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Why I Switched from Cast Iron + What Pans are Best & SAFE Instead??

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Why I Switched from Cast Iron and What Pans are Best and Safe Instead? shares why cast iron puts too much iron into the body. Even though many of us thought this was the best kind of pan out there for natural cooks, we were wrong.

Let’s look at the best alternatives and why: ceramic, stainless steel and even air fryers.

(I have not included pressure cookers, like the Instant Pot, in this discussion because they’re not a stove top or oven-type cooking tool; they are more similar to slow cookers and saucepans, dissimilar to how cast iron skillets are most often used.)

It’s an exciting day in the Stevens’ household when, after 20+ years of using cast iron, we get rid of them and instead wholly embrace all the best alternatives!

This is something I’ve known I wanted to do for a long time, but it took being on a new wellness diet to really bring home the importance of not getting too much iron from my pans.

With that conviction, I finally made the leap, stopped using them completely and even bought two new pans. Here’s what you need to know …

tomato frittata in cast iron skillet

What’s wrong with cast iron pans

For years, in the natural cooking community, we’ve been told to use cast iron — so we all switched over to cast iron, right?

We know we don’t want Teflon or other man-made products that can leach into our foods. And we know that certain natural materials, like aluminum or copper, are metals we don’t want in our foods either.

But what makes cast iron dangerous?

Cast iron is dangerous because, while cooking, iron leaches from the pan into our food.

Our foods then contain iron, that the body does not absorb or store well.

While some people are vulnerable to iron toxicity, no one should have excesses of iron in their blood.

When is iron most likely to come out of cast iron skillets into our foods?

  1. Like aluminum, iron reacts with acidic foods. This includes not only tomatoes and citrus, but even natural foods frozen or canned with citric acid. (I observed this many times when cooking with artichoke hearts.)
  2. Iron sloughs into our foods when the meal preparation is wet. Even with a proper seasoning, simmering foods in cast iron or allowing water to sit in them, allows the metal to seep into our meals.

Beyond these well documented settings when iron is likely to leach from cast iron skillets, other testimonies exist of patients, including infants, with dark or black bowel movements from only using cast iron pans occasionally, such as once a week to make bacon.

Symptoms include fatigue and lack of energy (not just black poop).

Caution to avoid cast iron when cooking for kids

Use of cast iron when cooking for young children can actually be dangerous. This truth is too little known and has been under-emphasized.

cast iron pan hanging on wall

Is cast iron good if you’re anemic (and more on children)

No, it still isn’t, and here’s why: While cast iron may put iron into your blood, someone struggling with anemia has low levels of iron storage. Iron in the blood does not translate to the body being able to store it.

Too much iron in the blood, from cast iron cooking or otherwise, can cause toxicity. This makes cooking with cast iron especially dangerous for children.

As Columbia University medical team says, “Children under age three are particularly susceptible to iron toxicity, and symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, and hemorrhaging. To be on the safe side, avoid cooking foods for young children in iron pots.”

While iron from a cast iron skillet may or may not help someone with anemia temporarily, more iron in one’s food isn’t the best approach to this health diagnosis. Instead, ideally liver health and the cause of anemia are addressed.

Enameled cast iron

If you happen to have enameled cast iron, it has been found to have unsafe levels of cadmium and lead, including and especially reputable brands like Le Creuset.

What Pans are Best & SAFE??

Why choose ceramic pansone large xtrema ceramic pan in black with lid on

Ceramic pans are one good choice in cookware if they’re 3rd party tested for contaminants.

We finally invested in our first ceramic cooking vessel. It’s less good for pancakes and burgers, but quite good for sauteing, stews, casseroles and wet preparations.

You can read Xtrema’s Product Testing here, if you’re interested in how they test and the safety of using it.

Xtrema has a unique coupon (deals vary) for Eat Beautiful readers that usually includes: (HERE): 20% off all items site wide, and 35% off large sets. Use code EATBEAUTIFUL at check out.

