Best Material For Cookware Guide
Considering to buy a new pots and pans set for your kitchen could be difficult decision. There are varieties of brands, type of sets and sizes. Try to do the wise choice for yourself and chooce the best material for cookware that exactly will meet your needs is difficult decision.
Whether you want just to replace an old cookware set or want to get a brand new pots and pans set for your home, or just buy a present for loved one passionate about cooking or chef, our team has been tested in a last few months different types of sets and brands and we are happy to share with you the results.
We believe that an informed educated purchase and choosing the best quality cookware set will give you the secure that you will get an opportunity to enjoy cooking and use it for a long period.
Before choose the cookware set have to consider what do you need for your kitchen, what kind of stove you use it to cook and what kind of material are made the cookware. Every type of material has their positive and negative sides. After a lot of researching and testing we made a major guideline about the most common materials for kitchen cookwares with their pros and cons.
Stainless steel
The range of stainless steel kitchen cookware is constantly changing and increase with new products all of the time. But quality stainless steel cookware has remained constantly to be one of the popular choices for a lot of people in the hospitality industry and the domestic market. These kitchen tools have their advantages and disadvantages.
First, we have to say that stainless steel cookware are durable and long-lasting products. One of the main features in these kitchen products is their inertness as they don’t react with food.
The alloy is heated as soon as possible and doesn’t take a lot of time but at same time these products have a low level of heat capacity such as they usually cannot be heated to the very high temperature if they are not coated on the bottom with aluminium or copper, which can provide a faster transfer of the heat. This bottom layer will give you the opportunity to cook quickly and evenly.
Stainless steel cookware does not corrode and does not rust. These kitchen utensils could be use in any stove including induction. It’s easy to wash the stainless-steel cookware and simple to care about them. But we have to say also that some foods may stick to the surface of a stainless steel cookware and to prevent this is required to use it more fat or liquid.
Last but not least is recommended to choose cookware set of stainless steel with good thickeness and volume but that it depends of your individual needs.
Cast Iron
Cast iron cookware have traditions from centuries and still one of the best choices for the kitchen cookware. Cooking with cast iron cookware have their pros and cons of course, but we have to say that you can choose between uncoating iron cast tools or enameled cast iron.
Both of them have their advantages and disadvantages but if you choose the uncoating iron cast cookware have to consider that have to be seasoned so can create the patina with the time, also always have to be wash by hand and straight away after that to be dried. If not dry the cookware made of uncoating iron cast could be rust and it is not recommended to cook acidic foods in it as they have reacted with the material.
The uncoated cast iron can transfer the small amount of iron during cooking process which can be considered to enrich the taste. This cookware is extremely durable, long-lasting and can keep the food warm a long time after cooking. Some brands offer pre-seasoned cookware made of cast iron.
The more modern version of them is enameled cast iron cookware. They are easier to use compare to uncoated cast iron cookware as they do not need a specific care about seasoned and washing. They do not react with food and do not rust. But they could be chip with the time if treated roughly or dropped the utensil. Both of them are heavy and especially when they are full. They are slow to heat up but once they are hot, they will retain it and they cool down slowly as well. They are suited for all types of hob but not recommended for glass top as they are very have and could scratch the surface if not lift properly.
Aluminium
There are two types of aluminium that could be find on the market – basic or non-anodized and anodized or hard-anodized. Non-anodized aluminium cookware is not recommended as they do not have any protection and could be transfer the amount of aluminium from the cookware into the food, also the aluminium is very toxic and react with acidic foods.
Our research shows that non-anodized aluminium cookware is not the choice that we recommend to use it in the kitchen considering the effect of the aluminium into food. That could be avoid with a solution to choose hard-anodized cookware which have improved the basic aluminium cookware through an electrochemical process and create a layer of aluminium oxide. That’s prevent the food to react with the aluminium. It’s low stick and some manufacturers produce them with non-stick coating surface.
The hard-anodized aluminium cookware is very durable and is scratch resistant. It’s an excellent heat conductor and achieve evenly cooked food. These kitchen utensils are easy to clean but they are not dishwasher safe, even that some brands suggest use the dishwasher. Our expert team do not recommend use the dishwasher for those type of cookware if you want to keep use them for longer period. They are suitable for almost each type of hob apart from induction but some manufacturer produces them to use for this type of hob.
Copper
Copper cookware have their traditions from centuries, but nowadays they are recognising like the best choice of cookware material because of the high qualities of the copper. As every other material copper is not exception to have not just advantages but some disadvantages also.
Copper cookware is extremely good conductor of heat, which means during the process of cooking heat evenly and have more control of the temperature while heat up or heat down. They are very durable and long-lasting cookware. Copper kitchen utensils are easy to clean but they are not dishwasher safe, its recommended to wash by hand and do not use any bleach for polishing.
If you want the copper cookware stay shiny as new should use a copperbrill paste or some natural substitute such as lemon and salt, baking soda or vinegar. We recommend for best result to use it a copperbrill paste, but that is not necessary if you prefer your copper cookware to look more antique. The patina is the changing of the colour with the age usually into green colour and it occurs through oxidation. Always after washing the copper cookware have to dry them properly as that will help to delay developing the patina.
Copper cookware are reactive to acidic food and that’s why most of the brands produce the copper utensils with thin layer so can protect from it and resolve the issue with that. If the copper cookware is unlined when you cook you can feel the metallic taste into food. The copper cookware usually is lined on the cooking surface with tin or stainless steel. This cookware is suitable for most of the hobs apart from induction, but some brands offer this option as well so when you choose to purchase might check is it suitable if you need for induction.