Meet The Nontoxic, Green Cookware You've Been Looking For

This Patch article is sponsored by Miriam's Earthen Cookware.

Local businesses are the heart of our communities. Patch had a chance to talk with Miriam Kattumuri, Founder & CEO of Miriam's Earthen Cookware.

Patch: Tell us a bit about your business or organization:
Miriam Kattumuri: Miriam's Earthen Cookware (MEC) is a US-based company that specializes in handcrafted, 100% natural clay cookware that is free from harmful chemicals or metals. The cookware is made using traditional techniques that have been used for centuries and is designed to provide healthy and nutritious food. The company offers a variety of products, including ergonomically designed pots, pans, and dinnerware, which can be used both on the stovetop and oven. For all types of cooking and baking.

Patch: How long have you been doing business in town?
Kattumuri: 14 years.

Patch: What attracted you to the line of work you’re in, and how did you get started?
Kattumuri: I founded Miriam's Earthen Cookware with a mission to provide a healthier and more sustainable cooking option for people around the world. The desire to do this came from my own experience searching for the best cooking and baking pot — ones that can cook without leaching and destroying nutrients. I noticed that earthenware not only enhances the flavor of the food but also had numerous health benefits — including 'healing' my own diabetes. I decided to share this healthy, all-natural method of cooking with the world and thus, Miriam's Earthen Cookware was born.

Patch: If you had to sum up your business mission to a stranger in a few words, what would those words be?
Kattumuri: Creating a healthier world one nontoxic cooking pot at a time.

Patch: What’s the biggest challenge or most difficult moment you’ve faced in your job?
Kattumuri: A massive fire that consumed both our workshop and our home in 2018. The fire caused significant damage to the workshop and destroyed a large portion of our inventory. This was a difficult time for all of us because it impacted our ability to help and provide our customers with the cookware they had come to love and appreciate.

After this incident, we had to rebuild the workshop and restock our inventory. However, we persevered with our mission to build back stronger and better. Today we are able to make our products from a bigger and better location through a very streamlined and efficient processes.

Patch: What’s the most satisfying part of your job?
Kattumuri: For us at MEC, it is knowing that we are contributing to a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle for people around the world, and helping mitigate some of the crazy things that are happening to the planet because of mindless living.

Patch: How would you say your business or organization distinguishes itself from the others?
Kattumuri: MEC distinguishes itself from others in a few ways:

1. Traditional techniques: MEC uses traditional techniques for making cookware, which involves handcrafting the pots and pans without using any chemicals, additives, or synthetic materials. This is how we create a time-honored product that is well suited for cooking nutritious meals.
2. Health benefits: Being made of 100% natural clay, dense in nutrients, our products are distinctly different because there is no leaching of chemicals or metals from the pot. Also, because the heat is far infrared heat, it is gentle on the food’s nutrients, and they are preserved during the cooking process.
3. Sustainability: They are made from fully biodegradable, natural material. The production process has a low carbon footprint. It comes from a zero-waste facility and the cookware is designed to last for a long time. Besides, it requires less energy compared to conventional cookware and it's packaged 100% green.
4. Customer education: We pride in offering our customers a lot of insight and help as they embark on this journey of healthy cooking. Our website is an encyclopedia to clay cooking and the customers find it very useful for that reason.
5. Community engagement: We are committed to supporting local communities and preserving traditional artisanal techniques. We work with local artisans and provide them with a sustainable livelihood.

Patch: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given when it comes to success?
Kattumuri: "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." —Albert Schweitzer

Patch: Are there any new projects or endeavors you’re working on that you’re extra excited about?
Kattumuri: There's always exciting stuff happening at Miriam's. Currently, we are working on designing 4 new products — a smaller sized Griddle, salad bowls, plates and a smaller size water jar. Additionally, we are making cooking videos to take Miriam's Earthen Cookware into the virtual world of videos. The creative process of scripting, shooting and editing these videos before they come to life keeps us on our toes, but we are loving every moment.

Patch: Do you have any events coming up in your community?
Kattumuri: FREE healthy cooking classes will be starting back soon. And information about that can be found here.

Patch: How can Patch readers learn more about your work and business?
Kattumuri: The best place is our website, which some have termed as an encyclopedia of clay cooking: miriamsearthencookware.com. Sign up for our newsletter from there and stay in touch. We regularly send out updates on new offers, recipes and cooking tips. Here are some of our social handles:

• Connect with us on Facebook.
• Stay in touch through Instagram.
• Watch our latest cooking videos on YouTube.

Patch: Do you have any additional information you’d like to share?
Kattumuri: You’ve heard a lot from me here; I’d like to let our customers speak:

"I want to thank Miriam and the whole team for dedicating the patience and time to creating these beautiful, healthy, intentional pieces. It puts my whole mind and body at ease knowing that the food I'm eating has been prepared in 100% safe, nontoxic material. I highly recommend this cookware, as well as the bowls and cups. What a joy and treat that these exist!”
- Marcella Cytrynowicz

"When my electric rice cookers' teflon coating started to wear away, again for the second time, I refused to purchase another one. I started searching for a more healthy way of cooking my food when I came across Miriam's site. I am so glad I did not purchase the other clay pot options where the clay was sourced from other countries I did not trust. My first Medium Pot arrived packaged extremely well and with care. I followed the seasoning directions exactly. I tried cooking ONE cup of organic brown rice for the first time in the pot and I was VERY PLEASED the way it turned out - fluffy and DELICIOUS. I did have to add an little extra water than normal and wasn't expecting it to cook so fast. Whenever, I tried cooking one cup of brown rice in my old electric rice cooker, it ALWAYS turned out hard and not tasty even with adding extra water. I cooked sprouted grain oatmeal in the pot this morning and before I knew it, it was done cooking in 5-7 minutes, wow and it was so tasty! I look forward to trying other recipes knowing that I am cooking the healthiest and most natural way possible. Thank you Miriam for the care and research you put into your amazing product and many blessings to you and your staff!”
- Gloria Shuler

"I have been using earthen cookware from Miriam since 2016 and I am really happy about it. As I have been conscious about using only natural eco friendly and healthy products, it was a great find. I would love to see more varieties in terms of product like serving spoons, tea set, etc. I will be waiting for them!! Kudos to all the work done by the Miriam team.”
- Shambavi Natarajan

"Miriam's Earthen Cookware: exclusively fashioned with clay. Aluminum, toxins and Teflon have now all been rendered passe’. If back to the Earth you are trending, the earthen has come to your home. The fabric of life you are mending when cooking with Miriam’s own!”
- Tonia Thomas