Today in specialized stores you can find a huge assortment of various kitchen utensils. And pans are no exception. It is easy for a young housewife or a beginner in cooking to be confused among all this variety. How to choose the right frying pan so that later in the kitchen you will not get into trouble? Let's try to figure it out.
Criterias of choice
At first glance it seems that all this utensil is practically no different from each other. In fact, various factors influence the choice of the pan. And if you want the cooking process to be fun, and the taste of the cooked dish to meet all expectations, choose a frying pan according to the following criteria:
- case material;
- type of coating of the working surface;
- appointment;
- plate type.
Housing material
Depending on what material the dishes are made of, there are pans:
- Cast iron. For a long time familiar utensils do not lose their relevance in the kitchen in a bowl of cast iron, you can cook a variety of dishes, the preparation technology of which requires long stewing, "languishing". The main advantage of cast iron cookware is the uniform heating of the walls over the entire surface, as well as the ability to maintain high temperature for a long time. Due to the large thickness of the bottom, the products do not burn during cooking.
Cast-iron pan "Biol"
Caring for a cast iron pan is easy. It does not require special accessories for mixing products. For this, both a metal spatula and an ordinary spoon are suitable. To wash such utensils, you can use any detergents, including powder with abrasives. The only caveat - in a cast iron dish you can not store food for a long time after cooking. You just need to transfer it to a food container made of plastic or glass.
- Aluminum. Aluminum utensils, including pans, are the most affordable option for kitchen utensils. Aluminum frying pan very light and thin-walled, so it quickly heats up on the stove. It is necessary to fry in such a dish over low heat, stirring constantly, otherwise the products will burn. Stir the ingredients better with a silicone or wooden spatula to avoid scratching the surface. Aluminum is a universal type of material, since various coatings are applied to such dishes - from Teflon to ceramics.
Wash and clean the aluminum pan with detergents without alkaline components, otherwise aluminum reacts with such elements. As a result of this interaction, the dishes will darken and become unusable. It is also impossible to store food after cooking in this utensil, you just need to transfer it to special containers.
Aluminum frying pan
- Stainless steel. The appearance of stainless steel dishes was truly a godsend for all housewives and cook lovers. Such utensils allow you to carry out a wide variety of culinary experiments. A distinctive feature of stainless steel cookware, including pans, is the ability to evenly heat and retain heat for a long time. Also, stainless steel is absolutely environmentally friendly, does not emit harmful substances during cooking. In such dishes, you can both cook and fry, and simmer and "simmer".
Tefal stainless steel pan
A stainless steel frying pan is quite resistant to various damage. But it is still advisable to use silicone or wooden accessories for mixing.For washing, you can use any detergents, with the exception of those that contain coarse abrasive components.
Type of coating
Today, with the development of advanced technologies, it is possible to purchase pans with various types of coating on the work surface. Each of them has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. ? Let's try to answer this question.
- Enamel. The traditional enameled surface of dishes has been familiar for decades. This type of coating is used mainly for pots, teapots, ladles, less often for pans. Enamel completely covers the metal case and protects the products from harmful substances that can enter the food from the metal when heated. In such utensils, cooking can only be done on the stove; it cannot be used in the oven.
The enameled surface is afraid of strong mechanical stress. Therefore, you need to protect it from bumps and scratches. If dark spots or cracks appear on the surface, then cooking in such a dish is not allowed. You can store food in it for a long time in the refrigerator. After all, enameled coating is absolutely harmless.
- Teflon. Appearance teflon-coated pans became a revolution in the world of cookware. Who did not dream to fry an egg or a piece of bacon, without using a single drop of oil? Partly the commercials were right. After all, the main plus of this coating is this: Teflon has exceptional non-stick properties.
Teflon-coated pan
The unique technical characteristics of Teflon lies in the multi-layered system. So, the middle layer covering the metal case is responsible for resistance to mechanical stress, and the upper one provides non-stick properties.
There are some guidelines for maintaining a Teflon-coated pan:
- use special silicone or wooden spatulas to mix the ingredients during cooking;
- avoid maximum temperatures on the stove when using such utensils;
- the coating does not tolerate a hot state for a long time;
- use liquid detergents for washing, it is not recommended to use dry powders for cleaning.
Tip: as practice shows, so that the Teflon-coated pan lasts as long as possible, use a small amount of oil while cooking the dish!
- Ceramics. The ware with a ceramic surface has been very popular in recent years. Thanks to a special technology for the production of ceramics, its unique properties are achieved, including exceptional strength. Therefore, its main difference from the Teflon coating is that ceramics are not afraid of mechanical stress. Such cookware is evenly heated during cooking and retains heat for a long time. Also has a non-stick coating. Usually ceramic is coated with aluminum or cast iron.
