Choosing the Right Cookware
Buying items for a kitchen can seem like an endless task with so many items to think of. When it comes to buying cookware, there are just as many choices to be made as you pick your pans, baking dishes and serving dishes - all of which comes in different shapes and sizes in order to perform the hundreds of different cooking tasks that take place in a kitchen each day. However, it isn't just the shape and size of the pots and pans that needs to be looked at, the material also needs to be considered.
Aluminium Pans
Aluminium is still seen as a favourite in the kitchen due to the fact that it is cheap, doesn't corrode and is a great conductor of heat. While there are many advantages to aluminium, there are also disadvantages; aluminium can react with acidic food to give taint flavour. It also can't be used on induction hobs and is prone to sticking when food is fried. While cheap aluminium pans are made from a single sheet of metal, the best professional aluminium pans have a thicker base to spread the heat more evenly. Medium-duty aluminium pans with a base thickness of 3mm to 4mm are suitable for open-top cooking ranges, but with the more intense heat of a solid-top range or for hard use, a heavy-duty pan with a base of 7mm will perform better. The key to picking quality aluminium cookware is thickness; the thicker the pan, the better the heat distribution, so there is less chance of hot spots and burning.
Stainless Steel Pans
While aluminium is the choice for many, stainless steel is rapidly rising in popularity. Stainless steel is an alloy of metals including steel, carbon and chromium. It doesn't tarnish, it's easy to clean, hygienic, hard-wearing, has a non-reactivity with either alkaline or acidic foods and it is less prone to sticking than other metals. As with aluminium, the base of the pan will be layered; this normally takes the form of a three-layer sandwich with stainless steel on the bottom, aluminium in the middle to give good conductivity and stainless steel on top. Some top of the range pans will have up to seven sandwich layers. When buying stainless steel pans, ensure that they aren't cheap, thin pans. The thin gauge of the metal on cheap stainless steel pans gives very poor heat distribution; they will tarnish easily and because the metal surface is poorly polished sticking can be an issue.
Black Iron Pans
Black iron is the most simple and cheapest cookware made from mild steel. It is more robust than aluminium especially when baking at very high temperatures. However, while cost and durability are an advantage, rusting can be a risk. Black iron is also not particularly easy to clean and if not thoroughly dried, tarnishing can occur overnight, which means it would need to be cleaned again before being used for cooking. As black iron frying pans are known for sticking with items such as fish and eggs, they have to be seasoned before use. To season the pan, a layer of salt is put on the inside base and heated up. This seals any surface imperfection in the base of the pan. The salt is removed, replaced by cooking oil and heated until it smokes indicating that the pan is ready to use.
Copper Pans
Copper is one of the most conductive materials found in cookware which is why many chefs like using these copper pots. Copper is especially great for saucepans and sauté pans as you need a responsive pan for making delicate sauces and melting sugar.
Vogue's Tri-Wall Copper Pans are made with a triple wall construction consisting of aluminum, stainless steel and copper which gives you excellent heat conductivity for evenly cooked food.
Non-Stick Pans
When buying pans, most kitchens will buy a small number of non-stick pans as they are perfect for frying fish such as sole and plaice. The cheapest non-stick is coated in aluminium, but because of the relative softness of aluminium, the non-stick layer will not last as long as it could when on steel. The main cause of damage to the non-stick coating, apart from the obvious one of using metal utensils, is getting the temperature too high which will damage the coating. While normal frying is done at 200°C, flash frying over a fierce heat can send the base temperature over 250°C causing splitting of the non-stick coating.
Cooking Dishes
Stoneware
Although stoneware is more commonly thought of for presentation dishes, in actual fact it is perfect for cookware due to its high temperature tolerance. Stoneware is chip-resistant and has many uses within the kitchen including the refrigerator, oven and microwave. Stoneware is a strong clay that is fired to a high temperature and becomes vitreous. This material will withstand a temperature range of -20°C to +250°C, making them suitable for oven to counter use. Most are dishwasher-friendly and all can be placed in a microwave, but not on a hob as the sudden burst of heat will cause the ceramic to shatter.
Enamelled Cast Iron
Enamelled cast iron pans and casserole dishes are made in cast iron for strength, conductivity and heat retention, then coated both inside and out with an enamel paint which is baked onto the cast iron at high temperature to give a smooth cooking surface and prevent rusting. Like stoneware, these are perfect for oven to table use - especially as they come in a multitude of different colours. The negative of this form of cookware is that the enamelled surface is not suitable for frying due a tendency for sticking.
Glass
Borosilicate glass, such as Pyrex, is safe at oven temperatures. Glass is versatile in that some can be taken from refrigerator or freezer to stovetop or oven and it doesn't absorb food odours. The clear glass also allows for the food to be seen during the cooking process, and it retains heat well. However, it can't be used on the stovetop as it can't cope with stove's temperatures, and it can be subject to thermal shock, which causes breakages.
Earthenware
Earthenware is a white and porous clay that is fired at a low temperature of about 1915°F. Earthenware usually called 'ceramics' or 'ceramic ware', is decorated, glazed with a clear coat and fired. Although considered cost-effective, it is not as tough or water-resistant as other ceramics. Earthenware has to be glazed or it will absorb water, making the cleaning process difficult. Some earthenware is vitrified; this is when a ceramic body is fired to a temperature of above 1210°C; the body of the material melts together. This means the material becomes non porous so neither water nor bacteria can seep into the product. Earthenware absorbs heat slowly but retains it well, which is ideal for slow-cooking in the oven. As heat is conducted evenly, earthenware cookware has a high heat-retention. It is also non-reactive, allowing any ingredients to be used without damaging the cookware or creating an adverse chemical reaction that affects the taste.
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between 1,200°C and 1,400°C. The toughness, strength, and translucence of porcelain arise mainly from the formation of glass and the mineral mullite within the fired body at these high temperatures. Porcelain crockery differs in the price range; while some can come cheap, others are much more expensive. It has good resistance to 'thermal shock', which is why it is often used as oven to tableware.