How to choose a high-quality and safe frying pan

All lovers of cooking and home cooking first of all equip their kitchen with quality cookware. A frying pan is the main cooking attribute, without which no housewife can do. Many of us, before going to the store, think about how to choose a frying pan for cooking tasty and healthy food.

Types of frying pans

In the kitchen, within direct access of the hostess, there should always be several frying pans for all occasions. The number of attributes depends on the composition of your family, and how often you cook for a large number of guests.

Therefore, any housewife needs to know all the subtleties of determining which frying pans are the best and safest. After all, you will feed your family with food cooked in this cookware, and healthy food is cooked only in high-quality frying pans.

The main types of frying pans used in our kitchens:

• Classic. A universal option that is present in any kitchen in several copies. In such a frying pan, various types of meat, fish, chicken and vegetable dishes are cooked. It is intended for stewing, frying, sautéing vegetables and even for making pancakes and crepes. This frying pan is produced with a variety of sizes in terms of volume and height, you can easily choose the option that is necessary for your family. The frying pan is equipped with a long handle, which can be removable. If necessary, it can be removed and placed in the oven to cook casseroles.

• Grill pan. The main feature of this type is the ribbed bottom, which gives the products beautifully browned stripes without frying the entire surface of the meat. When cooking in such a pan, the consumption of frying oil is reduced to a minimum. It has thick walls for proper heat distribution and comfortable all-metal handles. It is produced in round and rectangular shapes. This type is often equipped with a heavy glass lid and a special grate that is attached to the walls.

• Grill gas. A model specially designed for gas stoves. Water is poured into the tray, and when heated under the lid, the process of fast and uniform baking of products occurs. In such a frying pan, you cook without oil, and the fat released by the products flows into the tray, does not burn and does not come into contact with food during cooking.

• Roaster. A deep frying pan, specially designed for frying on the stove and baking any products in the oven. Made of super-strong high-quality metal alloys. Products cooked in the roaster will never burn, will be evenly fried and will have an ideal appearance and taste.

• WOK pan. A tall frying pan with thick walls and ear-shaped handles. A characteristic feature of this model is a small-diameter bottom and walls that widen upwards. Ideal for preparing sauces, marinades and gravies.

• Saucepan. A universal kitchen attribute that combines the functions of a frying pan and a saucepan. The saucepan is equipped with a tempered glass lid and a scale for monitoring the water level. Due to the thick walls, soups, sauces and gravies in such dishes are especially tasty and rich.

• Pancake maker. A low model with thin walls, which quickly cooks crispy pancakes and fritters. Designed specifically for this purpose.

How to Choose the Best Frying Pan for a Specific Type of Stove

The type of stove in your kitchen is of great importance when choosing a frying pan. Each product should be marked with the type of heating element the cookware is suitable for. Take a responsible approach to the quality of the frying pans offered in stores. Study the information about the product and the manufacturers, which should inspire confidence. Ask the seller to show you a quality certificate.

Pay attention to brands that care about their reputation and guarantee high quality of the product. Such a frying pan is much more expensive, but you will use it for many years and feed your family healthy dishes.

Otherwise, you can not only spoil the food during cooking, but also ruin the hob coating that new models are equipped with.

Suitable frying pan for stovetops

• Gas. All types of cookware made of any alloys are suitable for such a stove. Blue fuel is great for cooking on stainless steel and copper, aluminum and cast iron pans. Especially tasty dishes are obtained on cast iron products.
• Induction. The physical characteristics of this stove exclude the use of stainless steel and aluminum products, they simply will not heat up. The frying pan should be thick-walled, which ensures the most uniform heat distribution. The correctly selected diameter of the bottom, which matches the size of the heating element, is especially important. An excellent choice would be a product made of cast iron or carbon steel. Now manufacturers offer frying pans made of aluminum, copper and stainless steel with a special induction bottom.

