Microplastics in our cutting boards. “Forever chemicals” in our pans. How did cooking a simple meal start to feel so fraught?
Lately, concerns around toxins in the kitchen have only gotten louder. A steady stream of research and broad cultural attention (see: Netflix’s semi-alarmist new documentary The Plastic Detox) are spotlighting how plastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Pfas) could be contaminating our food. Even the Environmental Protection Agency recently moved to classify microplastics as drinking water contaminants.
The takeaway isn’t to panic or toss everything you own. In fact, it’s easy to make small swaps to detox your kitchen.
At the Filter, we’ve tested and vetted 10 plastic-free cutting boards, 13 non-toxic pans, 10 induction-safe cookware sets and more to find the best and safest upgrades. Below are our top six plastic-free kitchen tools to help you safely prep, cook, store and clean.
The best plastic-free kitchen upgrades at a glance
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The best non-toxic pan: Our Place Titanium Always Pan Pro
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The best microplastic-free cutting board: Material Kitchen MK Free Board
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The best plastic-free food storage: Anyday 2-Cup Glass Round Dishes
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The best cast-iron pan: Field Company No. 5 Chef Skillet
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The best plastic-free cleaning tool: Kamenoko Tawashi Scrub Brush
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The best induction-safe pots and pans: Caraway 12-Piece Ceramic Cookware Set With Complimentary Storage
The best non-toxic pan:
Our Place Titanium Always Pan Pro
Our Place
Titanium Always Pan Pro
from $129
We asked the pros at the Drexel Food Lab to test for the best non-toxic pans – those free of Pfas and other dangerous “forever chemicals”. After putting 13 pans across seven of the top cookware brands through the paces, they named Our Place’s Titanium Always Pan Pro as best overall.
A lot of non-toxic pans rely on coatings that can’t handle really high heat beyond 500F. As “the first non-stick without a coating” due to patented tech, as Our Place boasts, this titanium one can go up to 1,000F, so you never have to worry about accidentally cranking the heat too high. In Drexel’s testing, it heated up fast, eggs slid right off and proteins seared evenly despite its textured surface. And, rare for a non-stick pan, it’s dishwasher safe.
Read the story: The seven best non-toxic cooking pans in the US, tested in a food lab
Our Place
Titanium Always Pan Pro
from $129
The best microplastic-free cutting board:
Material Kitchen MK Free Board
Material Kitchen
The MK Free Board
from $48
Material Kitchen’s latest bioplastic cutting board is technically plastic, but made from plant-based materials instead of petroleum – so you get the same lightweight, affordable, easy-to-clean feel without the microplastics. In the food writer Marian Bull’s test of microplastic-free cutting boards, she found it best for prepping raw meat. It’s so slim and light that reaching for it felt “as easy as grabbing a spatula”, and cleaning was “a breeze”. The small juice groove held just enough liquid when working with something like a whole chicken – and it didn’t hold on to smells either.
Read our roundup: The six best plastic-free cutting boards in the US for 2026, tested
Material Kitchen
The MK Free Board
from $48
The best plastic-free food storage containers:
Anyday Glass Dishes
Anyday
2-Cup Glass Round Dishes
from $39.99
“They’re a gamechanger for storing and reheating leftovers,” Emily Farris, a food writer, attests about these plastic-free food storage containers. “After using them for just a few months, I noticed my family was wasting less food – and I was doing fewer dishes.”
Thanks to thick, durable glass, the containers are safe to place in the fridge, freezer, microwave, oven and even the air fryer up to 500F. And, when you’re done, you can safely pop them right in the dishwasher. The standout feature: they double as cookware, with vented lids that let you steam and reheat food right in the same container, which also cuts down on using (and cleaning) extra dishes. “And it’s leak-proof enough I feel safe packing soup in it for my five-year-old’s school lunch,” Farris writes.
Read the story: The Anyday glass food containers transformed how I store leftovers
Anyday
2-Cup Glass Round Dishes
from $39.99
The best cast iron pan:
Field Company No. 5 Chef Skillet
Field Company
No. 5 Chef Skillet
$125
Cast-iron pans are naturally non-toxic, but many people aren’t fans of their clunkiness. Neither was I until I tested this newly released Field Company chef skillet.
At 2.2lbs, it was far lighter and easier to handle than the usual arm-workout-inducing cast iron – so light I wondered if the box was empty when I retrieved the package from her mail. Its compact shape and sloped slides are designed to perfectly cook and flip eggs, though it also produced mouth-watering chicken thighs, leafy greens and a fluffy Dutch pancake during my tests. They all slid smoothly out of the pan, thanks to its natural non-stick seasoning.
Read the review: Field Company’s new No 5 chef skillet fixes everything I hated about cast iron
Field Company
No. 5 Chef Skillet
$125
Kamenoko
Tawashi Scrub Brush
from $8.28
So you have the non-toxic cookware. What do you clean it with? A century-old Japanese kitchen staple, the Tawashi brush is a low-tech cleaning tool that outperforms far flashier (and more expensive) gadgets. Made from natural coconut fibers, its bristles are sturdy but not harsh, efficiently tackling the most stubborn gunk from my pots and pans, including cast iron and stainless steel. I used it constantly for over a year and it barely showed wear, even after going through the dishwasher.
Read our recommendations: Make spring cleaning easier with these 13 editor favorites for scrubbing, cleaning and tidying
Kamenoko
Tawashi Scrub Brush
from $8.28
The best induction-safe pots and pans:
Caraway 12-Piece Ceramic Cookware Set With Complimentary Storage
Caraway
12-Piece Ceramic Cookware Set With Complimentary Storage
from $445
In her test of 10 of the top induction-safe cookware, the kitchen writer Bernadette Machard de Gramont named Caraway’s pots and pans the very best. The brand’s bestselling set is versatile but not overwhelming: just four core pieces that cover most cooking needs, plus lids and a tidy storage system. From searing to braising, she enjoyed how quickly they heated without overshooting, and how evenly they held temperature, which made cooking feel more controlled. They’re substantial but not too heavy – easy enough to maneuver day to day – and the non-stick surfaces handled eggs and sticky foods with no issue, making cleanup quick. And their ceramic coating skips the usual questionable chemicals.
Read our roundup: The seven best induction cookware sets in the US for 2026
Caraway
12-Piece Ceramic Cookware Set With Complimentary Storage
from $445
Other pieces you might enjoy from the Filter, the Guardian’s guide to buying fewer, better things:
