--- title: "Best Cookware: Stainless, Cast Iron, Clay or Soapstone | Nu&Cru" description: "Which cookware is best? See what stainless steel, cast iron, clay, soapstone and enamel are good for, how to care for them, and why we skip nonstick." url: https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/best-cookware-stainless-cast-iron-clay-soapstone --- [Blog](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog) traditional cooking · kitchen utensils · kitchen organization # Best Cookware for a Real Food Kitchen: Stainless Steel, Cast Iron, Clay or Soapstone? Stainless steel, cast iron, wrought iron, clay, soapstone or enamel: what each pot is best for, how to care for it, and why we leave nonstick and bare aluminum out of the kitchen. October 29, 2026 · 13 min read · Nu&Cru A household that cooks every day does well with a few pieces, as long as each one does what it does best. For most homes, four pots and pans cover nearly everything: **a large, thick-bottomed stainless steel pot**for broths, rice, beans and sauces;**a cast iron skillet**for searing, frying and browning;**a clay, soapstone or lidded cast iron pot**for long braises; and**a medium stainless steel pot** for everything else. None of them has a nonstick coating or is made of uncoated aluminum, and below we explain why, with sources and without alarm. The criterion is the same one Nu&Cru uses to choose a food: know what the thing is made of, how it behaves and how long it lasts. A good cast iron or stainless steel pan lasts for decades. It is a purchase you make only a few times in your life. ## Each Material, by Use ### Stainless Steel: The Pot That Does It All Stainless steel reacts very little with food, goes from stovetop to oven, tolerates a sponge and dish soap, and needs no seasoning. Its weak point is that it conducts heat poorly. That is why what makes a good stainless steel pot is a **thick base**, usually with a layer of aluminum or copper encapsulated between layers of steel, which spreads the heat without the food ever touching that metal. A thin stainless steel pot with a plain base creates hot spots and burns the rice in the middle. It works for bone broth, beans, rice, tomato sauce, boiling, shallow frying and searing meat, as long as you learn to preheat. For anyone who thinks "everything sticks" in stainless steel, we wrote a step-by-step guide: [how to cook in a stainless steel pot without sticking](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/stainless-steel-pan-sticking-how-to-stop-it). One caveat, with a source: an American study cooked tomato sauce in stainless steel pots and measured nickel and chromium in the sauce. The new pot released more; the release dropped with each use and stabilized after the sixth cooking cycle ( [Kamerud, Hobbie and Anderson, 2013](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/23984718) ). The release remained measurable even after stabilizing, and the study did not assess any health effect. If you have a diagnosed nickel allergy, it is worth talking to your doctor and choosing enameled cookware, unglazed clay or glass for acidic, long-cooking sauces. ### Cast Iron: Heat That Stays Cast iron takes a while to heat up, but it holds its heat. When cold meat hits the skillet, the temperature drops less than in other pans, and the crust forms. That is why cast iron does so well at searing steak, frying eggs in fat, browning potatoes and making farofa (toasted cassava flour side dish). It goes in the oven and on the wood-fired stove. It is heavy, and that is the price. Cast iron needs seasoning, a layer of fat polymerized by heat that protects against rust and makes food release. A well-seasoned pan turns black and satiny. The details of seasoning come further below. ### Carbon Steel: Lighter Iron Carbon steel (known in Brazil as ferro batido or chapa de ferro) is a thin sheet of metal shaped into a pan, not a cast piece. It heats up faster, weighs less and behaves like a restaurant skillet. It also needs seasoning and also rusts if left wet. It is a good way in for anyone who finds cast iron too heavy. ### Iron Gets Into the Food, and What That Means Cooking in a cast iron pot increases the iron in the food. A classic study showed that acidity, moisture and cooking time raise this transfer: a tomato sauce that simmers for hours tends to absorb more iron than an egg fried in two minutes ( [Brittin and Nossaman, 1986](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/3722654) ). In a Brazilian study with premature babies, anemia was less frequent in the group whose food was prepared in a cast iron pot (36.4%) than in the group using an aluminum pot (73.9%), but the authors themselves wrote that this was **insufficient** to cover these babies' iron needs ( [Borigato and Martinez, 