Is Stainless Steel Cookware Safe?
Plain stainless steel has no nonstick coating, so the question about it is metal leaching. Health Canada says stainless steel is commonly made of iron, chromium and nickel, and a 2013 Oregon State University study found that after 6 hours of cooking tomato sauce, nickel and chromium levels rose up to 26-fold and 7-fold, depending on the grade of steel.
New pans leached the most. In the same study, leaching fell with repeated cooking and stabilized after the sixth cycle, though significant amounts still reached the food, an average of 88 micrograms of nickel and 86 micrograms of chromium per 126 gram serving of sauce by the tenth cycle. The authors concluded stainless steel cookware can be an overlooked source of nickel and chromium, depending on the steel grade, cooking time and how the cookware is used.
Health Canada advises people who are allergic to nickel not to use cookware containing nickel, and to add salt only after water is boiling to avoid pitting the surface of stainless steel.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceHealth Canada says stainless steel is commonly composed of iron, chromium and nickel. Health Canada ↗
- StudyA 2013 Oregon State University study found nickel and chromium in tomato sauce rose up to 26-fold and 7-fold after 6 hours of cooking in stainless steel, depending on the steel grade. Oregon State University ↗
- StudyThe study found new stainless steel leached the most, and that leaching fell with repeated cooking and stabilized after the sixth cycle, while significant amounts still reached the food. Oregon State University ↗
- StudyBy the tenth cooking cycle the study measured an average of 88 micrograms of nickel and 86 micrograms of chromium leached per 126 gram serving of tomato sauce. Oregon State University ↗
- Government sourceHealth Canada advises people allergic to nickel not to use cookware containing nickel, and to add salt only after water is boiling to avoid pitting stainless steel. Health Canada ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.