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Safe Cooking Pots for Your Health and the Planet

November 17, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink by Jennifer | No comments

Perfluorooctanoic acid PFOA is a big bad used in many cooking pots. PFOA is a chemical used during the manufacturing process when making traditional non-stick pans; or their coating I should say. PFOA can cause harm to the environment and also cause harm to the people making these pots.

eco-friendly pots

Scanpan makes safer pots. With a still non-stick surface made with ceramic-titanium technology and these pots and pans require little to no fat for stick-free cooking. Plus pots and pans have a cooking surface that stands up to metal utensils and still allows for browning, searing and deglazing. All Scanpan cookware is oven safe to 500°F (ceramic coatings can take more heat safely than traditional non-stick coatings) and cleans up easily in the dishwasher.

Plus these pots and pans look great and have ergonomic hollow handles which are more lightweight and stay cooler while cooking along with see-through lids.

Available at Sur la table.

What’s in an eco-friendly pantry?

July 29, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink by Jennifer | No comments

Eco-friendly kitchen pantries have some common themes…

  • Bulk food items in reusable bulk bags and containers. Bulk food cuts down on packaging considerably and most eco grocers and co-ops have fab bulk sections with everything from spices to flour to cereal to dried fruit to pasta. In fact you can usually get natural peanut butter in bulk even at most decent co-ops.
  • Large size of stuff you use all the time. The larger the package the better the eco-deal. I.e. a huge jar of tomatoes for sauce vs. a tiny can.
  • Food items that are free from double and triple packaging. It’s totally unnecessary to buy a box of food that’s sitting in a tray, wrapped in plastic, then placed in a box.
  • No individually wrapped items. Fruit snacks, granola bars, seasoning, crackers for kids, and candy can all be found in bulk or in larger loose packaging.
  • Bottles and jars that come with safety caps that pop – much better than shrink wrapped caps.
  • Glass bottles of condiments and juice vs. plastic.
  • Local and organic food items. At least a decent bulk of your food items should be organic, bulk and in season.
  • Simple food items such as brown rice or plain noodles rice mixes and noodle mixes for instance.The former food items use more package than necessary and often contain lots of chemicals and preservatives.

What’s in your pantry – have you looked lately to see what you might be able to make greener?

Eco Kitchen and Dining Tools

March 24, 2009 in Eco Kitchen by Jennifer | No comments

If you’re looking for smarter, green kitchenware and dining items, look no more. Here’s a nice line-up of some great eco kitchen and dining items that are beautiful, green, and of course handy for all your cooking and dining needs…

Plates With Purpose series: Lovely, handcrafted, recycled glass tableware that supports the environment and various non-profit and community programs. I love these plates! They’re so pretty. Plus you could mix and match the neat designs.
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Are Natural Wood Cutting Boards Safe?

March 10, 2009 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink by Jennifer | No comments

Many people don’t want to use plastic cutting boards due to the non eco-friendly quality of plastics overall. On the flip side, many people worry about wooden cutting boards because they’re afraid of germs staying on the board. So… which is safer? Wood or plastic? And which is a more eco-friendly choice?

Germs can actually stay on both plastic or wood – the catch is in how you clean your cutting board. Studies show that if you clean your wooden cutting board properly, you can even use it safely for meat.

How to be safe:

  1. Use two cutting boards – one for produce and one for meats.
  2. After use, wash in the hottest water possible and a basic natural soap (say like an eco-friendly dish soap). Dry with a clean towel.
  3. Never leave your board sitting around wet – dry it as well as you can as dampness aids in bacteria growth.

As for the eco-friendly qualities, wood is a better choice. Especially if you get a sustainable wooden cutting board – such as a board made from sustainably harvested bamboo. Plastics are made from non-renewable resources, so plastic cutting boards are never going to be a better choice. That said, another great option is snagging a Paperstone Cutting Board from Preserve. These cutting boards are made with 100% recycled Forest Stewardship Council certified Paperstone and feature a knife-friendly surface with non-porous, petroleum-free coating. Plus these boards look great (see below).

