Best Cooking Utensils for Ceramic Cookware

Did you recently get a ceramic cookware set? If so, I’m sure you’re thrilled with it.

Ceramic cookware has quickly become a staple in the modern kitchen. And for good reason.

Both at-home cooks and professionals are turning to ceramic cookware for their cooking and baking endeavors, but ceramic must be handled with care.

One thing I did notice is that you should only use certain utensils to cook with ceramic cookware.

Unfortunately, I learned this on my own. I was cooking bacon on a ceramic pan that didn’t have a single scuff on it. (The bacon turned out to be delicious if you were curious)!

But, after washing the pan, I noticed a few scratches that weren’t previously there. The culprit? The stainless steel kitchen tongs I was using to flip over the bacon.

Had I done a quick Google search before, I could have avoided this.

Ceramic cookware is great, but the price tag it comes with isn’t so great.

You’ll want to be sure to use the right type of cooking utensils with your ceramic cookware, otherwise, you may find yourself in a similar situation.

I’ll dive more into which types of cooking utensils you can use with ceramic cookware a little later on, though! First I want to go over what exactly ceramic cookware is and how it differs from other types of cookware.

The Advantages of Using Ceramic Cookware

Ceramic is a very durable material.
I quickly found that cookware made out of ceramic material is built to last. Seriously, you would have to try pretty hard to break this type of cookware (unless you drop it, of course)!

I have found that ceramic cookware:

• Is very resistant to scratches. Unless you violently scrape the ceramic with a metal material, it’s very likely that your ceramic cookware will maintain a flawless look.
• Can withstand higher temperatures than nonstick and stainless steel cookware. Ceramic cookware can handle up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Metal cookware typically tops off at around 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit and doesn’t hold heat as long.
• Is completely non-reactive, meaning the flavor of your food won’t be compromised by the cooking utensils, assuming you use the correct kind.

Ceramic cookware is totally free of harmful chemicals.

Have you ever heard that cooking with iron, non-stick, or stainless steel materials can be harmful to your body?

So have I.

It’s widely known that cooking with metals such as aluminum, copper, or Teflon can contaminate our food and alter the flavor.

True ceramic cookware is made out of only a few natural minerals and clay. Because of this, ceramic cookware generally has a very high melting point.

You can sleep easy knowing that the flavor of your culinary creation won’t be affected by inconsistent temperatures or temperatures that are too high.

Seriously. I was able to tell the difference immediately.

As you can guess, all ceramic cookware is not built equally. Pure ceramic cookware is made up entirely of ceramic. Some brands advertise their cookware as ceramic, but in reality, it may be metal and only coated in ceramic.

Ceramic is very easy to clean.
All you really have to do is let the ceramic cool, then hand wash the ceramic cookware in warm water with soap!

Though hand-washing ceramic cookware is the preferred method, you can also wash it in your dishwasher. Surprisingly, ceramic can handle more heat than most metal cookware can.

Although, as long as you stay away from cleaning it with steel wool or any other metal-based cleaning pad or sponge, you won’t go wrong.

Ceramic cookware retains heat much longer than metal alternatives.
Most ceramic cookware pieces can handle up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit before cracking or breaking. The clay and natural minerals ceramic is made out of is very absorbent of heat, giving you a consistent cooking experience.

Despite all of the benefits that ceramic cookware boasts, there is one major drawback to using ceramics in the kitchen.

Make sure to be mindful of the utensils you use while cooking with ceramic cookware.

Certain types of utensils shouldn’t be used when cooking with a ceramic pot or pan as they may damage the ceramic surface. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way.

The good news is that you likely have a majority of the cooking utensils that are ceramic friendly in your kitchen already!

The Types of Cooking Utensils That are Safe for Use with Ceramic Cookware

In order to maintain the longevity and safety of your ceramic cookware, you should steer clear of metal cooking utensils altogether when cooking with your ceramic cookware.

By doing so, you won’t have to worry about scratching or discoloring your ceramics! As long as you use the correct types of cooking utensils, your ceramic cookware should last a very long time. It may even outlive you!

Take it from me. The small investment you should make in the right cooking utensils is well worth it in the long run.

Whether it be iron, aluminum, or stainless steel, skip over any of the metal utensils and use the following instead.

• Plastic cooking utensils
• Wooden cooking utensils
• Silicone cooking utensils
• Nylon cooking utensils

Most cooking utensils can be used with ceramic cookware without causing any harm due to the durable and scratch-resistant nature of ceramic.

But, by sticking with plastic, wooden, silicone, or nylon cooking utensils, you’re maximizing the amount of use you’ll be able to get out of your ceramic pot or pan.

Plastic Kitchen Tools

I’ve found that it’s best to use plastic cooking utensils when working with low heat. Plastic utensils work well with ceramic cookware, but be cautious when cooking at a high temperature.

Some people only use plastic cooking utensils for mixing and stirring, but I’ve found that they work well with ceramic cookware too!

Would I say that plastic cooking utensils are the best for ceramic cookware? Probably not. But you’re not risking the integrity of your ceramic cookware by using plastic utensils.