Pros of Xtrema Ceramic Pans: They’re beautiful. When they heat up, they stay warm for even cooking for a really long time. Functional for both stove top and oven cooking. Very good customer service. Many sizes and shapes for various cooking needs. A great alternative to stainless steel for anyone with an extreme nickel allergy. (All-Clad, mentioned below, has the least nickel issue of any U.S.-made stainless steel pan, but for those with extreme nickel allergies, Xtrema provides a great alternative.)

Cons: You can not use high heat. Metal cooking utensils are best avoided, such as metal spatulas.

Why choose stainless steel

Not everything can be made in Xtrema Ceramic Pans, because we need to scrape some things! For example, I love to make crispy, thick, juicy burgers, and they flip best with a metal spatula.

My first two pans that were very high quality that weren’t cast iron were stainless steel.

an all-clad stainless steel panMy favorite pan is the highest quality multipurpose pan — similar in size to a large skillet — but with rounded high sides like a wok. (Here is their updated model.) I can flip burgers in it, sauté, make medium-size batches of soup and more. I love this pan. If you only need one new pan, this is the best all round performer.

But if you just need a classic fry pan, here’s a great one for a good price. And here’s a deeper sauté pan.

Eventually, I also got another All-Clad pan — it’s my broad and deep stockpot with lid (HERE), perfect for cooking pasta and making soups, but not too deep, so I can also braise or sauté in it, before adding other ingredients. If I could only have two pans, I’d choose this as my second, as it functions well as a Dutch oven.

Main reason for choosing stainless steel cookware: No heavy metals leach into food. Safe, time-tested, reliable metal that functions well. Very versatile for stove top and oven, high heat and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Relatively affordable. Choose a reputable brand for the best cooking experience, such as All-Clad, or one with a copper core, for the best heat conduction. All-Clad is the highest quality stainless steel pan in the U.S. This means the least issue with nickel, which is a concern with cheaper stainless steel pans.

How to make any pan non-stick (for eggs and more)

Possible cons: Not non-stick without learning how. — See this video where I share how to make any pan non-stick, in which I use my All-Clad  pan to cook scrambled eggs. (I made this video in 2016, so I apologize for it being a little long and shot vertically for a Periscope.)

So, it’s not really a con. Make All-Clad pans non-stick easily for cooking eggs and more by following the video instructions. Also: For someone with an extreme nickel allergy, any stainless steel pan may be a problem, but All-Clad to the least extent.

Why choose an air fryer

I don’t have an air fryer. If you have one already, great! If you don’t, I’ll at least share with you why they’re worth considering.

I personally haven’t purchased one because I’m a minimalist in some ways. We loved living in our tiny house, and I got rid of a lot of gadgets to make that move.

But since we moved back into a full-sized home, my doctor advised our diet not to be as high in fat as I used to enjoy, (because fat is not beneficial when detoxing fat soluble toxins).

So, main reason to consider getting an air fryer: air fryers are made of stainless steel, great for cooking chickens, other meats, side dishes, even making baked goods, without added fats and without any dangerous cooking surfaces touching our food.

Which air fryer to choose: Choose an air fryer made of stainless steel. I’ve heard good things about this one, that doubles as a toaster oven.

Is it time to replace all of your cast iron pans yet?

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a cast iron skillet on a cutting board

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Martha says

    Thank your for your opinions on cast iron. Im glad you realize that no one type of pan meets all our cooking needs. Just as you were trying to NOT use these pans, I’ve tried several times, unsuccessfully, TO use them. (Glass cook top, and curing have been obstacles,).
    I am curious as to the scientific data supporting your claims. Have you and your family had iron-detecting blood tests? Has anyone been symptomatic? Are your conclusions anecdotal? You don’t seem to cite sources and I’m sure some cast iron devotees would be surprised at your conclusions. I’d appreciate some data to support your claims.

    Reply

  2. Alex says

    Good information! We also got rid of our cast iron pans when our chiropractor told us the same thing. You would think the iron would be good for anemia, but it’s actually the opposite, just like you state in the article. Glad you are getting this info out.

    Reply

    • Megan says

      Thanks, Alex! I should have done it so much sooner, but it was almost all we were using, so it just took a long time to change our patterns and get used to using different pans again. We had become so accustomed to cast iron — mindset and habit changes! I’m glad other practitioners are getting the word out; that’s awesome!

