Granite cookware has become more and more popular in recent years. Since they are taking over kitchens worldwide, you may wonder if getting them for your home is worth it. Is granite cookware a better choice compared to other types of cookware? What are their pros and cons?
This guide will dive deeply into everything you need to know about granite cookware. What are the benefits and drawbacks they come with? Hopefully, by the end, you will be able to decide whether granite cookware is the right fit for you.
Table of Contents
What is Granite Cookware?
Granite cookware is a type of cookware that is made using aluminum or carbon steel core that is coated with porcelain enamel. While the name might suggest that it has a bit of granite in it, it does not contain any granite. Instead, the name comes from its appearance, which looks much like polished granite.
Good quality granite cookware has unbeatable non-stick capabilities. The stone-like appearance also makes it stand out among your other cooking materials.
Granite cookware is an excellent choice for home kitchens and people who enjoy cooking as a hobby. However, they can be too delicate to handle a professional kitchen with many cooks, so they are not recommended for commercial kitchens.
The 9 Pros of Granite Cookware
1. Faster cooking
Granite cookware has become quite popular in recent years because of its ability to cook meals faster. It owes this ability to its core, which is usually made of carbon steel or aluminum. Both these materials are excellent conductors of heat. And the better your cookware is at conducting heat, the faster you can cook your meals.
2. Heatproof
The top stone layer of granite cookware allows it to handle very high temperatures easily. Granite cookware can take up to 500°C. Considering that most food dishes will be well cooked at 200-300°C, you should have no problems cooking with granite cookware.
3. Great Appearance
Granite cookware is also famous for its outstanding aesthetics. It looks gorgeous in any kitchen, adding to the overall decor.
4. PFOA-free
Perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA for short, is a chemical used to make most non-stick cookware. It is released in high heat and contaminates your food. Granite cookware has no PFOA, which means no harmful chemicals in your food.
5. Anti-rust properties
Granite cookware is very resistant to rust. Investing in this type of cookware means you can count on using it for many years without having to deal with rust. This makes granite cookware better than most other types of cookware, which usually rusts unless very well maintained.
6. Great non-stick base
Granite cookware has a strong non-stick coating. The stone finish prevents food from sticking to the cookware, which makes it a great choice for non-stick cookware.
7. Lightweight
Granite cookware is surprisingly lightweight despite being made of a metallic core and its stone-like appearance. This allows you to spend less energy carrying it around in the kitchen. It also reduces the damage your countertops, glass top stoves, or any other fragile kitchen surface will go through as you cook with them.
8. Easy to clean
Granite cookware is also very easy to clean. The shiny non-stick surface makes it harder for food to stick on, so you can simply wipe it clean instead of endlessly scrubbing it like you’d need to do for other cookware.
9. Cooks food with less oil
Because of its high heat retention, granite cookware can cook food with less oil. This makes it an excellent choice for you if you have been thinking about making healthy changes to your lifestyle. You can control your cholesterol intake by reducing your oil consumption with granite cookware.
The 6 Cons of Granite Cookware
1. Only works well with non-metal utensils
Experts recommend only using non-metal utensils when you cook with granite cookware. Utensils like metal spatulas can damage the coating on granite cookware. This is why you should only use wooden or plastic utensils if you have granite pots or pans.
Using metal utensils may also void the warranty on your granite cookware. This is why you should exclusively use plastic or wood utensils only.
2. Delicate material
While the core of granite cookware is solid, the coating is usually very delicate. Enamel or glass coating on granite cookware will often chip easily if you do not handle it carefully. If you use metal utensils with your cookware, drop it on the ground, or have something fall on it, you could cause significant irreversible damage to your pots and pans. This is why granite cookware is risky to use in fast-paced kitchens or kitchens with people who may not be gentle with the cookware.
3. Has a difficult time retaining heat
While granite cookware conducts heat well, it does not retain that heat for long. This is because the cores are often very thin.
Cookware that retains heat well is better overall. This is because they’ll use less energy since even if you remove the pot or pan from the heat source, it will continue to cook for a while. Granit cookware does not do this, instead, it cools down quickly, and you have to reheat it on the flame if you want to continue cooking.
4. Not the best choice for high-temperature cooking
Granite cookware conducts heat well but is not good at retaining heat. This poses a problem when it comes to cooking foods at high temperatures. The pot or pan will conduct heat, but it will not retain it long enough to cook food for long at high temperatures. For this reason, granite cookware is not the best choice for certain cuisines, such as Asian cuisine, where high heat is required to cook the food.
5. Limitations on non-stick qualities
While granite cookware has great non-stick qualities, other types of cookware are better at it. For example, Teflon-coated cookware is simply a better alternative if you are looking for the best cookware in terms of non-stick properties.
The good news is that this is not often a dealbreaker for most people. In most situations, adding a bit of oil to the cookware will bring it up to the level of non-stickiness you need.
6. Chipping enamel
When granite cookware chips, the enamel coating will easily get mixed into your food. The problem is that once a small section of your granite pot or pan chips, it starts a snowball effect that compounds over time so that more and more of it will chip every time you cook with it. This is one of the things you need to watch out for whenever you use granite cookware.
