Best Brand Cookware, good cooking go together
Posted on Dec 10, 2009 under Best Brand Cookware |Good cooks or even aspiring cooks need good pans — they do make a difference in the finished product. The first set of pans I purchased many years ago seemed to be a bargain, but they were far from good pans. Learning to cook with my bargain pans was frustrating — most things scorched no matter how much I stirred, and my over-easy eggs always ended up scrambled as they would stick like glue to the bottom of the skillet.
Eventually, I upgraded my cookware, and my culinary skills and joy of cooking suddenly improved.
If you are thinking of purchasing new cookware for yourself, updating your present cookware, or buying cookware for a gift, the choices can be overwhelming as evidenced by some of your questions:
I have an older set of pans that I am passing on to my college son, and I want to purchase a nice set of cookware for myself. What should I look for in pans? What kind of material is best?
I prefer stainless steel and use it almost exclusively because it looks good and is easy to clean. But you need to look for quality — some are lightweight and will not cook well.
Stainless pans that are “clad” or have layers of metal, with one of them being copper, are excellent conductors of heat and will cook beautifully. My favorite is a line of professional cookware designed by the Culinary Institute of America that I carry in my store. It is high-quality stainless steel with seven layers of metal, including a full layer of copper across the bottom and up the sides of the cookware to ensure even cooking.
The pans are heavy enough to cook well but have a well-designed, slightly arched handle that is easy to grasp, putting less stress on the wrist. They will perform beautifully on gas and electric ranges as well as induction cooktops, and come with a lifetime warranty.
Regardless of what pans you select, pick up the pan and see how it feels in your hand. You will be using it frequently and want a comfortable fit.
I’ve been looking at pans and cannot decide if it is better to buy the set or individual pieces.
Manufacturers group the most commonly used pieces together and price them as a set. Usually you will get a better deal on the sets than if you purchased the pieces individually. If you purchase a set, you will have the basic pieces and can always add other pieces such as a roaster or other specialty items.
So many recipes call for using a nonreactive pan. What exactly is a nonreactive pan?
Recipes that stipulate a nonreactive pan often include acid-y ingredients, such as tomatoes. Acid reacts with aluminum and other metals, creating a metallic taste in the food, and will discolor a pan. Nonreactive pans, which do not interact with food, are stainless steel, glass, ceramic and enameled cookware.
