyethylene coating – but it is stronger, does not get wet, and heats up less from hot.
Plastic utensils are safe when marked with a fork and a glass. This means that the plastic is food-grade, without harmful impurities. Pay attention also to the labeling of the material. PS – polystyrene, suitable only for cold dishes. May be toxic in contact with hot food. PP – polypropylene, safe at any temperature.
Conclusion
Many manufacturers are offering sets for cooking and eating pots, frying pans, forms and pots for baking, plates of all kinds, salad bowls, and containers for storage, freezing, and heating. If you need beautiful and safe tableware, then try the best ones among them.
