Upgrading your cookware can be a challenging task because there are a lot of different types available. However, titanium cookware has become extremely popular due to a raft of benefits. But is it the best choice for your kitchen?
Whether you’re a beginner or an avid cook, you need to know the pros and cons of titanium cookware before you decide to invest in them. Keep on reading, and we’ll answer all your questions.
What is Titanium Cookware?
High-quality titanium pots and pans are, unsurprisingly, actually made of titanium! This lightweight yet extremely sturdy metal has the highest strength-to-weight ratio. This is why you can use it safely in the kitchen, knowing that your pots will always look and feel good.
There are two types of titanium cookware – pure titanium and titanium infused.
Pure Titanium Cookware
Pots and pans made from pure titanium are durable yet lightweight and practical to use. One thing to keep in mind is that it doesn’t transfer heat evenly, so may not be the best choice for everyday cooking.
Nevertheless, its durability and weight makes it the best option for camping trips, holiday vacations, and anytime you’re likely to be cooking away from home.
Pure titanium cookware is resistant to corrosion and doesn’t bend. Any food that sticks to the plan can be cleaned with one of our methods to remove cooked on food.
To make cleaning even easier, opt for a brand with a non-stick coating.
Titanium Infused Cookware
This type of titanium cookware features a core or base of aluminum to counteract the main downside associated with pots and pans made from pure titanium. Aluminum guarantees more even heat distribution whilst conducting heat faster than other metals. This helps to ensure that your food is cooked quickly and evenly.
Layered over the aluminum base, a titanium coating strengthens the cookware and prevents damage to the softer aluminum. A key advantage of this is that the non-porous layer of titanium helps to prevent the aluminum from reacting with the food it touches.
What are the Pros of Titanium Cookware?
Healthy Cooking is Possible
Due to the non stick surface, you can cook your food using a reduced amount of oil or butter. You can even go further and cook your food without using any butter, ghee, or oil!
As it’s non-reactive, titanium doesn’t react or change the taste of your food, guaranteeing a better cooking and eating experience.
Durability
Titanium is one of the most durable metals. Although a titanium cookware set might be more expensive than other types, it will last for a long time. As a matter of fact, some brands are so confident in their durability that they provide a lifetime warranty.
This means that titanium cookware offers great value for money overtime compared to other more fragile options such as ceramic pots and pans.
When exposed to oxygen, titanium forms titanium oxide that protects the metal from degradation. Titanium doesn’t bend or break even if it has been struck, so it’s an excellent choice for heavy-duty use. It’s resistant to warping or denting, and is excellent value for money.
Lightweight Cookware
If you’re planning to travel or cook away from home, titanium pots and pans are the perfect choice. They’re lightweight and easy to carry around, making them the ideal travel companion.
Short Cooking Time
Titanium conducts heat in a short time. As a result, using titanium cookware will reduce your cooking time significantly. This is a big plus, and can help to minimize the time you spend in the kitchen and maxmize the time spent enjoying the delicious meals you make!
Scratch-Resistant
Even if you’re using titanium infused cookware, you’ll notice that your pots and pans are scratch-resistant. Titanium is added to the ceramic coating to increase its strength and give it an abrasion-resistant finish. Your cookware will always look as good as new as the coating won’t be easily scratched.
Whatever cookware you use, we always recommend plastic, silicone, or wood utensils. This is always the safest option and prevents any damage to the surface. However, titanium is more forgiving. Even if you accidentally use metal utensils, your cookware will shrug off most scratches.
Low-Maintenance
Compared to other cookware types, titanium is quite easy to clean. In contrast, aluminum cookware often requires you to scrub the surface to remove all the pieces of stuck food. As a result, you’ll use a lot of cleaning agents and detergents to make sure that your pots and pans are ready for use.
Because of titanium’s natural non stick qualities, this is much less of an issue. Rinsing your cookware with water and a mild detergent will usually be enough to remove any food residue.
Some titanium cookware types are also dishwasher-safe. However, we strongly recommend that you check the manufacturer’s instructions before using the dishwasher with any pots and pans. If it’s possible you should always hand wash your pans.
Unlike cast iron cookware, pots and pans made from titanium don’t need seasoning to maintain their cooking surface.
Non-Reactive
Some metals and materials react with heat or the ingredients of food. Using cookware made of these metals means that your food may contain trace elements of hazardous compounds that accumulate in the body and cause health problems. Some doctors and experts strongly advise people not to use stainless steel, Teflon, or aluminum cookware due to health problems.
This isn’t an issue with titanium because it doesn’t react with food or change its properties because of exposure to high heat levels. The metal is non-porous and doesn’t cause allergies in the body.
What are the Cons of Titanium Cookware?
Although there are a lot of benefits to titanium cookware, there are some drawbacks that you should be aware of.
Expensive
If you’re on a tight budget, this type of cookware isn’t the right choice for you. High quality titanium cookware is more expensive than many other types, regardless of brand.
Titanium infused cookware is slightly less expensive than the pans and pots made of pure titanium. Nevertheless, it’s not the most budget-friendly and there may be other options that are more suitable for your needs.
Extra Attention Needed Whilst Cooking
That benefit we mentioned earlier of conducting heat quickly? It can easily be a drawback if you’re not careful! You need to keep an eye on what you’re doing else you may easily burn your food.
It takes some practice to cook your food properly using pure titanium cookware. Most people prefer to get titanium infused cookware because it’s more practical to use.
Uneven Heat Distribution
Cooking in titanium cookware doesn’t guarantee that all parts of the food will be cooked evenly. As a result, some parts might be already burned while other parts are still cooking. However, this problem can be overcome by using cookware that features an excellent heat-conducting metal like aluminum.
Is Titanium Cookware Safe?
When you’re shopping for new cookware, you want to make sure that it’s safe and won’t react with the food you’re cooking. Some metals react with the acids or alkalis in food to produce other chemical compounds that might be bad for your health.
Pure titanium is exceptionally safe because it’s stable, resistant, and doesn’t react with chemicals in food. Moreover, it doesn’t degrade with continuous contact with food items, so won’t change the taste of what you’re cooking.
The safety of titanium infused cookware depends on the quality of the base or core, and the materials used in the coating. If high-quality titanium coating is used, your cookware will have a non-stick surface that allows you to cook food with a small amount of oil.
Generally speaking, good quality titanium cookware is resistant to scratching with the repeated use of cooking utensils. Even if the external layer gets accidentally scratched, you and your family will be safe. Titanium isn’t toxic and doesn’t cause any allergies or side effects if accidentally ingested.
You should, however, be careful while buying titanium infused cookware. Make sure that the non-stick coating doesn’t contain any heavy metals or any other elements that might react with your food.
How to Maintain Titanium Cookware
Whilst it doesn’t need a huge amount of care, proper maintenance and cleaning of your titanium cookware will guarantee that it will look good and serve you well for a long time. Here are some essential maintenance tips.
- Don’t keep your titanium pot or pan on a high heat for more than a minute or two before adding food. Titanium heats quickly, and excessive heat can affect the color of your pan.
- Over rubbing and scratching the titanium layer will ruin it. As soon as you’re done cooking, use a washcloth or a soft sponge with some mild detergent to clean your cookware. For tough residue, fill your pot with water and let it boil to remove the stuck particles.
- Avoid using abrasive cleaning tools like steel wool to clean your titanium cookware.