Granite cookware would make a fabulous addition to your collection of kitchen cookware accessories.
If you search online or in your local housewares store, you can find a lot of different granite cookware products for sale.
The products range from frying pans to cooking pots.
But how safe is this cookware for cooking? Does it cause any harm? And what should you keep in mind while cooking in them?
That is the point of this article. We’ll sort everything out for you.
Granite cookware is made with a porcelain enamel coating. And it is safe to cook food with granite cookware as long as the porcelain enamel is not damaged.
If you don’t toss the cookware around or treat it aggressively, then you won’t risk damaging it.
Just treat it properly, and you’ll be fine.
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What is Granite Cookware?
Granite cookware is basically enamelware.
Do not believe the word “granite” in the name because this cookware does not contain actual granite rock material.
Instead, it is made from an aluminum alloy with a porcelain enamel coating. Enamel is a glass-based coating.
The core of granite cookware may be made from stainless-steel or carbon steel if an aluminum alloy is not used.
The outside of the cookware will still retain its grainy appearance just like a granite rock. The aesthetics of the cookware are why it is called granite cookware.
Granite cookware is actually one of the oldest types of kitchenware.
It was invented in the mid-18th century after a German fused glass to metal at an extremely hot temperature of 2000°F.
The metal used during those days was cast iron. Nowadays, manufacturers elect to use cheaper materials like aluminium to create the core base.
This makes the granite cookware much lighter to carry around. It also allows food to cook faster too.
Is Granite Cookware Safe to Cook with?
Overall, granite cookware is much safer to use for cooking when compared to other cookware products on the market.
So many of the cheaper cookware products that are available contain toxic ingredients, such as cadmium, perfluorooctanoic acid, and lead.
Granite cookware is not naturally stick-resistant.
To solve the problem, some granite cookware products are coated with a chemical called polytetrafluoroethylene. Most people refer to it as PTFE.
It is best known for its non-stick properties, which means a PTFE coating makes granite cookware resistant to stickiness.
You need to be careful of PTFE because it can be toxic to your health under certain conditions.
Health experts recommend that you only cook granite cookware with PTFE coatings at a temperature of no more than 350°C.
If you expose the coating to a hotter temperature, it’ll cause the PTFE coating to break away from the core and emit into the air.
If your granite cookware has a porcelain enamel coating, then you need to make sure the enamel is not chipped on the surface.
If it is chipped, then small particles of glass may mix in with your foods.
You probably wouldn’t feel it going down your throat, but it can still have an impact on your health nonetheless.
Pros and Cons of Using Granite Cookware
Granite cookware comes in different sizes and shapes, whether you’re purchasing a frying pan or pot.
You probably won’t know which granite cookware to purchase because of their differences.
However, it is easy to recognize granite cookware from other types of cookware because of its grey and black color pattern.
It also has a granular texture, which gives it a rougher surface than your traditional stainless-steel frying pan.
This has its own advantages and disadvantages when cooking food. Let’s discuss some of them here.
Pros
There are a lot of good reasons to cook foods with granite cookware.
For one thing, its porcelain enamel coating does not attract rust as cast-iron does.
You can even cook acidic foods with the cookware, and it won’t damage it at all.
We recommend that you purchase granite cookware that does not contain non-stick chemical coatings like cadmium, PTFE, lead, or PFOA.
Chemical-free options are available, so it is possible to stay safe after cooking foods with granite cookware if it doesn’t have any of these coatings.
If you want to cook foods faster, then find granite cookware with a core made from carbon steel or aluminium.
Heat can transfer through these materials faster because they’re thinner metals than cast-iron.
They also make granite cookware lighter than cast-iron cookware too.
People love the glossy and grainy aesthetics of granite cookware.
It just looks so different than the solid colors of other types of cookware. The surface does not feel grainy, though.
It actually feels quite smooth when you put your finger up against it.
When you go to clean your granite cookware products, the smoothness of the surface will make it easier to wash away messes.
Cons
Modern granite cookware products may allow heat to pass through them easily, but they don’t retain heat once you take the heat source away.
In the old days, granite cookware products were made from cast-iron material.
This allowed the granite cookware to retain heat. But now, you have carbon steel and aluminium at the core of modern granite cookware.
These materials cannot retain heat very well.
You have to be careful with the porcelain enamel coating on the surface of granite cookware.
If you scrape against it too aggressively, it can chip away into tiny particles.
Then all of the food you cook in the granite cookware will likely have these particles in it too. That makes it a danger to your health.
If you’re looking for a great non-stick cookware product, then granite cookware is not for you.
You’d be better off with a seasoned cast-iron skillet or a frying pan coated in Teflon.
Granite cookware can be made slightly stick resistant if you apply some cooking oil to the surface before the food.
Factors to Consider When Buying Granite Cookware
Granite cookware products are made differently. You need to pay attention to the materials and coatings of the products.
Then you can determine whether they’re safe and suitable for your needs.
Safe Material
For instance, you’ll want to choose granite cookware products that contain no lead, cadmium, PFOA, or PTFE.
This will save you the trouble of having your health affected by these elements.
If for some reason you’re not sure whether your granite cookware contains these chemicals or materials, then just keep your cooking temperature under 300°C.
Where to use
Another consideration to make is where you plan to use your granite cookware products.
Are you going to bake food in the oven with them?
If so, then you need granite cookware which is safe to put in the oven.
Normally, an oven-safe granite cookware product contains a handle that is heat resistant or made from the same material as the core.
If you want to cook food on glass and induction cooktops make sure that its compatible with them.
Handle
If you’d prefer to have handles that stay cool as you cook with the product, then find granite cookware with handles that are attached.
These handles will remain cooler than the core because they’re not all one unit.
This is in contrast to cast-iron cookware, where the handle is part of the core.
Warranty
A lot of granite cookware manufacturers will include a 1-year warranty with their products.
Look for these warranties so that you can have better peace of mind when purchasing granite cookware products.
Frequently Asked Questions about Granite Cookware
Will Acidic Foods Damage My Granite Cookware?
No, they won’t. The porcelain coating on the surface will not be affected by the acidic properties of certain foods.
The food that you cook should look and taste the same afterward.
Do High Cooking Temperatures Ruin Granite Cookware?
Yes, your granite cookware won’t last for very long if you keep cooking food in it at extremely hot temperatures.
If you need to cook foods at temperatures over 300°C, then consider using a cast-iron skillet or frying pan instead.
Otherwise, you can cook your foods at a medium-high temperature. That is just hot enough to cook most foods without damaging the enamel.
Does My Granite Cookware Product Require Any Maintenance?
Yes, the porcelain enamel coating of granite cookware is very delicate, which is why it chips so easily.
You must be gentle when cooking with your granite cookware. Don’t use any steel utensils when stirring or flipping foods.
Hard utensils can easily damage the enamel and cause it to chip. It is better to use a softer set of utensils, such as silicone utensils.
Can I Put My Granite Cookware Product in the Dishwasher?
A lot of granite cookware products will claim to be safe for washing in a dishwasher.
However, a dishwasher may cause the non-stick coating on the surface to deteriorate quickly.
To prevent it from happening, it is better to use manual hand washing with mild soap and warm water in your sink.
If the Porcelain Enamel Gets Chipped, Can I Fix the Cookware?
Once the porcelain enamel of your granite cookware is chipped on the surface, there is nothing you can do to fix it.
You mine as well throw away the cookware and replace it with new cookware.
Damaged enamel will cause glass pieces to mix in with your foods.
This can become a health hazard if you consume enough of the enamel particles.