To learn more read; Green Cutting Board Know-How.

Home Stove and Oven Energy Savings

January 8, 2009 in Eco Kitchen by Jennifer | 1 comment

These pots above could use some lids to save energy!

If you’re looking to save energy at home, taking steps in the kitchen is smart, especially when it comes to your stove and oven use.

Some handy energy saving tips:

Keep it clean. Dirt and grime can interfere with proper cooking time and energy use. Clean inside your oven, the stove top reflector pans (or glass), and the fan regularly.

Quit peeking. Looking inside the oven won’t make that cake rise any faster. It will waste energy though each time you open the door. Use the light instead and look in the oven window.

Use pots and pans that fit the burner size. The worst energy waste here is a tiny pot on a big burner.

Consider an alternative. Both toaster ovens and microwaves use less energy than your oven. Can you use one of these options instead?

Turn it off early. You can easily turn your oven off about ten minutes early, and still have your food cook through. Just leave your dish inside the oven with the door closed for the last ten minutes. You can also do this with some stove top foods, like pasta. Allow the water to boil, but turn off the burner before your noodles are all the way cooked. Place a lid on the pot to keep heat inside.

Thaw before cooking. Thaw foods in the fridge before you cook them. Frozen foods take longer than thawed to cook.

Check your oven door seal. A broken or loose seal allows heat to escape. Dirt can also affect how your oven door seal works, so keep it clean as well.

Preheating is a waste. Most food items don’t really need to be put in a preheated oven. Some baked goods do, sure, but not stuff like frozen tator tots for the kiddos.

Green Food Storage Options

December 29, 2008 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink by Jennifer | No comments

This morning we looked at what kind of food storage is the best green choice. Now, as promised, I’ve rounded up some green food storage options for you.

To-Go Ware Food Tin
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Green Kitchen: Eco-Friendly Food Storage Containers

December 29, 2008 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink by Jennifer | 1 comment

This week we started looking at earth friendly kitchenware options. So far we talked about Eco-Friendly Pots and Pans and Eco-Friendly Basic Dishes. Today we’re going to take a peek at what makes a food container eco-friendly.

Food storage containers are fairly green in of themselves because they massively cut down on things like foil and plastic wrap use. Food storage containers; even super cheap, not so cool containers tend to last a long time. That said, there are some greener options than the traditional old school plastic containers most of us grew up with.

Of course you want to avoid containers made of PVC (3), polycarbonate (7), or polystyrene (6). It’s nice when you have a recyclable food container you know. Not to mention you don’t want chemicals leaching into your food. For example, plastic #7 has been shown to leach Bisphenol A (BPA), which in turn has been shown to disrupt hormones. Plastics made from petroleum and natural gas release their chemicals when overheated or melted; which can accidentally happen in a microwave. There are far better choices than plastic anyhow. If you do decide to go with some plastic containers, choose ones with the recycling symbols 1, 2, 4, or 5 and avoid heating them in the microwave (NEVER in the oven).

Best food storage options:

Glass and stainless steel are good food container choices. If you’re going to microwave an item make sure you use glass or lead-free microwave safe ceramic containers. If your glass container comes with a plastic lid, don’t microwave food with the lid on.

Later I’ll post some good green food container choices.

Green Kitchen: Eco-Friendly Dishes

December 27, 2008 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | 3 comments

This week we’re looking at green kitchen dishes and cookware. Yesterday we learned about Eco-Friendly Pots & Pans. Today we’ll look at basic dishes – plate, bowls, etc.

Avoid lead: Toxic lead in the human body is very dangerous, and especially so to small children and babies. The FDA does regulate things like lead and cadmium levels in dishes here in the U.S. but they don’t catch everything. To avoid lead dangers in your dishes do the following:

  • When you purchase new dishes, see if there’s a registration card offered and use it to sign up for safety notices.
  • Never store food in antique dishes.
  • Avoid imported ceramic dishes.
  • If you like to purchase dishes from thrift stores, or have old dishes around your house, then learn how to test your current dishes for lead.
  • Never store liquids in lead crystal glasses or bottles
  • Pregnant women, children, and babies should not drink from lead crystal bottles or cups.

