What's Your Cooking Pot Made Of? It Might Be Affecting Your Health More Than Your Food
I never thought about the pot. Only what went inside it.
My mom has been cooking in the same kitchen for decades. The tablea she grinds herself from scratch. The malunggay she picks from the backyard. The guava leaf tea she brews when my stomach acts up. Everything she puts into the pot is intentional and carefully chosen.
But the pot itself? That one we didn't question for a long time.
It was only after my father died of cardiac arrest in 2006 — he had Type 2 diabetes — and after my own health issues started piling up: the amoeba episode in Cagayan de Oro, the kidney stone in 2024, the ongoing gut sensitivity — that I started looking at everything. Not just what we eat. But what we cook it in.
And what I found made me look at our kitchen differently.
The Pot Matters As Much As the Ingredients
Here's something most Filipino households don't think about: cookware is not neutral. The material your pan is made of can interact with food — especially at high heat or when cooking acidic dishes like sinigang, tomato-based stews, or anything with vinegar.
In a country where we cook with intense heat, where adobo simmers for a long time, where we fry at high temperatures and braise for hours — the cookware we use matters more than we realize.
The good news is that knowing which cookware to avoid and which to switch to doesn't require buying expensive imported brands. It just requires knowing what to look for.
Cookware to Be Careful With
Old Non-Stick Pans — Especially the Scratched Ones
Non-stick cookware is everywhere in Filipino kitchens. Convenient, easy to clean, great for frying eggs in the morning. I get it. We've used them too.
The concern is with the coating — specifically older non-stick pans coated with PTFE, commonly known as Teflon. When heated to very high temperatures, or when the coating is scratched and chipping, these pans can release chemicals into food. PFOA — a chemical previously used in the manufacturing process — has been linked to serious health risks including cancer and hormonal disruption.
Newer non-stick pans have improved significantly since manufacturers phased out PFOA. But the old scratched non-stick pan sitting in the back of your cabinet? The one where you can see the coating peeling off? That one needs to go.
The rule is simple: if the coating is scratched, chipped, or peeling — retire the pan. It has served its purpose. Don't cook in it anymore.
What we use instead: A well-seasoned cast iron pan develops its own natural non-stick surface over time. No chemicals, no coating to peel. Just iron and oil that gets better with every use.
Bare Aluminum Pots — Especially for Sinigang and Adobo
Lightweight, inexpensive, and found in almost every Filipino kitchen — aluminum pots are a staple. And for many families, including ours at various points, they were just part of the furniture.
The issue: aluminum is a reactive metal. When you cook highly acidic food — sinigang with tamarind, adobo with vinegar, tomato-based dishes — the acid can cause the aluminum to leach small amounts of metal into the food. Over time and with prolonged cooking, this adds up.
Research on aluminum and health is still evolving, but studies have raised concerns about long-term aluminum exposure and neurological health. Given that we already have a family history of serious disease, I'd rather not add an unnecessary variable.
Anodized aluminum is safer — the surface is treated so it doesn't react with food. But if you're using plain, bare aluminum pots for your sinigang every day, it's worth considering a switch.
What we use instead: Stainless steel for soups and stews. It doesn't react with acidic food, doesn't leach anything, and it's easy to find affordable options here in the Philippines.
Unlined Copper Cookware
This one is less common in Filipino households but worth mentioning because copper cookware has become trendy in recent years and some people buy it thinking it's premium and therefore better.
Unlined copper — meaning copper with no protective interior coating — can leach copper into food, especially acidic dishes. Too much copper in the body affects liver and kidney function. The only copper cookware that's safe for everyday cooking is copper lined with stainless steel or tin on the interior.
If you own copper cookware, check the inside. If it's bare copper all the way — use it as a decorative piece only.
What We Actually Use Now
Stainless Steel — Our Go-To
After going through all of this research, stainless steel is what I'd recommend first for any Filipino household. It's non-reactive, durable, doesn't leach anything into food, and handles everything from boiling rice to simmering sinigang.
