Kitchen Essential

OMELETTE AND FRYING PANS

These have slightly flared sides. Nonstick versions are great for omelettes.

ROASTING PANS

Used to cook foods by surrounding them with hot air in an oven. Some have low sides but some cooks much prefer high, covered roasting pans.

SAUCEPANS

Non-stick saucepans are a big advantage when cooking foods that are inclined to stick. Saucepans with rounded inner edges make it easier to stir gravies or puddings. These liquids tend to get caught in the angle formed between the base and sides if the inside of the pan has a straight join.

SAUTE PANS

These are wide and flat with large surfaces to brown foods like onions or mushrooms. The straight sides help when preparing recipes that have sauces that cook in the pan.

SOUP AND STOCKPOTS

These are tall and narrow to reduce evaporation while the solid ingredients flavour the liquid during a long period of simmering. They are also excellent for cooking pasta and mealies. For those dishes (like tomato soup) that do not take as long to cook, soup pots with a shorter and wider shape are more appropriate.

DOUBLE-BOILERS

These are used to prepare food that requires gentle cooking. The pan underneath is filled with boiling water to protect the contents of the upper container from direct heat.

WOKS AND STIR FRY PANS

Woks and stir-fry pans are used to cook finely sliced meat and fresh vegetables very quickly over high heat. Larger models can be used to steam dumplings or vegetables. If these pans have non-stick inner surfaces, the surface of the base of the pan should be made from a thick, heavy heat-conducting material. Round-bottomed woks are not stable on stove surfaces as the heat only reaches a small portion of the base. Flat-bottomed woks are a lot more stable and their larger surface area allows the wok to heat more quickly and evenly.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
THE ABC OF COOKWARE Part 3

• THE ABC OF COOKWARE Part 2
• THE ABC OF COOKWARE Part 1
• Kitchen Essentials AND Utensils Part 2
• The Microwave Containers Cooking Hints
• Kitchen Essentials AND Utensils Part 1
• Barbecues, Picnic, Mountain Trails, Light the Fire, Outside Occasion Decor
• Essential Kitchen Cutlery Part 4
• Pots and pans in your Kitchen, Home Shopping Guide
• Utility Rooms
• The Working Kitchen continue…

Trackback URI | Comments RSS