There are two kinds of people in the world: The type that tries to make their own food every day, and the people who like to simply eat their favorite foods every day. It doesnt matter which one you are. One thing remains true - you love food. So how do you make it delicious when it's finally time to cook at home? Alot of people swear by ingredients, but just as important are your cooking utensils. And we're here to help you find the best cookware out there! Check it out:
To judge a pot or skillet's quality, there are a few factors to take into account. Each material has different thermal conductivtiy, and certain materials carry differnt elements that can influence the flavor of your dish. To start, the thermal conductivity of different materials is listed as follows:
- Aluminum Alloy：237
- Iron：80
- Cast Iron：38
- Stainless Steel：16
- Copper：398
- Heat Resistant Glass：1
- Ceramic：<1
Units are measured in W/m·k
At first glance, copper seems to be in the lead for conductivity. In fact, many traditional recipies have been made in a copper pot or pan. With its thermal conductivity, its easy to cook things quickly and keep them hot for extended periods of time. One of the most famous copper-pot brands is
Mauviel. This French Manufacturer is dedicated to its old-fashioned tried and true design. They make high quality cookware with an iconic shape, and will make you feel like a professional French Chef!
Supermodel Cara is a huge fan of the brand.
Next on the list is aluminum pots and cookware. There's been a bunch of rumors about aluminum pots in the past. They were commonly used until information surfaced that they might cause early onset dementia. These rumors have remained to be proven, but their popularity has reduced in recent time. So, iron and stainless steel pots have since become a much more common choice for consumers and famililes. Luckily, these materials are still great for cooking. They're durable, and still offer great thermal conductivity, and overall make for a great product that won't run you as much as the copper counterparts. Tons of brands have products made with these materials. Some of the industry leaders include brands like
Anolon,
All-Clad, and so on.
Cast iron comes next, and two brands stand at the forefront of quality and design for this type of cookware.
Le Creuse and
Staub are household names synonymous with quality. Le Creuse was created in 1925 in France, and holds its aesthetic design in high regard. In addition to a quality cooking material, they want to make an attractive piece for your kitchen space. Their products are usually small sized and make for cute ways to cook your food. Staub was also founded in France and is one of the leading name in Dutch Oven and pot cookware. It's quite tough to decide between the brands - they're of incredibly comparable quality, but you should decide if you want a cast iron pot in the first place.
Let's start with describing Cast Iron pots in general. They're thick, deliver uniform heat across their cooking surface, and are very well insulated. They're extremely good options for slow stewing, baking, and more. The thicker material makes for more uniform heat distribution, but usually makes for a heavier pot to handle. If you really love cooking, though, this won't pose a problem to you. They work well on a stove top or in the oven, and function as an alternative to a slow cooker when needed.
The mian things to look at when finding a quality cast iron pot is the enamel layer and sealant. It's easy to test this - if the enamel layer is a good one, color should be uniform across the pot's design. La Creuse and Staub perform perfectly in this area. LC tends to offer a few more colors and cute sizing option that also make them great for kitchen decor. In general, these two brands will deliver you the same results, with the design being the only real determinig factor in your purchase. LC's lids faeature a prominent upward design, where Staubs are generally flat or angled slightly downward. Another important critera is the quality of the seal, but this is hard to judge across brands as well - both are top quality, but each individual pot is different. Make sure to check this out before you make a purchase on an individual item!
Look is great for determining the cookware you want to buy, but we have to keep funcionality in mind. Like mentioned before, copper, iron and stianless steel pans are great for cooking and frying, while a cast iron pot works beter for slow cooking options. Another slow cooking option comes in its literal namesake, the Slow Cooker. Many rice cookers even have this function. These cookers are usualy made with a ceramic bowl and feature a lid that makes the whole process act as a pressure cooker. It's a similar process to the slow stewing you can do with a cast iron pot, but these devices operate through electricity rather than on a stovetop or in an oven. Some Slow Cookers even have faster cook options, especially if they're specifically called Pressure Cookers, and can give you slow-stew results in a fraction of the time. With these devices, a busy individual can throw a bunch of ingredients into their cooker overnight, and when they wake up, a delicious breakfast will be awaiting them. It's a convenient way to take cooking time out of your busy schedule, letting the cooking get done for you when you're off at work or out on errands.
Rival and
Hamilton Beach are the leading brands of slow cookers on the market right now.
In addition to the stores and brands we recommended above, there's tons of other brands you can shop and try out! Consider the following:
Oneida:
Williams-Sonoma:
Wmfamericas:
Black Friday is right around the corner, and many brands have released some great deals for the holiday savings. If you want to try your hand at home cooking with some of this newfound Knowledge, getting a cooking set for cheap on Black Friday is a good step in the right direction. Soon enough, you'll be able to cook professional grade meals and relax from the stresses of life!
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