If you only have one utensil, you should consider getting different ones, especially if your dishes tend to be varied. According to several culinary gurus, you should have two or more diverse pan surfaces and materials. It would be excellent to increase your culinary equipment to broaden further your selection of dishes you can prepare, especially after spending some time learning how to prepare various cuisines.
For different recipes, a nonstick frying pan is helpful. Also, it is essential to understand when to use them and when to put them on the shelf to avoid sticking. Since they offer uniform cooking and simple cleaning, nonstick pans hold a particular place in the hearts of many home cooks.
On the other hand, nonstick pans should be used for quick-cook meats to obtain the best—and tastiest—results because they are not a one-size-fits-all solution. It would be best if you had a variety of cooking utensils on hand because there are times when cooking on a single piece of equipment might impair the overall quality of your cuisine.
Here you can learn which material fits which particular dish.
Stainless steel
Chromium and nickel are added to steel during manufacturing to provide the surface of stainless steel frying pans with an anti-corrosive quality. Due to its strength and beauty, stainless steel is used to make pans and pots. Most novice cooks who want to prepare straightforward meals use stainless steel pans since they can make many mistakes without worrying that the pan will break any time soon.
Additionally, you can discover the benefits of stainless steel pans if you tend to scratch your kitchenware. It is resistant to acidic or alkaline food types and does not immediately scratch or pit. And with the help of current technology, producers could permanently link layers of stainless steel with various conductive materials, such as copper and aluminium, to boost the material’s conductivity.
For searing meat, poultry, shellfish, sautéing mushrooms, asparagus, and other vegetables, cooking extremely acidic dishes like tomatoes, vinegar, and wine, and preparing pan sauces, stainless steel pans are the best choice.
Copper
Copper is a different frying pan material you should be aware of because it is regarded as one of the best heat conductors. The pan will instantly heat up once you set it down on a heated surface, enabling you to swiftly and effectively cook food. You do not have to wait very long after cooking on a copper pan because it cools off more quickly.
It is best to get a copper pan lined with a nonreactive metal, such as stainless steel or tin, to function as a barrier between the surface and the food if you want to avoid metallic flavour or yellow tinge on the copper pan. Professional chefs use copper pans because they can prepare high-quality sauces with the most satisfactory control and precision, maintaining the flavour precisely as you want it to.
Rice, curries, and other meat-based recipes are excellent candidates for using copper utensils.
Aluminium
Like copper, aluminium is also good in heat conductivity among all pan materials. Additionally, the fact that it is a cheap pan means you won’t be surprised by the price when you purchase it from any seller, which makes it even better. Aluminium is combined with copper, magnesium, or other substances during manufacturing to provide a lightweight and highly conductive surface.
Although aluminium is known to react with acidic foods, producers discovered a means to stop this, so they gave the pan a nonstick surface. Additionally, aluminium pans may be used on any heat source, and you can count on them to remain sturdy no matter how frequently you use them.
Acidic foods like tomatoes and rhubarb can be fearlessly cooked in aluminium.
In a nutshell, cooking can never happen without basic sauteing and frying. So, having necessary pans with different materials is essential to prepare tasty and healthy food for you and your family.