Is Stainless Steel Cookware Safe? What the Latest Research Says

Stainless steel cookware is versatile, long-lasting, and high performing. It’s used by millions of home cooks and professional chefs across the globe.

But is it safe? Are there any health concerns to consider?

This guide breaks down the safety facts about stainless steel cookware. You’ll learn what the latest research reveals and how to minimize any risks.

So if you’re concerned about the safety of stainless steel cookware, keep reading to get the facts.

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Use the links below to navigate the guide:

• Is Stainless Steel Cookware Safe? The Short Answer
• What the Research Says
• A Deep Dive into Stainless Steel Cookware Materials and Construction
• Are Stainless Steel Non-Stick Pans Safe?
• Precautions to Take When Cooking With Stainless Steel Cookware
• Bottom Line: Is Stainless Steel Cookware Safe?

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What the Research Says

As I mentioned, small amounts of chromium and nickel can leach into your food when you cook with stainless steel pots and pans. Just how much depends on the type of stainless steel, length of cooking, and the number of times you’ve cooked in the pan.

Researchers in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at Oregon State University conducted a study on this exact topic.

The study tested the levels of chromium and nickel in food after it was cooked in stainless steel cookware. Researchers tested different grades of stainless steel, cooking times, and cooking cycles. For example, first-time pan use versus the tenth time.

They tested chromium and nickel levels in tomato sauce before and after cooking it in stainless steel. They chose tomato sauce because it’s acidic and more likely to react with metals.

Nickel is an essential nutrient, but our bodies only require small amounts. It’s found in some nuts, dried beans, and other plant-based foods.

Chromium is also an essential mineral, but too much of it is not ideal for health. In fact, a single oral dose of 2500 μg of chromium can cause dermatitis if you are sensitive to it.

The key takeaway from this study is that cooking time and the number of cooking cycles are the two factors that have the most impact on leaching.

I wasn’t surprised by the fact that the longer cook times resulted in more chromium and nickel being released. But I was surprised to learn that the first time you cook with a stainless steel pot, it releases the most metal.

After the first use, the amount of chromium and nickel released into the food decreases with each cooking cycle. By the fifth time you use the pan, chromium and nickel still release into the food, but the amount stabilizes.

The researchers of this study believe this happens because a protective layer of chromium oxide forms on the surface of the steel. This layer acts as a barrier and limits further leaching.

Before you panic and throw away your stainless steel cookware, there’s some good news. For most people, the trace amounts of nickel released during normal cooking are unlikely to cause any issues.

Adults can safely consume up to 1,000 micrograms of nickel per day. Even after 20 hours of cooking (which is way longer than any typical meal), the study found nickel levels to be well below this limit.

As for chromium, the amounts that leached into the food during testing were above the recommended adequate intake of 45 micrograms per day but still well below the 2,500 micrograms known to trigger allergic reactions in people with sensitivities.

However, for people with nickel allergies, the situation is more concerning. Studies have shown that doses of nickel as low as 67 micrograms per day can cause skin reactions.

According to this Oregon State study, a serving of tomato sauce on its own contained about 16 micrograms of nickel. When cooked with stainless steel, nickel levels far exceed the 67 microgram threshold. You also have to consider that this study is measuring one serving of tomato sauce. Throughout the day, you will likely consume other foods that contain nickel.

This study gives a good indication of what could happens in real-life cooking, but there are a couple of  important caveats to keep in mind.

First, the shortest cooking time tested was two hours and the longest was 20 hours. Most meals take far less time, so the actual levels of nickel and chromium leaching during typical cooking are probably much lower.

Secondly, they ran the test by placing multiple steel chips into three test tubes filled with tomato sauce. So, the ratio of steel surface area to tomato sauce was about ten times higher than a typical pan.

They also tested an actual stainless steel saucepan but only measured it after cooking for 20 hours. And even then, the saucepan released less chromium and nickel than the steel chips in two of the three test tubes. 

Another study conducted by researchers at The University of Messina in Italy tested the leaching of nickel and chromium in 18/10 (grade 316) stainless steel cookware.

This study used tomato sauce and lemon marmalade to test the effects of leached chromium and nickel into foods from 18/10 stainless steel cookware.

The acidic foods were cooked in used or unused stainless steel pots from different manufacturers for an hour. The foods were heated up by themselves or with added ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). EDTA is a chemical that binds to metal ions.

Researchers also cooked aqueous (containing water) solutions at pH levels of 2.3, 7.7, and 9 for one hour in the same pots as the tomato sauce and lemon marmalade.

After testing the levels of leached metal, researchers concluded that nickel and chromium levels:

• Fluctuated between manufacturers
• Increased with boiling or cooking time
• Were elevated in unused pots at low pH or with EDTA

Unused pans leach more metals into food because they haven’t formed a layer of oxidation (seasoning) yet. The oxidation layer on used pans creates a barrier and prevents the steel from leaching as much.

In all cases, the metal release (leaching) was below known allergy-triggering thresholds.

As a result, using an 18/10 stainless steel pot is considered safe for most people who have nickel or chromium allergies. However, if you have a high sensitivity, you may experience an allergic reaction.

Both studies conclude that you should avoid stainless steel cookware if you have a known allergy to chromium or nickel. If you are not highly sensitive to these elements, there is no cause for concern.

A Deep Dive into Stainless Steel Cookware Materials and Construction

Stainless steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that contains chromium, nickel, and other additives such as molybdenum. Nickel is a key element in preventing corrosion.

The most common types of stainless steel used to make cookware are 18/10, 18/8, and 18/0.

The first number is the percentage of chromium; the second is the percentage of nickel. Therefore, 18/10 steel includes 10% nickel; 18/8 is made with 8% nickel; 18/0 is a nickel-free alloy.

