Buying pots and pans

1. Teflon/nonstick
All nonstick cookware is made with the same chemical, PTFE. Teflon is the brand name for nonstick cookware from DuPont, but other companies manufacture the same product under different names.

Pros:
• Nonstick pans are particularly good for egg and fish dishes, ideally cooked over a medium heat, suggests Cushing.

• Nonstick pans are affordable, easy to use and easy to clean. Just make sure to clean them with nonscratching tools.

Cons:
• According to Health Canada, nonstick pans can be a health risk if heated above 350C/650F, which could easily happen if you leave an empty pan on a hot burner. Use such pans only on low to medium heat and don't leave them empty or unattended.

• The chemical used to make nonstick pans, PTFE, is suspected to be carcinogenic, although research on whether exposure to the pans is dangerous is inconclusive. There is also evidence that carcinogens are released during the manufacturing process. The Canadian Cancer Society offers more information on the health risks of nonstick pans on its website.

Tips:
• Use plastic or wooden utensils -- no metal -- on nonstick pans so that you don't scratch the surface, and take care when storing them in your cupboards or drawers; anything placed on top could scratch the nonstick surface.

• To prolong the wear of nonstick pans, Cushing suggests using them only for egg and fish dishes and using other pans for other jobs.

2. Stainless steel
Stainless steel doesn't leach into food, is affordable and is easy to clean. While stainless steel conducts heat poorly, you can often find pans with an inner core made of copper or aluminum, improving conductivity.

Pros
• "Stainless is the best at high heat since it's strongest," says Cushing, noting that it's a good choice for sauteeing.

• Stainless steel is...well, stainless. Unlike other types of cookware, its surface lasts.

Cons
• Beware of cheap stainless-steel cookware: According to the Joy of Cooking, (Simon and Schuster, 2006) manufacturers often offset stainless steel's poor conductivity "by thinning down the gauge or thickness of the steel, but this causes hot spots to develop and food cooked in it is apt to burn easily."

Tips
• Health Canada advises not storing highly acidic foods, such as stewed rhubarb or tomatoes, in stainless-steel pans.

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4. Copper
Copper pots and pans are a favourite of many cooks; perhaps because of how good they look hanging in your kitchen!

Pros
• Copper cookware conducts heat well, offering a high degree of control over cooking temperature.

Cons
• High levels of copper in your diet can be hazardous to your health. Health Canada recommends using only coated copper cookware -- but be careful because if your copper pots and pans are old, they may be coated with tin or nickel and therefore harmful. Be gentle with copper pans in order to maintain the protective coating.

Tips
• Copper pots and pans coated with stainless steel are easy to maintain, according to the Joy of Cooking, because the stainless steel will not melt, wear away or need relining.

5. Aluminum
Aluminum is lightweight and conducts heat well, but there are health concerns associated with it. To reduce your risk, use only aluminum that has been coated (for instance, with stainless steel) or anodized (treated to become nonreactive).

Pros
• Cushing is a big fan of heavy-gauge stainless-steel pans with aluminum cores: "I love them because they are easy to clean and strong and the aluminum gives them great heat conductivity," she says.

Cons
• While the alleged link between aluminum cookware and Alzheimer's disease has no basis in research, high levels of aluminum intake could be harmful to your health. To minimize exposure, Health Canada suggests not cooking or storing food in aluminum containers for long periods of time. Note that leafy vegetables and acidic foods absorb the most aluminum.

• Aluminum pans can pit and become discoloured, according to the Joy of Cooking. These pans can negatively affect the colour of a number of foods, including eggs, tomatoes, leafy greens and wine.

Tips
• The Joy of Cooking advises against cleaning aluminum cookware with harsh soaps, alkalis or abrasives. "To remove discoloration," they say, "boil in the pans for 5 to 10 minutes a solution of 2 teaspoons cream of tartar to 4 cups water."

Budget-friendly tips
Cushing prefers quality over quantity, and suggests spending more on a couple of good-quality pans rather than buying a whole set of cheaper models. "A better-quality pan will be easier to clean and last longer and won't scorch your food," she says.

Cushing suggests spending more money on a skillet and saute pan, then picking up one or two cheaper pans for jobs like boiling water for pasta. "You can start with a few pieces then add as you can afford them," she says.

How do you pick pots and pans if you can't afford to splurge on something you may not end up liking? Ask friends with good-quality cookware if you can test-drive their pots and pans in your kitchen. And remember this advice from the Joy of Cooking: Don't invest in a full set of expensive cookware until you truly know what you love.

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