Category: Healthy cooking pots

“All that glitters is not gold.” is an apt expression that comes to my mind when looking for the best cookware! The market is flooded with all kinds of attractive, colorful and shiny pots and pans mostly made from metals, alloys, and ceramics (a clay-like material). To make the right choice, one must understand the effects of raw material on cooking and food. Let’s discuss the effects of different cookware materials on your food’s health.

Cast Iron

All metals are reactive, they leach metal ions at the cooking temperature and contaminate food. Iron occurs in its ferric and ferrous form. Our bodies can assimilate (or process) iron from food — plants and meat which is in the ferrous form. The ferric form of iron from cast iron cannot be assimilated or digested by our bodies! While some people think this is the best cookware, unfortunately the ferric iron when combined with the oxygen in the body, can release oxygen-free radicals, which are unstable molecules. And studies now show that the damage caused by free radicals may be the cause for many forms of cancer (National Cancer Institute). 

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is made up of a combination of various metals like iron, nickel, chromium, molybdenum, carbon etc. Even small amounts of these metals in the cellular or organ level can prove extremely toxic. For instance, a very small amount of concentration of nickel can cause kidney dysfunction, low blood pressure, muscle tremors, oral cancer, skin problems etc.  

Aluminum

Aluminum is a reactive soft metal.  It easily reacts with the different foods and releases the metal into the food. In fact, there is enough evidence today to prove that there is a strong connection between Aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease. Chronic aluminum exposure has contributed directly to hepatic failure, renal failure, and dementia (Arieff et al., 1979). 

Effects of These Metals On The Environment

The best cookware should also be good for the planet, wouldn’t you agree?  On the contrary, the mining and processing of these metals and oxides call for massive deforestation affecting wildlife and they poison the nearby air and water resources. People working in these mines and processing plants suffer irreversible damage to their body due to interaction with toxic gases and chemicals released as by-products of mining, extraction, and processing of these metals.

The people living in nearby areas also face various health problems due to increased pollution levels. They eventually have to relocate to a safer place to save their lives and that of their children.

The Finishing: Enamel, Glazing And Other Chemicals:

The best cookware should not be coated or glazed with anything.  But is that even possible? Not with the conventional.  Because of their dull appearance and toxic composition, conventional cookware needs to be coated and treated with chemical treatments. This is commonly done to make them colorful and attractive to the eyes which may enhance their sales numbers but are toxic to the food. These chemicals consist of metal oxides and toxins that also leach into food during cooking.

1. Enamel (in Cast Iron)

Enamels are hard coatings used to prevent metals from corrosion and for making them inert but unfortunately, they are themselves chemicals that leach while cooking and contaminate food.

2. Glazing (in Ceramics)

Ceramics is clay made from oxides, metal ores and a small amount of natural clay. It is further glazed with paint-like substances to give it shine and color. These contain oxides of different metals like Lead and Cadmium.

3. Nickel Finish (in Aluminum and Stainless Steel)

Is a form of chemical finish used on Aluminum and Stainless Steel. As explained before, Nickel can damage organs and cause many diseases of the likes of cancer.

4. Non-Stick Coating (in Non-stick Cookware)

A chemical ingredient most common to non-stick cookware is perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). This is a synthetic chemical that creates a soap-like slipperiness and the non-stick finish. When heated, the PFOA release toxic fumes and chemicals into the air and food. It has been known to produce serious changes in organs like the brain, prostate, liver, thymus kidney showing toxicity.

The Best Cookware — Pure Clay. Why?

Pure clay (unglazed primary clay) is not an unknown material for cookware, on the contrary, it is the oldest material used by one civilization after other for this purpose. It is the highest quality natural clay without any contaminants. It is easily available on earth’s surface and no mining or extraction is required. In the purest form, it is 100% non-toxic and inert – a perfect material for making cookware. Pure clay cookware is unglazed and no chemicals are used at any stage from harvesting clay to making the final product. Unlike metals, making pure clay cookware doesn’t affect the environment or the health of people that come in contact with clay or the manufacturing plant. There are no toxic liquid or gaseous wastes – the whole process is completely safe and non-toxic just like the finished product. Now, this is what qualifies for being the best pots and pans!

