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Cooking with clay is the “in” thing for healthy cooks around the world who, after testing numerous modern cookware varieties, settled for the only time-tested cookware material: natural clay. Clearly, no artificially synthesized materials can beat the natural.

There are many types of clay pots available in the market, based on shapes, sizes, and any potential additives used for enhancing their beauty and usability. However, the most enlightened clay cooks prefer unglazed pots over those treated with chemical additives, glazes or enamels; because these additions defy the whole purpose of cooking in clay. Using chemicals or additives take away the natural inertness of pure clay cookware and make it reactive (prone to leaching into food items). Besides, there are many healthy features that only unglazed clay pots can offer that are explained in depth here.

Introducing MEC – A Pioneering Unglazed Clay Cookware Brand

Miriam’s Earthen Cookware (MEC) realized the importance of using all-natural primary clay without additives or glazes long before they even started making clay pots. Based on their extensive research involving different materials and additives that many conventional clay pot makers were using, MEC decided to go ahead without any additives to ensure a 100% non-toxic cooking vessel.

Using lab tested primary clay sourced from secluded lands in the USA, MEC hand-makes pots and pans using the ancient method of throwing clay on a potter’s wheel (learn more about making MEC here).

An unglazed clay pot without additives ensures your pot is 100% non-toxic to food. The semi-porous clay walls keep the pot breathable so there is enough air circulation, even when the lid is on. Additionally, the earthen far-infrared heat radiating from pure clay keeps the nutrients and natural flavors of your food intact. There many more benefits that are unique to MEC – thanks to their choice of material, hand-finishing, and ergonomic design, learn more here.

Looking to enhance your cooking experience in your clay cookers? Here are 5 useful tips you can adopt to ensure your food cooked comes out great each time, as well as guaranteeing longevity for your MEC pots and pans.

Clay Cooking Tips to Make MEC Cooking Even Better

#1 Clean with warm water and baking soda. Soaps are toxic and might get stuck in the semi-porous walls. Instead of soap, use a mild scrubber, hot water, and baking soda to clean. It is best to keep them out in the sun (or at least, in a well-ventilated place with daylight) to dry completely.

#2 Use your brand new pot back to back. This helps your pot shrink ever so slightly, so it holds liquids better and also becomes naturally non-stick as it is fully seasoned.

#3 Use less oils. Cooking in a naturally non-stick pot means you can cook without adding cooking oil first. If you want to add some, you can add oil on top when your food is just about done — this is healthier because oil doesn’t break into trans-fats like when you heat it first.

#4 Use different pots for different types of cooking. Although MEC is versatile & multifunctional, for best results you can use one for slow cooking, one for making yogurt, one for baking, and so on. Doing this helps your pot learn to cook a specific type of food faster and better!

#5 Cook on medium-low heat or less and use a diffuser with an electric stove. Thanks to earthen far-infrared heat cooking, food cooks from the inside out and faster — even on low. Electric heat is sporadic, and a heat diffuser supplies it uniformly to your pot, preventing accidental damage. from sudden temperature changes or thermal shock.

With these useful tips, you can take cooking in clay with MEC to the next level and prepare so many different dishes for your family in a healthier, easier, and more nutritious way. Want to take healthy clay pot cooking to the next level with MEC? Head over to the MEC Store and get your unglazed clay pot today!

People May Ask

Which Clay is Used for Cooking?

You may find many clay pots in the market made from secondary or tertiary clay (terracotta, stoneware, ceramics etc.) & laden with metal oxides and chemicals. However, for healthy and safe cooking, one must choose pots made from the purest form of clay: primary clay without additives or glazes. MEC’s unglazed primary clay pots come tested and certified non-toxic, and thus are perfect for cooking.