Many of us know the hassle of cooking with a cast iron pan, where we have to go through things like seasoning and put in tons of oil. Not only can they be hard to cook with, but the cleaning process also can be pretty daunting.
Fortunately, we live in an era where nonstick cookware is a thing. There is no need for seasoning or oil – cook whatever you want to and then clean it up in a minute or less!
When it comes to picking one, though, there’s a prevalent debate between two excellent options – ceramic cookware vs granite cookware. In this guide, we will be comparing the two and help you choose the right one.
Ceramic Cookware: An Overview
First of all, let’s talk about ceramic cookware to give you an overall idea of how these products perform. That will help you understand the comparison in a much better manner. Let’s begin with the materials.
Unlike what its name might suggest, ceramic cookware does not only use ceramic. Instead, these products have the standard metals you find in other products – for instance, stainless steel or iron, which ensure impressive durability.
As you can imagine, using ceramic for the whole product wouldn’t be wise. Firstly, it will lose its structural integrity, and secondly, it does not have good enough heat spreading or conducting capabilities.
Before you get concerned, it’s not an issue here, as such cookware only uses a thin layer of ceramic. Thanks to this design, you can achieve the metal’s impressive heat conduction while retaining the nonstick abilities.
In terms of that ability, these products perform exceedingly well. For one, you can even cook eggs without any oil or fat and still prevent sticking. Moreover, you can clean it without much effort.
The only thing you need to ensure is that you’re not using any abrasive utensils or cleaning materials and potentially harming the coating. Furthermore, one of the best things about this cookware is the lack of toxic elements.
Ceramic cookware only uses natural elements, unlike some of the more popular options like PTFE. Even though the latter has become safe over the years, it has a temperature threshold that you need to worry about, whereas ceramic doesn’t.
Pros
- Impressive nonstick performance
- Surprisingly easy to clean
- Retains metal’s heat conduction capabilities
- Healthy for your body
- Suits all cooktops and stoves
Cons
- Some products might face chipping
- A sudden temperature change can be harmful
Granite Cookware
Now, it’s time to talk about the other option – granite cookware. While ceramic products contain at least a layer of ceramic, these products take things one step higher. That’s because they do not contain any particles of granite at all.
The only reason these products are named this way is that their outer look resembles that of granite. However, there is a similarity – these products both have another metal beneath the upper layer – in this case, fused.
Its upper coating is essentially a form of glass – porcelain enamel. When you fuse the porcelain with the surface at an extremely high temperature, it creates a glazed, nonstick product that is surprisingly non-porous.
This non-porous nature allows it to provide you with a remarkable nonstick performance, as the food particles do not get stuck with the pores. That also means you will have an easy time cleaning the cookware.
One of the most significant profits of having the metal and porcelain fused is that you are not losing any heat conduction at all. Moreover, you retain the nonstick properties that even high-quality stainless steel products cannot.
Another question is whether the cookware will leach into your food or react to it, as that can be even harmful. Fortunately, there is no such element in these products, so you are entirely free of risks.
However, it would be best to avoid extreme temperature changes, affecting the cookware’s stability. Moreover, ensure that you aren’t cleaning it with anything abrasive like metal products or using any metal utensils.
Pros
- Remarkable heat conduction
- Aesthetically quite pleasing
- No worries about corrosion
- Prevents any leaching or reaction
- Food does not stick
Cons
- Not safe to use if the coating has chipped
- Glass cooktops might not suit it well
Ceramic Cookware vs Granite Cookware
So, we have discussed how manufacturers produce these products and what you can expect from them. At this point, we will provide you with a straight-up comparison between the two so that you can effortlessly choose one.
Safety
We can keep talking about everything else, but safety should be our biggest concern when buying new cookware. These products can affect our bodies if we fail to opt for the right option.
- Ceramic Cookware
As you know by now, ceramic cookware uses a layer over the usual metal surface, which is relatively standard. But for many products like the ones with PTFE coatings, there is a limit to how hot you should get it.
So, is there such a limit in this case? Well, thankfully, no. But as with everything in life, things aren’t as simple as that, so there are some scenarios that you should avoid. The first one is whether there is any chipping on the product.