  

• Glass ceramic. The ideal purchase for such a stove would be a stainless steel frying pan. The light and dense alloy will not damage the glass ceramic, but you should monitor the condition of the bottom, which should be smooth. Exclude copper and aluminum products. These materials are very soft and when heated, they can interact with the delicate coating of the glass ceramic. The frying pan will leave untidy marks on the surface that cannot be removed. Cast iron is also not recommended. Due to the large weight of the product, an awkward movement can scratch or break the glass ceramic.
• Electric. It is worth paying attention to the bottom of the product, it should be thick. It is desirable that the diameter of the bottom matches the size of the burner. Otherwise, the frying pan overheats, which will lead to deformation of the product and increased energy consumption.

It is better to buy stainless steel products with a double bottom - this will save time on cooking and will not deform the pan when overheated.

It is better to choose an aluminum frying pan from massive cast models. And enameled metal must have thick walls and a bottom.

What material is the best frying pan?

Cooking a tasty, healthy and beautiful dish is the main goal of a housewife in the kitchen. But the final product depends not only on the skill of the cook and the quality of the products, but also on the cookware in which we cook it. The material from which the frying pan is made can help us or ruin the dish. Any housewife should know which material is best for cooking a particular product and how to care for such cookware.

Types of frying pans by materials:

• Ceramics. An environmentally friendly frying pan, made from natural materials - sand, clay and water. Products with this composition are very light and beautiful. In such dishes, you can cook dishes without using oil, which is most beneficial for our body. A ceramic frying pan is not subject to deformation when overheated, perfectly withstands high temperatures and is suitable for ovens. With proper care, this is a very durable frying pan. Ceramics are not subject to chips and scratches. But it has a fairly high price compared to other materials. It does not tolerate sudden temperature changes, you can not soak a hot frying pan in cold water, cracks may form. It is very easy to care for it, just wash it with a warm soapy solution.

• Aluminum. The main advantages of this material are its affordable price and light weight. Such a product will not serve you for a long time. If you have chosen an aluminum frying pan, then choose a product with a thick bottom: the thicker, the better. The dishes cannot be cleaned with aggressive acid-containing agents, as this will cause dark spots. It is also easy to damage the outer layer with abrasive agents. If you are inclined to buy such a frying pan, pay attention to models with a non-stick coating.

• Copper. Quite an expensive material. Copper products are often coated with stainless steel. Very beautiful cookware, durable and long-lasting. Not afraid of temperature changes and is ideal for cooking dishes in different temperature conditions. Products in such a frying pan are very tasty and healthy.

• Stainless steel. The most common cookware in modern kitchens. Steel has an excellent appearance with a glossy shiny surface that will decorate any kitchen. A universal option for cookware - you can fry meat and cook sauces and gravies in such a frying pan. It is well suited for cooking in the oven, provided that it is equipped with a removable handle. Belongs to the low price segment and is available to everyone. The main disadvantages are that it is easily scratched when cleaning with abrasives; it is better to choose special soft pastes for this type of cookware. If the frying pan is overheated, blue-green stains may form on the surface, which are impossible to get rid of.

• Cast iron. An eternal material, our grandmothers used cast iron products. Such cookware produces especially rich and tasty dishes, so they do not leave their positions in our kitchens. Cast iron has natural non-stick properties, is not afraid of mechanical damage and temperature changes. It has an unlimited service life, cookware made of this material cannot be damaged. Suitable for all types of ovens. But there are some small disadvantages: the material is very heavy and prone to rust, so it requires drying after washing.

What is the best coating for frying pans?

Modern cookware, regardless of the material it is made from, is coated with a non-stick coating. This layer prevents your food from burning and minimizes oil consumption during cooking. The coating is easy to wash and clean. The coating is applied to the entire surface of the cookware, both outside and inside.

Types of coatings used on modern cookware:

• Ceramic. An environmentally friendly coating that is not afraid of high temperatures. But the coating is quite fragile and requires delicate handling. Food does not burn on ceramics, and it is easy to wash and clean.

