Disadvantages of Cooking in Clay Pots you need to know

Since metal cookwares have dominated the Indian kitchen scenes, everybody has forgotten about clay cookware. But now, people have again started considering clay pots over metal ones. It is mainly because there are too many benefits of cooking in clay pots. Clay cookware is made from earthenware, which means this cookware has too many natural properties that make it more unique and beneficial for health. However, there are two sides to a coin, and we cannot ignore the other side of a coin, i.e., the disadvantages of cooking in clay pots. 

You may easily find the advantages of cooking in clay pots, but you may not easily find about its disadvantages. That’s why I have prepared this detailed article to give you a clear cut idea of what the disadvantages of cooking in clay pots exactly are:

5 Main Disadvantages of Cooking in Clay Pots

Below I have highlighted the main disadvantages of cooking in clay pots, which you should not ignore :

1. Clay pots are delicate: If you do not take care of the temperature, chances are due to the sudden temperature change, your clay pot can crack during cooking. Ensure that you maintain an even temperature of the stove’s oven or low flame while cooking food in the clay pots. And if you have to prepare the food on a high flame, then initially keep the flame low and gradually increase the flame. Other than this, use a wooden spatula to stir food and not tap spoons on the sides of pots or drag pots across burners.
2. Clay pots are porous: It means you cannot directly clean the clay pots using soap or a dishwasher like metal cookware. If you do it so, the soap or detergent will soak into the clay, and it may leach into the next meal you cook into that clay pot. 
3. Clay pots may cause a change in flavor: If you cook intensely flavored dishes such as seafood in the new clay pot, the taste of the food may seep inside the pot. This can cause a change in the flavor of other dishes that you cook in that pot. 
4. Clay pots can get hot quickly: It is important to carefully cook food in clay pots because they get hot quickly and burn the hands. However, it also gets cools down quickly. So, make sure you keep your children away from the kitchen while cooking food in clay pots. 
5. Clay pots are slightly pricey: Clay pots are a little bit expensive than the metal, cast iron cookware. On the other hand, you cannot deny that clay pots are quality cookware with too many health benefits and easy to handle. Cooking in clay pots increases the overall taste of the food, and that’s why more people are considering cooking in clay pots. 

FAQs

What is the proper way of cleaning clay pots? 

If you clean clay pots using soap or a regular dishwasher, it will soak into your clay pot. Instead, it is better to use hot water and a scrubber to clean the clay pots properly. If your clay pot has tough stains, then you can soak it into the mixture of 1-4 tbsp of baking soda, 1-2 tbsp vinegar, and water overnight. The baking soda will help to remove the foul odor from your clay pot. 

Is it safe to cook food in clay pots? 

Yes, clay pots are safe for cooking any type of food. If you take care of certain things such as clay pots are temperature sensitive, get extremely hot, break easily, etc. And handle clay cookware accordingly, then it is the best and safest kind of cookware for any kitchen. You can use clay pots for frying, grilling, browning, etc. It is safe to put in both microwave and refrigerator. 

Is it safe to use clay pots on a gas stove? 

Yes, you can use clay pots on gas stoves. However, make sure the clay pot is an unglazed pure clay pot made from all-natural clay. Depending on the brand, you can use an unglazed clay pot on the top of the gas stove, electric stoves, and oven.

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Final Thoughts

Above, I have tried my best to explain to you in detail the disadvantages of cooking in clay pots and the possible way to deal with them. Further, I have also added some FAQs so that you can make your mind more clear on whether you should start cooking on clay pots or not.