Concerns

• Certain types of cookware may contain harmful materials like lead that can enter the food being prepared. This can result in serious conditions like lead poisoning and other ailments. Because of this, it is normal to be concerned if your cookware is made with a material (like enamel) that you don't immediately recognize as safe.
  
  

Enamel

• Stainless-steel stock pots are coated with enamel to make their surface "stick resistant." This is to ensure that food won't stick to the pot during preparation and also makes cleaning easier.
  
  

Safety

• According to the FDA, enamel-coated stainless-steel stock pots are non-toxic, which makes them perfectly safe to cook with. The majority of enamel-coated stockpots are made from applied steel or cast iron rather than stainless steel--these, too, have been deemed perfectly safe by the FDA.
  
  

Considerations

• Though enamel-coated stainless steel stock pots are not dangerous, it is a good idea to make sure the product description on the pot's box contains the phrase "non-toxic."
  
  

Warning

• As the entire stock pot (including the handles) is made from stainless steel, it can become dangerously hot during cooking. It is always a good idea to wear some kind of hand protection like oven mitts when cooking with a stainless-steel stock pot.