I tested this light blue Lodge enameled cast iron dutch oven lid back in 2015 (at the Portland Green Festival!)
With more recently tested items I capture a much more comprehensive panel of test results, however with this one I just captured the following two sets of readings (which are enough to support my opinion that enameled cast iron should always be avoided because there is all-too-often a possibility that it is positive for one or more toxicants!) I did not record the estimated year of manufacture for this piece.
When tested with an XRF instrument this piece had the following readings…
Blue Enamel (outside):
- Lead (Pb): Non-Detect
- Arsenic (As): 35 ppm
White Enamel (inside food surface):
- Lead (Pb): 48 ppm
- Arsenic (As): Non-Detect
Regardless of whether or not this type of item is leach tested at the time of manufacture (and determined by current standards to be safe because it is not leaching at that time) I personally do not believe that there is any defensible reason to have Lead and ARSENIC in our cookware.
Click here to see more cast iron pieces I have tested.
Click here to see more Lodge brand pieces I have tested.
Click here to see more enamelware pieces I have tested.
Safer choices for cookware include:
- plain (undecorated) stainless steel
- plain undecorated cast iron and
- plain undecorated clear glass.
These are the types of things I use in my home. They also tend to be relatively inexpensive (as well as free of toxicants!)
I don’t currently have a dutch oven brand that I personally recommend or would use in my home (and I have never cooked in one of these in my 49 years on the planet – so am also not sure what I might use one for if I had one!)
Lodge is otherwise a good brand and their plain (unadorned, without enamel coatings) cast iron pieces are generally a good safer choice (from a toxicant perspective). Here’s a link to a good example of a safer Lodge cast iron piece (that is likely to be free of toxicants like Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic and Mercury!): https://amzn.to/2VT2GBz*
Please note, I have heard that Lodge pieces sometimes arrive broken in shipping – a fact which might indicate they are weaker cast iron than some of the more expensive brands (or than the vintage cast iron of our parents and grandparents) … however the price point for Lodge pieces seems to make that a reasonable risk.
If you can get ahold of your grandmother’s vintage or antique cast iron (when she is ready to pass it on) that’s always the best choice! I have my great grandmother’s pans that I use (and I believe, based on family lore, that some of these are from the late 1800s!) They are great pans for cooking and they were among a very small handful of things that survived our total loss house fire in 2002 (an unusual reason to be enthusiastic about cast iron, I know!)
Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
*Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on one of my affiliate links I may receive a small percentage of what you spend at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my advocacy work in this way!
Hi! I just found this site and am in tears that all my beautiful vintage dishes and bakeware are poisoning me and my family. I was wondering if you tested any Aida Associates Nikko Venture Cloudland dishes? They are made in Japan. Thank you for this heartbreaking information!
Can you send me a pic? I can let you know if I have tested it or similar. In general Japan does well. Here’s my list of “Made in Japan” things: https://tamararubin.com/category/made-in-japan/
Hi and thanks for your response! Here’s a link to the plate on eBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikko-VENTURE-Dinner-Plate-Blue-White-Cloudland-Aida-Associates-Made-in-Japan-/223302796780
I didn’t see this set on your site. The other set I have is the vintage FireKing Jadeite which judging by your site is probably toxic but I couldn’t find specifics on that either.
Hi and thank you for your response! I’m not sure how to send a picture but here is a link to them: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikko-VENTURE-Dinner-Plate-Blue-White-Cloudland-Aida-Associates-Made-in-Japan-/223302796780?oid=223293993952 I didn’t see these listed on your site or my other dish set Anchor Hocking FireKing Jadeite, but judging from your other FireKing and Pyrex I’m worried. Thank you for your site and information I am sharing it with everyone I know!
Hello Tamara have you test loadge procelan enamel on cast iron black from outside and white inside 4.5 qt I have it from more then 2 years
Hello Tamara,
Thank you so much for the work you are doing and sharing with the community. Your site has been a great resource for our family over the years.
I wondered if you have tested ceramic non-stick cookware? I searched your site, but wasn’t able to find any posts about it. In the past we purchased these sets by WearEver for ourselves and to help replace teflon pans for family members because they were inexpensive and claim they are lead-free and cadmium-free.
https://amzn.to/2UYjSVx (aflink)
https://amzn.to/2WjWrGy (aflink)
Do you have any recommendations about WearEver ceramic, or ceramic non-stick cookware in general?
Thanks very much for your help.
