Most Beneficial Utensils for Cooking According to Ayurveda

A healthy lifestyle involves not only the use of foods rich in nutrients but also the observance of all the rules of their heat treatment during cooking.

For this, it is important to use high-quality cookware to cook and eat. According to Ayurveda, there are traditional utensils that not only give a different taste to food but also offer health benefits.

Not to forget, utensils for the kitchen are an important accessory that no cooking can do without. Compromising in it could be a dreadful approach!

Basic principles of healthy eating

The popularity or necessity of healthy food is gradually gaining momentum, and rightly so - in our modern age, you simply cannot do without good health!

Observance of the basic principles of healthy eating contributes not only to the restoration of health and getting rid of the hated extra pounds, but also helps to maintain good spirits and a good state!

It is desirable to eat natural and freshly prepared foods that have undergone minimal heat treatment. With prolonged heating, food loses almost all its beneficial properties. That is why, when choosing kitchen utensils, it is worth making a choice in favor of that cookware that provides for a minimum temperature effect.

In short, a competent choice of utensils for cooking healthy food is, one might say, half the success! So what kind of cookware should you give preference to?

Best Cookware According To Ayurveda

Copper Utensils

Ayurvedic physicians believe that the most delicious and healthy food is cooked in copper dishes. The copper surface heats up quickly, so the cooking time in copper utensils is shortened.

The main advantage of copper is that it does not oxidize, and less probably, it leeches off the alloy to the food. It is also believed that food cooked in copper reduces the risk of spreading diseases from dangerous bacterias. The metal also helps in improving the metabolic rate. 

It is said that the water stored overnight in copper utensils and when to drink first in the morning helps in weight loss, makes the digestive system fit, and relieves pains and aches caused because of inflamed joints.

Brass Utensils

Most of the villages and small towns use only Brass cookware to cook food. There is a reason for it- Ayurveda believes that when food gets cooked in this metal, many diseases such as inflammation, diarrhea, and anemia cure. 

When we store water in a brass water bottle, it boosts immunity and strength. Merely in four hours, the water gets rid of the bacterias. Also, the brass Utensils improves the HB level, basic skin problems, and soothes pita (aggression and burning sensation).

Brass constitutes Zinc (30%) and Copper (70%). It is yellow in color and is termed Pital (in Hindi). Because zinc and copper have their own health-resistant properties so those who cook food in brass get benefits from both alloys.

The presence of melanin in brass assures healthy skin and hair. In addition, it reduces the occurrence of abdominal diseases. 

Kansa Utensils

As per the details provided in Ayurveda regarding Kansa metal, it is evident that this cookware is recognized for its therapeutic advantages to the human body. The metal is also known as Bronze or Bell Metal.

The heart of a healthy person lies in the gut- Kansa alkalizes and filters the food and improves digestive wellness. Because of the exceptional health benefits, the Ayurvedic practitioners prescribe Kansa metal for stress relieving, holistic healing, and purifying properties. It has the ability to kill microorganisms that makes the alloy hygienic to eat food in.

"Kansyam Buddhivardhakam"- is a Sanskrit phrase. It defines that Kansa metal intensifies the intellect and plays a role in improving the therapeutic powers. Certainly, using it on a regular basis boosts immunity and inhibits illness.

What utensils are not allowed to eat in?

Melamine tableware

At first glance, melamine tableware appears to be similar to porcelain. But it is easy to recognize by its "weightlessness": it is a very light dish. Almost unbreakable, easy to use and cheap melamine cookware is extremely hazardous to health. When it interacts with water, melamine releases formaldehyde, a mutagenic poison that accumulates in the body and stimulates the immune system to malfunction.

Formaldehyde is a strong allergen that can provoke eczema, upper respiratory tract diseases, eye irritation, as well as negatively affect the hematopoietic system, liver, spleen, kidneys, and stomach. Also, melamine, depending on the dyes used, releases heavy metals - lead, cadmium, manganese.

Metal utensils

Such dishes are also harmful. When preparing hot drinks and food in cookware, a metal ion is released into the liquid. It is not recommended to store cooked food in metal containers and to scratch the inner surface of pots.

Otherwise, metals can penetrate into food and, accordingly, then into our bodies. This even applies to elite tableware of world-famous brands. It is especially dangerous to leave acidic and salty food in a metal container: it will surely absorb a huge amount of released ions.

Aluminium cookware

It's hard not to guess, but this metal is not naturally present in our bodies. But living the way we live now, using aluminium utensils, we accumulate and store even small deposits of aluminum in our human body.

Scientists come to the conclusion that this particular metal is one of the causes of Alzheimer's disease, and also goes “next to” damage to the nervous, musculoskeletal systems, and cancer.

It was found that aluminum cookware changes its chemical properties when interacting with salt, soda, and various acids. In this regard, it is forbidden to cook sour food in aluminum dishes.

Plastic utensils

Plastic cookware can be harmful if used for cooking. There are special plastic utensils for cold foods, and there are - for hot dishes. And you cannot use the one that is intended for cold products with hot dishes. Otherwise, food will be enriched with harmful organic compounds that can adversely affect human health.

Also, do not use plastic containers for storing food for too long. The expiration date must be indicated on them. When it expires, the plastic becomes dangerous - it must be thrown away.

To avoid food poisoning, do not pour alcohol into a soda or mineral water bottle. When interacting with alcohol, the plastic begins to release toxic substances. And it is better not to store plain water in such bottles, for these purposes there are special reusable plastic bottles.

Clay dishes

Avoid cooking and eating with brightly colored pottery. Such paints may contain lead, cadmium, and zinc. So for food, it is optimal to use pottery without painting and/or store only dry food in it.

When buying decorated dishes, make sure that the painting is applied under the glaze, otherwise, the metals (cadmium and lead) contained in the paints will end up in the food. Dangerous paintings can be identified by their color saturation.

Concluding Remarks

The sole intention of this article is to give you a clear vision of which utensils are best to cook food according to Ayurveda. However, we have also mentioned those alloys that you should avoid adding to kitchenware. 

Understand- focussing on the quality of food is, though, essential for human health. So, choose wisely! However, you can buy high-quality cookware from well-established suppliers and manufacturers of Copper, Kansa, and Brass utensils. Thanks for reading!