What is the best pot for boiling Chinese medicine?

Traditional Chinese medicine is profound and extensive. There are many diseases in life that are not as effectively treated by Western medicine as by traditional Chinese medicine. This is why many people prefer to see a Chinese medicine doctor. People who have taken Chinese medicine know that Chinese medicine needs to be boiled, and a vessel is needed for boiling it. However, many people do not know much about the method of boiling Chinese medicine. Boiling Chinese medicine is very particular. What kind of pot is best for boiling Chinese medicine? In fact, casserole is usually the best way to cook Chinese medicine.

Casserole is the best way to boil Chinese medicine

According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, it is best to use a casserole or ceramic pot to boil Chinese medicine. The quality of Chinese herbal medicine decoction is closely related to the selected decoction vessel. The clay pot is chosen because its material is stable and will not chemically react with the medicinal ingredients. Its heat transfer is uniform and gentle, which is one of the reasons why it has been used since ancient times.

In addition, enamel pots, stainless steel pots and glass frying pans are also available. However, iron pots, copper pots, aluminum pots and tin pots cannot be used, mainly because the chemical properties of iron pots or copper pots are unstable and easily oxidized. When decocting medicine, it can react with the chemical components contained in the traditional Chinese medicine. For example, it can react with tannin components to produce tannic acid iron, which deepens the color of the medicine solution. It can form incompatible polymers with flavonoids. It can form salts with organic acids. These will affect the quality of the decoction and are directly related to the clinical efficacy of the Chinese medicine decoction.

It should be noted that sudden heating or cooling of the casserole will cause cracks. Therefore, do not wash the casserole that has just been used to boil medicine with cold water immediately. Let it cool on dry wood chips or racks before cleaning the medicine stains. Do not soak the oil stains on the casserole with detergent to prevent sewage from seeping into the pores. It can be wiped with leftover tea leaves, or soaked in rice water to heat it, and then scrubbed with a brush.

Can a stainless steel pot be used to boil Chinese medicine?

Many people believe that stainless steel, like iron and aluminum cookware, will chemically react with the medicine during the process of boiling Chinese medicine. In fact, this is not the case. Compared with clay pots, the advantages of stainless steel pots in boiling Chinese medicine are not as obvious, but they can be used to boil Chinese medicine. Stainless steel pots are stable in nature, difficult to react chemically with drugs, and easy to clean.

It should be noted that stainless steel pots transfer heat too quickly, so the medicine should be stirred frequently when decocting, otherwise the herbs will stick to the wall of the pot and easily get stuck if you are not careful. For this reason, when boiling Chinese medicine, you need to be attentive and careful in order to produce effective Chinese medicine.