1998](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/9566993) ). A systematic review found a significant improvement in 4 of 8 studies with iron pots ( [Alves and colleagues, 2019](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221094) ), and a trial in Benin found no effect ( [Sharieff and colleagues, 2008](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/17935647) ). In short: a cast iron pot can add a little iron to your family's food. It **does not treat anemia**, which calls for a medical diagnosis and treatment. The same review points out that people with hemochromatosis, a condition of iron accumulation, may be at increased risk. Anyone with this diagnosis should ask their doctor before using iron cookware for everything. ### Clay: Slow Time A clay pot heats slowly, holds heat for a long time and brings the food to the table still hot. It is made for moqueca (Brazilian fish stew), feijoada (black bean and pork stew), cozido (boiled meat and vegetable stew) and baked rice. The best known in Brazil, the capixaba pot, is cultural heritage: the Craft of the Paneleiras (potters) of Goiabeiras was entered in IPHAN's Book of Knowledge in 2002. The clay comes from the Vale do Mulembá, and the pieces, still glowing hot, receive a tannin dye made from red mangrove bark, which turns them black and waterproof ( [IPHAN](https://bcr.iphan.gov.br/bens-culturais/oficio-das-paneleiras-de-goiabeiras/) ). The caution is in the glaze. Handmade glazed ceramic, especially of unknown origin, may contain lead: the WHO lists ceramic glazes among the sources of exposure ( [WHO, lead poisoning](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health) ), and a recent review on Latin America points to glazed ceramics among the main sources of exposure in the region ( [Boda and colleagues, 2026](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/41928853) ). Choose unglazed clay, like the Goiabeiras kind, or pieces from a manufacturer that states compliance with the Anvisa standard. A decorative piece bought at a craft fair with no information stays on the wall. ### Soapstone: Heavy and Stable The soapstone pot (pedra-sabão), traditional in Minas Gerais, behaves like clay: it heats slowly and holds its temperature. Brazilian researchers studied mineral migration from these pots and concluded that **curing reduces migration and increases durability**; in cured pots, they found no mineral toxicity ( [Quintaes and colleagues, 2002](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/11824418) ). In a second study, tomato sauce drew some nickel out of soapstone, and the authors concluded that stainless steel and soapstone can be used with relatively low risk **as long as acidic foods are not prepared in them all the time** ( [Quintaes and colleagues, 2006](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/17249489) ). Beans, rice, galinhada (chicken and rice) and stews are its territory. ### Enameled: cast iron with a glass coating An enameled pan, whether agateware or enameled cast iron, combines iron with the smooth, inert surface of enamel. It takes tomato, wine and vinegar without reacting, and it needs no seasoning. Anvisa, Brazil's health regulator, sets limits for the lead and cadmium that can migrate from enameled or glazed utensils ( [Portaria SVS/MS 27/1996, as currently worded](https://www.normasbrasil.com.br/norma/portaria-27-1996_456106.html) ), which is one more reason to buy from an identified manufacturer. The thing to watch is chipping: knocks, thermal shock and an empty pan left on high heat can break the enamel. A piece chipped in the cooking area loses its protection and the exposed iron rusts, so it becomes a serving piece or a storage piece. ## Why Nu&Cru leaves out nonstick and aluminum This is a decision based on criteria, not on panic. Both kinds of pan are legal in Brazil, and having one at home is no reason to be alarmed. Below we show what the sources say, including what they don't say. ### Uncoated aluminum Aluminum passes into food in amounts that depend on the food. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, the BfR, advises against preparing and storing **acidic or salty** foods in uncoated aluminum containers ( [BfR, 2019](https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/press-release/reducing-aluminium-intake-can-minimise-potential-health-risks-1) ). Brazil has followed the same line: since 2025, Inmetro requires uncoated aluminum pans to carry the warnings "Not suitable for contact with very acidic or very salty foods" and "No restriction for contact with dry or fatty foods" ( [Portaria Inmetro 167/2025](https://www.normasbrasil.com.br/norma/portaria-167-2025_477161.html) ). And Alzheimer's? There is no proven causal link between everyday aluminum exposure and the