Hi, I just have a general question. I have watched your videos on testing vintage Pyrex and dishes. I’ve also seen you test new dishes. I tested my own vintage Pyrex with a lead swab and it came back negative I’ve tested a bunch of my dishes that are vintage and they also came back negative with the lead swab. I know that you also use an instrument to test what’s underneath the surface glaze. So, as long as there aren’t cracks, chips, and crazing in the glaze I am assuming that most stuff is safe until a lead swab comes back positive. Which would indicate that the glaze has worn down and is now exposing the food to the elements underneath. Is this correct thinking? Thank you
Hi Marilyn,
Actually most dishes will not test positive with a swab, but that does not mean they are safe. They can still test negative with a swab and leach unfortunately. ALL of the vintage Pyrex I have tested to date has been very high lead. The readings from the XRF are the surface readings of the lead (in most cases, like the Pyrex) – not the lead bound in the glass matrix. I am curious what patterns you have that were negative with a swab, can you let me know? Maybe share links to similar items on eBay?
Here is a post about testing dishes with a swab that explains things a little more: https://tamararubin.com/2017/02/leadcheck-dishware/
Tamara
#Ask Tamera
Hi Tamera,
I have a Tiffany style lamp. I recently learned the metal in-between the glass pieces are a lead alloy. My question is, is it safe as long as no one touches the lamp shade, or does it create lead dust that contaminates surrounding surfaces? I worry about it every time I dust it.
Thank you,
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
I have tested tables under lamps like that and the dust levels have been high (higher than the same table without the lamp). I consider them a definite lead-dust hazard even though there may not be a scientific study to support that claim. I would not have one of these in my home.
Tamara
Have you ever tested staub? https://www.cutleryandmore.com/staub/round-dutch-oven-p137825?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4_Wtptij5AIVGR-tBh1uCwFzEAQYBCABEgKFqfD_BwE&mc_cid=920180d5d8&mc_eid=4732483387
Are there any dutch ovens you consider safe?
Tamara
So many of us want/need a safe Dutch Oven. Anything you have tested that you would recommend?
Thank you!
Christine
The plain undecorated cast iron dutch ovens are a good choice Christine. Chrissy Tiegen’s “Cravings” line from Target has some unadorned lead-free cast iron dutch ovens.
Tamara
What does unadorned mean?
Thanks Tamera. I need to become a better housekeeper to deal with the cast iron that is not enameled. I will try!
Have you ever tested Lodge lids? We need a clear glass lid for our cast iron pan, but am wondering if the silicone handle could have cadmium?
Hi have you tested Tramontina enameled cast iron Dutch ovens? They have a great promotion at Costco right now.
Hi Shan, thank you for commenting. In general I would never recommend ANY enameled products regardless of brand or year of manufacture. I have several posts discussing that on my blog. Here’s my category for “enamelware” that you can look through to see why: https://tamararubin.com/category/enamelware/
And here’s my summary post for Enamelware Mugs (there are dozens of summary posts for different categories of items on the blog): https://tamararubin.com/2020/04/this-post-includes-links-to-all-my-posts-about-enamelware-mugs-vintage-new-with-toxicant-testing-results/
Tamara
Hi. Can i ask….how about carbon steel? Is it safe for cooking? Tq
I recommend Xtrema cookware. They are 100% ceramic, not coated, and the line was created to address the lead and arsenic and cadmium concerns that are listed above and in so many of your articles, by a man who has been in the cookware industry for decades. They are very durable and usable on both gas or electric, and in the oven. I’ve had my dutch oven for about five years and it’s still going!
Hi SK – that’s all not true unfortunately. They are coated with a black glaze that contains 14+ metals:
Here’s one post: https://tamararubin.com/2019/05/xtrema-cookware-an-important-point-the-clay-substrate-was-positive-for-only-4-metals-this-means-the-other-metals-found-are-all-in-the-glaze/
Here’s another: https://tamararubin.com/2018/08/july-2018-ceramcor-xtrema-saucepan-update/
And this was the first post – you might find the comments interesting (they include many greenwashing comments by the owner of the company): https://tamararubin.com/2017/06/mercola_pan/
Tamara
Tamara,
Curious how bad this one really is as the level is well under the 90ppm considered safe for children.
I use my Lodge dutch oven religiously for sauces a soups, it is by far the superior cookware from a performance standpoint. Am I really going to get cancer and die from cooking in it at this low of a ppm? I see some pieces you have tested in the hundreds or thousands ppm. This seems marginal as well as being well within the safe range for children.
I do use All Clad Copper Core Stainless Steel set for mostly everything else which sounds like I’m safe there.
I also just replaced my Lodge dutch oven last week, so I can only imagine it has gotten worse since this one you tested in 2015. I also use a Lodge traditional cast iron pan for many things as well, so good to know that regular non-emaled cast iron is a good option.
Hello, I have a princess house comal from a a few decades ago, I was wondering if you’ve tested one before?
Hi, Just mentioning the Lodge enameled cast iron is made in china. I avoid products made in china, was so disappointed when I learned this. Thank you for your testing