What Are the Dangers of Using a Cracked Enamel Pot?

Expert Insight

• The manufacturers of cookware warn against using enamelware pots and pans with chips and other types of damage. Most manufacturers offer a warranty that protects enamelware from certain types of damage. If the chips appear as the result of regular use, the company may offer a free replacement. If you chip the pot because you used metal utensils, the warranty is voided and you are responsible for the damage.

Dangers

• Chipped enamel is dangerous because, once a chip appears, it spreads like a spiderweb. When you look closely at the chip, you may notice a series of tiny cracks spanning out from the original damage. Every time you use the pot, you risk trace amounts of the enamel breaking loose and entering your food. The enamel may crack teeth, cut the roof of your mouth or cause other damage to your tongue, mouth and teeth. Depending on when the manufacturer created the pot, it may contain lead, cadmium or other potentially dangerous toxins. As you cook, the pot releases those chemicals into your food.

Changing the Taste

• Cast iron pots and pans require specific cleaning rituals that keep rust from forming. Enamelware pots do not require the same care and, when the enamel chips, it leaves the cast iron underneath exposed. Cleaning and cooking causes rusting of the cast iron, which breaks off into your food. The small traces of rust can significantly change the taste of your food. Depending on the size of the crack or chip, enough rust may even sneak into your food and change the color, giving it a deep red or brown color.

Considerations

• Don't keep using enamelware pots after chips appear. Rubbing a small amount of oil into the crack before cooking doesn't help. The problem is that as you cook, the oil slowly melts away from the crack and leaves the cast iron exposed again. The oil method only works for a short period during cooking and is not a permanent solution.