How to choose a safe cookware?

It's pretty hard to select a cookware that is easy to use, multi-functional, and most importantly, safe. To be honest, I don't think there's any single cookware can handle all the kitchen tasks (if any of you know any, please let me know!). Think about it, you want to do a pot stew on Monday, a stir fry beef on Tuesday, a perfectly sauteed medium steak on Wednesday...you need different type of cookware to get the job done. However, after the Teflon crisis people are lack of confident in cookware somehow and there are lots of cookware on the market made of all kinds of materials. I've done some research and here are my analysis on different types of cookware materials:


Stainless Steel Cookware
Stainless steel is actually a mixture of several different kinds of metals, including nickel, chromium and molybdenum, all of which may leak into foods. However, on the bright side, unless your stainless steel cookware is dinged and pitted, the amount of metals likely to get into your food is negligible. So don't panically throw away all of your stainless steel cookware, they are still a good choice in comparison with those non-stick cookware you even don't know what their coating are made of...

Anodized Aluminum Cookware
The electro-chemical anodizing process locks in the cookware's base metal, aluminum, so that the possibility it get into food is lower than traditional aluminum cookware. However, this type of cookware is not very durable so you might need to change it often to avoid the leak somehow. 

Cast Iron Cookware
Another good choice is that old standby, cast iron, which is known for its durability and even heat distribution. Cast iron cookware can also help ensure that eaters in your house get enough iron—which the body needs to produce red blood cells—as it seeps off the cookware into food in small amounts.

Unlike the metals that can come off of some other types of pots and pans, iron is considered a healthy food additive by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But one thing everyone should beware, though, that most cast iron cookware needs to be seasoned after each use and as such is not as worry-free as other alternatives. Therefore, if you are not too lazy to season and to care the cast iron cookware, it should be your perfect choice in the world full of all kinds of chemicals that might potentially hurt our body in long term.

Enameled Cast Iron Cookware For those who like the feel and heat distribution properties of cast iron but dread the seasoning process, enameled cast iron cookware is a perfect choice. The smooth and colorful enamel is dishwasher-friendly and non-stick, and covers the entire surface of such cookware to minimize clean-up headaches.

Copper Cookware
One other surface favored by chefs for sauces and sautés is copper, which excels at quick warm-ups and even heat distribution. But beware, if you are using the full-copper cookware you need to be extra cautious to maintain and clean or the poisonous verdigris will be harmful. With proper care, copper cookware still be one of the best performing cookware of all.