      Reply

      • Veronica Page says

        Oops typiis
        On point B. I meant “front” and back not “grin”. ???? but I often smile when cooking not so much cleaning ????
        I’m sure there are more typos, small keypads and big fingers are not as easy to type.

        Reply

    • Veronica Page says

      While I appreciate healthy options I don’t entirely agree with the thoughts in cast iron.
      1. You can make acidic type foods in them but only if you clean them right away correctly. I actually don’t use cast iron when making acidic foods. If I’m making a sauce I’ll only do the onions and seasoned meat in the cast iron then switch to stainless to complete the tomato sauce.
      2. When you find black bits of what seems to be the pan in your food that’s actually not all cast iron. You have to clean and season cast iron correctly for healthy cast iron cooking. Most people do not know how to do this. You must only use hot water course salt and a not abrasive brush to get all food particles off. I use a bamboo wok cleaner. It only takes off the food bits and not the healthy seasoning. You must clean the pan front and back and handle. Do not allow build up because that’s what is coming off on your food, it’s carbon. That is definitely not good. If you have carbon build up you have to strip the whole thing and start re seasoning again. Daily use you must clean the pan the way I described, then
      A. you dry it completely.
      B. Heat the pan front and back on LOW heat grin and back.
      C. Now use a cotton cloth or paper towel and use a high smoke point oil or salve like grape seed. Wipe it all over even the handle.
      D. Wipe the excess oil off. It will then cool and create a very healthy food safe polymerized seal. Zero carbon:
      I do agree maybe don’t make a lot of food in cast iron for young children.
      I would not get rid of your cast iron entirely. Keep one for making cornbread. How often do you make that? I use my grandmothers to fry chicken but only occasionally .
      If you get rid of your cast iron, believe me there are many many folks that would be happy to have it. I’m one of them I know the value in every sense of the word.
      Thanks for the article.

      Reply

      • Megan says

        Thanks for sharing! Traditional Cooking School has a great tutorial on how to season cast iron as you’ve described, but with even more detail. But neither she nor I use ours any longer, even when fully seasoned. We are both dealing with iron overload, so the issue is real, and it lasts = hard to overcome, takes time and a lot of work.

        Reply

  3. Andrea says

    Tamara Rubin has proven with XRF testing that ceramic cookware, including Xtrema, contains dozens of metals including the toxic sort like lead and cadmium. Please see her results on her website.

    Reply

    • Megan says

      Hi Andrea, I have read Tamara’s articles, but did not find them accurate because she used XRF testing, which is a home test, not a 3rd party test. Also, Xtrema uses the gold standard of testing, called Leach testing, done by a 3rd party. Leach tests are highly sensitive and measure that amount of material that reaches the consumer. Xtrema has passed those strict standards and published the results for 15 years. Lastly, XRF testing can only identify elemental metals not compounds. Ceramics are composed of ceramic materials and compounds like oxides. To say Xtrema cookware is made with elemental metals when XRF testing cannot identify the difference between elemental metals and compounds is an untrue claim.

      Reply

  4. JJ says

    I’ve been introduced to Saladmaster cookware. They have an excellent process of inviting you to a meal that includes cooking demos and info about toxicity in regular cookware (including a taste test after heating baking soda and water – which is pretty mind blowing). These pots and pans are made from the same stainless as surgical implants so they aren’t cheap, but I recommend checking them out!

    Reply

    • Megan says

      Hi Sara, I appreciate your concern, but even the website you mention no longer says the metal gets into consumers’ food. I have read her articles, and what looks like the most recent one says, “It’s not a question about leaching or not leaching (or bio-availability) of metals. The big concern right now is a simple question of truth-in-advertising (or the lack thereof) and doing the responsible thing in cleaning up a mess over current / previous / historic communications that have given customers (and bloggers) the wrong impression…” From what I can tell, she doesn’t like that Xtrema used the wording “lead-free” because no lead ever reaches the consumer (shown by 3rd party testing). She hasn’t in any way proved their product passes heavy metals on to consumers, just the opposite. She does home tests, and I think she now sees through their testing, that indeed no heavy metals leach from Xtrema’s ceramics to consumers’ food. So she is now upset about their wording, not their product’s behavior.

