Nowadays there is a great demand for clay pots. Clay pots are always an intrinsic part of Indian families. Since ancient times, clay pots have played an integral function in shaping the culinary culture of India. The reason for great demand is health benefits.
Moreover, it also cooks delicious and nutritious food. As cooking in clay pots has lots of health benefits that is why Ayurveda recommends that we cook food in clay pots. Other than that, it improves the quality of the food at the end.
However, we also need to know about the disadvantages of cooking in clay pots. The porousness of the clay pots makes us unable to clean the pots. Cleaning the food residue might be harmful to us.
Other than that, clay materials are a porous element. It might turn the clay pot less functional after using it for a while. In this article, we are going to state the disadvantages of cooking in clay pots. Follow the article.
How many types of Clay Pots are there in the market?
Clay pots are widely used in Indian households. Without clay pots, the kitchen seems to look incomplete. There are four types of clay pots available in the market. Those are earthen clay, ball clay, porcelain, and stoneware clay.
All of these are different from one another. The result might be different in texture, colours, and flexibility.
Earthen clay is the oldest, while ball clays contain fewer mineral impurities. On the other hand, stoneware clay is non-porous and hard. Last but not least porcelain is highly popular due to its unique design. All these clay pots are easily available in the market.
How do I Know if Clay is Food Safe?
We need to know whether the clay we are using is food safe or not. There are several types of food tests that you can easily perform in the home. Here are some tests. Follow the instructions.
Lemon Test
Take one lemon and squeeze the juice. Now, place the rest of the lemon in the juice in the clay pot and keep it overnight. The next morning, take out the lemon and rinse the pot.
If you notice any changes in the colour then it is clear that the lemon juice can reach deep into the clay. With this test, you can get your answer.
Microwave Test
The microwave test is another way to get an idea of food safety. Take one test piece and fill it with water and microwave it for a few seconds. The water will absorb if you notice that the clay body is not sufficiently verified. The thermal shock of the hot water might cause cracks in the clay cot.
What are the Disadvantages of Cooking in Clay Pots?
As we have discussed before, cooking in clay pots has an integral function. From grandmother’s era, we have seen clay pots in the kitchen.
However, clay pots have several disadvantages. We will discuss the disadvantages of cooking in clay pots here in this section.
Health Hazards
Clay pots can be considered highly toxic. It may include impurities like different traces of metals along with iron oxide. These metals are not good for our health. Some companies claim that there is no trace of impurities in the pot. It cannot be true.
However, the branded clay pots might not contain the metals. But it is advisable to purchase from a branded shop.
Clay Pots are Porous
The clay pots are difficult to clean, unlike the ceramic pots. The annoying thing is that you cannot use soap for cleaning purposes. The soap will see into the clay. It will be difficult to get rid of the soap. The food might taste like soap. Moreover, it is also not good for your health.
Purity Compromise
Clay pots contain lots of impurities such as iron oxide, sand, roots, and other debris. That is why it is not good for your health.
However, nowadays manufacturers are using other impurities to make the clay pots less fragile, non-porous, etc. That is why the clay pots contain lots of impurities.
Slower Cooling than Metals
Clay pots retain heat much better than metal cookware. That is why it takes a long time to heat and cool. So, we often keep water to get cool. But it takes lots of time to get cool. It is one of the greatest drawbacks.
Slow Cooking
Another disadvantage of a clay pot is the slow cooking formula. Cooking can be annoying in the clay pot because it takes too much time. You have to maintain the temperature properly.
If you lack it then the pot can get cracked. Due to its fragility, it takes lots of time to cook. If you don’t give the proper time, then the food might not be tasty.
Fragile
The most careful thing about the clay pot is its fragility. These are delicate and can crack. If you expose it to direct her, then the clay pot can crack it from the sides. That’s why one needs to maintain a consistent temperature. The higher temperature will damage the clay pot.
Cracks Due to Certain Heating and Cooling
Clay pots tend to get cracked when it is heated at a high temperature. That is one need to be careful while using it. Not only heating but also the clay pots crack when they are cooled.
That is why it is important to keep the pot for a while after heating or cooling. So that it doesn’t crack. Sometimes while cooking the clay pot crack. The food in the pot might come out.
Cause Change in Food Flavour
The greatest disadvantage of the clay pot is its flavour changing essence. If you want to get the proper flavour then it would not be for you. The pot will absorb the flavour which you are going to add to the clay.
Moreover, the porousness plays a role in creating the stains from curries. The flavour will hamper the taste of other recipes once the flavour has settled in the pot.
High Heat Absorption
High heat absorption is one of the great disadvantages of clay pots. Clay pots take a long time to heat up. The porousness of the clay pots ensures steam. After that, the heat circulates well throughout the pot. That is why the clay absorbs high heat. Due to its heat-absorbing capacity, it will absorb gas as well.
Difficult to Clean and Maintain
Another major drawback of clay pots is the cleaning property. It is difficult to clean and maintain properly. If you give pressure with the soap while rubbing the pot then it may get broken.
On the other hand, if you don’t rub properly then the dirt will not be out properly. Moreover, if the clay pot accidentally falls from your hand then it might be broken.
Costly
Yes, clay pots are costly. These are bulky, heavy items. That is why it increases the cost of transport or postage. The price will depend upon the material. If the material is good then the cost will go high.
On the other hand, if the material is made up of inferior quality then the price will be a little bit lower. In one word, we can say that the price of the clay pots is expensive in comparison to the others.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is unglazed clay Food Safe?
Answer: It is difficult to say whether the unglazed clay food is safe or not. Some of the products contain lead and cadmium. This can be leached if the piece is poorly glazed. If the colours are not properly sealed then we can say that it is not food safe.
Is it safe to drink water from clay pots?
Answer: Yes, it is safe to drink water from clay pots. Our human body is acidic while clay pots are alkaline in nature. If one consumes water from the clay pot then it helps in maintaining proper pH balance in the body. Moreover, the clay pot is porous so it cools the water.
Difference between black and red clay pots.
Answer: In black clay pots there is no presence of toxic chemicals and materials. It is environment-friendly and can be used in the kitchen. On the other hand, a red clay pot is called the earthen pot. We can cook several food items here.
Conclusion
We have discussed some of the disadvantages of cooking in clay pots. Many times we ignore its drawbacks. We have also discussed the different types of clay pots.
However, we all need to know about the details of the clay pots. We are sure that you have liked the article and gained knowledge.
Rai is a happy-go-lucky girl from India. She loves cooking and experimenting new recipes every now and then. She manages all the content here at Cooker King. She aims to help the community by suggesting best cooking appliances and providing best cooking related tips.
Hello, my name is Grace
My question is I have a large clay pot that I use to cook beans and I noticed every time I make beans with it, a silver film builds up under the lid, could that be lead? The place where I bought it from said it was lead free. My husband thinks it is.