Pure Clay Dutch Oven - Pros And Cons

A pure clay Dutch Oven is a great piece of cookware and a very useful one. It consists of a cooking pot with a lid - both made from unglazed primary clay (or pure clay). It is quite popular probably because it's versatile and can cook a variety of dishes. Let's find out the pros and cons of this uniquely healthy cookware that is becoming very popular:

Pros:

1. 100% Non-toxic Raw Material - Tested & Certified

The raw material used is pure clay - a naturally available material that is tested for chemical contaminants and metals like Lead, Cadmium, and Arsenic - which are mostly found in conventional cookware even if in small amounts. But this cookware is free from metals and chemicals - a great place to start especially since it's marketed as healthy. No chemicals or glazes are used in the raw material or for the finishing of the product. Needless to say, this natural clay, if nothing is added to it or taken away from it, is inert or non-reactive.

2. Multi-functional & Versatile

Metal and ceramic Dutch Ovens are not multifunctional but thankfully this one is. You can use it in the oven or on the stove-top. It is probably the most versatile cookware in the kitchen - one can cook a variety of dishes in it like soups, stews, rice and other casseroles dishes. It's pretty convenient to have a single piece of cookware with so many uses.

3. Food-friendly Far Infrared Heat

While metals and ceramics radiate harsh heat that destroys delicate nutrients like complex carbs, phytonutrients, and water-soluble nutrients, a pure clay Dutch Oven is quite a contrast. The unique far infrared heat from its walls penetrates deep into each grain and cooks it thoroughly even at just medium heat AND without destroying nutrients. This not only keeps the nutrients intact but also saves energy. All your favorite recipes will cook in about the same time as they do in any other cookware but will be far more nutritious.

Also, all the heat is conserved inside the pot -- thank goodness as your fingers won't scorch even if you were to accidentally touch the pot while cooking.

4. Excellent Steam Management

Most conventional cookware let steam escape during cooking. But this cookware handles steam very intelligently. The steam rises from food and condenses at the inner surface of the lid (which is cooler than the rest of the pot) and falls back into the food. What a great way to save all of that essential water-soluble nutrients!

5. Better Heat Retention

Pure clay pots are great retainers of heat so food stays warm for a long time after cooking is done. There is no need to re-heat the food every time you have to serve it. This is a great advantage especially in winter when food is likely to get cold pretty quickly.

6. Food Tastes Great! Much Better than in Metals

With all these features that pure-clay cooking offers -- lack of toxins, gentle heat, the abundance of nutrients, semi-porous surface of the pot that lets oxygen pass through it while cooking or all of these - the food tastes a lot better when cooked in pure clay. The people who are used to cooking in pure clay don't even want to serve in any other material - this is how much they like the experience of pure clay cooking!

Cons:

Fragile

There is only one - pure clay cookware can break if not handled carefully. But because of their versatile design, their breakage rate is so low.

If using your cookware with a little care is not a deal-breaker for you then this cookware is the best option you have for truly healthy cooking. Its ability to cook non-toxic, nutrition-rich and delicious healthy food makes it an ideal cooking pot for your kitchen.