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WRITES NOTE: I cook only in MEC’s pure-clay pots for all these amazing reasons and also because my food tastes better than in any other pot.  The fact that none of the food’s nutrients are destroyed is the reason for this amazing difference. The first question I ask anyone who says they are living healthy is if “they are cooking in pure-clay”.  It is the foundations of healthy cooking.  Are you?

Would you rather cook rice for the sake of eating it or for all the goodness it offers to your body? 

Rice – a staple consumed by half the world’s population is also considered a super-grain for its  many nutritional benefits. It is full of simple and complex carbohydrates (fuel for the body), vitamins and minerals – needed for the proper functioning and metabolic activity. It prevents obesity, controls blood pressure, is good for skin and the digestive system – some of the reasons it’s so popular among the masses. 

With this knowledge, we hope you’d want to cook it for its great taste and its nutritional value! The first step getting the best of rice is choosing the right kind. It’s better to choose not overly processed rice.  Aged rice is much better and doubles in quantity than new rice. Par-boiled is better than raw. Through the process of par-boiling, the nutrients in the rice are preserved and made bio-available easily while cooking. And as much as possible, avoid the enriched (with lab-made ingredients), highly processed rice. It is enriched with chemical “nutrients” to compensate for what is lost during the processing. 

The second step to cooking healthy rice is choosing a healthy rice cooker. While the conventional rice cookers are made from metals and ceramics, they are not ideal for cooking this nutritious food. The harsh heat from their walls destroy the complex carbs and distorts the minerals by leaching their own compounds into the food. Our body needs a balance of both kinds of carbs, an excess of only simple carbs eventually results in diseases like Diabetes. The toxins these materials leach into rice further contaminate it and negatively affect body functions, especially the immune system. 

An ideal rice cooker would be the one that cooks rice gently without destroying its nutrients and it won’t compromise on the amazing taste of your carefully chosen rice. You’d be pleased to know that an all-American company makes such rice cookers from a natural material, in the USA. Miriams Earthen Cookware makes healthy rice cookers from pure clay – a 100% non-toxic material that cooks rice with unique far infrared heat – a gentle food-friendly heat that keeps nutrients intact and cooks soft, fluffy and delicious rice. 

Pure clay is nothing like the conventional metal stuff – this is natural clay sourced inside USA. It is inert and doesn’t leach toxins. It is a time-honored material by one generation after another since ancient times – who used to live healthier and longer by the way. Our fairly recent switch to so-called “modern” cookware has not spared the body of diseases like diabetes, cancer etc. 

If I want to cook healthy I will choose MEC’s pure-clay cookware, you know why? Because in all my searching, I have not come across another one that can cook food without destroying nutrients, and without adding its own metals and chemicals into the food, yikes! (Do the Alkaline Baking Soda Test to check your cookware). For all these reasons and so many more (think about the eco-value) this is a must-have in every healthy person’s kitchen!

Tired of metal and ceramic cookware leaching into your food and making it unhealthy? We’re sure you must have come across clay cookware looking for an alternative. Let’s find out what makes it the safest and healthiest cookware: 

How It All Started? 

It birthed from one woman’s dream to help people cook their healthiest food in pure-clay pots. Miriam had every reason to believe this was possible because her own life was living proof to this. She was diagnosed with Diabetes at a very young age and with a seemingly healthy body. On her quest to find the root cause of this problem, she had surprising evidence piling up for the role the cookware plays in the “health” of your food? (Read her story here)

How Cookware Affects The Health Of Food? 

Conventional metal and ceramic cookware leach toxins into food and contaminate it. Also, the harsh heat radiating from the walls of these pots destroys delicate nutrients and leave it nutritionally deficient. When you regularly eat such food, your body becomes permanently deficient in certain essential nutrients and this imbalance of nutrients causes diseases. 

What then is the Safest Material? 

Natural clay.  Although being savvy in metallurgy the ancient civilizations have all cooked their food only in clay.  This is because the issue of “leaching” and “harsh heat” is non-existent with this material. Moreover, there are numerous benefits to cooking in this material that is not possible with the others. 

How did MEC Earn this Title? 