It's not the most exciting cookware in the world. It doesn't have the charm of cast iron or the sleekness of ceramic. But it's reliable, safe, and available at every hardware and kitchen store in the Philippines at reasonable prices.
One tip: look for multi-ply stainless steel — two or three layers — for better heat distribution. Single-ply stainless steel has hot spots that can burn food unevenly.
Cast Iron — The Long Game
My favorite cookware discovery in recent years. Cast iron is heavy, takes longer to heat up, and requires a little maintenance — but what it gives back is remarkable.
A well-seasoned cast iron pan is naturally non-stick. It retains heat evenly. It lasts not just years but generations — my mom's generation had cast iron pans passed down from their own mothers. And here's the bonus: cooking in cast iron actually adds a small amount of dietary iron to your food, which is beneficial especially for women and those with iron deficiency.
For our household where my mother's health matters deeply to me, cast iron is a long-term investment that pays in health dividends.
The maintenance is simple: wash with water and mild soap, dry immediately and completely, rub a thin layer of cooking oil on the surface before storing. That's it. It won't rust if you keep it dry and oiled.
Ceramic Cookware — For Low and Medium Heat
Pure ceramic cookware — not ceramic-coated, but actual 100% ceramic — is free from PTFE, PFOA, and most other chemical concerns. It's naturally non-stick at lower temperatures and works beautifully for gentle cooking, reheating, and baking.
The limitation: ceramic can crack under thermal shock — sudden extreme temperature changes — and it's not ideal for high-heat frying. For the kind of low and medium heat cooking that's better for health anyway, it's a solid choice.
One caution on labeling: "ceramic-coated" cookware is different from pure ceramic. Ceramic-coated pans have a thin ceramic layer over aluminum or steel. They're safer than Teflon but not the same as solid ceramic. Read the label carefully before buying.
The Practical Filipino Kitchen Reality
I know what someone is thinking right now: "Mavs, cast iron and ceramic cookware are expensive. Not everyone can just replace their kitchen."
Fair point. And I'm not saying throw everything out tomorrow.
Start with the most damaged or concerning piece first — that scratched non-stick pan. Replace it with an affordable stainless steel pan or a basic cast iron skillet. In the Philippines, cast iron pans are available at SM, Shopee, and hardware stores at various price points. You don't need an imported Lodge or Le Creuset to start.
The transition can be gradual. Replace one piece at a time as things wear out. The goal isn't a perfect kitchen overnight — it's a more intentional one over time.
What My Mom's Kitchen Looks Like Now
She still cooks the same food. The tablea, the malunggay soup, the guava leaf tea, the sikwate in the evening. None of that has changed.
What's changed is we've phased out the old scratched non-stick pans. The sinigang now gets cooked in stainless steel. The cast iron sits on the stove for anything that needs a good sear.
Small changes. But in a household where health is something we think about every day — where I track what I eat, what I drink, and how my gut responds to everything — removing one source of unnecessary chemical exposure feels like the right thing to do.
Your food is already doing so much work for your health. Your cookware should at least not be working against it.
Where to Buy Safer Cookware in the Philippines
I know the next question is always: "Saan mabibili?" Here are some options I'd recommend checking out — all available on Shopee:
- 🥘 Stainless Steel Cookware Set → [Shopee link]
- 🍳 Cast Iron Skillet → [Shopee link]
- 🫕 Pure Ceramic Cookware → [Shopee link]
Mavs' Final Diagnosis
You don't need to overhaul your entire kitchen. You just need to retire the scratched non-stick pan, be mindful about cooking acidic food in bare aluminum, and consider gradually shifting toward stainless steel or cast iron for your everyday cooking.
The ingredients matter. But so does the pot.
My mom has been cooking for 80 years and she's still walking around the house like she owns the place. I'd like to think the food she prepares — and increasingly, the cookware she prepares it in — is part of why. 🙏
Disclaimer: This post is based on personal research and general health awareness. It is not medical advice. For specific health concerns, please consult your doctor or a registered nutritionist.
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What cookware do you currently use at home? Have you ever thought about switching? Drop it in the comments — I'd love to know what's in your kitchen.
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