Most cookware reporting falls into two camps: panic ("Teflon is killing your family") or dismissal ("the chemistry is fine, calm down"). Neither matches the evidence. We sit in the middle: read the studies, read the lab results, read the lawsuits, write the verdict in plain language with the citation linked.
Editorial standards
Every brand verdict on this site traces back to one of:
- Tamara Rubin / Lead Safe Mama XRF testing
- Mamavation acid-bath leach testing
- Consumer Reports independent product testing
- The Ecology Center "What's Cooking" report
- A peer-reviewed study (PMID linked)
- An FDA, CPSC, or state regulatory action with a docket number
- A court settlement with a publicly accessible filing
If a brand has not been tested by an independent third party, we say "Insufficient data" rather than manufacturing a verdict. This is the position the rest of the cookware-blog ecosystem mostly does not hold.
How we fund the work
Affiliate commissions. When you click through to a retailer from our brand verdicts and complete a purchase, we earn a small commission. The reader pays nothing extra. We disclose this on every page that contains affiliate links per FTC 16 CFR Part 255.
We do not accept manufacturer payments for placement. We do not accept "review samples" with conditions attached. A verdict tier reflects what the lab said, not what the brand asked for.
What we won't do
- Drive traffic with manufactured panic that the evidence doesn't support
- Endorse a brand whose only testing is its own
- Mark a brand "Safest" because we receive a higher commission rate
- Hide the affiliate disclosure
- Quote stock prices, scrape content, or write listicles for traffic without analysis
Tips and corrections
If you've seen credible independent test data on a brand we've marked "Insufficient data," we want to know. If you spot a citation error or outdated claim, please flag it. We update content rather than burying mistakes.
Email tips: tips [at] knowyourcookware [dot] com
Corrections: corrections [at] knowyourcookware [dot] com