If you’re a healthy cook and have the right dutch oven in your kitchen, the possibilities are endless. A dutch oven is a very useful kitchen utensil and can be used to cook a number of dishes. Having a single cookware to cook various types of food is not only convenient, but also saves a lot of money: you no longer need to buy a wide range of cookware to try different recipes. But, as mentioned in the first line of this article, you must have the right one.
The healthiest option would be a pure clay dutch oven because it has certain characteristics that no other has. Do you want to check if yours is the right one? Let’s see if you can do the following 8 things:
1. Naturally non-stick
It becomes naturally non-stick when seasoned well (used multiple times). It starts to prevent food from sticking to the walls without any toxic coating. It is easier to clean by rubbing with clean water without using any soap or cleaning agent.
Metal and ceramic cookware needs toxic coatings to make them non-stick that contaminate food as it cooks.
2. Breathable
Pure clay walls are semi-porous, they allow oxygen to pass through easily so that food cooks with enough oxygen. The effect can be felt in the form of better flavor and aroma of cooked food. No other cookware has this ability.
3. Can be used both on the stovetop and in the oven
It can be used both on the stove and in the oven, all thanks to the raw material. This makes it possible to have one pot for all types of cooking. Conventionals do NOT have this feature.
4. Keeps food warm for 5-6 hours without heating
Pure clay pots are excellent at retaining heat: they keep food warm for 5-6 hours after cooking. This eliminates the need to heat and reheat the food each time it is served. Sometimes food continues to cook even after the heat source is turned off, thus saving energy. Have you ever heard of a metal pot that does the same thing? On the contrary, they lose heat quite quickly as soon as you stop heating them.
5. Cook food without destroying nutrients
Some delicate but essential nutrients like complex carbohydrates, flavonoids, etc. they are destroyed by the strong heat of metals and ceramics. But when cooked with mild far-infrared heat from pure clay, they remain intact. When the body is regularly fueled with nutrient-dense foods, you feel more energetic.
6. Preserves water-soluble nutrients as vapor
Water-soluble nutrients present as steam during cooking are often released through vents in metal/ceramic pot lids. Pure clay pots handle this steam uniquely by letting it condense on the inside of the lid (where the temperature is comparatively lower). It keeps falling into the food during cooking, instead of being lost completely. This is nothing short of a blessing because the body cannot store these water-soluble nutrients and the only way to get them regularly is through food.
7. 100% non-toxic raw material
The raw material used in your dutch oven largely decides the health of your food. While metals and ceramics leach out toxins and contaminate food during cooking, pure clay is naturally inert and does not leach out. As a result, foods cooked in pure clay are free from any kind of metal toxins. Pure clay is tested for purity by laboratory tests and can also be tested at home using the alkaline baking soda leach test.
8. Truly green manufacturing, use and disposal
It is not only good for the health of our diet but also for the planet. From the collection of the raw material to the manufacture of the final product, it never releases any by-products that could harm the environment in any way. They are fully biodegradable and can be easily disposed of at the end of their life cycle.
On the contrary, the manufacture of metal and ceramic Dutch ovens cause harmful effects on the environment at all stages. Its toxic byproducts pollute natural resources and affect wildlife. Also, removing them remains a challenge because they pollute the environment wherever they are left.
If yours is missing some or all of these features, then you are really missing out on a lot of what a truly healthy, non-toxic and eco-friendly cookware can offer. Stop compromising the health of your family and the planet AND make the switch to the pure clay dutch oven to experience all the benefits it has to offer.