Best safe and green dishes to choose:

  • Recycled glass dishes, plain old glass dishes, stoneware, and ceramic dishes made in the U.S.
  • Buy local.
  • Buy from handcrafters and companies who have eco-ethics.
  • Bamboo dishes.
  • Sustainable wood dishes with non-toxic finishes.
  • Stainless steel dishes – extra points for recycled.
  • If you MUST use disposable dishes, choose recycled and biodegradable disposable dishes.

Green Kitchen: Eco-Friendly Pots and Pans

December 26, 2008 in Eco Kitchen, Food & Drink, Healthy Green Home by Jennifer | 3 comments

This week we’re going to spend some time looking at better green cookware and dishes for your home. Overall, almost all dishes and cookware take a lot of time and energy to process, and many have toxic services. That said, there are some far better green choices when it comes to outfitting your kitchen and dining room.

Tips for greener pots and pans…

Avoid pots and pans made with perfluorochemical (PFCs): You’ll know PFCs as “nonstick.” PFCs is a collection of substances that among other things, keeps food from sticking to pots and pans. PFCs are used in everything from apparel to furniture to cosmetics, but we’re focusing on dishes today and in fact, PFCs may be worse in dishes than other applications because there are many health hazards of having PFCs in your body, and PFCs last forever both in our bodies and they won’t degrade in the environment. You don’t want to cook on and eat off this stuff.

Visit the Environmental Working Group to find out which cookware contains PFCs. Common brands containing PFCs (in specific pieces), include Farberware, Emerilware, Calphalon, All Clad, and more.

Better green pots and pans: The best choices of cookware include pieces made of recycled (or even not recycled) glass bake ware, cast iron, and stainless steel.

The worst pots and pans: Non-stick pots and pans such as anything with Teflon.

What if you already own non-stick cookware?: The best thing to do is upgrade to non-toxic cookware, however, if you hang on to your non-stick pieces, be sure that you don’t heat them to above 450 F and toss them if the non-stick coating starts to peel or shed off.

Later we’ll look at tips for greener flatware, dining dishes, and food containers plus see some green options you can purchase as well, so stay tuned.

Do You Need A New Greener Fridge?

November 7, 2008 in Furniture & Appliances by Jennifer | 2 comments

You might. There are some easy ways to figure out if it’s time for a new greener fridge, or if you should stick with what you’ve got.

If it’s old: Older refrigerators suck up double the energy of new Energy Star refrigerators. A good rule of thumb is that if it’s older than 12 years, start shopping.

If it’s newer: Even newer fridges may be replaced with a more energy efficient version. Just because it’s new, doesn’t mean you ended up with the most efficient model. Of course this means you’d be giving up a fridge (lots of materials and cost) which is something else to consider. To learn how much money you could save by trading up to a greener fridge, visit the Refrigerator Retirement Savings Calculator, then decide.

If it’s broken: If there’s a major issue with your fridge, and it’s going to cost a lot to fix PLUS it’s already old, thus less efficient, I wouldn’t pay for the repair. If you can swing it, get a newer fridge.

What’s next?:

Find a recycling center for your old fridge. Visit the Recycle My Old Fridge Campaign or Earth 911 to get started.

You also might be interested in:

Just for fun: DIY Recycled Refrigerator Magnets

Green Your Holiday Baking with Silicone Baking Sheets & Cups

November 6, 2008 in Food & Drink, Green Your Home by Jennifer | 2 comments

One way to make the holidays a little greener is to use silicone baking gear. Paper muffin cups waste resources, while going sans any baking cup leaves kind of a mess, and your baked goods will stick to the pan.

