I hope you found my last post about the best clean cookware to be useful and informative. After that post, I had so many questions come in about brands and how clean they are which is why I want to emphasize something I say at the beginning of my latest video.
No cookware or bakeware is going to be 100% perfect.
Unless you're baking on an open fire with a spit, okay then maybe we can say that it's the cleanest way to cook. But then you have to worry about burning food which is a whole other can of worms, lol!
That being said, there are many wonderful clean brands of bakeware that I mention in my video that I use myself and happily recommend to you that you can feel pretty confident they are non-toxic as long as they are not chipped or scratched. First up is this unbleached parchment paper.
Unbleached Parchment Paper
I've been using the Paper Chef brand for many years and love it. I used to compost it because it says on the package it's "compostable and biodegradable" but then I learned my city doesn't compost parchment, so just be sure you check your city's rules on this kind of thing. I also like the "if you care" brand too. These are the muffin paper cups I love.
Silicone Baking Sheets, Cake Pan and Muffin Cups
Silicone baking sheets are a newer item to my kitchen in the last couple of months and I'm really loving them! Super easy to clean and durable. I keep one for savoury dishes and one for baking. I do this because after I roasted a whole fish on one, the next time I used it, there was a slight smell of fish still on the baking sheet. Since I don't want fishy tasting cookies, I have reserved one sheet for savoury foods like fish. This is the best brand to get.
The only drawback to silicone is that it won't hold in the heat as well as stoneware when baking in a cake pan for instance. This means, whatever you're baking may take a bit longer to bake. That doesn't really matter with the baking sheets, but for the cake pan depending on what kind of recipe you're making it's a consideration. I love the silicone muffin cups because the muffins pop out so easily and you don't need to grease anything!
Muffin Pan and Sheet Pans
I bake muffins on a near-weekly basis! Have you tried my cranberry walnut breakfast muffins or my double chocolate muffs? Note: I didn't have the same muffin tin I have now in those photos. The muffin tin I use now is this one by Green Life - it's heavy-duty steel coated with ceramic.
As for sheet pans, I use them on a daily basis because sheet pan cooking is what I do for dinner every single day whether I'm making Roasted Rosemary Sweet Potatoes or Roasted Cauli and Brocc from The Joyous Cookbook. I have at least 5 or 6 sheet pans, but this one by Green Life is by far the cleanest.
Definitely, my favourite baking dishes are these stoneware pieces from Le Creuset. There are many brands of wonderful stoneware. I also have some white Staub dishes too, which are gorgeous, durable, and hold the heat in perfectly.
Whether you're making Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, lasagna or a frittata , stoneware is excellent because it also traps in the flavour. These are pieces that you'll have for life, a worthwhile investment piece. I've had mind only about 8 years because I got these as a wedding gift but they still look brand new. This is the loaf pan, square baking dish, and lasagna size I have.
As mentioned in my video, I have some glass bakeware but I only use them for reheating because with glass you need to adjust the temperature and it doesn't hold the heat very well.
And finally, I use a mix of wooden and silicone utensils.
If I've missed anything, please feel free to post below and remember to check out my last video on clean cookware.
Have a joyous rest of your week!
Joy xo
Thanks Joy! What about cookie sheets? I have A silicone mat, but what’s best for the actual pan?
ReplyHi Courtney, sorry about that. I forgot to add it. Here are the baking sheets: https://amzn.to/3lgCIUW
The link for silicone muffin cups isn't working...would love to know what brand you buy! Thanks for the list of bakeware you use!
ReplyI've updated it now, let me know if you still have trouble.
Great info Joy! How do you feel about baking in Corning Ware? Not the glass, the ceramic. I have inherited alot of those dishes.
ReplyThat's awesome! I love corningware! My mom has some corningware from the 70's.
Thank you so much, Joy! I've been trying to find clean bakeware for ages and it's so nice to have this as a resource!
ReplyYou're welcome Jen, I'm so happy to hear it helps!
This is great! Thanks so much for putting it together. I haven't done any research on my own yet, so I'm not sure if such a thing exists, but have you heard about green/clean waffle irons? Our waffle maker just kicked the bucket, and it definitely wasn't green OR clean - I'd like to replace it with one that I feel good about using. Thanks again for this list!
ReplyYes, there are cast iron waffle makers you can get for under $100. You just have to make sure you season it properly so that it doesn't rust. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the great info Joy! What about dinnerware? Plates, bowls, cups, even utensils? I need a new set but want to buy clean.
ReplyThat's a great question. I personally have hand-me-downs and then dinner plates we bought from a local ceramic artist. I think there is less of a concern with dinnerware because you can easily avoid non-stick and you're not putting the same kind of temperature variations on a plate that could potentially cause it to leach - even with soup and tea. It's important to look for lead-free but there isn't a brand I feel loyal too because I normally buy from local artists. If you're looking for something affordable, maybe check what IKEA dinnerware is made of as I don't know off hand. If you've got more of a budget then check out Le Creuset stoneware - they have beautiful stuff.
Could you post a list of your favorite brands. When I click on link it wants me to switch to amazon Canadian and if I don’t switch it doesn’t show the product in amazon US.
ReplyHi Joy Mccarthy! I found this post so helpful. Any way to distinguish whether parchment paper is safe or not? I use the Kirkland (Costco) one and it says PaperChef on it. I've always wondered if it was safe as in no chemicals/ not bleached etc.?
ReplyHmmm, not sure about kirkland but Paper Chef is great because it's not bleached or treated with anything. I'm happy to hear it helped!
Hi Joy, Such great recommendations! Thank you. Any suggestions for skillets? I have a cast iron one but I’d like non-stick without the nasties. Thanks!
ReplyGlad you found it useful! I have a cast-iron skillet too but you can watch this video here for what skillet/fry pans I use: https://www.joyoushealth.com/27484-blog-the-best-clean-cookware
This is so helpful! When you bake cakes, do you use this silicone pan you mention above or something else? I'm a little hesitant to try this one for cakes! Thoughts?? Thank you :)
ReplyThe silicone pan tends to cook faster because it disperses more heat. It really depends on the size of the cake I'm making. Sometimes I still use my springform pan because I need the cake to pop out easily. Mind you, silicone doesn't really stick. Hope that helps!
Hello Joy....I have a question for your about the ceramic bakeware you mentioned in your blog, or really about ceramic bakeware in general. Is there any health concerns in using with with regards to Nano technology and possible leaching into the foods? I am looking to replace our cookie sheets and loaf pans with better options and I am interested in the ceramic ones you suggested. Looking forward to your thoughts on this.
ReplyAs long as the materials used in the bakeware are properly sealed there shouldn't be an issue. Which brand were you asking about specificially?
Joy, I was asking in general but also specifically about the Green Pan Life you mentioned in your blog. Looking to replace our bakeware.
ReplyThey say it's stable to high heat and resistant to flaking, but the thing is because I'm not a chemist or the manufacturer I just have to take them for their word that the nanoparticles do not leach. I would say the most important thing is to stop using it if the coating begins to degrade. Not sure if that helps!
Hi Joy. What are your thoughts about Pampered Chef stone products? I know people LOVE them, I'm just not sure if they are safe. thanks so much
ReplyI think stoneware is generally very safe.
Where did you get your beautiful white 6 cup muffin tin featured in one of your cookbooks?
ReplyWhich cookbook? Is it a white ceramic one? If so, Homesense but it is about 8 years old now :)