Steel cookware with glass-ceramic coating (enamelware cookware) is the safest type of cookware available. Glass ceramics is inert and resistant to food acids and does not interact with products or distort their taste. A durable steel casing provides an effective thermal treatment for food and does not deform during use. Enamelware cookware is ideal for cooking and storing food, preparing cold dishes, and serving the table.
Enamel Cookware is created from a steel sheet and then coated with heat-resistant enamel, which is a very thin glass-ceramic layer. The enamel layer is applied at a very high temperature of 800-850°C (1472-1562 °F). The enamel cookware is one of the most reliable and safe types of cookware. It became mass produced first at the end of the 18th century in the USA and soon it became a world-famous and bestselling, because of its qualities.
Enamel cookware has a number of advantages. It is considered one of the cheapest cookware, it is easy to clean, you can cook and store acidic food there and it never causes any harm to your health (if the enamel layer is not damaged.) You can not only cook food in the enamel cookware, you can also store your food in it. The enamel surface does not absorb smell and it can serve you for a long time with proper care.
You should not use your enamel cookware if the enamel surface if damaged. When heated food is exposed to the bare metal, the toxic substances may create a specific metallic food taste. You need to stop the usage of your enamel cookware immediately if you find a crack or any other damage on the inner surface of your item.
When you choose your enamel cookware, you need to pay attention at its surface. It needs to be smooth, have no cracks and have a uniform density.
The colors and pictures applied to enamel surface as design elements might be hazardous. You do not need to perform a chemical analysis to understand if the colored surface is toxic. All the bright and contrast chemical dyes are considered toxic and, thus, they need to be applied to the outer surface of an item. Only enamels of white, black, beige, gray-blue and navy colors are considered safe for the human`s health.
The most dangerous are red, yellow and brown dyes. They need to be only on the outer surface of the enamel item. All these bright chemical dyes contain manganese, cadmium and other metals, which are very toxic. You should avoid buying enamel cookware, which contains all the mentioned colors on the inner item`s design.
You should pay attention to the item`s surface quality. It should not be dull or have oily-looking stains. These are signs of a poor technological process. You should avoid buying such enamel cookware.
Sometimes you can find needle marks or tiny dark stains on the inner surface of your enamel cookware. This means, that when the enamel item was created, it was turned upside down and it was held with the special metal needles.
The quality of the enamel layer also depends on its thickness. Some enamel items are coated with double enamel layer, which makes an item more durable.
Two methods of coating enamel exist. Spraying technology is a cheaper one and it creates a thinner enamel layer, while dipping technology creates a thick enamel cover to both inner and outer item surface. The dipping technology makes enamel items more durable and safe in usage.