Ceramic coated frying pan
Take care of dishes with ceramic coating easy: any means are suitable for washing and cleaning. The use of any special cooking accessories is not required. When used correctly, such a pan will serve in the kitchen for many years.
Ceramic-coated cookware is not used for cooking on an induction hob!
- Titanium coating. The titanium coating of kitchen utensils is a novelty in the world of kitchen utensils. They began to use it relatively recently. For supporters of a healthy lifestyle, this is the best option for dishes. After all, the main plus of the titanium coating is its environmental friendliness.
Cooking in such dishes is possible both on the stove and in the oven. In it you can cook, fry, stew, bake. Moreover, this can be done both on a gas and electric stove, and on an induction one. The titanium coating of the pan allows you to cook without the use of oil in the same way as Teflon. At the same time, it is more resistant to scratches and damage, unlike Teflon.
Appointment
There are many types of pans depending on the destination.taking into account what dishes we will cook in it. After all, correctly selected dishes are half the success in the matter of the quality of the prepared dish.
- Brazier. Such dishes, perhaps, are available in the kitchen of every housewife. Most often this is cast iron utensils, quite heavy. Its thick walls allow you to cook a variety of dishes both on the stove and in the oven. It warms up evenly over the entire surface and stores heat for a long time. Thick bottom protects food from burning. This is an excellent option for stewing pilaf, roast, baking meat products, fish, etc.
- Grill. The grill pan has an original shape and a ribbed bottom. For lovers of food in nature, such a pan will help create such an atmosphere. The characteristic traces on the fried foods in the form of traces from the grill give the dish a special taste. The special bottom structure protects the products from excessive absorption of oil, which is also a plus of such dishes.
Tefal grill pan
- Frying pan wok. A wok pan was invented in China. In the classic version, it is a cone-shaped dish that expands to the top. There are large handles on both sides. Today, manufacturers of kitchen utensils slightly altered the traditional Wok, making it more convenient for use on modern stoves.
Wok Frying Pan
Such a pan is distinguished by thin walls and a bottom, so it heats up very quickly on a fire. So that the products do not burn, during cooking, stir them constantly. It is possible to cook in it as first courses, such as soups, borscht, pickles, and second courses: fry vegetables, meat, etc.
Due to the very hot dishes on the products during frying, a crisp quickly appears, while at the same time the product remains juicy.
- Stewpan. The stewpan is intended both for cooking first courses instead of pots, and for frying, stewing, etc. Such dishes are distinguished by high straight sides, which allows you to cook dishes with a lot of sauce or other gravy. You can use the stewpan both on the stove and in the oven. For use in the oven, it is necessary to remove the removable handle with which the stewpan is equipped.
- Pancake. A pancake pan is characterized by low sides and a flat bottom. Such pans come with a bottom of different diameters. They are non-stick coated on the inner surface, which allows you to bake pancakes without using oil. Often such dishes are equipped with a heating indicator, which allows you to determine the level of heating of the pan.
Plate type
You also need to choose a pan, considering which plate it will be used on.
1. All pans are suitable for cooking on a gas stove. Cast iron utensils with ceramic or teflon coating will ideally cope with stewing or baking in the oven. The use of aluminum utensils is also allowed. But enameled utensils for use in the oven are not used.
2. For electric stoves, as well as for gas stoves, any pans are suitable, from any material and with all types of coating.
3. For induction cookers, only cookware with a magnetic bottom is suitable, including pans. You cannot use any other utensils on such a stove. The hob is designed in such a way that it automatically recognizes the magnetic surface and starts to work. For cooking on such stoves use pans made of cast iron, aluminum with non-stick coating, stainless steel.
Magnetic bottom cookware
4. For cooking on a glass ceramic stove, use stainless steel cookware. Enameled utensils are allowed. But aluminum or copper utensils can not be used.
The use of stainless steel cookware on a glass ceramic stove
Choosing a pan - useful tips
What about a frying pan for the kitchen? First of all, decide which dishes and in what quantity you will cook. For a large family, choose large and roomy dishes.This will allow you to easily mix the ingredients during cooking and hold the right amount of food.
Also, the choice depends on the type of stove on which the food will be cooked. For baking or stewing, use dishes with thick walls and a bottom. For those who monitor their health, dishes with a non-stick coating, such as Teflon or ceramics, which make it possible to cook with a minimum of oil, are ideal.
