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Though it is an area of high priority for me, replacing all of my old cookware (which was largely non-stick or Teflon pots and pans, and aluminum baking equipment) has been challenging. The two major challenges have been in deciding what would be appropriate replacements, and the second is in finding replacements that are affordable or that I can save up in order to purchase.

As I hope you know, I am just as much in progress as you, continually working to improve the way I do things, the foods we eat, and of course, the products we use in our home. Last Christmas we were finally able to make the switch over to entirely stainless steel pots, as well as add one cast iron pan to our collection. Other than that, I was still working with what I had.

This Christmas we were blessed to receive a gift certificate for The Bay, a local department store. I had been unsure of what I wanted to use it for, until it suddenly clicked a couple of weeks ago: new frying pans!!!

I went in search of cast iron, as I find stainless steel pans dreadful to cook with, and I know that cast iron is generally considered one of the safest, and possibly even beneficial as some trace amounts of iron can end up in the food (one of the few times when we actually want to consume what's in our cooking appliance!). I was still a bit hesitant, though, as cast iron is so heavy and can still have a lot of issues with sticking, as you work to get it well-seasoned.

When I arrived, I was greeted by a brand that I had never even heard of before, but was instantly intrigued by. It's called Earthchef, and is ceramic-coated aluminum (I can't find this stated anywhere, but I can't imagine what other metal they would have used underneath). It is supposedly made of 100% natural stone, ground up and applied in the form of a smooth, "non-stick" ceramic coating.

Earthchef is an earth-friendly product line for the kitchen.
Precise detail and environmental engineering have gone into the design
of each product. Earthchef offers 100% natural and safe non-stick
ceramic coating, which is actually six times stronger than the
traditional non-stick coatings, energy-efficient induction cooktops,
sustainable and cost effective use of bamboo, recycled packaging and
reduction in the use of synthetic materials (such as plastic cutting
boards, and phenolic/bakelite handles). The Earthchef product line
offers cookware, induction cooktops, bakeware, roasters, cutting
boards, cutlery and knife blocks...

All EarthChef products and
coatings passed Prop 65 lead safety testing and the more stringent TUV
German food safety standards.

Earthchef natural ceramic non-stick coating is PFOA and PFTE free!

I hemmed and hawed in the store for a long time, and finally decided to come home with one fairly large frying pan, one small one, and a very large cookie sheet as well, since everything was 25% off the day I was there.

As soon as we got home, I ran to my computer and began frantically researching. It was so difficult to find anything, as this is a Canadian company, available only at a few stores, and relatively new on the market. The little bit that I found sounded pretty good, and I felt somewhat comforted by the fact that the coating on these pans was a fairly dull grey (nothing shiny or colored), has gone through lead testing, and is certified PFOA and PFTE free.

I also scoured Merola.com, which may not be my most favorite health site, but he does pay a lot of attention to healthy cookware. He claims that the best cookware you can use is ceramic-coated metals. On the marketing page for his own ceramic cookware, he shows a chart To my eye, the best choices (aside from his own expensive brand) seem to be stainless steel, cast iron (although that's a lot of iron, so I wonder about that), and ceramic coated aluminum.

After over a week of letting the pans sit on my table, unwrapped, I finally bit the bullet and decided to keep them and give them a try. They were wonderful to use, and easy to clean. I am comforted by the fact that they have a limited lifetime guarantee, and if they begin to chip at all through regular wear and tear, I can return them for a refund.

They seem to be very similar to a brand that seems to be popular in the USA, the Green Pan.

So far, I'm happy to be giving these a try. I may end up going completely over to cast iron in the end, and am also interested in looking more into ceramic or enamel coated cast iron, like Le Creuset. Decisions, decisions.

Has anyone else tried this new ceramic-coated cookware, or heard anything more about it? What are your thoughts? What types of cookware are you using, and are you satisfied with it or planning to replace it with something else?

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