With all of the talk about "green products" and making our lives more environmentally friendly I did a little research and found some cool information. Most of this is common sense but I thought I would make sure my information was correct. One of the most versatile and green cookware products is glass; this would also include ceramics. Glass is, at its most basic definition, super heated sand or silicates if you want to get technical. Glass has absolutely no chemicals  that can be released as the glass ages or is heated unlike some plastics.

Unlike some materials such as plastic that in recent studies shows certain kinds of plastics release harmful chemicals when heated. Not all plastics have this property so if you use plastic do a little research. I will post some more about plastics later on..back to the glass. Glass allows you to see what is cooking whether it is in the oven or the microwave which is another reason to use glass. Glass can go from oven to refrigerator to microwave and back again. Some glass containers can also be used in the freezer. Look for tempered glass as it has the best properties for cooking and durability. Pyrex is another chef favorite prized for its heat properties and durability.

I enjoy glass because it is affordable and cooks great!! You can use it for almost anything, breads, pastas, sauces on the stove top, casseroles, desserts and the list goes on. Storage, as mentioned above, is a prime example of the versatility of glass. No known bugs can eat through glass and since glass releases no chemicals your food is safe from extraneous and foreign substances. Glass is a bit more prone to breaking then with stainless steel or copper but with the tempered glass or Pyrex shattering is held to a minimum. Glass can be recycled and used in other glass products. This is a general statement for glass as some forms of glass cannot be recycled for new uses.

All in all glass is affordable, reliable, versatile, and environmentally safe and friendly. So why aren't you using more glass?