What type of cookware are you using?

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My BFF in real life is Vitamama and I miss her dearly. Okay that's not what this post is about, but I totally miss her.

Vitamama has a great post on cookware and I wanted to share some of it with you. I love to cook in case you didn't know. And years ago "they" tried to convince "us" that teflon was a healthier way to cook your food because it was nonstick and you didn't need oils.

Now research has proven that Teflon is not good for you at all. Go figure. I made the switch with our pots and pans about 6 years ago to stainless steel...but I held onto one of my very favorite pans with Teflon until last year. I knew it was bad for us but I just loved the pan soo much. I finally went to Walmart and bought two cast iron skillets to replace the one favorite. Did I throw away my favorite? Nope. I held onto it just in case I hated the cast iron ones.

Flash forward a year later, I love my cast iron skillets. They are well seasoned and well loved. They are better than nonstick Teflon. Did I ever use my old favorite Teflon? Nope. I ended up throwing it away. And the really great thing about cast iron is that they are cheap compared to Teflon pans.

A couple facts about Teflon from Vitamama post:

Here's the official position from the EPA and DuPont, the makers of Teflon:

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical compound used to manufacture Teflon, is a "likely carcinogen," according to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ruling. DuPont has said in official statements that PFOA is used only to produce the Teflon compound, but is not present in the actual product, which eliminates the chemical during the manufacturing and curing process that seals Teflon to the cookware.

And here's what the Environmental Working Group or EWG (you Vitamama regulars know I'm a EWG fan), on the dangers of using Teflon cookware.

Toxic fumes from the Teflon chemical are released from pots and pans at high temperatures, potentially killing pet birds and causing people to exhibit flu-like symptoms (called "Teflon Flu" or, as scientists describe it, "Polymer fume fever"). Ingesting particles that flake off scratched non-stick cookware isn't toxic because solid PTFE flakes are inert.

Manufacturers' labels often warn consumers to avoid high heat when cooking on Teflon. But EWG-commissioned tests conducted in 2003 showed that in just two to five minutes on a conventional stove top, cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces could exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases.

Go to her site to find out: If you already own a full set of Teflon cookware and you love cooking with it, what should you do? 

Give cast iron a try you will love it!