With this knowledge backed by years of study and research, Miriam with her team started off in an effort to bring back this method of natural cooking into our modern kitchens. Here are some of the steps we took to create MEC:

Choosing the perfect raw material:

MEC’s Pure clay is harvested from unfarmed and non-industrialized lands within the USA – then several samples are tested in an independent state lab to ensure it is free from metals and toxins like Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic etc.

Making cookware in a healthy way:

Unlike conventional cookware makers, MEC doesn’t use chemicals or additives in any of the making, processing, finishing or firing processes. Use of chemicals becomes a necessity when something is made through a mechanized process on a large scale. But MEC adopts the safest method of making cookware from clay using skillful hands – on the potter’s wheel. (Read about the whole making process here)

“What I love most about Miriams Earthen Cookware is that is it completely natural and unprocessed, making it the healthiest cookware available! And that is so unique and rare to find nowadays in our high-tech world! I have felt more energized using these products, and have better tasting food. Thank you so much MEC for returning us to our roots! Cookware the REAL way!! Love these high quality pieces! <3”

– Cheryl, California, USA 

No Glazes:

Glazing may give the option of color to the finish but glazes are full of chemicals, oxides and toxins. They not only make the cookware toxic but also make it non-porous, i.e, not allowing oxygen to pass through the pot while cooking – an important aspect of healthy cooking only possible with unglazed pure-clay pots.  

Steam is retained inside, one feature of the Ergonomic Design:

The design of MEC pots and lids is well thought out keeping the whole cooking process in mind. Steam management is very important if you want to save the water-soluble nutrients. In conventional cookware, steam has to be released for safety reasons. But it’s just the opposite with MEC pots and pans! When steam rises from food, the lid being made in concentric circles and being cooler than the pot, lets it condense and fall back into the food.  This unique feature keeps the food moist and prevents burning inside the pot even for long hours of cooking and greatly reduces the need to keep adding water. 

“I enjoy cooking with Miriam’s Earthen Cookware. First, it gently steams the food and does not overcook it. I especially like making bone broth. Even the poultry bones produce a gelatinous broth! In other cookware, the poultry bone broth is liquid and runny. Great is the time it takes, only 3 to 4 hours instead of 12 to 24! I recommend Miriam’s Earthen Cookware!” 

– Irene Walther, Fl USA 

Not Only HEALTHY but also DELICIOUS!  

How many times have we heard people say, “it’s healthy but not tasty”?  This is no longer true with MEC.  Food cooked in pure clay is not just healthy but better tasting as well – because of the gentle heat, the nutrients stay intact and so do the flavors and aroma of the healthy ingredients you have used: 

“I just recently bought my clay pot and I can tell the difference between cooking in my clay pot and cooking with my other pots and pans. It is a wonderful experience. I know that I am truly cooking food at its absolute best with absolutely no toxins or pollutants contaminating my food. I am very happy with this purchase. You will not regret this purchase. Thank you Miriam for making the BEST clay pots out there!!” 

– K. Ross Ashland VA 

It is because of all the efforts in keeping MEC healthy and safe from the first step until the very last that they have earned the title of the safest and healthiest cookware. Order a MEC pot today and be a part of this great movement to provide the best food for your family and the future generations. 

Have you ever tried making yogurt at home? If yes, you must be aware of all the challenges of making it thick and delicious – similar to the store bought one. If you don’t know the right way of making, it may turn out runny or sour and the excess water needs straining which also strains out the liquid probiotics. 

Once you learn how to make it properly, there is no reason you won’t make it regularly. After all, it’s so delicious and healthy – with so many health benefits for people of all age groups. But it’s only healthy when it is free from harmful additives like gelatin (glue made from animal bones), pectin (a bio-polymer acid, lab-made ingredient), etc. 

To make this delicious food in the healthiest way, all you need is milk, yogurt culture (leftovers from the previous batch) and most importantly – a pure clay pot. Pure clay is a 100% tested and certified non-toxic material so no metal toxins leach into yogurt. The pot made from this material is naturally semi-porous or breathable. So no excess water stays in the yogurt as the micro-pores slowly draw out water (& just the water, leaving the liquid probiotics intact) making your yogurt thicker and silkier, naturally! 

