Question from Bonnie Johnson
I just saw an ad from Williams Sonoma about some new cookware called Komin. It is lighter weight cast iron. I love cooking on regular cast iron but it is so hard for me to lift. It would be nice if it was the same. Any idea if this is safe?
Debra’s Answer
Komin is made of “ductile iron,” a type of cast iron that is up to 50% lighter than traditional cast iron.
The typical composition of ductile iron is
Other elements, including copper or tin, may be added to increase performance. Improved corrosion resistance can be achieved by replacing 15% to 30% of the iron in the alloy with varying amounts of nickel, copper, or chromium.
There are apparently various types of cast iron that could include any of these metals. Even much beloved “plain” cast iron can have various formulas (I just called Lodge and they wouldn’t tell me anything except it is “100% cast iron”). This description of How Cast Iron is Made mentions only iron and steel as the ingredients for cast iron, though other alloys may be added.
But also see Q&A: How Metal Cookware Affects Your Brain before you buy.
I see that they are coated in silicone also. Some are ok with that. I however, don’t trust it. It’s flexible, heat and stain resistant, and supposedly non-reactive. It just doesn’t compute that it is all things. I had a ceramic coffee cup with a silicone lid. I could defintely taste it, so something is shedding off. I think that it is in a perpetual hard but liquid state, and constantly shedding off stuff. Kind of makes sense as glass, also based on silicon, is a liquid. However, there are other chemicals as part of the formula, unlike glass.
Maybe it’s safe at some level, but I’ll limit exposure to it. See if 20 years from now it’s the next BPA or pthalate. Women with sensitivites from silicone implants have to avoid using it.
the OUTSIDE has bonded SILICON a totally different element