• Marble. Very hard and durable coating, not afraid of changes and high temperatures. Manufacturers give a long guarantee on dishes with marble coating - up to 30 years. It keeps heat for a long time, which will allow the dish to be ready with the stove turned off. Does not emit harmful substances even at the highest temperatures.
• Tin. The coating has a protective function for copper utensils. It protects the metal from oxidation, but it is a very fusible material that cannot be overheated.
• Steel. Stainless steel coating is usually used on copper cookware to prevent food from burning during cooking. This coating is great for quickly cooking food.
• Teflon. The most common material, which is found on almost all types of cookware. Teflon allows you to cook dishes using a minimum amount of oil, which makes the products healthier. But you should be careful with the Teflon coating, it is easily scratched by metal objects and loses its properties. Teflon is afraid of overheating and at temperatures above 250 degrees it releases harmful substances that are undesirable for our body. The coating is short-lived, even with careful handling, it will serve you no more than three years.

• Titanium or Diamond. The most durable coating to date. The maximum wear resistance and durability of these materials is priced very high in stores. But such a coating cannot be damaged, and the food on such a frying pan turns out to have a delicious taste and aroma. The main disadvantage of this coating is the impossibility of using it on stoves with an induction heating element.
• Enameled. The coating is similar in its characteristics to ceramic coating, but has a thicker layer, which is more reliable and durable. Due to the thick coating, the heating of products occurs very slowly, due to which the dishes are more juicy and tender. Enamel is more resistant to mechanical damage and is not scratched by metal objects.

Choosing the right sizes

Standard sizes of products that you will be offered in stores are from 18 to 32 centimeters in diameter. When buying, it is worth considering the composition of your family: it is unlikely that you will be able to fit several large-diameter frying pans on the stove at the same time.

The main thing when choosing is to know the size of the burners on your stove and select a frying pan for each of them. This will allow you to cook several dishes at the same time to optimize the housewife's labor costs.

We determine the thickness of the bottom and walls

Manufacturers producing quality products adhere to the basic criteria of a bottom thickness of 3 mm. The exception is a pancake pan, which has a bottom thickness of 1.5 mm. The minimum wall thickness should be 2 mm. The thicker the pan, the better, this ensures uniform heat distribution and the dishes are more delicious. Cookware made of thick metal will cost more, but it is less susceptible to deformation and will serve you much longer.

What should the handle and lid be like?

When buying your favorite accessory, you need to pay special attention to the handle, as not only the convenience of cooking but also your safety depends on it.

Today, there are several types of handles.

• Cast. Used in models of cookware that are heavy. The frying pan handle can be one-sided or two-sided. Such a handle will never break off, but heat is distributed to it during cooking, so you can burn yourself.
• Removable. The most convenient and common option. Made of heat-resistant plastic. Equipped with a mechanism that allows easy removal at the push of a button.

  

• Folding. Simplifies storage, easily bends to the bottom of the pan. But such a design is very unreliable and can quickly fail.
• Unscrewing. The body of the frying pan is equipped with a threaded connection into which the handle is screwed. This design is reliable, but during operation the connection can become dirty and is difficult to clean.

A frying pan lid is a mandatory and irreplaceable attribute. They are often sold together with the cookware, but you can also buy them separately. It is better to choose glass lids, you can always see how the dish is being cooked without opening it.

Popular frying pan manufacturers

There are a great many manufacturers of kitchen utensils. Large manufacturers that produce frying pans for our stores especially monitor the quality of their products and value their reputation. But it is worth noting that there are a lot of fakes on the market for these products, so go to specialized stores to buy.

Large manufacturers of tableware.

• Tefal. One of the largest companies producing cookware for the world market. Noted for its stylish design of products with non-stick coating, which is equipped with a temperature indicator for the convenience of consumers. The manufacturer constantly updates and improves its product line.

• Rondell. A large company from Germany, which has always been famous for the quality of metal products.

• Fissler. A popular brand that produces cookware for home cooking and for professional kitchens.

• Neva-Metal Tableware. The largest Russian manufacturer, which is a serious competitor to European companies.

Knowing all the intricacies of choosing frying pans, you will make the right decision when you come to the store to buy. And your family will enjoy delicious, appetizing and safe food at the table.

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