Here are three simple steps to making yogurt in a pure clay pot: 

1. Heat the milk to just before boiling point (till small bubbles form on the surface). Turn stove off, and open lid and let it cool down for 30 mins or so, till you can put your little finger and hold it there for 5 secs. Now the milk is ready for the culture. (this process takes about 2 minutes hands-on-time) 
2. Add yogurt culture. (two minute hands-on time) 
3. Set in the oven with the lid on and oven light on.  (one minute hands-on time) 

That’s a total of less than 10 minutes!

Let it incubate for 6-8 hours and the yogurt is ready. The yogurt left in the pot gets thicker and thicker over time. Besides being thicker and creamier, the yogurt made in pure clay pot is without a doubt healthier because the food has no interaction with metals or chemicals from the pot. And does not experience nutritional loss while cooking or heating. Also, no additives are used like in the store bought yogurt – save you from harmful effects of artificial additives and sugars.

When making thick and delicious yogurt at home is this simple there is no reason you shouldn’t get your own pure clay pot and try this healthy food. Head over to MEC Store and order a yogurt maker today!

The pressure cooker is an interesting invention of the modern world. It was designed to save cooking time by forcing food to cook quickly under extreme steam pressure. Pressure is created by boiling a liquid (mostly water) inside the closed pot. The trapped steam increases the internal pressure and allows the temperature to rise, which forces food to cook quickly. In the end, the pressure is slowly released so the lid can be opened safely. 

A conventional pressure cooker is a metal pot – made from aluminum or stainless steel. These are reactive metals and therefore toxic to food.  

Problems with cooking in a toxic material: 

Metals are reactive, they leach and react with food at cooking temperature. This contaminates food and regular intake of such food accumulates metal toxins in your tissues, organs, and blood. As a result, the immune system starts wearing down and your body is prone to sickness – which may range from common illnesses or even life-threatening diseases. 

Secondly, the harsh heat from metal walls destroys delicate nutrients. As a result, your body will stay deficient in essential nutrients and this creates a nutritional imbalance – a common cause of diseases like diabetes (for example, complex carbs that slow down the release of sugar are destroyed in metal pots). 

The Essential Water-soluble nutrients are gone! 

Besides the issue of the metals, the cooking mechanism itself is destructive to water-soluble nutrients. The steam going out of the pot is water soluble nutrients – the body needs them on a daily basis. If you are not getting them from food, there is no other natural way to fulfill the body’s requirement. 

So, What makes an Ideal Pressure cooker, which is the most non-toxic material?  

Unglazed primary clay or pure clay is a naturally inert material that can be harvested from earth’s surface. It has absolutely no metals or chemical toxins. If no glazes are used, it can make a 100% non-toxic cooking pot that is ideal for pressure cooking. Pure Clay has been used for making cookware for ages until a few decades ago when metal cookware came into practice. 

This material does not destroy essential nutrients when cooking: 

The unique far infrared heat from pure clay penetrates food deeper but without destroying nutrients.  And this is done just on medium heat!  

Naturally condenses steam and keeps it in the food!  

An ergonomically designed pot and lid can manage steam inside.  When designed the right way and using this pure material the lid stays cooler than the pot.  So, the steam rising from the food condenses on the inner side of the lid and settles back into the food keeping water-soluble nutrients inside! 

Is 100% Non-toxic so does not leach toxins into your food: 

We saw the problem with metal cookware… it’s just the opposite with pure clay cooking pots.  It is a 100% inert or non-reactive material so nothing from the pot leaches into your food! 

By switching to this ideal pressure cooker, you can be sure you are cooking 100% non-toxic food rich in essential nutrients that nourish your body with every meal – no more nutritional deficiencies and no more toxins accumulating in your body.

Head over to MEC Store and order a pure clay pot now to experience this time-tested way of pressure cooking today!

Clay pot cooking is the oldest and time-tested method for healthy cooking. While people are struggling to fight the ill effects of modern ways of cooking, with this safe and simple way of cooking, nobody ever had complaints. This is probably the reason people are slowly going back to their roots by switching to clay cookware. 