Silicone has been prooven safe, and it’s reusable. Plus I personally use them, and nothing sticks to them. You will want to wait a little to remove muffins from silicone baking cups though – if you try when the muffins are freshly hot out of the oven, they’ll sometimes stick. Silicone won’t rust, warp, or retain odor from your baking ingredients. It’s also dishwasher, freezer, and microwave safe

Here are some good silicone products to try:

Wilton has a HUGE selection of fun, colorful silicone baking cups. Best for kids are the Silly Feet! Silicone Baking Cups (as seen at top pf post).

Cookware.com has plenty of silicone available. Three good options include:

And just for the kiddos, these fun HEAD CHEFS Kid’s Posable Silicone Kitchen Utensils will get them cooking…

Green Cutting Board Know-How

October 30, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Ah the cutting board. Not something we think about all day long right? Still, in most homes the cutting board is a kitchen item that could be made greener.

Stay clear of plastics! Rule number one folks. Plastic anything is not so green, but a plastic cutting board, one exposed to the foods you eat, well, that’s worse. Aim for a sustainable cutting board such as one of these three available from Sur La Table…

Bamboo Cutting Board:

Teak Cutting Board:

Epicurean Recycled Cardboard Cutting Surfaces:

100% post consumer paper cutting board from Recycline:

You should actually choose at least two cutting boards – one for meats and one for other items.

How to green clean your cutting board:

Most studies note that super hot water and soap will do the job just fine. No need for chemical cleaners. For boards you used for meat, I’d run it through your dishwasher too if you have one. If you’re not on board with plain hot water and soap, try a homemade disinfectant. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda, 4 – 5 drops of tea tree or oregano pure essential oil, and 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar. Mix everything but the baking soda. Sprinkle your board with baking soda and then scrub down with the remaining ingredients.

I hate the smell of vinegar so I just use water and eco soap, but it’s up to you.

Green Your Fridge & Freezer

October 29, 2008 in Green Your Home, Save Energy by Jennifer | No comments

Greening your fridge and freezer is easy and helps to contribute to an overall eco-friendly kitchen.Try these tips:

Buy Energy Star the next time you upgrade your refrigerator.

Own the smallest fridge you can live with that meets your needs. Not everyone needs a giant fridge.

Consider if you really need an extra fridge or freezer; say, in the garage. Even energy efficient appliances suck down on energy resources.

Maintain a tight seal on both your fridge and freezer doors. You should be able to stick a piece of paper in the door and it should stay put.

Most newer freezers self-defrost, but if yours doesn’t, be sure to defrost regularly because a freezer can’t function with thick walls of ice build up.

Vacuum the coils on the back of your fridge at least every six months which will improve performance and energy use.

[Wicked cool retro blue fridge available at Big Chill]

Visual Green Inspiration – My New Favorite Eco Kitchen

October 23, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Need some beauty today?

Well, this should do it. This green kitchen is part of an amazing portfolio of green home projects and remodels at Green Fusion Design Center – the largest green retail showroom in the Bay Area. Visit their website to get design ideas, and to learn more about healthy and green spaces.

Cut out pre-packaged food items

September 7, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Pre-packaged foods create so much extra waste that it’s overwhelming. One of the best ways to green your kitchen is to start concentrating on packaging.

bulk food

Sure you can recycle many parts, often even all of the packaging that packaged foods come in, but consider that it also takes energy to produce this packaging, and also consider that studies show, that not everyone recycles all the time. It’s best to avoid overly pre-packaged goods when you can.

For example:

Instead of juice boxes – use a cup. If you’re on the go, use a refillable, reusable container.

Instead of buying bottled water – use tap water or install a water filter.

Instead of individual tiny boxes of cereal – buy bulk, or the biggest box of cereal available.

Instead of sliced cheese in individual wrappers – choose block cheese and slice it yourself, or have the cheese counter folks do it for you.

I bet you can think of plenty of items you buy that come in too much wrapping. Start small. Next time you’re at the store, take the time to compare. Do you need rice that comes in a box, or can you buy bulk? Do you need raisins in tiny boxes and plastic, or will bulk do here as well? If bulk food choices aren’t available in the food item of choice, choose the least packaged item first.

Read Green Audit Your Pantry to learn more.