What are the disadvantages of cooking in clay pots? Any idea? If not, then just go through this blog post where I have dealt with this topic in details for the benefit of my readers. Read on if you are interested.
Pottery is associated with the earliest civilizations. Since the beginning clay pots have played a significant role in shaping the food lifestyle of these countries.
Have you ever visited the kitchen of your grandmother? If yes you might have witnessed her cooking delicious meals using clay cookware. After tasting these delicious meals, you may be able to feel a sensation of magic.
There is a tendency to question the safety of clay cookware. What are the drawbacks to making meals in pots made of clay?
This article will inform you about the advantages and disadvantages of cooking in clay pots. Additionally, you will be able to acquire all the necessary information on how to select the best cookware for clay!
The top disadvantages of cooking in clay pots
The benefits of cooking with a clay cookware are greater than the disadvantages. But, it is important to know the main drawbacks of these pots.
Here are the top disadvantages of cooking in clay pots:
Contamination
Thanks to the advancements in manufacturing techniques, the quality of clay pots is being compromised.
The clay cooking pan you’ll find in the market will contain an assortment of elements. Manufacturers produce these pots with clay from various areas of deposits. Thus, the transport will introduce foreign materials into the clay.
This could include the impurities, iron oxide and even trace amounts of metal. Certain of these substances are hazardous to your body’s health.
Clay pots that aren’t pure could contain elements which pose dangers to the human body. There are clay pots that claim to be 100% pure. But, when purchasing such pots, be sure to purchase them from a reliable brand.
Porousness of Clay Pots
Contrary to ceramic cookware, one can’t clean clay pots similarly. Additionally, you can’t make use of soap to remove food particles. If you do this then soap will get into the pores, and remain there. And, your slow-cooked food might taste like soap!
Their porous construction could affect their performance. However, this didn’t appear to be a problem for more than millennia.
Glazed Clay Pots Can Give Rise to Health Concerns
As we mentioned the clay is a naturally porous material. It could delay the cooking process, making it less effective. In certain instances cleaning a pot made of clay challenging. Therefore, industry professionals created the lead-based glaze technique.
Unglazed clay will maintain its original texture and give an authentic look. However, clay pots that are glazed guarantee a perfect cooking process and are more efficient.
It also makes the texture clean and easy to remove! But these glazes can produce a harmful adverse effect for your wellbeing.
Cooking in a shiny and appealing lead-glazed pan will expose you lead.
Earthen Pots are Fragile
The clay pots are brittle and may crack when heated absorption. When slow cooking in your clay cooking pan, it is important to monitor the temperature.
In the event of uneven heat distribution, it will cause parts of the pot break. So, ensuring uniform temperature levels is essential! Therefore the cooking process in a clay pan can be exhausting due to its delicate nature.
You will need the patience to reduce or increase the temperature while cooking slowly.
Flavor Problems in the Clayware
Clay pots are an iconic symbol of traditional flavors to food preparation. But cooking with clay could be a problem when you cook delicious curries.
The more flavors you add to your food, the greater the clay vessel will absorb. The spices will be absorbed into the pores and the clay will hold its essence. In addition, the porousness the pot plays part in the formation of the stains that curries leave behind.
After the flavor is settled in your cooking pot, it could affect the flavor of other recipes.
Heat Absorption is Very High
Do you really want burning your fingers when cooking? No, absolutely not!
When using clay pots you could run the danger that your fingers will burn. This is why you must be extremely cautious when cooking your food. Furthermore, the pots are able to cool quickly. To ensure safety it is recommended to keep them far from your children.
Advantages of Cooking in Clay Pots
With all its drawbacks clay pots have many advantages in addition. What makes it safe to use clay cookware to cook in?
Let’s begin by discussing the health-related aspect of eating. The pure clay has a non-toxic nature meaning it doesn’t react with food items.
Even if this weren’t the situation, clay is stuffed with minerals like calcium and magnesium, in contrast to the chemicals and toxins that are found in cookware made of metal.
Delicious Food
The food cooked in clay pots tastes better than other cooking pan.
Why? Because the moisture content in the foods is preserved. This results in food being more succulent and tender than traditional cooking.
It is unique in cooking with clay and assists in bringing the seasonings and spices more deeply into the food, providing it with that extra special taste.
PH balance of food
The clay material is known for its alkaline properties. It balances the pH of food items by interfering with the acids present in food items.
The acidic food items like tomatoes are able to take on a natural sweetness and taste fantastic with clay cookware.
Keep 100% Nutrition through food
Clay pots possess the distinctive property of keeping any steam or vapors that evaporate when cooking.
It aids in the retention of all nutrients in the food. It helps reduce the need for adding more water or oil.
Less Oil:
A healthy, fat-free dinner is feasible when cooking with clay pots because they possess non-stick properties.
This can help reduce the amount of oil used during cooking in crock pots which results in a reduction in bad cholesterol, as well as slimmer waistlines.
It retains heat for a longer period of time
Terracotta is not the best conductor of heat. However, the benefit is that the amount of heat that it conducts is ideal to cook food without burning or overheating under pressure.
Uniform cooking
It is a porous material that lets heat and moisture flow evenly throughout the cookware during cooking unlike stainless steel cookware.
This innovative method of heat circulation assists in cooking meat and vegetables equally.