While nickel can cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to it, it is usually temporary.

Overall, the leached nickel from stainless steel cookware won’t affect people unless they have a nickel allergy.

To avoid a reaction, people with a high sensitivity to nickel can use nickel-free stainless steel cookware. Stainless steel cookware made of 18/0, 21/0, and 430 steel are all nickel free.

This kind of stainless steel cookware is easier to find online than in stores. The Chantal 12-Piece Cookware Set and HOMI CHEF 14-Piece Cookware Set are both nickel-free and are available on Amazon.

Up to this point, I’ve focused on the non-reactive stainless steel cooking surface, but I want to also touch on core materials.

If you’re not aware, stainless steel cookware is made of bonded layers. The cooking surface and exterior are stainless steel, but the core is usually aluminum. Copper is sometimes used (ex. All-Clad Copper Core) because of its high heat conductivity.

Core materials are embedded under stainless steel; they have no direct contact with food. Even if the core layer breaks through (which is highly unlikely), copper and aluminum are safe in small amounts.

According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), aluminum levels in processed foods and foods cooked in aluminum pots are considered safe.

Like aluminum, copper is also found in nature. It’s an essential mineral, but exposure at high levels (a rare occurrence) can cause liver damage or severe stomach discomfort.

In all cases, stainless steel, aluminum, and copper exposure are considered safe at normal levels.

Are Stainless Steel Non-Stick Pans Safe?

Some stainless steel cookware uses a PTFE-based cooking surface. PTFE (or polytetrafluoroethylene) is a non-stick coating that provides easy food release and clean-up.

These All-Clad and Made In pans are great examples of stainless steel cookware with a PTFE non-stick surface.

While PTFE is safe to use now, it used to be manufactured with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is linked to health issues.

The dangers of PFOA are not fully known. Yet, there is enough evidence to suggest that it can negatively impact health. In 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a stewardship program to help eliminate PFOA from the PTFE manufacturing process.

By 2013, all major cookware brands complied, and today, PFOA is no longer used to make PTFE non-stick coating.

As long as you use PTFE coatings safely, you won’t have any issues. Avoid heating it over 500°F (or the max temperature stated by the brand), and don’t scratch the surface with metal utensils. Doing so can cause the non-stick coating to flake off and mix into food.

Precautions To Take When Cooking With Stainless Steel Cookware

Stainless steel cookware is safe, but you need to follow some recommended precautions to keep it that way.

Here’s a list of dos and don’ts:

• Do adhere to the manufacturer’s oven-safe temperature threshold to prevent your pan from warping. A warped pan is unsteady and can fall off of the stove while you are cooking.
• Do replace severely pitted or damaged cookware. It can expose core materials that can leach into your food. And although small amounts of aluminum or copper don’t pose a risk, it is always safer to use cookware that’s not damaged.
• Do keep your cookware clean. Cooking with heavily-stained pans can cause excessive smoke, irritating your breathing. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to prevent damage and prolong safe usage. 
• Do use oven mitts to handle stainless steel cookware when it’s hot and use two hands when moving full pots or pans.
• Do make sure handles are secure before moving a pot or pan.
• Don’t place hot stainless steel pans on countertops. Even hard materials like quartz can get damaged by high heat. Conversely, the pan could warp from thermal shock if the countertop is cold.
• Don’t store food in stainless steel pots and pans, especially for long periods. Research shows that the longer the food is in direct contact with stainless steel, the more metals leach into it. 
• Don’t heat stainless steel cookware with non-stick coating above 500°F or the manufacturer’s maximum temperature (some can only handle 350°F or less). It will cause the non-stick coating to degrade and release harmful gasses.
• Don’t drop heavy stainless steel cookware on glass stovetops or drag them across the surface. It can damage the cooktop.

Bottom Line: Is Stainless Steel Cookware Safe?

Now that you’ve learned more about stainless steel cookware, you have the information you need to use it safely.

Let’s quickly recap the safety concerns and address each one.

Can chromium or nickel leach into my food?

Studies prove that small amounts of chromium and nickel can leach into food when cooking with stainless steel pots and pans. While the amount depends on what you cook (acidic versus non-acidic foods), the length of cooking time, a used or unused pan, and other factors, no levels of chromium or nickel were considered dangerous for most people.

However, if you have an allergy or high sensitivity to chromium or nickel, it is in your best interest to choose cookware free of both elements.

Can aluminum or copper leach into my food?

For this to happen, core layers of stainless steel cookware must be exposed, which can occur with severe pitting. In those cases, you should replace the pan. However, studies show that the amounts leached into food are minimal. Small amounts are safe to consume.

Can using stainless steel pans make me sick?

If you have an allergy to chromium or nickel, you can experience an itchy rash known as contact dermatitis. You can also experience stomach discomfort if exposed to high amounts of nickel daily. However, that’s unlikely to happen from using stainless steel cookware under normal circumstances.

Are there nickel-free stainless steel cookware options?

While they are not in vast supply, you can find some options on Amazon. Here are two options with good reviews: Chantal Induction Cookware 12-Piece Set and HOMI CHEF Induction Cookware.

Are stainless steel non-stick pans safe?

Yes, as long as you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on maximum oven temperature. Exceeding the temperature rating can cause the non-stick coating to break down and release harmful fumes. Also, avoid scratching the surface by using abrasive kitchen tools or cleansers.

Bottom line — Yes, stainless steel cookware is safe. It’s one of the most popular cookware materials, and it has been used without issues for decades. The amount of nickel that gets into the food you eat is minimal and not harmful. That said, if you have a nickel allergy, you’ll want to find a nickel-free option or choose another type of cookware.

Are you in the market for new stainless steel cookware? Before you buy, check out my guide to the best cookware brands or read my in-depth reviews.