The Non-Toxic Kitchen Products I Actually Use Every Day
- Aug 13
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 14
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I’ve spent a lot of time researching healthy homes, materials that last, and products I feel safe and confident using around my family. But I’m not trying to have a perfect kitchen — and neither should you. It’s really about making safer choices where they make sense and, whenever possible, spending your money once on something that’s going to last. Quality over quantity is always my goal.
Over the years, I’ve slowly made swaps and saved up for items I knew were pricey but would last for years. There are also plenty of wallet-conscious changes you can make while you save for the bigger purchases — if and when they make sense for your home. These are the kitchen products I swear by, use every day, and would spend my money on over and over again.
POTS & PANS
My tried-and-true splurge-worthy cookware will always be Le Creuset enameled cast iron and All-Clad stainless steel. For a more budget-friendly option, I’ll always have my Lodge cast iron pans — they’re the kind of cookware that can truly last a lifetime.
Unlike raw cast iron, enameled cast iron requires no seasoning, which makes getting dinner on the table just a little easier. The heat retention is superb, and you can genuinely feel the quality just by picking up a Le Creuset pan.
I had to save up for a few of mine, but I know that with proper care I’ll be using them for decades to come.
All-Clad Stainless Steel
Stainless steel took me a little bit of practice to get used to, but once I figured out the preheating and water-drop test, it became one of the easiest and most reliable materials in my kitchen. I love stainless steel for everyday cooking, and you really can’t go wrong with a good stainless steel pot for soups, pasta, sauces, or anything you’re making in a bigger batch.
Lodge Cast Iron
My Lodge cast iron pans are probably the hardest-working budget-friendly pieces in my kitchen. I use them constantly, especially in the morning when I’m double-teaming pans for eggs, breakfast meat, potatoes, or whatever everyone wants that day. They hold heat beautifully, get better with use, and are one of those kitchen purchases that can truly last a lifetime.
THE SIMPLE MATERIALS I DEFAULT TO
For everyday basics, I keep things simple. You don’t need specific brand labels or high-priced items to achieve your healthy kitchen goals. I usually reach for wood, glass, ceramic, or 18/8 and 18/10 stainless steel — I’m talking utensils, ladles, spatulas, drinkware, and dinner plates.
Do I love my ceramic Crate & Barrel bowls and plate sets? OF COURSE. They’re beautiful, but they’re also not necessary. My favorite glass drink ware is actually just multipurpose mason jars, and I only buy the wide-mouth version because they’re so much easier to clean.
One swap I really do care about: cutting boards
If there’s one basic kitchen swap I’ll always encourage, it’s replacing heavily used plastic cutting boards with wood. Every time you chop on plastic, the surface gets scratched and worn, and plastic particles can be released from the board.
And this does not need to be an expensive swap. I literally buy small inexpensive wooden cutting boards from my grocery store and replace them when they start getting too beat up. Someday I would love a beautiful Boos Block, but that is firmly in the “future kitchen splurge” category for me right now. 😂
These are the kinds of items I’d feel silly giving you exact recommendations for. Honestly, just skip the plastic when you can and think about the kinds of materials your great-grandma probably would have had in her kitchen. ;)
THE DETAILS ON RANDOM PRODUCTS I ACTUALLY USE AND LOVE
YETI products — but only the ones made with 18/8 stainless steel. Everyone in my family has a smaller 16 oz tumbler and a 26 oz screw-top water bottle. I love the screw-top bottles because they’re easy to clean and there are no weird plastic straws to deal with.
We each have our own color, which makes packing up for the day so much easier — and even just using them around the house feels less wasteful because everyone knows exactly which cup is theirs.
KIDS PLATES, BOWLS & LUNCHBOXES
Elk & Friends is one of my favorite brands for the kids. We use their 18/8 stainless steel bento lunchboxes. The lid keeps everything in place. and it's so convenient for packing lunch on the go.
I also really like Ello for glass food-storage containers and ceramic kids’ bowls and plates with silicone.
We use both brands constantly. One thing I especially love is that the silicone sleeves come in different colors, so it’s easy to keep track of whose plate or bowl belongs to which kid. My kids have fully embraced this system too and have each “claimed” their color. 😂
Shop the Elk & Friends bento box,
Shop the Ello plates, bowls and storage containers
THE ONLY KITCHEN GADGETS I REALLY USE
I’m really not a kitchen-gadget person. I don’t think you need a drawer full of tools or a countertop covered in appliances to make good food. Most of the time, I’m using a pot, a pan, a wooden spatula, and a good spoon.
The two exceptions in my kitchen are my Instant Pot pressure cooker and my KitchenAid stand mixer. The Instant Pot earns its space because it makes things like tougher cuts of meat, soups, beans, and other longer-cooking meals so much easier.
My KitchenAid mixer is the other appliance I genuinely love. I use it for baking, doughs, mixing, and anything where I’d rather let the machine do the work. It’s definitely more of an investment, but it’s one of those classic kitchen pieces I expect to keep for years.
That’s really it. My kitchen is probably much simpler than people expect when they hear how much I research healthy living. I don’t believe you need a million products or gadgets — I’d rather have a few quality pieces made from materials I feel good about and actually use them.
When in doubt, I still come back to the same question: would my great-grandma have recognized this material in her kitchen? 😂
Start with what you use most, replace things slowly, and don’t feel like you need to overhaul everything at once.
