There is something sacred about a good meal; almost religious in its own right. A meal shared with friends or loved ones nourishes our bodies and souls in ways nothing else can. I have only recently discovered my love for cooking. Growing up, my mom always talked about how much she hated cooking, and while she is a good cook despite her dislike of the craft, her cooking style focuses on functionality over pleasure, and I never spent time cooking with her growing up. 

It wasn’t until I moved into my first apartment that I really started cooking for myself, and even then, it wasn’t until I graduated college and started my career that I found cooking to be a source of peace and focus. 

I absolutely do not claim to be any sort of expert in the kitchen, but I have enjoyed trying new recipes and experimenting with flavor and cooking methods. And, it’s at this point where I’ve cooked enough to understand how food works, that I’m beginning to understand how cookware impacts the cooking process. 

As I have begun searching to purchase some high-quality cookware, I have realized just how unsustainable many cookware items are, and how toxic some can be for your health. Nonsitck pans need to be replaced every 3-5 years (according to this New York Times blog post). Cheap pots warp over time, nonstick cooking surfaces can scratch easily and are not always suited for heavy use. Teflon even admits that high heat on Teflon-coated pans can release fumes that are capable of killing birds (read the article here). Even though these fumes aren’t necessarily harmful to humans, it still makes me uncomfortable thinking about using these chemicals in my house, and learning that fact really launched me on my research path to find sustainable and healthy cookware.

Right now, the most sustainable and health-conscious cookware materials on the market are stainless steel, cast iron, ceramic, and glass. They are sustainable because they are easier to recycle, durable and last a long time, and are non-toxic. While cookware made with these materials can be extremely expensive, I personally prefer to spend a bit more upfront for an item that will last me two or three times as long as the cheaper option. 

If you Google “sustainable cookware” tons of blogs and websites come up, and there are so many great options out there. I’d love to purchase items from many of the companies I came across in my research (but neither my kitchen cabinets nor my bank account can handle that many new pots and pans). I have, however, decided to purchase 3 items from 3 different brands, and I will test them out over the next few months, and give my full review. But for today, here’s what I got and why! 

Brand: Tuxton 

I purchased: Concentrix Stainless Steel Pot (8qt) 

Price: $66.00 (I used a 10% off coupon and had free shipping so my total came to $59.40) 

One of my large nonstick pots is beginning to scratch and needs to be replaced. I’ve wanted to get a stainless steel pot to replace it and came across Tuxton in my research. This brand wasn’t on many of the sustainable cookware lists I came across but has a strong commitment to sustainability. Tuxton production utilizes recycled materials and manufactures in facilities with controlled emissions, water recycling systems, dust treatment systems, residual heat capture (for their ceramics), and solar energy. (You can read all about their sustainability here.) Additionally, they are lifetime guaranteed and come in sustainable packaging. 

Brand: Alva

I purchased: Maestro Stainless Steel Frying Pan (11”)

Price: $129 (I used a coupon code to get $10 off, and had free shipping; with taxes, the total came to $127.03) 

Alva was started in 1949 in Belgium, using scrap material and equipment from WWII to create their first products. Their factory is 30% powered by solar, they have in-house water filtration, and they use recycled aluminum in their pans. Alva entered the US market in 2023, so it’s a very new brand here in the US. Their products all have warranties; the Maestro flying pan I purchased has a 25-year warranty, which is one of the main reasons I decided to spend this much money on a pan. 

Brand: Great Jones

I purchased: Holy Sheet Duo in the color Raspberry (c’mon–how cute is that product name??)

Price: $80 (I used a 10% coupon for signing up for their mailing list, paid $12 for shipping, and $5.67 in taxes totaling $89.67) 

I have been needing some new baking sheets. Many of the sustainable cookware brands I researched did not have baking sheets in their production lines; there were lots of baking dishes, but baking sheets were less common for some reason. When I stumbled across Great Jones’ website I couldn’t help but purchase something. They have the most vivid colors I’ve ever seen in cookware and even come with fun patterns. Their website did not include much about their manufacturing process, unfortunately, but their products utilize nontoxic nonstick ceramic coatings and are free of PFAS. Additionally, many of their products come with warranties. Great Jones is a small(er) business, founded in 2018. It also happens to be woman-owned, which I love. 

Comment below if you’ve tried any of these brands, or if you have a favorite sustainable and nontoxic cookware I should know about! And, come back in a few months to read my full review on each of these products!

*I do NOT receive a commission from any of these brands, should you purchase via these links.