Every piece of kitchen equipment has its own role and it’s created for a specific purpose. All of those different pots and pans you see in stores are made for a specific cooking style and for preparing different types of foods. Sure, you don’t have to have all of them in your kitchen, but it’s good to know what they are used for and how you can use them to elevate your cooking game.
Saucepan
This is one of the most versatile pans you can have in your kitchen. You can cook anything from sauces to pasta. It has a circular shape, high sides and a long handle. The high sides offer a greater surface area and can handle large amounts of food. Because the cooking area is bigger, the food inside will cook more evenly.
One great thing about the handle (besides being very practical) is the fact that it won’t get hot during cooking. This allows you to move and lift it without worrying if you’ll burn yourself. Plus, the lid prevents splashes when you need to simmer the contents inside.
There’s a wide variety of saucepans for sale on the market made of different materials and in different sizes. Some of the most notable materials include:
- Stainless steel – even heat distribution, dishwasher-safe, modern;
- Copper – good cooking temperature control, durable, good for the oven;
- Cast iron – heats evenly, great heat retention, oven-friendly;
- Aluminium – good heat conductor, lightweight, easy maintenance;
- Ceramic – thick, good for high-heat cooking;
- Hard-anodized aluminium – even heat distribution, heats up quickly.
Saucepans can have two finishes, nonstick and enamelled. Nonstick models will prevent the food from sticking to the surface. They’re easy to use and clean and don’t require a lot of oil when you’re cooking. Enamelled options, on the other hand, have a steel or cast-iron base and a porcelain coat which creates a smooth surface. It’s also durable and hard and won’t scratch.
Saucepans can also have some special features to make them even better and more practical. Look for options that are PTFR and PFOA-free. This means they don’t contain harmful plastics that can distort the flavour of the food. They can also be dishwasher-safe if you’re not a fan of hand washing. Cool touch handles are great to keep you safe. There are also models with a pour spout that makes it easier to transfer the liquid from the pan to another cooking vessel.
Fry Pan
Fry pans are another essential. They’re one of the main components of the kitchen even in restaurants. They’re also round-shaped and have moderately high sides. The sides are slightly sloped. This makes tossing and flipping food easy. Plus, the food gets evenly cooked this way.
These walls also prevent steam from forming inside the pan and potentially ruining the dish. The handle is always long and coated with a heat-resistant material which makes it safe to handle and easy to manoeuvre the food inside. This is a practical addition that is great for frying, scrambling, browning, sauteing and of course, searing.
Some of them have a lid, which is always a nice addition. It can help you keep the food warm and prevent liquid splashes. You’ll find several types of frying pans such as ceramic, nonstick, cast iron, stainless steel and more. It’s always a good idea to invest in a more expensive option because the high-quality, durable materials will make it last for years to come.
Sauté Pan
This one is very similar to the fry pan. It has a flat round bottom and high, vertical sides. The sides are straight which gives you maximum cooking surface and a lot of space to hold liquids without spilling them over the sides. This design is quite good because it heats up evenly everywhere and it traps the heat so the food can cook at the same rate.
It also has a long handle that makes it safe to work even on very high heat. It’s suitable for braising, sauteing, searing, poaching, deglazing and stir-frying. The lid prevents the liquids from evaporating quickly and it keeps the aromas inside the dish. Besides the wide variety of saucepans for sale, sauté pans are also widespread, and you have a lot of choices when it comes to sizes and materials.
Wok
Next time you’re on the look to buy saucepans, give the wok a chance. Woks belong to the Asian-style cooking equipment. It’s a deep bowl with sloped, high walls. Many professional chefs and home cooks love this option because it cooks the food faster than other models. This is because of the steep walls and the even heat distribution. You can toss the food easily and cook it all the way through.
There are two types of woks, Mandarin and Cantonese. The Mandarin wok has one long handle, and the Cantonese has two smaller loop handles. Woks are great for making stir-fry and don’t require a lot of oil to cook the food.
Cast Iron Skillet
Cast iron skillets are great for cooking a lot of different things. You can use them to bake cookies or fruit cobblers to get the ideal crust or to sear steaks and bacon. One advantage of cooking with cast iron is its unparalleled versatility. You can use it on the stovetop, in the oven and straight to the table.
It’s a pan that heats up evenly and will cook your food evenly. This means less chance of scorching. If take proper care of it and clean and maintain it regularly, it’ll last for a very long time.
Roasting Pan
This is another very versatile piece of kitchen cookware. You can use it to cook roasts, whole chickens and whole turkeys, vegetables and baked goods as well. They’re usually rectangular, with shallow sides and a flat bottom. Roasting pans have 2 handles to take them in and out of the oven easily. They can be made of steel or aluminium and will distribute the heat evenly.
