Kitchen Equipment Basics part 3 “Pots and Pans”
A well used kitchen is a beautiful sight to myself. In my home I use the kitchen as the meeting place and I bring everyone to the table each morning and evening with any problem that they might have and it can be most tolerably discussed over a fine meal with less tension or mangled feelings. Food is a social stop gap and having the tools to get you from prep to plate is a really necessary concern. Having tools that are reliable and suitable for your use is even more important. For those starting the collection of decent cooking ware, having a set of knives and cutting boards is a must …. then having a good cookware is paramount to the cooking adventure. I do not buy collections of name brand cookware. The single purpose purchases have always yielded a far more useful group of pots and pans than gathering a set so that the pattern matches. I have cast iron (among my current favorite), stainless, Teflon, aluminum and porcelain coated.
If you could look at my stove…I keep a cast iron skillet and a cast iron griddle on the burners at all times. My tea pot is at close hand too. I will let you know why I use that least expensive cookware in a moment. These are not on my list as the most basic list of pots and pans. My list for basic pots and pans include a stock pot, saute pan and a sauce pan.
Used pot and pans can be an ultimate savings. I shop on Craig’s List, Amazon and Ebay for my discounted purchases. If I find a desired piece and it has all the qualities I am considering I will buy used over new and never feel I am shorting myself. A nice stock pot can cost $199 from a retail store; if I can buy that pot for $70, including shipping, the smile on my face grows wide.
The Stockpot
I have several stock pots. Regularly, I find that a 12 qt or 16 qt stock pot fulfills my best needs for meal preparation. I can boil potatoes, make pasta, and prep a nice stew. I like a nice thick soled stock pot. All Clad, Calphalon, Belgique, and Cuisinart are brands that have always captured my desire as we discuss stockpots. I claim that a good stock pot is essential to cooking basics and at some point you will find the device to be paramount to your need in the kitchen too.
The Saute Pan
I nice 10 inch lidded saute pan is always a high need on your stove top. I have perhaps 4 different sizes in my home…but the 10 inch size is used most often. Once again I like a nice thick soled pan with a lid. You might wonder why I select stainless over Teflon coated and it would always revolve around the same answer. My love of cooking spans many techniques. If I happen to need to finish a dish that I started on the cooktop by placing that item in the over, I can more securely place a stainless pan covered or uncovered into the hot oven and not have it affect the coatings. Next is my choice of tools. Though I sell a full array of silicone coated kitchen utensils, I have other non coated that I use. If I grab my age old stainless tongs and scratch around on the bottom of the pan, my tongs would cut less affect the stainless pan. Needless to say this is only my personal philosophy and you buy and use what you enjoy.
The Sauce Pan
The lidded sauce pan is also a universal pan that you will find endless tasks in your cooking adventures. I like a 2-3 quart sauce pan as my favorite size. But I again have one smaller and two larger as tools that are in my arsenal of cookware. Thick soled pans make for the best most even heating possible. I gave you my favorite brands, but there are so many to select. Find a nice sauce pan with lid and you will thank yourself over and over as you use it.
I promised to tell you why I have cast iron cookware on my stove. I am iron deficient…I normally take an iron tab. By using the cast iron cookware I am basically offering elemental iron into my diet by cooking with the cast iron. I have not had to take supplements after cooking for a few weeks with the cast iron. Now that I am a cast iron fan… I can say that not all foods go in cast iron vessels. If a cooking technique calls for NON REACTIVE Cookware…. use stainless or porcelain coated. If I make bagels or pretzils, I use lye or baking soda solution in my stock pot and I would never expose the cast iron to that chemical beating.
Hope you found this helpful…we will in the future discuss other pots and pans that are add on goodies that go beyond basic needs.