All pots are good as long as they are stored on the shelves. However, it is worthwhile to use new clothes, as it turns out that the dishes are burned inside, the traces of grease and soot are not washed off the first time and your favorite trowel leaves scratches on the walls. All these problems can be avoided if, when buying, not only the design of the pan, but also their main features should be considered. What - read on.
Content
The best manufacturers of pots - which company to choose
- It is better to look at high-quality utensils from established companies that are not trying to increase the cost of their pots:
- Rondell
- Tefal
- BergHoff
- Fissler
- Konig
There are other good brands that make good cooking utensils – you can find more information about their range in a separate article. But first, we define what kind of pans are needed in your kitchen, and there is a suitable option in the line of your favorite manufacturer.
Types of pots
Stainless
Advantages:
- Easy to clean - the stainless steel easily washes away any dirt and silently tolerates the use of most cleaning products.
- Scratch.
- Stylish design under which you can choose any kitchen accessory.
- Fast heating.
- The multi-layered floor distributes the heat evenly and prevents the dishes from burning.
- High Strength: The worst thing that can happen when a pan falls down is a bump on the side.
- Versatility - Stainless steel utensils are equally suitable for cooking liquid and thick dishes.
Disadvantage:
- Over time, stainless steel may tarnish or discolour.
- There are many bad quality counterfeits on the market.
Enamelled
Steel or cast iron pots under a layer of light enamel give each kitchen a cozy look. They are quite strong and durable due to the large wall thickness, but are afraid of impact. Enamel chips spoil not only the appearance of the dishes, but also the bare metal, which begins to rust quickly without protection. If the pothole turns out to be outside, the pan could easily be used for a while.
Advantages:
- A rich selection of colors and different patterns on the enamel.
- The hygienic coating is easy to clean and allows food to be cooked, even with high levels of acidity.
- Durable, non-deformable walls.
- Keep stainless food warm longer.
Disadvantage:
- The enamel coating should be protected from needlesticks and abrasives.
- If chips appear in the pan, they can no longer be used.
- Not suitable for the preparation of milk and Dickspeisen (porridge, stew).
Сast iron
Heavy casting pans made of cast iron can be described as non-fatal. If you drop such a vessel on the tile floor, you prefer to divide the tiles rather than the utensils themselves. However, since cast iron, such as steel, can rust unprotected, manufacturers today offer pots with enamel or non-stick coating. The main advantage of cast dishes is a thick floor and walls with a high heat capacity. It is good to bake and cook in it, and the prepared food retains its warmth for a long time.
Advantages:
- Very strong and durable.
- They tolerate high temperatures and can even be used for baking in the oven.
- They keep the temperature of prepared meals long and are good for storage.
- Do not be afraid of scouring.
- They have good non-stick properties (except models with enamel coating).
Disadvantage:
- Heavy.
- They heat up for a long time.
- Uncoated pots should be oiled after washing to avoid rust.
Ceramics
Very beautiful and environmentally friendly pots are suitable for cooking on the stove and in the oven. They easily withstand high temperatures, although sudden drops in their contraindicated – can burst. Ceramic utensils are valued for their long-term preservation of heat, but the most important thing is that every food in it is tastier.
Advantages:
- High scratch resistance.
- Easy cleaning.
- Thick soil and thick walls spread the heat well, allowing the products to melt in their own juice.
- The food in them practically does not burn.
- You can put in a microwave.
Disadvantage:
- Fragile ceramic is afraid of bumps and falls.
- Great weight.
- Can not be used for induction cookers, but you can buy a combined pan with metal bottom.
Glass
The pan made of fireproof glass is absolutely hygienic, harmless to health and does not burn anything. With heat-resistant material, you can cook in the oven and on the stove and wash the dishes by any means (even with a metal scraper). Many housewives are frightened of their fragility, but with careful handling it can last a very long time without losing its attractive appearance.
Advantages:
- Easy to clean, even with very difficult dirt.
- Do not pick up odors from products and do not dye them.
- Suitable for cooking in the microwave and in the oven.
- Food in glasses does not burn.
- Absolutely environmentally friendly.
Disadvantage:
- They are afraid of sudden temperature fluctuations.
- To cook on a gas stove, you need a special divider.
- With a strong punch can dissolve.
- Not friends with induction.
Aluminum
These pans can be of two types – extruded from thin sheet aluminum or cast. The first ones have an affordable price and low weight, but are too deformable, so they are not very popular. Thick-walled cast pans are similar in cast iron to their operating characteristics, but do not rust and do not heat up much faster.
