Anodising can help to prevent this. Copper saucepans conduct heat well and allow precise temperature control, heating up and cooling down rapidly. Copper looks good but is not easy to keep clean and needs to be coated so it won't contaminate the food. Cast iron saucepans have a very even heat transfer at low settings, but take longer to heat up and cool down. Iron is very heavy, and it can rust and become brittle. While enamel coatings can help stop rust, they can chip if roughly handled.
A saucepan should suit the size of your cooktop elements, especially if you have a ceramic or induction cooktop. A heavy base helps with heat distribution and cooking performance. Aluminium and copper conduct heat well, so they're often used for the core of the base the disc. A comfortable, moulded handle should be securely attached and stay cool to the touch during cooking. An extra support handle helps with lifting larger pans. Induction cookware has a ferrous metal base and must fit one of the elements perfectly.
Check the manufacturer's recommendations. If you need a lighter pan, opt for one made from stainless steel or carbon steel. Read about the GHI's top-scoring grill pans here. This pre-seasoned cast iron pan has tall, thick ridges that sear dark marks into meat and veg. It heats up in five minutes and gives tasty, caramelised results. It's heavy and the handles get hot, but it cooks to perfection. You can't go wrong with Le Creuset. This pre-seasoned cast iron pan comes in 14 colours.
It has tall grill lines that sear meat brilliantly for a rich and intense flavour. Food sticks initially but soon slips off.
Use a tea towel for the handles. This non-stick aluminium pan heats up in just two minutes. Its grill lines are on the shallow side but meat chars well without sticking. The pouring lips on either side will suit both left- and right-handed chefs, the handle stays cool and it's dishwasher-safe. This lightweight carbon steel pan chars vegetables brilliantly and cooks meat well too.
It needs seasoning before use and only has a pouring lip to the left, but its comfortable to hold and the handle stays safely cool. It's great quality for the price.
Students and anyone on a budget will love this great value aluminium pan. It chars food well, albeit with poorly-defined grill lines, and serves up richly flavoursome results. It's quick to heat up and easy to clean too. Dishwasher-safe: Pans with plastic or stainless-steel handles or knobs are usually dishwasher-safe, but most pans with wooden handles and knobs are not. Ideally, don't wash your pans in the dishwasher full-stop, as doing so can dramatically shorten their lifespan.
Most pans need little more than a quick rinse out, a soak or a gentle scrub. During testing, we washed 'dishwasher-safe' pans 15 times in the dishwasher. We often saw rusting, peeling, and rivets coming loose. The dishwasher can also cause the coating on non-stick coated pans think Tefal to peel, rendering the pans useless.
Flat base: Especially useful for electric cooking, these pans cover the entire hob ring and don't waste any heat. Oven-safe: Multi-purpose pans that can be used in the oven as well as on the hob save time and storage space. Check that the handle is oven-proof and pay attention to the maximum temperature. Pouring lips on both sides: Ideal for a household with both left- and right-handed chefs.
Stay-cool handles and knobs: Handles should be long and thick enough to stay balanced without becoming too heavy. Stay-cool tech keeps them safe to touch during cooking. Lids that fit well: Lids should fit securely but allow steam to escape if there are no vents. Holes in the handles: Great for hanging up your pans and saving on cupboard space.
Try to avoid putting a hot pan in cold water or pouring cold water into it. This can cause the base of the pan to warp. It's always best to leave a pan to cool before washing it in hot, soapy water. Take particular care when cleaning non-stick pans and avoid using scouring pads, steel wool or abrasives. To remove burnt-on food, half fill the pan with water and add a dishwasher tablet or tablespoon of biological washing powder. Boil for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
Make sure pans and lids are thoroughly dry before storing as stagnant water can pool and start to smell. Wet pans can also begin to rust. Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Type keyword s to search. By Lydia Anderson. Related Story. The GHI's top 5 pan sets Best pan range. Forged Aluminium 3-Piece Pan Set. Venice Pro Extra Range. Circulon very. Frying Pan and Saucepan Set Cerastone.
Klaus Vedfelt Getty Images. Floriana Getty Images. Carbon Steel Wok, 24cm. Everest Stone Wok with Thermospot, 28cm. The GHI's top 5 grill pans Best grill pan. Staub American Square Grill. Best for cooking steak.
Best non-stick grill pan. You will probably find it in most households. Stainless steel is actually an alloy of metals including steel, carbon and chromium.
Stainless steel is an excellent choice for cookware BUT because of its inability to conduct heat well it is important that you choose stainless steel cookware that has an aluminum or copper core.
Without it you will find that you will get hot spots on the cooking surface and foods will cook unevenly. Cast Iron Cookware: Cast iron is a material that has been used to create cookware for hundreds of years.
Those that use cast iron cookware absolutely swear by it for its exceptional cooking ability. Nevertheless, cast iron cookware is not an easy to maintain product. It requires a little effort to keep it working the way it should.
It is extremely durable and it is not uncommon to find cast iron cookware that has been passed down through the generations. Aluminum is a soft metal and can scratch and dent easily. It can also react with certain foods which is why it is generally sandwiched between other metals. You will often find stainless steel cookware with a layer of aluminum offering the benefits of both materials.
Aluminum is also often treated through a process known as anodization. Aluminum cookware is often finished with a nonstick coating to ensure food remains unburned. Advantages Excellent heat conduction Disadvantages Reacts with acidic foods Scratches and dents easily Copper Cookware Copper cookware is commonly used amongst professional chefs because of its excellent heat conduction.
Copper cookware on its own is generally quite expensive so it is not often seen in many home kitchens. Copper is also often found sandwiched between layers of other materials like stainless steel. Copper cookware is the cookware of chefs and for good reason. It conducts heat extremely well which means it heats quickly and adjusts to changes in temperature just as quickly. This allows greater control over your cooking. Advantages Excellent heat conduction Relatively expensive Disadvantages Reacts with acidic foods Requires regular polishing.
Think about what pieces of cookware you need before setting out to the shops. There is no point in buying a 20 piece set if you will only end up using a few pieces. Buying a cookware set is usually a lot cheaper than buying piece by piece. But again if you are not going to use all the pieces then really consider if a set is worth the money. Making the final decision on whether you want stainless steel, cast iron, copper or aluminium is really a personal decision based on how much time you spend cooking, your expertise in the kitchen and your budget.
For all round flexibility, usability, and price, stainless steel cookware would be at the top of the list. When you consider the advantages it beats the others hands down.
The solution to this is clad cookware. This style of cookware is made up of multiple layers of different metals. So, when shopping, look for stainless steel cookware with a layer of copper or aluminium sandwiched in the base. Stainless steel cookware with a copper base is generally more expensive than cookware with an aluminium base, but it does have the advantage of better heat conduction.
Take your time when choosing cookware, buy the best product you can afford, and follow the manufacturers instructions on looking after your pots and pans and you will be rewarded with years of good service and an enjoyable cooking experience.
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