Buying Stainless Steel Cookware? Read This First

Is Stainless Steel Cookware Safe?

Yes. And No.

Confused? So was I. When I set out to answer this question, I realized there are two sides to this answer. You will have to be the best judge of which side you will go for.

So let’s break it down.

First, the Yes:

Stainless steel cookware is generally recognized as a safe material for cookware.

Any good quality stainless steel, be it 304 or 316 stainless steel, is a better choice than most of the other available materials. For example, coated aluminum pans lose their non-stick over time. Teflon-type coatings disintegrate if overheated. Glass and ceramic pans are poor conductors and break easily. Copper reacts with food and has to be lined with another metal (quite often stainless steel!). Cast iron needs to be seasoned otherwise it will rust.

Given these choices, stainless steel stands out as a low maintenance, durable and relatively inert option for cookware.

And now the No:

Stainless steel, while relatively inert compared to other metals, can leach nickel and chromium into food in low quantities. The amount leached depends on the grade of the stainless steel, the cooking time and the cookware usage.

Nickel leaching

According to Health Canada, nickel, in small quantities, is not poisonous. But for people who are allergic or have a sensitivity to nickel, it can cause a reaction, usually in the form of some skin irritation (aka dermatitis). According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 10-20% of the population is allergic to nickel.

The major source of nickel exposure for most people, according to the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information ), is food. Nickel is present in most foods and the average American consumes 69 to 162 μg of nickel per day. The tolerable limit for daily consumption is 1,000 μg per day.

Another organization, whfoods.org, says that the alloy in stainless steel cookware is much more stable than other cookware materials, which means you are less likely to have any leaching of any metal, including nickel.

So for most people, using corrosion-resistant nickel containing stainless steel cookware does not add significant amounts of nickel to the diet.

The point to stress here is ‘most people’. The 15-20% who DO have a nickel sensitivity are absolutely advised to avoid using Stainless Steel cookware and modify their diet to be low in nickel.

Chromium leaching

Health Canada states that small doses of chromium, like iron, are good for your health. Low levels of chromium are important for human health and metabolism of glucose, protein, and fat; at higher amounts it can be harmful. Most people consume 50 to 200 micrograms per day which is considered safe. The amount added to the diet from one meal cooked in stainless steel is 45 micrograms of chromium which is not enough to cause concern.

What about pitted and scratched stainless steel pots?

One thing to keep in mind is that if stainless steel cookware has been scratched and pitted by abuse and by scouring with an abrasive material like steel wool, it is more likely to leach nickel and chromium into food. It is still safe to use since the amounts are small. But it’s important to take care of your stainless steel pots and keep the surface intact.

How to minimize the reactivity of stainless steel?

Rebecca Wood at rebeccawood.com suggests 3 things to minimize the reactivity of stainless steel pots:

1. Don’t use stainless steel to store food. Remove from pan as soon as cooking is done.
2. Don’t use stainless steel for highly acidic or salty food. This will prevent corrosion.
3. Never scour stainless steel pans with abrasive cleaners.

Conclusion:

It seems that there is no cookware material that is not declared unsafe by someone or the other. But if you are not sensitive to nickel or chromium, use a reputable brand, and use your cookware with the care prescribed above, then the consensus is that stainless steel is an excellent choice and is acceptable and safe for cookware and bakeware.