3 ms·

The distinction you're trying to draw between glass and ceramics doesn't exist, ceramics are generally glazed, which means "covered in a coating of glass". Ena

The distinction you're trying to draw between glass and ceramics doesn't exist, ceramics are generally glazed, which means "covered in a coating of glass". Enameled pans aren't going to leach anything if you buy them from any reputable manufacturer (which is at least all of the European, American, and Japanese ones) because any colorants added to the glaze will be rated as food safe. In fact, you mentioned titanium: that's what's used to make the inside of white enameled pots look white. Enameled cast iron (or enameled anything) is a fine choice, it comes with its own limitations culinarily (and advantages) but it isn't going leach anything into your food.

adrian_b 5y ago
You are right that glaze is a kind of glass. Nevertheless, most glazes have a much more complex composition than the standard borosilicate or soda-lime glasses. Glazes usually contain colorants and various additives that improve certain properties useful during manufacturing, which do not exist in the glasses used for vessels. It is possible to make glazes that are perfectly safe for food contact, but historically there were many examples of glazes with harmful components. Unless a manufacturer provides the composition of the glaze used by them, you cannot know how safe it is. Moreover, glazes and enamels have a problem that does not exist for stainless steel vessels. The glazes or enamels may crack and expose the base material to the food. However that is somewhat mitigated by their lower price, which facilitates the replacement of the cookware.
- samatman 5y ago
  > Unless a manufacturer provides the composition of the glaze used by them, you cannot know how safe it is. Or you could just buy from any EU country: https://www.european-enamel-association.eu/certification.html https://www.european-enamel-association.eu/certification.htm...
  - AlexandrB 5y ago
    All this says about leeching is: > 4.8 Specification and determination of the release of toxic elements > The specification and determination of the release of toxic elements must comply with the requirements specified in the national laws of the country. Most of the other requirements are about the mechanical properties of the enamel. There's also this: > 4.32 Determination and control of Lead and Cadmium release for hot water tanks But that doesn't apply to cookware. There's nothing here about requirements for the composition of the enamel or the making public thereof. And what constitutes a "toxic element" (and presumably the dosage) is left to the laws of each country. Most of these countries would consider stainless steel to meet their leeching requirements as well. So we're back to square one. There's no way to tell what the enamel is leeching. You just have an assurance that it's considered safe.
plasticchris 5y ago
Lots of old glazes used lead, so this isn’t always true. Can’t always judge by words or even appearances.
- samatman 5y ago
  Sure, if you buy used enamel you can even get uranium. Which looks lovely but I wouldn't cook tomatoes in it. This is why I specified "buy from a reputable manufacturer" because there is no risk of this whatsoever if you get contemporary / new cookware from the indicated regions; that list isn't exhaustive but I stand by this: any cookware you buy new from EU, America, or Japan, will not contain lead in the glaze, or anything else you wouldn't want to eat very small amounts of.
  - nicoburns 5y ago
    I heard that even well known brands like Le Creuset pots have lead in the ceramic coating on the outside of the pot. I guess that's not the same as being on the inside. But still, that seems not ideal.
carlmr 5y ago
>Enameled pans aren't going to leach anything...because any colorants added to the glaze will be rated as food safe So we consider stainless steel pans as food safe generally, yet they do leach something. I don't see how food safe could imply that something doesn't leach. Only that we either think it doesn't leach too much or we don't think what it leaches is harmful.
vannevar 5y ago
>Enameled cast iron (or enameled anything) is a fine choice, it comes with its own limitations culinarily (and advantages) but it isn't going leach anything into your food. Has this been verified in practice? Is enamel always pure, or can it contain contaminants that can leach?

adrian_b 5y ago

You are right that glaze is a kind of glass. Nevertheless, most glazes have a much more complex composition than the standard borosilicate or soda-lime glasses. Glazes usually contain colorants and various additives that improve certain properties useful during manufacturing, which do not exist in the glasses used for vessels. It is possible to make glazes that are perfectly safe for food contact, but historically there were many examples of glazes with harmful components. Unless a manufacturer provides the composition of the glaze used by them, you cannot know how safe it is. Moreover, glazes and enamels have a problem that does not exist for stainless steel vessels. The glazes or enamels may crack and expose the base material to the food. However that is somewhat mitigated by their lower price, which facilitates the replacement of the cookware.

samatman 5y ago
> Unless a manufacturer provides the composition of the glaze used by them, you cannot know how safe it is. Or you could just buy from any EU country: https://www.european-enamel-association.eu/certification.html https://www.european-enamel-association.eu/certification.htm...
- AlexandrB 5y ago
  All this says about leeching is: > 4.8 Specification and determination of the release of toxic elements > The specification and determination of the release of toxic elements must comply with the requirements specified in the national laws of the country. Most of the other requirements are about the mechanical properties of the enamel. There's also this: > 4.32 Determination and control of Lead and Cadmium release for hot water tanks But that doesn't apply to cookware. There's nothing here about requirements for the composition of the enamel or the making public thereof. And what constitutes a "toxic element" (and presumably the dosage) is left to the laws of each country. Most of these countries would consider stainless steel to meet their leeching requirements as well. So we're back to square one. There's no way to tell what the enamel is leeching. You just have an assurance that it's considered safe.

plasticchris 5y ago

Lots of old glazes used lead, so this isn’t always true. Can’t always judge by words or even appearances.

samatman 5y ago
Sure, if you buy used enamel you can even get uranium. Which looks lovely but I wouldn't cook tomatoes in it. This is why I specified "buy from a reputable manufacturer" because there is no risk of this whatsoever if you get contemporary / new cookware from the indicated regions; that list isn't exhaustive but I stand by this: any cookware you buy new from EU, America, or Japan, will not contain lead in the glaze, or anything else you wouldn't want to eat very small amounts of.
- nicoburns 5y ago
  I heard that even well known brands like Le Creuset pots have lead in the ceramic coating on the outside of the pot. I guess that's not the same as being on the inside. But still, that seems not ideal.

carlmr 5y ago

>Enameled pans aren't going to leach anything...because any colorants added to the glaze will be rated as food safe So we consider stainless steel pans as food safe generally, yet they do leach something. I don't see how food safe could imply that something doesn't leach. Only that we either think it doesn't leach too much or we don't think what it leaches is harmful.

vannevar 5y ago

>Enameled cast iron (or enameled anything) is a fine choice, it comes with its own limitations culinarily (and advantages) but it isn't going leach anything into your food. Has this been verified in practice? Is enamel always pure, or can it contain contaminants that can leach?