There is a new challenge with clay pot cooking today it is rare that people are making it with the health value in mind so the clay pots available in the market are  unfortunately chemical laden and coated with toxic enamels and glazes (like ceramics). The more beautiful and colorful they look on the outside, the more toxins they may  leach while cooking. The cheaper they are, it’s possible that additives are used to make them faster and smoother. It’s important that you choose a truly healthy pot and here are 7 tips to choosing and using the best clay pots:

1. Always Choose Primary Clay

Primary clay is the purest form of clay – it has absolutely no toxins. Only primary clay is naturally inert, so doesn’t react to food like metals and ceramics. There are many clay pots available in the market that are made from secondary or tertiary clay but they have contaminants that may leach into your food while cooking. 

2. No Chemicals, Glazes or Enamels

Most makers start using chemicals to make the process easier. In fact, every mechanized process needs the raw material to be treated with chemicals. The glazes and enamels might make your clay pots and pans colorful, attractive and even robust but they contaminate food. So always choose a cookware made from unglazed primary clay (or pure clay). 

3. Seasoning Is Important

Seasoning your pure clay pot as per instructions is very important for cooking delicious food every time and it also increases the life of your pot. Pure clay is naturally non-stick, so after proper seasoning, if done right, the food should never stick to the bottom.

4. Choose Ingredients Carefully

You have finally chosen the healthiest clay pot – great, but it will all be in vain if you won’t use the right ingredients. For healthy clay pot cooking, make sure you choose all-natural organic ingredients that are unprocessed and nutrition-rich. A balanced diet is all you and your family needs for a healthy body, so always pay attention to the nutritional value of your ingredients. 

5. Cook At Medium to Low Heat

Pure clay pots are great retainers of heat and the near infrared heat radiating from their walls cooks food evenly with gentle heat. It keeps nutrients intact and food cooks in almost the same time at low-medium heat as it does on high heat in metal/ceramic cookware.  

Cooking at low-medium heat not only prevents food from burning and sticking to the bottom, it also improves the durability of your pure clay pot. 

6. Choose A Pot That Manages Steam Well

Steam management is an important aspect of healthy cooking. In conventional cookware, the steam pressure inside the pot gets too much while cooking with harsh, near-infrared heat from metals/ceramics. So their lids have vents to release excessive steam in order to protect the pot from exploding. 

Not many are aware that steam is water-soluble nutrients. As the body can’t store them like fat-soluble nutrients, they are needed every day. If the steam is released freely while cooking, the food becomes nutritionally deficient. 

An ergonomically designed pure clay pot and lid make sure when steam rises from food, condenses at the inner surface of the lid (the lid being cooler than the pot) and settles back into the food before cooking is complete. This way, the water-soluble nutrients are preserved and your body is nourished with them regularly. 

7. Clean With Water – No Soap

Regardless of what the label says, all soaps are toxic. When you are using a 100% non-toxic cookware, it’s important that you keep it away from anything toxic or chemical laden. Pure clay pots are naturally porous, so food doesn’t stick to the surface. You can always clean them with bare hands in normal water. Though you can scrub it a little if burnt food sticks at the bottom. 

By following these simple yet useful tips, you can do wonders with healthy clay pot cooking. This will not only keep your body nourished with essential nutrients but will also protect you from common infections and diseases by strengthening your immunity. 

Wondering where to get these healthy pure clay pots? Let me help you with that: visit MEC Store and order a clay pot for your next healthy recipe – thank me later!

Have you ever used a dinnerware that has absolutely NO lead or cadmium? Don’t confuse it with lead and cadmium “free” dinnerware because they have lead and cadmium within permissible limit. Typically, the limit set by California Prop 65 or similar standards. Unfortunately, in many cases it exceeds these limits and is still labeled lead FREE.  And where is the testing done? In the manufacturers country, often times where results can be manipulated.   

While this could even sadly be an acceptable standard for things that don’t come in contact with food, with items that do (especially cookware), it’s best to use things that have NO Lead at all.  

If an item truly has NO Lead, the manufacturer will be willing to show consumers the test results from a reliable state laboratory, preferably in the USA.  

Here’s a 100% non-toxic dinnerware that has absolutely no lead and cadmium: 

MEC’s Pure Clay Cups and Bowls: Tested NO Lead and Cadmium 

Miriams Earthen Cookware (MEC) has ZERO tolerance to lead, cadmium or any other kind of contaminants. So the complete composition of the raw material (pure clay) is tested to ensure it has NO Lead or Cadmium or any other toxins. Nothing is added in the making process and they’re not glazed – to guarantee the product is truly 100% Non-Toxic. 

