POTS & PANS

Choosing Saucepans & Frying pans

1. Choose sizes suitable for your cooking and type of cooker. (When short on space, stacking pans are useful)

2. Select ground-base pan for use on ceramic Hobbs, solid electric hot plates and solid fuel cookers.

3. Lids should fit well but allow steam to escape if the lid is not ventilated.

4. Handles and knobs must be heat resistant.

5. Large pans should have a short handle opposite the long handle to make lifting easier.

6. A continuous pouring rim ensures easy pouring from all points. A pouring lip is essential on a milk pan.

7. Frying pans need to be fairly heavy with a good flat base. Consider a frying pan with a lid for sautéing, braising and poaching.

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Choosing materials

Stainless Steel

1. is quite expensive, but hard wearing and easy to maintain.

2. It does not conduct heat evenly unlike copper and aluminium.

3. Copper coated are less effective.

Aluminium

1. Conducts heat well but may discolour.

2. Pitting from acidic is a disadvantage.

3. Lightweight pans are only suitable for gas cookers.

4. A medium or heavy gauge pan is often a better buy.

Cast Iron & Cast Aluminium

1. Pans are heavy.

2. Ideal for long, slow cooking.

3. Used on ceramic hobs, electric hot plates and solid fuel cookers.

Enamel Steel

1. Pans conduct heat quickly.

2. Food tends to burn and stick easily.

Copper

1. Is a good, even heat conductor.

2. A good quality copper pan is expensive.

3. Life-long lasting.

4. The inside of the pan must be coated in nickel or tin to avoid copper coming into contact with the food.

Non-stick coatings

1. Useful on milk pans and frying pans.

2. Use wooden utensil as metal scratches the surface.