      Reply

    • Megan says

      Hi Heather, yes, I do well with the All-Clad. If you look in the article under the All-Clad section, I actually mention this at the end of it and link to a video that teaches how to make the pan non-stick (just a quick cooking technique) when you cook eggs or other things. In the video, I demonstrate scrambled eggs with the method. 🙂

      Reply

  9. Kate says

    Good morning,
    This is a wow….My concern is now how do we trust any evaluations of pans because they made cast iron popular by using evaluations to prove that cast iron is good and ceramic etc was not. So frustrating. Thank you so much for this info.
    Kate

    Reply

    • Megan says

      Happy to help and good morning, too. 🙂 Yes, I see your concern, and it is frustrating. The same thing happens with nutrition: one day we’re told something is good for us, and the next day we find out it’s actually toxic (liver being my best personal example). Two things: one, we just learn as we go, and when we know better, we do better. And two, we weigh our intuition and logic with the information being given to us to assess what’s true. We can then see that when cast iron was recommended, it was not based on human blood and hair mineral analysis testing that shows us toxic levels of iron in people using the pans, nor was it based on how accessible that iron was in the human body. But now we can look through those knowing lenses and see that the first information was wrong. In looking forward, we have to weigh the evidence again, and see how our intuition and brains assess the options. For me, All Clad is the safest bet. They’ve created the best cooking pans, with the least leakage. And then I take TRS in case the teeniest amount seeps through over time; but our bodies can handle a very small amount, especially if we’re detoxing well. Ceramic is a little less certain, but still a good option. We have all All Clad and one ceramic pan for ourselves. And then we went with glass for our tea kettle. You are right, though, we can’t just take a company’s/health website’s word for it. We really do need our intuition and personal logic/brains as well.

      Reply

  10. Veronica Page says

    I thank you for your article but wholeheartedly disagree.
    The black bits coming off in your food is carbon from food not the iron from the pan. This tells me the pans have not been properly cleaned. You have to know how to clean and maintain them daily.
    Anyone who wants to get rid of their cast iron, I’m happy to take them off your hands. I love my cast iron and use them daily and I am quite well. I typically do not make acidic foods on my cast iron but everything else? Absolutely.
    I notice you have air fryers listed, I think those have been found unhealthy. Look it up for yourself though.
    Happy cooking y’all.

    Reply

  11. Seth Affoumado says

    Hi Megan,
    Thank you for all of the comments. about cooking in a variety of cooking materials.
    Although you claim cast iron is dangerous to cook in, why have people used cast iron, and other metals for centuries as cooking vessels?
    We use cast iron for 99% of all of our cooking and promote the re-use, re-store and recycle mantra. Why generate more carbon footprint when there are amazing vintage cast iron pans still in use after 100+ years!? When you say, “Iron is likely to leech out of cast iron skillets” yes, a minimal amount. Don’t let your skillet soak in soapy water and this will not happen! And.. never use soap on cast iron!!!
    Using cast iron is not for the lazy or the scattered cook- You have to put a little effort into a cast iron meal and really plan what your cooking. It is a non-stick cooking surface when seasoned and maintained properly. The black flecks of carbon that “leech” into your food are caused by improper seasoning- The more you use your cast iron the better it gets! There is a certain skillet for everyone! DO NOT FEAR CAST IRON!

    Reply

  12. Ash says

    Thank you so much for the laugh today! Reminds me of a family member asking my great-grandmother at her 98th birthday party, where she was meeting her newborn great-great-granddaughter for the first time, “What’s your secret?!” Her reply was genius and definitely sums up all the ‘healthy fads’ that can never ever agree with one another – “Eat the damn cookies!” No joke. She was a badass who made it 2 months shy of 100, including running the farm for almost 30 years after being widowed (and raising 7 kids), up until 88 years old. Honestly, I believe the STRESS of modern lifestyles, mostly with our obsession with ‘healthy lifestyles’ does ALL the damage with none of the gain. Just my two cents, hopefully, it’ll help someone who has sat up at night killing themselves over everything ‘healthy’. Cook with cast iron, cook with your crock pot, eat the damn cookies, love on your people, and stop worrying! xoxo

    Reply

  13. Micheal says

    I have a question about your enameled cast iron thoughts and your claim against Le Creuset. The company claims to follow California’s guidelines and to only have lead and cadmium in small quantities on the outside where the color is and not the inside. My understanding is that this claim applies to the more recent cookware.

