With all of the talk about “green products” and making our lives more environmentally friendly I did a little research and found some cool information. Most of this is common sense but I thought I would make sure my information was correct. One of the most versatile and green cookware products is glass; this would also include ceramics. Glass is, at its most basic definition, super heated sand or silicates if you want to get technical. Glass has absolutely no chemicals  that can be released as the glass ages or is heated unlike some plastics.

Unlike some materials such as plastic that in recent studies shows certain kinds of plastics release harmful chemicals when heated. Not all plastics have this property so if you use plastic do a little research. I will post some more about plastics later on..back to the glass. Glass allows you to see what is cooking whether it is in the oven or the microwave which is another reason to use glass. Glass can go from oven to refrigerator to microwave and back again. Some glass containers can also be used in the freezer. Look for tempered glass as it has the best properties for cooking and durability. Pyrex is another chef favorite prized for its heat properties and durability.

I enjoy glass because it is affordable and cooks great!! You can use it for almost anything, breads, pastas, sauces on the stove top, casseroles, desserts and the list goes on. Storage, as mentioned above, is a prime example of the versatility of glass. No known bugs can eat through glass and since glass releases no chemicals your food is safe from extraneous and foreign substances. Glass is a bit more prone to breaking then with stainless steel or copper but with the tempered glass or Pyrex shattering is held to a minimum. Glass can be recycled and used in other glass products. This is a general statement for glass as some forms of glass cannot be recycled for new uses.

All in all glass is affordable, reliable, versatile, and environmentally safe and friendly. So why aren’t you using more glass?

How many times have we run out and bought a new pan on the fly because we really needed a new one? All of us are guilty of this and in the long run it costs us more. An “I need it now pan” will only last you as long as the price is low. In other words we rush to get it now because we really need it now. In this stressed economy we need to make our money last and in cookware that means buying the longest lasting equipment we can which is copper.

Copper cookware will last a lifetime or more and is definitely worth every dime you spend on it. Copper is the best metal at conducting heat which means your meals will take less time to cook and can be controlled at specific temperatures. This means no more slightly over done chicken or undercooked pork. No more guessing. Copper is also highly durable with the exception of the tarnishing; tarnishing, by the way, will not affect the heat transfer of the copper nor will affect the taste of any food.

One thing to not do is use highly acidic foods in the copper cookware – I found this out the hard way. I used a copper sauté pan with a lemon sauce and completely ruined my pan. What a mess! Avoid this at all costs. Copper does cost more than the next best heat conductor but adds that professional flare to your kitchen and cooking. Copper also presents a uniform heating property; no more hot spots in your pans. Copper is such a wonderful material that you could easily use it for several lifetimes with very little effort and only a few moments of cleaning.

I purchased my current set of copper cookware from Mauviel about 8 years ago and it functions just as it did then. I use it for everything from home made buttermilk pancakes to seared salmon and cream sauces. It cooks to perfection! I also noticed a reduction in the time it takes to prepare a meal saving me loads of time over the years. All in all I would highly recommend cooper cookware, especially Mauviel. In the time I have had my copper cookware set, several friends have bought the same pan multiple times as they are using inferior quality cookware. The copper cookware has saved me so much on cookware costs and will continue to use it and recommend it.

It’s another late night at work and you are frantically trying to figure out what to have, make, prepare for dinner. Being as busy as you are it is hard to plan a meal when you are rarely home at any decent hour. You are faced with several choices order out which will ruin your newly adopted healthy eating routine, start cooking and preparing which means you will be eating at least an hour from now, or you could plan ahead and have dinner ready to be taken out of the oven when you get home. If you are like me, then you will probably lean towards the latter.

Through many years of trial and error with time baking and cooking, I have found one piece of cookware that has helped in preparing my dinner for the family before I even get home from work. It’s the amazing clay baker! These are great for an all in one meal made ahead of time. Since clay bakers should never be placed in a hot oven it seems they were made for time baking which allows you to place your meal in the clay baker, set the timer and go to work. That’s it; but you will need to do a little prep work the night before.

My suggestion is to start this new regimen on a Sunday so that Monday night dinner is ready and waiting. Clay bakers also provide one of the healthiest cooking mediums around; no need to add oils or fats to cook. The clay baker seals in the natural juices and moisture of the entree and cooks with steam created from these juices. What could be better? Dinner waiting, no additional oils to be used, affordable cost of ownership, a single piece of smart cookware to clean, and eating on time every time.

An entire meal doesn’t always need to be prepared. You could set the beef, pork or fish to cook and steam your vegetables when you get home, or better yet pick up some fresh green beans or home grown peppers to pair with your time baked master piece. Your family will love it, and you will save time and lots of effort.