January 16, 2018 Consiglio's Kitchenware

La Pietra di Giannini Non-Stick Cookware

Stone cookware has been making a resurgence as of late, and is fast becoming a popular healthy alternative to Teflon-based non-stick cookware. Not only do non-stick stoneware/ rock surfaces look great, but they are extremely resilient and durable and easy to use too!

This week at Consiglio’s we introduce you to our newest cookware line: La Pietra di Giannini - an Italian made, chemical-free non-stick line of cookware with a hardened mineralized rock cooking surface.

Why use non-stick cookware?

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When searching for and comparing cookware, one of the most important things to keep in mind is what you’ll be using it for - every type of cookware (cast iron, stainless steel, non-stick) excels in some areas, but isn’t always the greatest choice for the task at hand.

So, where does non-stick cookware excel?

Oil-free cooking: The entire purpose of non-stick cookware surfaces is to avoid having food stick to the pan while cooking - a direct benefit of this is that non-stick cookware requires little-to-no oil be added to the pan, resulting in lighter and healthier food prep.
Easy and convenient to use: Non-stick cookware is designed for everyday use, and thus is super easy and convenient and easy to use. Where stainless steel and cast iron cookware need to be brought up to temperature before cooking, non-stick cookware heats very quickly.
Easy to clean and maintain: The point of non-stick cookware is to avoid having food stick to the cooking surface - meaning there is less to clean once dinner is done and it’s time to do the dishes. A quick wash with warm soapy water or spin through the dishwasher is all you need to keep your non-stick cookware clean and well maintained.
Great for “delicate” food: Non-stick cookware is great for delicate food that is prone to sticking or falling apart in the pan - eggs, crepes, and delicate foods like flaky fish are all great examples. Instead of struggling with keeping your eggs or fish intact in a stainless steel or cast iron pan, they’ll release readily and easily in non-stick cookware.

Why is “Chemical Free” Cookware Important?

Since non-stick cookware is so useful, why isn’t everyone using it all the time?

The answer, sadly, is health and safety concerns. Non-stick cookware was originally designed using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, more commonly known under the Teflon trademark). Teflon cookware revolutionized home cooking due to just how easy it was to use, clean and maintain - you could now crack an egg directly into a frying pan (no cooking oil), and have it slide out cleanly with no mess and fuss! As technology and science progressed, however, it was found that poly- and per- fluoralkyl substances (PFAS) like Teflon release dangerous and carcinogenic perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) when exposed to high heat - not the best choice for cookware.

Thankfully, once the hazards of traditional non-stick cookware were made aware of, there was a push to develop cookware with the same benefits as Teflon without all the dangerous chemicals.

La Pietra di Giannini - Chemical-Free Non-Toxic
Non-Stick Cookware:

One of the brands up to the challenge to develop non-stick cookware that was safe, healthy, chemical-free and completely non-toxic was Giannini, recently releasing their Vegetalia and La Pietra lines. Vegetalia uses a hardened vegetable oil based cooking surface (you can learn more about it in our Vegetalia article here), while La Pietra uses a mineralized “rock” cooking surface. Both are non-stick, and completely non-toxic.

La Pietra is based around an internal aluminum core - since aluminum is an excellent heat conductor, La Pietra heats quickly and evenly while still being lightweight and easy to handle. This core is then coated in six layers of a patented “Illa Rock” coating, giving it a hardened, rock-like, mineralized cooking surface. La Pietra is then finished with a 4.5mm thick stainless steel base, great for even even heating and making the cookware induction compatible.

The rock cooking surface is eye-catching, looks great, and actually makes the cookware more rugged and durable - the minerals in the stone-like surface make it extremely durable and scratch resistant. The non-stick surface is non-reactive and non-toxic, and allows for cooking without additional oil, making it a great option for healthier meals.