    The question is, are they lying? If yes, how do you know? Is no, why did you mention them?

    Reply

    • Megan says

      Hi Michael, it looks to me that Le Creuset does test too high in cadmium and lead on their interior surface, even if CA deems it safe levels. I don’t want to risk exposure to their levels with a pan or pot I use everyday. Any coating is suspect and degrades over time, increasing exposure to toxins. Here are some details on the topic: water contaminated with lead or cadmium over 5 ppb is considered unsafe. When we change the context or the source of the metals, we get a better idea of what’s safe. Some of the newer Le Creuset pans are testing low in these toxins, so Le Creuset is improving, but the toxins are still there: https://tamararubin.com/2022/04/le-creuset-overview/

      Reply

  14. Marilyn says

    Hello! Thanks for the wonderful and extremely detailed article! I have one question. Does All Clad or Xtrema have aluminum in them? I am also concerned about aluminum leaching. Thank you so very much!!

    Reply

    • Megan says

      Hi Marilyn, happy to help, and you’re welcome! 🙂 All Clad’s aluminum layer, there for conductivity of heat, is behind a layer of stainless steel, not mixed in. It is truly the safest stainless steel pan you can buy in the U.S. Re Xtrema, it is made of pure ceramic and does not contain any aluminum. Best to you!

      Reply

  15. Justyn says

    You know there will be some new study detailing the toxicity of stainless steel or low quality stainless steel from China. Can drive yourself crazy and up your cortisol chasing the latest and greatest.

    Sometimes it just wiser to go with the time tested solutions and not latest and greatest fad or “studies”. This is one of them.

    Reply

    • Megan says

      Thanks, Elle, I wrote the company to find out the status on which of their products are made in China, and here’s the response I got: “… our HA1 and essential line are China made. Our D3, D5, and Copper Core are all US made.” I hope that’s helpful. The Copper Core wok-style pan I have is my favorite.

      Reply

  17. Alana says

    Hi, I was just watching your video on making stainless steel pans non stick (lol All Clad). You use high temp and duck fat…this does not sound healthy at all! Wouldn’t using nonstick or cast iron at the least be healthier than cooking with animal fat? This is something I do not understand!

    Reply

    • Megan says

      Hi Alana, thanks for the question! Many in the Ancestral cooking community believe that animal fats and natural fats are healthy to eat. I no longer use duck fat (unless for a gourmet recipe), but I used to. I now use olive oil and similar. But, it’s not one or the other; it’s both. Fatty liver is on the rise in the U.S. and so is iron overload, plus toxic exposure from non-stick pans and many other sources. So we should do both in my opinion, cut back on fats, choose our fats carefully, and move beyond non-stick and cast iron to All Clad or similar products. The high heat is still fine for making All Clad non-stick. In Spain and Italy, high heat is welcomed with olive oil. I personally use refined olive oil which I find at Trader Joe’s or Costco.

      Reply

  18. Ed Lehner says

    I clicked on your link to watch you make your stainless pan non stick and cook eggs. So how is this a good choice for your health. You’re scrambling whole eggs and pouring them onto your stainless steel pan that you put at least 2 table spoons of duck fat in which was then absorbed by your eggs. Thats alot of fat. I guess I’ll stick to my non stick on low heat.

    Reply

    • Megan says

      Hi Ed, I appreciate your annoyance or confusion. I still love that video and the cooking method it shares, but I do not eat that much fat anymore. I used to think huge amounts of natural animal fats were healthy, as I followed certain gut-healing diets that espoused that approach. I still use this method of creating a non-stick surface with my stainless pans daily, but I use about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. I hope that helps.

      Reply

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