And that’s crucial because if your cookware’s coating starts to come off, some chemicals might leach into your food, which we don’t want. However, that doesn’t usually happen, so you don’t need to be too alarmed.
As we already mentioned, you should keep abrasion to a minimum to ensure the highest usage out of the cookware. That means you must avoid abrasive materials such as a metal spatula that might scratch the surface without much pressure.
Other than that, there is no risk with ceramic cookware. Not only that, but these are also arguably safer than the typical nonstick products, as you don’t have to worry about the highest temperature limit that much.
- Granite Cookware
Now, for the granite cookware – let’s start with the materials first. We have written about how there is no actual granite in these products. Instead, you get porcelain enamel, which is essentially a form of glass.
And manufacturers then fuse that enamel with the metal that they want to use with the product. First of all, you will only interact with the glass-like surface on the cookware’s uppermost layer.
That material is entirely safe to use without any health risks, even with long-term usage. However, you should be careful about the same thing in this case, too – keep an eye on the coating’s condition.
Again, the chances of the coating coming off is pretty low if you use it properly, so don’t be alarmed. But bear in mind that using metal utensils and abrasive cleaners can scratch it (or even worse in some cases).
Thankfully, there is no issue with leaching here either. That means there will be no harmful elements in your food, nor will there be any reactions to acidic food such as tomatoes (common in some mediocre stainless steel products).
Nonstick Performance
The biggest reason behind opting for one of these products is perhaps their nonstick feature. So, at this point, let’s look at the distinctions in that performance between the two options.
- Ceramic Cookware
A crucial bit regarding nonstick pans is that they need to be non-porous. This term essentially tells you whether it will stick to different foods. The more porous they are, the more food will stick to the surface, or more specifically, the pores.
Ceramic, however, is not very porous, per se. You might know that baking the material in high heat and glazing does a remarkable job ensuring that bit. And that property does apply in this case as well.
Therefore, you will find that you can cook on this cookware without pouring in any extra oil. You could even fry an egg without any fat or oil, and it would still manage to prevent everything from sticking.
- Granite Cookware
Cookware such as granite or porcelain uses porcelain enamel as its outer layer to keep food from sticking. In this case, the material is baked with high heat and glazed, which allows it to provide a smooth, glass-like surface.
In terms of nonstick performance, granite cookware might sometimes have a slight edge over ceramic. That is since porcelain enamel is comparatively less porous and hence prevents sticking more effectively.
Although the difference isn’t that apparent, it is still there. And of course, these products do an excellent job at cooking without requiring any seasoning or oil. You can cook the food without any preparations in those terms.
Heating
When it comes to heating quickly and efficiently, both the products perform somewhat similarly. However, the difference might be apparent when it comes to heat retention – and ceramic seems to be the winner in most cases.
One of the reasons behind that is that granite products are slightly thinner, especially if you are going for a budget option. This bit allows the product to cool down much quicker than ceramic, which gets the food cold faster.
However, given that the performance is somewhat similar, we think this is not a department worth losing your mind on.
Aesthetics
Whether you find aesthetics essential or not depends. However, we think it’s crucial to give the user options to choose according to their taste. In that case, ceramic is undoubtedly the winner.
As you can imagine, granite cookware is quite limited when it comes to various looks and colors. So, if you want something colorful or want to choose from a plethora of options, opting for ceramic would be wise.
Which One Should You Buy?
We have seen how the performance with these types of cookware can vary, and we’ve also found out how similar they are in many aspects. Let’s summarize the bits – ceramic has a slight edge regarding heat retention and suits various décor.
When it comes to nonstick performance, granite might have a slight edge, but it’s negligible enough if you ask us. Therefore, our suggestion would be to opt for the ceramic option. You can find affordable options that provide you with remarkable performance.
However, that also makes us say that you can undoubtedly opt for the other one, as it’s surely worth your money. All in all, it does rely on your preferences to some extent.
Final Words
There we go, a clear explanation regarding the age-old ceramic cookware vs granite cookware debate. It’s crucial to find the right product for your cooking, which would ensure your safety while providing impressive performance.
Fortunately, both options perform pretty well in every aspect, and we tried our best to clarify any misconceptions or questions that people might have. So, enjoy your new cookware and the meal that it creates for you.