Is it safe to cook with granite cookware?
Granite cookware is generally safe to cook with, and the best cookware poses no harm to you and is even safe to cook baby food with. If you use it correctly, you should have no safety issues cooking with granite cookware.
That said, some granite cookware brands may make products that could potentially be problematic to use. Low-quality granite cookware or items that are made using substandard materials may be dangerous to use. The main concerns about granite cookware come from using PFOA and PTFE in their manufacturing process.
Not all granite cookware brands use PFOA and PTFE, and the vast majority avoid these chemicals. PFOA and PTFE coatings are often used to make the cookware more non-stick.
PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid) and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) are artificial chemical coatings that can be added to cookware to make them more non-stick. Combined, these chemicals are often referred to as Teflon and are used in manufacturing non-stick pots and pans worldwide.
Unfortunately, PFOA and PTFE have been shown to have some health risks, including conditions like liver disease and thyroid disorders.
Granite stoneware pans are some of the healthiest and safest cookware on the market as long as it does not contain PFOA or PTFE.
How to choose the right granite cookware
With so many companies and brands selling granite cookware, it can be a little challenging to identify that perfect pot of pan from all the options available. If you want to know how to identify the ideal fit for you, you have come to the right place. Here are some of the most important things to look for:
- Material: Ensure that your granite cookware has no PFOA or PTFE content. As mentioned earlier, these two chemicals have been shown to cause a number of health issues.
- Compatibility: Your choice of granite cookware needs to be compatible with how you plan to cook with it. It should also be compatible with your kitchen, so check if they work well with glass countertops and conduction stoves or hold up well in the oven.
- Type of handle: Go for a handle style that you are used to. The handles should be comfortable and appropriately sized for your hands.
- Warranty: The best granite cookware will have generous warranty coverage. Good warranty coverage tells you that the manufacturer is confident that their product will last a long time.
- Sturdy Die-Cast Aluminum Body: The reinforced die-cast aluminum construction of this kitchen pots and pans set ensures durability and reliability for long-term use while still maintaining a lightweight design. This lightweight feature brings convenience to your cooking experience.
Caring for your granite cookware
As mentioned earlier, how you care for your granite cookware will determine how long you’ll be able to use it.
We’ve also mentioned how your granite cookware is made of a thin metal core covered with a layer of porcelain enamel. This enamel cover protects the aluminum or carbon steel core while also giving the pot or pan its non-stick properties.
As long as the enamel coating is not damaged, your granite cookware is safe to use, easy to cook with, and easy to clean. The enamel coating can be damaged by scratching, hitting, scrubbing, and other actions that may chip away.
Therefore, caring for your granite cookware is all about protecting this enamel coating. You can ensure that it lasts for a long time by doing the following:
- Use a plastic or wooden spoon to prevent scratches. Metal spoons or other metal utensils are hard enough to breach the enamel coating and chip it. This can reduce the lifespan of your granite cookware.
- Cook food on medium heat. While granite cookware is great at conducting heat, it does not retain heat very well. Because of its high conductivity, your food will get cooked faster even at medium heat. However, using high heat for too long will gradually degrade the enamel cover, leaving you with less efficient pots and pans over time.
- Wash your granite cookware gently. Instead of scrubbing them with something hard, clean your cookware with hot water and a stiff brush. Boil some water in the pot or pan to loosen the food remains before scrubbing it gently with a stiff brush.
- Don’t make the pan too hot or too cold too quickly. Because granite cookware is made of multiple layers of materials that each cool down or heat up at different rates, making it too hot or too cold too quickly will result in the two materials contracting or expanding at different rates. This will crack the enamel cover.
Why is my Granite Stone pan sticking?
If you heat the pan too little or too much before adding food, some foods will stick to the pan. However, if you use butter or oil and preheat the pan to a medium-hot temperature, your food will never stick.
Is granite cookware made of granite?
These pots and pans are not made from granite but take on the name because of their surface, which typically has a speckled or mottled look like granite.
Is granite cookware better than non-stick?
There is no point in comparing granite to non-stick cookware because they are made of the same material, with only a few cosmetic differences.
Which is better stone or granite cookware?
Stoneware is durable and versatile, but it comes with a higher price tag. If you’re looking for cookware on a budget, that still offers non-stick capabilities granite is the way to go.
Which is better granite cookware or ceramic cookware?
Ceramic is ideal if you’re looking for excellent non-stick properties while cooking eggs or flipping pancakes. If you frequently find yourself needing to transfer ingredients from the stovetop to the oven, granite is your best bet.
Are granite pans heavy?
You might picture granite cookware as being bulky and tough to carry around, but it’s actually much lighter than cast iron. Its nonstick surface is not only beautiful, but also simple to clean.
Final Thoughts
Shopping for granite cookware is one of those situations where it can be tempting to go for the cheaper option just because. However, try not to fall into this trap because otherwise, you may miss out on some of the amazing benefits of using granite cookware. Plus, the best versions are designed to last a very long time, so you’ll be getting more value for your money in the long run. Hopefully, this guide has helped you figure out what to look for as you shop for your next granite cookware.
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Last update on 2023-04-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