disease, according to the [BfR](https://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/349/no_risk_of_alzheimers_disease_from_aluminium_in_consumer_products.pdf) itself and [Alzheimer's Research UK](https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/news/aluminium-and-alzheimers/). Don't use that argument. Our reason is simpler. In a kitchen built around broth, tomato, ferments and brine, acidic and salty food is the daily routine. If the official recommendation is to avoid that contact, it makes more sense to choose a material that doesn't require that caution. If you have aluminum pans, follow Inmetro's warning: use them for boiling and for dry or fatty foods, keep tomato, lemon and brine for another pan, and move leftovers into a glass jar in the fridge. ### PTFE nonstick (the "Teflon") There are three issues here that tend to get mixed up: - **PFOA**, a substance once used in making PTFE. The IARC, the WHO's cancer agency, classified PFOA as carcinogenic to humans ( [IARC, monograph 135](https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/iarc-monographs-volume-135-perfluorooctanoic-acid-pfoa-and-perfluorooctanesulfonic-acid-pfos/) ). But the eight companies that joined the US environmental agency's program to phase it out by 2015 met their goals ( [EPA](https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/risk-management-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas) ). The classification is about PFOA, not about the pan. - **Overheating.** According to the BfR, PTFE can release harmful fumes from 360 °C, which happens when an empty pan is forgotten on high heat ( [BfR, questions and answers on PTFE](https://www.bfr.bund.de/fragen-und-antworten/thema/ausgewaehlte-fragen-und-antworten-zu-geschirr-mit-antihaftbeschichtung-aus-ptfe-fuer-das-braten-kochen-und-backen) ). In people, these fumes cause so-called polymer fume fever, with flu-like symptoms that usually go away on their own ( [Greenberg and Vearrier, 2015](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/25706449) ). In pet birds, the same fumes cause serious lung injury ( [Shuster and colleagues, 2012](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/22330651) ). If you have a cockatiel or a parrot at home, take this seriously. - **A scratched coating.** One study estimated that a scratched pan can release from thousands to millions of particles during cooking, in a simulation, without assessing any effect on health ( [Luo and colleagues, 2022](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/36030853) ). The BfR states that, according to current knowledge, swallowed particles should not cause harm. In other words: used with care, a nonstick pan is not dangerous in the way social media says it is. Nu&Cru leaves nonstick out of its selection for other reasons: the coating wears out and the pan ends up in the trash within a few years, it demands low heat and constant care, and we prefer materials that don't depend on a synthetic coating to work. A well-seasoned cast iron skillet and a properly preheated stainless steel pan do the same job and last for decades. ### What about the nonstick pan you already have? If the coating is still intact, use it over low or medium heat, never empty over high heat, and only with a wooden spatula. Once it starts peeling or is so scratched that food sticks, it no longer does its job: that's the time to replace it with a cast iron or stainless steel piece. There's no reason to throw it out the day after reading this text. ## Caring for your cookware so it lasts ### Seasoning cast iron with animal fat - Wash the new pan with hot water and soap to remove the factory oil, then dry it over the flame. - While the pan is still warm, rub a **very thin** layer of fat all over the inside and outside, using paper towel or a cloth. Lard and beef tallow (rendered beef fat) both work well; the important thing is to wipe off the excess until it looks like almost nothing is left. - Place it upside down in a hot oven for about an hour, and let it cool inside the oven. Repeat two or three times. - Day to day, cook with fat, wash with hot water and a sponge (a little dish soap won't ruin a well-done seasoning), dry it over the flame and rub in a thin film of fat before putting it away. A rusty pan isn't a lost cause: scrub the rust off with steel wool until you reach clean metal, then season it again. Tomato sauce simmered for hours in cast iron can wear down the seasoning and leave a metallic taste; for those dishes, stainless steel, enameled cookware or clay are better. If you render tallow or lard at home, set a little aside for seasoning your pans. The step-by-step is in [how to make lard and tallow at home](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/how-to-render-lard-and-beef-tallow-at-home), and