Environmental benefits
Clay is an eco-friendly material, since it is entirely natural, inert and safe. If properly maintained the clay pots are able to last for a considerable period of time.
A Historical Trip to Clay Pots
Since the year 400 BC pottery is a craft that has been practiced in the industry of handicrafts. Humans from the prehistoric era discovered the strength of clay hardened by accident. Thus, they resulted in the making of robust containers which later developed into pots.
The form that was hardened of this pottery was durable enough to store water and food. The earthy appearance of the utensil was considered to be the most basic.
And then, came the age of ornamental elements that were carved into these pots!
In the past, Egyptians were the first users pottery made of clay. Additionally, the ancient Greeks believed that decorations made of clay as holy and attractive.
In the Middle Ages when people used clay and sand in order to make earthen clay pots for cooking. Since then, all over the world are using clay pots to create an exquisite aroma into their food.
Indians use these as “Handis or Matkas.” These pots are found everywhere within rural India.
The clay pots were used by the people who owned them because they neutralized the acidity levels in food items. This makes slow-cooked meals nutritious.
It is a unique ingredient that can assist in the cooking process. However, there are few drawbacks that weren’t evident until a few thousand years ago.
Choosing the Right Clay Pot
Are you considering purchasing clay cookware for your cooking endeavors? Be aware of these suggestions to ensure you purchase the highest clay pots.
Choose a clay-based pot from reputable business houses.
You must ensure that it is 100% pure clay (100% clay tag).
Testing the purity of the product prior to production is vital.
Select a clay pot that is unglazed to cook in.
Understand and analyze the various types of clay pots.
Understanding the Different Types of Clay Pots
When you do your research, you’ll see a range of clay pots on the market. Therefore, knowing the different varieties is essential.
Stoneware – A durable, tough material that is that is resistant to chipping and cracking. (Can endure extreme temperatures)
Earthenware – It is impure due to its soft permeable, earthy appearance. (Can stand up to low temperatures)
Porcelain– is made from the purest clay known as Kaolin. They are thermal or flameproof clays and microwave-resistant. (Can be able to withstand extremely high temperatures)
FAQs About cooking In Clay Pots
Are you looking for more information regarding clay pots? If you do, this section was specifically designed for you!
Are cooking with clay pots safe?
Yes! Cooking food using pure clay pots is secure. But the flavor may be different, and requires the proper supervision during cooking. Clay cookware is prone to overheating and could be risky if not cautious.
Does it make sense to cook in clay cooking pots?
Yes! Clay vessels are eco-friendly and can make food smell delicious. Additionally, they infuse the food with a variety of beneficial nutrients. These pots can preserve the oil content of foods, making them taste better and healthier.
Clay pots are great to steam, roast, braising, baking, and steaming!
Clay pots are unglazed or glazed. Which one should you pick?
If you choose to use a clay pot without glaze, it is a better choice to cook in. Glazed clay pots are infused with lead in the. When you heat them, they let the lead in the food you eat and turns it harmful.
What are the various types of clay used in making pots?
There are three kinds of clay pots you can select from:
Stoneware
Earthenware
Porcelain
Can you check whether the clay pot is poisonous?
It is possible to add baking soda and water into the pot, and let it simmer. After a couple of minutes, shut off the source of heat. Therefore, allow the water to cool before tasting it.
If you experience a spongy or chemical smell in the water, the pot is not hygienic. Additionally, you might detect metals circulating within the waters.
What is the correct method to clean clay pots?
If you wash clay pots by using soap or a dishwasher that isn’t used regularly the soap will be absorbed into the clay pot. Instead, it is best to employ steaming hot clean water along with a scrubber to wash the clay pots thoroughly. If your clay vessel has difficult stains, then you can soak it in the mix of 1 to 4 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 tbsp vinegar, and water for a night. Baking soda can help in removing the smell of foul from the clay pot.
Can you cook food in clay cookware?
Yes, the clay cookware is safe to cook any kind of food. If you are careful about specific things like clay cookware can be temperature sensitive and can get very hot, easily break and break easily. and handle cookware with care and it’s the safest and most effective type of cookware to use in any kitchen. Pots made of clay can be used to cook, grill and browning, among others. It’s safe to place in the microwave as well as refrigerator.
Can you safely utilize ceramic or clay pots on gas cooktop?
Yes you can utilize clay pots with gas stoves. But, ensure that the clay is an unglazed clay pot made of natural clay. Based on the manufacturer, you may use an unglazed clay pot for the top of your cooking stove of gas, electrical stoves and ovens.
Wrapping up
So, I hope that after learning about the advantages and disadvantages of coking in clay pots, you will be able to decide whether you would like to buy them for your own cooking purposes.
Pots made of clay have been around for a long time. The ancient civilizations used them to cook, store food and for other functions. Additionally, it comes with unique attributes and benefits that blend into cooked meals.
However, the drawbacks of cooking in clay cookware are severe and sometimes quite annoying. Cooking in clay can keeps the food’s pH levels in check and ensures it is healthy. However, cooking in a pot that is not clean could have negative effects on your health.
Thus, choosing the purest clay regardless of its porosity is absolutely vital.
In this way, you’ll be able to find a clay pots and pans that are suitable for your needs and begin your culinary journey. The earthen pots will give your food a delicious scent and a traditional flavor.
