- Buying the most effective and durable pots and pans
- How to buy the best cookware at a good price
Tips for Choosing the Best Cookware for You
For newlyweds or anyone who may just be setting up a proper home, one of the things to really think about is kitchen utensils. One of the most important items on the kitchen shopping list should be cookware- the pots, pans and dishes which you’re going to be doing all your cooking in.
Today, there are so many brands of pot and pans out there made with different kinds of materials; from stainless steel to aluminium and cast iron among others. There is even the clad style cookware range which consists of pots that are made from two or more different metals.
If you’re not careful, you may end up buying pots based on what looks good and not necessarily what is best for you. Or the problem is that you might spend more than you can afford in the quest to buy what you think is worthy for your kitchen.
So how to you balance it out between price and quality to get cookware that will serve well in your kitchen? The first thing to note is that your pots are supposed to last you quite a while; you may add to your collection but you should not need to change them in a few months or years. So the first thing you’re looking for is durability. The second consideration is your budget; what can you afford? In order to figure these two things out, you need to acquire some basic knowledge about cookware to help you make the best choice
Here are 5 tips on what to look out for:
Heat conducting ability
You need to know that some metals conduct heat better than others. If you buy a pot made with a material that is good heat conductor, you’ll be getting yourself something the will cook your food more evenly. Cookware made from metals with better heat conductivity also means that they will react faster when you turn the heat up or down.
This is something important to note as it will generally make your cooking more effective. So you need to do your research and find out what works best for efficient cooking. For example, copper is a good heat conductor while stainless steel is poor on that end. You need to think about this before making a choice.
Durability
You need to research those metals and brand that last longer than others and still look good with use. Stainless steel cookware is regarded as one of the best in this regard.
Maintenance requirements
Some cookware that a lot of work to maintain and keep shiny; you need to consider if you have the time and energy to do that before making a purchase. If you would rather not have to shine your pots every day to maintain their looks, you may need to go for something that is easier to maintain.
Stainless steel pots and pans are easier to look after while products made from copper or cast iron will take extra work to keep in their best condition.
Reaction
Some metals react with certain foods; like aluminium which can react with acidic ingredients like tomato. If such reaction occurs, your food can absorb some of the metal which is not good for your health.
So when you’re buying cookware, you need to be aware of the reactivity of each product.
Price
At the end of it all, what you can afford to pay will determine what you kind of cookware you will be able to buy. However, the general recommendation is that since you won’t buy pots all the time, you should try to buy the very best you can afford.
Mixing
In order to get the best of your cookware, you may need to buy different products to serve different functions in your cooking. For instance, you may decide to choose metals with better heat conductivity for bigger pots in order to have more even cook out when you cook larger portions. You can mix up the different metals for the different cooking needs that will arise in your kitchen.
The only catch is that buying single pots outside of a set may cost you some more. You may just go for clad style cookware to get that mix of products. Just make sure you know which one works best for different situations.
Hope you learnt something new and useful.
