571140 Mon Nov 10 15:51:38 -0800 2008 14 41 Cookware 0 4162943 Eight piece set is on sale at Walmart right now at half price, $50. Does anybody have any experience with this? The very few reviews I've managed to google up were favorable. I'm replacing my good old cast iron cookware after reading about the dangers of iron in the diet. Mon Nov 10 15:51:38 -0800 2008 53487 werewolf 1 4162976 Uh oh, just found this. Maybe that's why it's half price. That's what I was afraid of... "Not ready for service, 09/20/2008 By SenatorPedes Read all reviews by this reviewer Read all reviews by this reviewer Overall Rating: 1 out of 5 1 out of 5 Product Attributes: Value: 1 out of 5 1 out of 5 Meets Expectations: 1 out of 5 1 out of 5 Features: 4 out of 5 4 out of 5 Durability: 1 out of 5 1 out of 5 Appearance: 4 out of 5 4 out of 5 This set look gorgeous but unfortunately this set of green cookware wilts and dies easily. Despite the claims that its nonstick coating is superior to the standard and more chemically intensive method it just does not perform. Even if you follow the instructions diligently, season the pans and use non-abrasive tools it will still fail with regular use in less than a month. The pans in the set wear worse than the pots. The last attempt at using the large pan lead to stuck potato bits and a nice soak for the pan to remove them. Oddly, food is easily removed after soaking. It's also worth mentioning that solid metal pan handles can lead to burns if gripped too close to the body of the cookware. Wait for something better if you desire to go green with your cookware. This set just isn't worth the cost. Recommends this product? No " http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9875694&sourceid=17690094182737335869#ShortReviewTitleBar Mon Nov 10 16:05:31 -0800 2008 4162943 53487 werewolf 1 4163054 Your cast iron cookware is safe. Mon Nov 10 16:37:08 -0800 2008 4162943 172334 Jennifer_B 1 4163171 According to this http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002422.htm excess iron is only a problem for rare people with a genetic disorder, and children who take too many iron supplement tablets. Iron deficiency is a more common problem, especially for women. Mon Nov 10 17:20:09 -0800 2008 4162943 12139 paulj 2 4163230 But some say that, depending on your age and sex, iron in the diet is very unhealthy, like here: http://www.imminst.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=19389 And cooking with cast iron adds a lot of iron to your food. Also, I came across a review of those pans that was very negative. The reviewer said that the coating wears off within a month, so that's what I was afraid of, and maybe that's why it's half price. I posted that review here, but it disappeared. I suppose I wasn't supposed to copy it here... Mon Nov 10 17:48:09 -0800 2008 4163171 53487 werewolf 3 4163288 Without digging very far, that Imminst place appears to lie at the speculative end of alternative medicine. I am aware, though, that post-menopausal women take mineral supplements without the extra iron that they did when younger; basically the same ones intended for men. Are there any good figures on how much iron is absorbed from food cooked in cast iron cookware? I think that would vary widely with the seasoning of the pan, and type of food, and its cooking time. A tomato sauce cooked till bare metal shows will have a lot more iron than a steak that has been pan-grilled in a well season skillet. Mon Nov 10 18:14:18 -0800 2008 4163230 12139 paulj 4 4163410 Woops, that negative review is back again... Last night I came across a chart that showed the iron content of foods before and after cooking in cast iron. The latter was radically higher. Unfortunately, I can't find that chart again. Mon Nov 10 18:57:58 -0800 2008 4163288 53487 werewolf 5 4163513 How about this 1986 study http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2378.html As I suspected amounts varied with type food, cooking time, and seasoning of the skillet. In that article, iron addition is viewed as a good thing. Americans now get less iron from cookware than in the past. Iron cookware used to dominate; now most use nonstick and stainless steel. The is only one American manufacturer, Lodge, where as in the past, you could pickup noname pans from any hardware store. Mon Nov 10 19:55:10 -0800 2008 4163410 12139 paulj 6 4163572 Good work, Paulj! That's the chart I saw last night. Here's Dr Weil referring to that chart: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA364217 One thing he says that I never heard before is not to use cast iron for deep frying. Mon Nov 10 20:30:33 -0800 2008 4163513 53487 werewolf 7 4166719 When researching choices for healthy cooking pans, most articles will tell you to pick cast iron. The iron is viewed as a health benefit 90% of the time. Very rarely would the iron you get from the pan be a cause concern in your health. Most of us do not get enough iron in our diets. Why don't you go to the doctor's office and have a blood test and see what your doctor says? In addition, please don't be worried about deep frying in cast iron. Think of all of the southerners who have deep fried chicken over the generations! Rancidity/oxidation, if it were to occur, will not be a health concern- it would just be an off-taste. Lastly - if you REALLY want to find articles about dangers from your cooking pans - look up the dangers of cooking with teflon or nonstick (which most nonstick is teflon). That will give you a real good scare. Wed Nov 12 04:47:00 -0800 2008 4163572 146890 warneral 8 4167291 Should Werewolf ask his doctor about the dangers of cooking with Teflon, or should he just accept the articles at face value? Maybe he could ask if the doctor uses Teflon free medical supplies. Also keep in mind that it is PFOA, a chemical sometimes used in the manufacture of Teflon, that may be carcinogenic. The other dangers of Teflon have about the same (conventional) medical footing as the excess iron idea. But we are missing a piece of information - this cookware is supposed to be PTFE-free. That means, no Teflon, nor a non-Teflon brand of PTFE. In most other threads I've argued that non-Teflon, non-stick still has PTFE, possibly with a superior application method. So what is the nature of Tramontina's alternative? Even if the supposed dangers of Teflon are real, do they apply to this? Wed Nov 12 08:35:23 -0800 2008 4166719 12139 paulj 9 4176653 Actually I was suggesting asking the doctor where her iron levels are since cast iron cooking could only possibly be a health issue for someone on the high end. IMO cast iron is highly safe and my personal choice for healthy cooking. I Sat Nov 15 16:48:42 -0800 2008 4167291 146890 warneral 1 4163548 From all reports, actual "non-stick" cookware all seems to be cased on Teflon by that and any other name. While it's well known that copper is foxic, I haven't seen any warnings that cast iron whould be lined with some other material. Mon Nov 10 20:16:25 -0800 2008 4162943 55316 mpalmer6c 1 4726645 I bought the Tramontina Eco Friendly 10 in. saute pan, at WalMart, about three weeks ago. I would not recommend it. It may be eco-friendly, but it certainly is not non-stick. Just about everything I cook in it, especially eggs, sticks. I've always washed it by hand, and seasoned it according to instructions. All to no avail. Guess I'll wait for a better replacement for bad old Teflon! Fri May 29 17:34:24 -0700 2009 4162943 324144 GrandpaBob 1 4869461 After 2 months of using the Eco friendly line of cookware and proper cleaning and use of plastic utensils, the coating is pealing pealing off on several of the pans. After reading many other reviews on the net it appears half the users have good rating and the other half are poor for the same reason of pealing. There must be a flaw in the manufacturers processing. Keep clear of this product. Sat Jul 18 05:01:42 -0700 2009 4162943 1094656 denarmst