the characteristics of cooking tallow are in [beef tallow: what it is and how to use it](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/what-is-beef-tallow-how-to-cook-with-it). ### Seasoning clay and soapstone Each maker has its own seasoning method, and it's worth following the one that comes with your piece. In general, soapstone is rubbed with oil or fat and taken over low heat with water a few times before the first use; Espírito Santo-style clay (barro capixaba) is usually seasoned by rubbing it with fat and heating it. Both hate thermal shock: never take a hot pan to a cold sink. ### Stainless steel: shine and stains Stainless steel tolerates sponges, dish soap and even baking soda. Rainbow-colored stains that appear after a lot of heat come off with a cloth dampened with vinegar. Burnt food stuck to the bottom loosens if you boil water with a spoonful of baking soda for a few minutes. ## Where to start, depending on your situation - **If you're setting up your first kitchen:** one large stainless steel pot with a thick base and one cast iron skillet. With these two, you can make broth, beans, rice, sauce and every kind of grilled food. - **If you want to replace nonstick:** start with the skillet, the piece that takes the most abuse. Wrought (hammered) iron is the lighter switch; cast iron is the most durable. - **If you cook for a lot of people or make broth every week:** add an 8 to 10 liter stainless steel stockpot. [Bone broth](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/bone-broth-recipe-cooking-time-storage) calls for a big pot and hours over low heat. - **If you like stews and bringing the pot to the table:** clay or soapstone, from a producer who tells you where it comes from and how to season it. For baby food, the same material criteria apply on a smaller scale, and we've put together what really helps in [utensils for introducing solid foods](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/baby-feeding-essentials-starting-solids). ## Where to Find Them Nu&Cru is putting the finishing touches on a curated list of Brazilian brands chosen for their raw materials, craftsmanship and origin, with categories for stainless steel, cast iron and clay, soapstone and enameled cookware. The team checks the composition and how each piece is made on the brand's own website, and the link takes you straight to the store of the people who make it. **The curated list is not open yet:** on the [curated list page](https://nuecru.com.br/en/curated-picks) you can join the waitlist and be notified when it opens. If you want to learn how to get the most out of these pots and pans, the book [181 Receitas Ancestrais](https://nuecru.com.br/en/ancestral-recipes) has a chapter, before the recipes, on choosing foods and equipment, and goes on with broths, roasts and stews that call for exactly this kind of cookware. The next step is a concrete one: look at the pans you use most and see which one is in the worst shape. If it's the nonstick skillet, it's the first candidate to be replaced with cast iron. As informações têm caráter educativo e não substituem avaliação individual de profissional de saúde habilitado. Continue lendo ## Outros artigos October 29, 2026 · from the farm to the table ## How to Buy Beef Directly from the Farmer: Inspection Stamps, Labels and Quarter Cows How to find a farmer, what to ask about pasture and finishing, what Brazil's SIF, SIE and SIM inspection stamps guarantee, and how much meat a quarter cow for the freezer really yields. Ler artigo → → [October 29, 2026 · from the farm to the table](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/buy-beef-directly-from-farmer) October 29, 2026 · traditional cooking ## Does Stainless Steel Stick? How to Cook Without Sticking, Step by Step Preheat the empty pan, do the water drop test, add the fat and wait for the food to release on its own. The method for meat, eggs, fish and potatoes, plus how to clean the pan. Ler artigo → → [October 29, 2026 · traditional cooking](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/stainless-steel-pan-sticking-how-to-stop-it) October 29, 2026 · fats ## How to Choose Lard, Tallow and Butter: Labels and Origin Lard, beef tallow, butter or ghee: what the name on the label guarantees, what the way the animal was raised changes in the fat, and what to ask the producer before you buy. Ler artigo → → [October 29, 2026 · fats](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/how-to-choose-lard-tallow-butter) [Todos os artigos](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog) --- Nu&Cru, alimentação ancestral: https://nuecru.com.br Guia para agentes de IA: https://nuecru.com.br/llms.txt · Mapa do site: https://nuecru.com.br/sitemap.xml · Contato: https://nuecru.com.br/contato