MEC’s regular customers find it difficult to use any other material (like ceramics or any metals) when it comes to serving or storing food. There have been repeated requests for bringing something truly non-toxic like MEC’s cookware, to serve and store food. The company heard them and they are here, finally! 

MEC’s cups and bowls are perfect for serving soups, concoctions like tea, coffee, and vegetables. The clay used for making these cups and bowls are sourced from unfarmed and non-industrialized lands in the US, after being fully tested for purity (no chemicals or contaminants present – lead, cadmium, metals, and toxins). There are no added colors – they come in the natural color of fired clay and are unglazed. 

One can also use them for heating small amounts of food on stove top. Notable, there are no handles in pure clay cups because contrary to conventional cups and bowls (made from ceramics and metals), all the food’s heat is held inside the vessel letting the cup just stay comfortably warm on the outside! 

The healthy food you cook must be served in non-toxic, No Lead serve ware — don’t you agree? 

Order your set today from MEC Store, you can thank us later! 😉 

Who likes to cook food that gives a metallic aftertaste? Not me. I choose my ingredients carefully and spend my hard-earned money on getting the right kinds of food to provide a balanced diet to my family. I certainly would not want to taste metal in my food. Neither should you!

While choosing a frequently used cookware like a Dutch Oven, one should choose a safe and non-toxic option so the food doesn’t taste like metals after cooking in it.

How Do These Metals Get Into Food?

Most conventional Dutch Ovens use metals or ceramics for raw material – which are pretty convenient to make and sell but are unfit for cooking. All metals are reactive – it’s their innate property. At cooking temperature, the metals react with the nutrients in food (a biochemical entity) and form toxic compounds. This not only reduces the nutritional value of food but also contaminate it.

Ceramics and glazes are full of chemicals that contain metal oxides – they leach metals just like metal cookware does.

How Does This Toxic Food Affect You?

When you eat this toxic food regularly, the metals start accumulating in the body tissues, organs and blood to form the foundation for weak immune system and sickness. Ever heard of someone getting sick while living a healthy lifestyle and eating healthy homemade food? – These toxins contribute to it. The body can, however, cleanse these toxins on its own but it fails when the intake of metals is regular.

While getting a Dutch Oven, choose the one that doesn’t leach.

Which Dutch Oven Doesn’t Leach Metals?

Pure clay is a natural material that is inert in its natural form. When used for making cookware without chemicals or glazes, it doesn’t leach like metals and keeps food’s nutrients intact. Pure clay is tested and certified no lead, no cadmium or metals, and you can test its purity by doing a simple test at home using some baking soda and water.

What Happens When You Switch To Pure Clay Dutch Oven?

First of all, the body starts cleansing out previously accumulated toxins and the tissues and organs start to heal. The immune system also keeps getting stronger with time and prevents common sickness and infections. As a result, you start getting healthier with increased stamina and better metabolism. This happens within months of using this healthy cookware and it is just the tip of the iceberg. Some have claimed to cure even diabetes by using pure clay cookware regularly.

Besides so many health benefits, the food cooks evenly and turns out delicious in pure clay Dutch Oven. If this isn’t enough to switch to this safer and healthier alternative, I don’t know what is. 🙂

Head over to MEC Store and order a pure clay Dutch Oven today. 

A conventional pressure cooker consists of a metal pot with a well-fitting lid and several other parts. Basically, it locks steam inside to cook food with steam pressure. When cooking is complete, the excess steam must be released through a vent before the pot is opened. The extreme steam pressure forces the food to cook a lot quicker than it would have otherwise – saves time. But that’s where its only advantage ends because here’s what your food undergoes:

What Happens To Food In A Conventional Pressure Cooker?

The extreme pressure and high temperature make the food mushy and taste bland because of these reasons: The delicate nutrients are destroyed because of the harsh and high heat from the metal pot. And since metals are innately reactive, metal ions from the pot leach and react with nutrients present in food. AND, the water-soluble nutrients are lost as steam that is fully released before the pot is opened.