Advantages:
- Easy to clean.
- Heat up quickly and cool off just as quickly.
- Can be used for cooking on open fire and on electric hobs (except induction).
- They are relatively cheap.
Disadvantage:
- Products can also burn in thick-walled casting vessels.
- Aluminum without protective deposit oxidizes quickly, darkens and becomes stained or salted.
- You can not cook sour dishes (borscht, compote), and above all you should not leave the products in such dishes after cooking.
Copper
Nice but expensive food returned to our kitchen. The dishes they contain are always delicious and longer lasting due to the antibacterial properties of copper. Unfortunately, it not only kills pathogens in food, it also destroys the vitamins it contains. Such pans have another unpleasant feature: they need to be regularly polished to a high gloss. Once you have washed off the protective layer, you start an endless oxidation process that you have to combat.
Advantages:
- Nice look.
- They heat up twice as fast as aluminum pans and ten times faster than stainless steel.
- The food in them almost never burns.
- Modern utensils are already protected from the inside, so that a contact of copper with products can be avoided.
Disadvantage:
- High costs plus sophisticated care.
- Not suitable for cooking sour dishes.
- If the pots are not wiped dry, patina stains very quickly.
Pot selection options
- 1-1.5 l - such pots are suitable for cooking cereals, eggs, sausages, goulash or stews. Lonely people of this volume will suffice for the first time.
- 2.5-3 liters are enough to cook a soup or a stew for a family of 2-4 people. If it is not possible to prepare a dinner every day, it is better to take the dishes more supple - 3.5-4 liters.
- From 5 l - such pans are rarely used. Usually they are needed to prepare compotes or festive dishes for a big party. If this is not the case, do not hurry to spend money on the purchase of such items.
Thickness of the floor and the walls
- Here between two thin sheets hide thick slices of different materials:
- Copper - Enables a quick warm-up, but makes the dishes more expensive.
- Aluminum - heats up too fast and costs less than copper.
- Ferromagnetic Alloy - Allows the use of a pan for cooking on an induction cooker.
The life of the pan depends on the thickness of the walls. The optimal indicator for tin utensils is 0.5-0.8 mm. In the cheap dishes, a smaller thickness is found, but this must be paid with curved sides and dents.
Well-known manufacturers offer pans with walls of 1 to 2 mm – they are more expensive, but serve almost forever. The thickness does not matter for cast, glass and ceramic utensils – here it is always sufficient.
However, the bottom of a pan should be thick so that the heat spreads evenly over the surface and does not burn the products. This is difficult to achieve with stamped products, which is why metal utensils today are equipped with a multilayered encapsulated floor. The optimal thickness of the pan bottom is 7-8 mm – so you achieve a good heating rate and at the same time a uniform heat distribution.
Quality pens
- The handles on the pans can be solid if it is a heavy cast iron, ceramic or glass bowl, or they can be attached to the sides in various ways:
- Spot welding - the most reliable mounting option. Due to the small contact surface, the handle is less heated by the pan.
- Rivets or screws - this closure looks neater, but is always clogged with leftovers inside the dishes and sometimes rusty.
Which pot should I choose?
- For the preparation of first courses, for cooking noodles, ravioli and other products that require a lot of water, an enameled pan of 2-3 liters is well suited. You can take a stamped model made of cheaper aluminum or a fork made of stainless steel and even copper. There is nothing to burn in such a bowl, but it should be heated as quickly as possible so that the thickness of the floor and the walls is 0.5 mm.
- For second courses (porridge, pilau, thick stews) thick-walled dishes with a capacity of about 2 liters are more suitable. Such food tastes best in a ceramic pot, but you can use cast iron or cast aluminum. Only for metals, it is desirable that the inside is provided with a protective coating: Teflon, marble, enamelled in the worst case.
- If you frequently cook in the microwave, buy a pot of thick glass or ceramic. Capacity of 1.5-2 liters will be sufficient.
- Cooking milk dishes and sauces is best for copper dishes, but should have an extra stainless steel inner layer and long tube handles. In a family, such a pot with a capacity of not more than 1-1.5 liters is sufficient.
- Often cooking compotes, muscle mass or jelly? Get a spacious pot of 5-7 liters of enamelled or stainless steel with a thick bottom. Pay special attention to the handles - they must be welded reliably because they have a great load.
- For an induction cooker, the pots must be carefully selected. Make sure the utensils have a thick, encased bottom - even or slightly concave. Also check the magnetic properties - just bring the magnet down from the outside (it should "stick" immediately).
Conclusion
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