Pots And Pans

[LandonL]

wasn't sure exactly where to post this, but I always get valuable info in this forum so I'll just post it here. I was diagnosed with celiac in late february. Trying to do EVERYTHING that I can to make myself 100% gluten free. Haven't made my entire household gluten free b/c as of right now my wife and daughter don't have celiac so haven't tried to convert them to gluten free but thats a whole other story. Anyway, I have my own toaster, pasta strainer, cover my food in the microwave, do my best about making sure only my food goes on the top rack of the oven and such. But I have noticed some people getting their own pots and pans. How many feel this is necessary, and what are the best material pots and pans to get for yourself if you are celiac should I decide to do that. Also what all do I need as far as utensils of my own. Any advise on these questions or any other things that you can think of that I might be able to do to make myself more gluten free would be greatly appreciated

Landon

[MaryJones2]

I am pretty hard on pots, pans and utensils so I have all stainless steel and cast iron. They last forever and are very easy to sterilize.

[LandonL]

I am pretty hard on pots, pans and utensils so I have all stainless steel and cast iron. They last forever and are very easy to sterilize.

do you hand wash them, or put them in the dishwasher. As long as your dishwasher deturgent and such are gluten free, is washing your kitchen "gear" lol in the dishwasher acceptable, or what is the best way to clean things?

[sneezydiva]

We used my gluten issues as an excuse to get all new pots and pans. We converted from a non-stick to stainless steel because they are easier to clean. We are now a gluten-free house. But in the early days, I washed everything in the dishwasher, because dishwasher detergent has food dissolving enzymes, so I felt confident things got completely clean. I never had any problems as far as I know. I could always trace any glutening to a specific food I ate, or an unfortunate kitchen counter CC goof-up.

[CeliacMom2008]

We too bought new pans. We had non-stick pre-Celiac and they were scratched, so when we were struggling with why our son wasn't 100% better they went away. I don't know if we really needed to, but it made us feel better.

I LOVE my All-Clad stainless steel. BUT, I did have to breakdown and buy a non-stick for eggs. I just couldn't make eggs work in the stainless (they all came out scrambled - no matter what I was trying for! LOL). I got them at Bed Bath and Beyond (they always have 20% off coupons and they will honor them regardless of the expiration date and you can use multiple ones in the same order (usually it's for 20% off one item, but if you have 10 items and 10 coupons it is no problem). Anyway, that helped make them more affordable.

I kept the non-stick in a cupboard in case we ever decide to make something with gluten (hubby did use them once to make an ancient package of Tuna Helper!).

Our house is 99% gluten free, so I can't help with the dishwasher question. I would think the dishwasher would be fine though.

[SalmonNationWoman]

I've used stainless steel, enameled iron and cast iron long before going gluten-free. Teflon-type coatings are toxic to us and the environment. IF you do feel the need to use something non-stick, try anodized or one of the newer ceramics that aren't just a think coating.

Also note that ANY NON-STICK surface should never be heated above 350-400 F. It's very easy to reach 700-750 F if the burner is used on medium or high. High temps break down non-stick, leaving it more suceptible to scratches which can trap CC foods.

[ang1e0251]

We also replaced our egg skillet but nothing else. A good wash seems to work OK for me. With pasta I use the same pan but cook mine first and it gets washed by hand.

All that is good but I'm not sick. If you still have ongoing symptoms, then you need to take a closer look at everything including cookware.

[The Mama]

Don't forget CUTTING BOARDS. My daughter has Celiac, has been gluten-free for about 10 months now. Her levels are still way above normal but are gradually coming down. We've designated her her own counter area in the kitchen, her own cutting boards and utencils, baking sheets (for her fries mostly) and utencils (bamboo stirring spoons, etc.). She has her own spice rack so I don't roll out a pizza doough for the rest of us and then touch the seasonings and then she handles them. She does have her own collander and but we share pans.

[MaryJones2]

I LOVE my All-Clad stainless steel. BUT, I did have to breakdown and buy a non-stick for eggs. I just couldn't make eggs work in the stainless (they all came out scrambled - no matter what I was trying for! LOL). I got them at Bed Bath and Beyond (they always have 20% off coupons and they will honor them regardless of the expiration date and you can use multiple ones in the same order (usually it's for 20% off one item, but if you have 10 items and 10 coupons it is no problem). Anyway, that helped make them more affordable.

I too love All-Clad. I have lots of pots and pans and they are always the ones I reach for first. I use a small cast iron pan for eggs. Once you get the patina it makes the perfect omelet IMHO!

do you hand wash them, or put them in the dishwasher. As long as your dishwasher deturgent and such are gluten free, is washing your kitchen "gear" lol in the dishwasher acceptable, or what is the best way to clean things?

I prefer plain stainless steel. You can run them through the dishwasher and they never wear. Some of the special coatings don't fair well in the dishwasher plus they are more expensive. With very few exceptions, things that can't go through the dishwasher don't really have a place in my kitchen!