A Natural Pressure Cooker

Unlike the conventional, this unique pressure cooker is made of an all-natural material – 100% pure clay. It is free from any metal or chemical toxins and as clay is naturally inert, it doesn’t react with food. And it cooks food in the healthiest way possible:

Pure clay pressure cooker has a comparatively simpler design – it consists of a pure clay pot and its lid. As the material is 100% non-toxic, it doesn’t contaminate food even at cooking heat.

The nutrients stay intact – thanks to food-friendly, gentler heat generated from the walls of a pure clay pot, the food’s nutrients stay intact!

The most wonderful feature is the way it handles steam:

Steam Management Property

When food is cooking, steam rises from the pot and touches the lid, where it starts condensing on the inner surface of the lid and comes back to food in the form of water droplets. Since the lid stays cooler than the pot during cooking, it is ideal for the steam to naturally condense. This is similar to how water vapors from ponds and reservoirs rise up to the sky, condense and fall back to earth in the form of rain. And the food cooks through this natural process instead of being forced to do so.

The water-soluble nutrients stay within the food and nourish your body with every meal (your body can’t store water-soluble nutrients, so you need them every day). When this all-natural pressure cooker cooks food through a natural process, you get healthy, delicious and nutritious food every time. It’s far better than the conventional lock and seal. You should switch to this natural method of cooking if you want to eat truly healthy food! Head over to MEC Store and choose a pure clay pot for your next pressure cooking recipe and experience the difference.

If you are a healthy cook, I am sure you are already aware of clay pot cooking. Now that people are becoming more knowledgeable about what happens with food cooked in metals, they are slowly turning towards this thousand-year-old method of cooking. But just like metal ions leach and react with food and contaminate it, choosing the wrong clay pot can also leave your food unhealthy. Here are some important tips that can help you choose the right one:

All Clays Are Not Equal

It’s a common mistake to confuse any kind of clay to be good enough for clay pot cooking. In order to be healthy, the clay has to be in the purest form. The only clay that is suitable for making healthy cooking pots is primary clay because it is void of natural contaminants like mica. It is more elastic therefore requires no addition of chemicals and toxins. But for the consumer to know that the clay is primary clay, it has to be tested and certified.

And remember ceramics is not a natural material. Although loosely referred to as “clay” sometimes, it’s a material prepared by combining oxides and metal ores to a small portion of clay. So it can be shiny, colorful, beautiful and durable but not healthy! Similarly, there are several other kinds of clay pots that have chemical additives and are not fit for cooking. Only tested primary clay whose purity is retained through the processes of making, is the healthiest for cooking.

Can you Check If Your Clay Pot Is Toxic?

Yes! And don’t worry it’s not rocket science, all you need is some baking soda, water, and your clay pot. Mix some baking soda in water and boil it in the pot. Turn stove off after 10 minutes of boiling. Let it cool down enough and then taste. If it has metals leaching, you will clearly taste the difference. If chemicals are present, the water will have a rubber/paint like taste to it.

For a control or comparison, mix some baking soda in one glass of water and taste it. This is exactly how it would taste after boiling in a (non-toxic) pure clay pot.

Why Choose Pure Clay Pots

Pure-Clay pots are made from 100% primary clay without the addition of any chemicals or metals in the making and finishing processes.

DOESN’T LEACH: Pure clay is naturally inert, it doesn’t leach or react with food while cooking like other materials.

NO LOSS OF NUTRIENTS: Unlike conventional cookware, the heat generated from the walls of pure clay pots is food-friendly. It doesn’t destroy delicate nutrients like complex carbs, flavonoids, and other phytonutrients.

EXCELLENT STEAM MANAGEMENT: When you cook in a conventional pot, you will notice the steam is released freely. So, the water-soluble nutrients are lost and your body is deprived of its daily dose of these nutrients (water-soluble nutrients are not stored in the body). But pure clay pots handle steam in a very efficient way.

While cooking, it rises from the food, condenses on the underside of the lid and settles back on to the food after the cooking is finished. Thus, you get all the nutrients from food – your body is nourished in the best way and in the words of an experienced user: “you feel more energetic and ‘full’ throughout the day.”

So for 100% non-toxic and healthy clay pot cooking, all you need is pure clay pot! Now that you know which clay cookware is perfect for healthy clay pot cooking, check out MEC Store and choose the best pots and pans for your kitchen!