The advantages of plastic cooking utensils:

• Plastic cooking utensils are dishwasher friendly despite the fact that they work best for cooking at a low temperature.
• They perform really well on non-stick surfaces (including ceramic surfaces and various other coatings).
• Plastic cooking utensils are very inexpensive and can be purchased almost anywhere. You can get a full set of 30 different utensils for around $20 to $25.
• There is a large variety of different plastic cooking utensils. You have plenty of different brands, styles, and colors to choose from.

Wooden Kitchen Tools

Even though they’ve seemingly been around forever, wooden kitchen utensils are still popular today. I bet you even have some in your kitchen!

Cooking utensils made from wood have withstood the test of time and they even pair really well with ceramic cookware!

The only con that comes to mind in using wooden cooking utensils is their tendency to morph in shape over time as you use them.

Wooden kitchen utensils are definitely more versatile than plastic utensils when cooking with ceramic, but my number one favorite utensil type is still yet to come.

The advantages of wooden cooking utensils:

• You don’t have to worry about wood cooking utensils scratching your cookware. They are very gentle on almost any surface and they’re quiet to use!
• Wood doesn’t conduct heat. What exactly does this mean? It means that you won’t end up with a burned hand if you leave the handle of a wooden utensil in a pot filled with boiling water.
• Durability. This one is fairly self-explanatory.
• It’s an environmentally friendly option. Unlike certain plastics, wood is natural, renewable, and biodegradable.

Silicone Kitchen Tools

When I’m cooking with ceramic cookware, silicone utensils are my go-to. After scratching my ceramic pan and reading about it online, many others are on the same page as me.

While silicone is used in many different products, I especially like silicone kitchen utensils due to the rubber-like nature of the tool.

If I’m using ceramic cookware, there’s a very high chance that I’m also using silicone utensils. The biggest factor is the level of heat resistance silicone allows for. Silicone just aligns too well for me to not use it when I’m using my ceramic cookware to make something.

The advantages of silicone cooking utensils:

• The ability of silicone to withstand very high temperatures. The heat resistance of silicone is so prominent that I even own a pair of silicone potholders.
• I have never once seen a stain on any silicone cooking utensil I own. Even the silicone spatula I bought over five years ago still looks flawless.
• The durability due to the impressive heat resistance of silicone.
• The silicone cooking utensil sets I’ve seen come in so many different colors! It makes organizing my cabinets quick and easy. (My four-year-old daughter loves this too)!

Nylon Kitchen Tools

If you’re like me and keep up with current cooking trends, you’ve probably heard of nylon before. It’s a type of synthetic plastic and it’s the most widely used plastic worldwide.

I don’t have anything negative to say about nylon cooking utensils. They work perfectly with ceramic cookware and you can find them almost anywhere.

They are very similar to plastic cooking utensils but offer a greater level of heat resistance.

The advantages of nylon cooking utensils:

• Compared to other types of utensils, nylon utensils are really affordable.
• Nylon kitchen utensils are pretty flexible. I find it much easier to reach the corners of some of the pans I own.
• Ease of cleaning. Want to keep your utensils spotless? I find that tossing my nylon utensils in the dishwasher does the trick!
• They are multipurpose by nature. There are so many nylon kitchen tools available nowadays. You could create an entire cookware stockpile with nylon products alone.

The Overall Cooking Utensil Winner for Ceramic Cookware

Silicone Utensils!
Although plastic, wooden, silicone, and nylon cooking utensils are all safe to use when cooking with ceramic cookware, my personal favorite is silicone cooking utensils.

In general, ceramic cookware is not cheap. Is it worth the high price tag? Absolutely. But you’ll want to be sure that your purchase will last.

Putting thought into the cooking utensils you use while cooking with ceramic is a sure-fire way to maximize the lifespan of your cookware.

I spent roughly twenty dollars to get a twenty-five piece silicone kitchen cooking utensil set from Amazon. I thought of it as almost a form of insurance for my ceramic cookware set, which was a much larger purchase.

What I like most about my silicone cooking utensils:

• Even when I’m using ceramic cookware at a very high temperature, my silicone cooking utensils never have any issues. I have yet to see any shape or color distortion.
• I love that I can simply throw my dirty silicone cooking utensils in my dishwasher and forget about them. I can thank the level of heat resistance silicone has for this.
• I also love the feel of my silicone kitchen utensil set. Silicone feels like rubber. You would think that the rubber may not be very easy to work with on certain surfaces, but the material is very user-friendly.
• The sheer amount of different sets, colors, and styles that are available. I also really like how silicone feels in my hand, especially when I’m cooking something that is rather time-consuming.

Even further, silicone cooking utensils can be used with pretty much any type of cookware, whether it is ceramic or not.

If you’ve already invested in a ceramic cookware set, it may not be a bad idea to get a set of silicone cooking utensils as well. This way you can be assured that your ceramic cookware is protected and will maintain the same condition it was in when you first unboxed your ceramic cookware.

Considering all the benefits of silicone utensils around ceramic cookware, I think you’ll be happy with your purchase (assuming you don’t already have silicone cooking utensils in your kitchen already)!