Disadvantages of Cooking in Clay Pots – Evaluating the Disadvantages!

Clay pots are popular in Asian households. Most of the time, they are used to cook meals every day. So you might also want to use these eco-friendly cooking pots to cook meals. But is it safe to cook in clay pots? If you are not sure, today’s discussion will be helpful to you because we will be talking about the advantages and disadvantages of cooking in clay pots in this blog post. Do not hurry to guess that clay pots are unsafe. Move on to the paragraphs below and get enough knowledge.

What are Clay Pots and Their Types?

The clay pot is a kind of pot that is used for cooking. As its name suggests, clay pots are made of natural clays. Clay pots are considered one of the oldest pots that come over the ages of civilization. There are handmade as well as machine-made clay pots in the market. And They are designed in different shapes and sizes. The clay is moulded into various shapes using high heat. According to the natural clay that is used to make the pot, we can categorize them as follows:

1. Earthenware – this kind of pots are made through a heating process and needs special moulding. They are easy to use and inexpensive.
2. Porcelain – porcelain pots are popular due to their charming beauty. There is a special glass coating around this cookware.
3. Stoneware – stoneware can resist high heat and liquid. Thus, these pots are the most durable.

Is It Safe to Use Clay Pots for Cooking?

It is totally okay to use clay pots for cooking because they have some advantages too. The pot can be harmful if it contains impurities. But most of the time, the manufacturers take the responsibility to provide safe pots that are free of impurities.

And also, you need to think about your own safety when warming up clay pots because they cannot bear high heat. Otherwise, there are no serious factors that prove clay pots are not safe.

Disadvantages of Cooking in Clay Pots

these are the major disadvantages you have to encounter when using clay pots for cooking.

1. Impurities – environmental toxins can dwell in natural clay. Or else they may be added to the manufacturing process. Those toxins can be metal fragments and iron oxide, which are harmful to the human body. Thus, you are advised to buy clay pots from a reliable company.
2. Porous Nature – Clay is porous, so the heat, flavors, and other liquids can be absorbed by the clay surface. Since the steam does not escape, your cooking process can be slow. Moreover, you will not be able to get the flavor you wanted.
3. Fragile Nature – it is not a secret that clay pots are fragile, so you have to handle them with a careful hand. And also, clay pots cannot bear changes in temperature, especially extreme heat; thus, you should not use them carelessly in cooking.
4. Slow Cooking – since you cannot warm up the pot in high heat, the cooking time can be longer.
5. Seasoning – when it comes to seasoning, you cannot season your vegetables and meat if you use a clay pot. Instead, you have to put your seasoning with oil into the pot.
6. Risk of Burning – Clay pots can be extremely hot when it is warmed up, and most pots are not designed with separate handles or aids. Thus, handling a hot clay pot brings the risk of burning.
7. The Price – some clay pots, especially handmade porcelain ones, can be expensive in some areas.
8. Difficulties in Cleaning – cleaning clay pots is somewhat tricky when compared to other kinds of pots. You cannot use strong soaps and too hot water to remove any residue because the soap can be absorbed. Most of the time, the stains tend to stick to the surface of clay pots.

Tips for Using Clay Pots Safely

 If you wish to use clay pots for cooking, remember these tips.

• Firstly, you need to purchase clay pots from a reliable brand that guarantees the safety of pots. Make sure to check their standards. If impurities have been eliminated, those clay pots are safe to use.
• The second most important thing is the temperature you use for cooking in clay pots. It is not recommended to use clay pots in high heat. And you should not warm up an empty clay pot. Use some oil when warming up the pot.
• Do not put a hot clay pot in cool water because it cannot bear the sudden change of temperature.
• Since clay can absorb strong flavors, it would be better to use several pots according to different flavors. Simply keep one pot for spicy food and others for sweet dishes.
• Make sure to always use a cooking glove when handling a hot clay pot to avoid any burns.

How to Clean Clay Pots?

As we mentioned earlier, you cannot use regular methods to clean your clay pot. If you use strong detergent, the porous surface can absorb soap. And it is not recommended to use extremely hot or cold water to clean clay pots.

You can use some warm water to remove the residue on the clay pot. Then use a sponge scrubber to scrub the surface.

If there are stubborn stains, you can use two tablespoons of baking soda along with white vinegar and warm water. Let the mixture stay in the pot for at least 15 minutes. After that, you can rinse it with clean water.

Advantages of Cooking in Clay Pots

It cannot be ignored that there are also advantages of clay pots. They are as follows:

• Clay pots are eco-friendly, so if you use them, it is a favor you do for nature.
• Since clay pots cook meals slower, nutrition will not be lost.
• Since the clay surface is porous, the meal will be cooked evenly too. Thus there will be no burnt or undercooked meals if you use clay pots.
• You do not need to use a lot of oil to steam the food because the steam is produced through the porous surface of the clay pot.
• Clay pot can neutralize the Ph level of your food.  

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Video Credits – Natural Solution

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