Before you buy cookware, here are some ideas you should consider about the different materials of which cookware is made, from a self-declared great cook:

Cast Iron: This is my personal favorite, and if I had the money, I would use it for almost everything, except for a few special vessels such as tea kettles. There are two types, bare metal and enameled. I prefer the bare metal because the enamel can be damaged easily, and will never completely recover once that happens. Cast iron is especially good for vessels used for sauteing, such as frying pans, woks, and griddles.
Pros: It cooks evenly, and about the only way you can burn something in a cast iron pot or pan is by going to sleep in the middle of the cooking.
Cons: It is heavy, and demands some care. It is a bad idea to use metal tools with it, and should not be cleaned with metal tools or harsh cleansers. Under ideal circumstances, it should only be wiped clean or cleaned with water. Cast iron cookware is also expensive.

Solid Copper: I have never used it. Copper is the best conductor of heat of all common materials, which means that it heats the fastest. As with all very good conductors, it is important for the bottom of the vessel to be thick to prevent burning. Copper can dissolve in acids, and in very large quantities is poisonous. Although chronic copper poisoning from household vessels has never been a problem in Western societies, most authorities will tell you not to cook acid foods in bare copper.

Copper Clad: I've never used them. They are designed to combine the heat conduction of copper with the ease of care of stainless steel. I believe that they tend to be expensive.

Stainless Steel: Moderately priced, light in weight, and very easy to clean. The cheapest brands have very thin bottoms which cause the food to cook unevenly and burn easily, but you can also obtain stainless steel pots and pans with thick bottoms.

Aluminum: Pros: Very light, inexpensive, and will tolerate almost any kind of abuse.
Cons: Inexpensive aluminum cookware has a very thin bottom which causes the food to cook unevenly and burn easily. Aluminum cookware tends to look dirty after a while from accumulated minor damage.

Non-stick: I don't like these very much. In fact, they are no more non-stick than cast iron, and they need almost as much care. They are usually light and inexpensive, but the light, inexpensive ones also spread the heat unevenly and burn the food. I've never tried the newer SilverStone-type surfaces.

And now a note on the new silicone bakeware:
I just recently tried it for the first time, and I can only say that it's wonderful! It is not only non-stick for cleaning purposes, but it is simple to remove even baked goods with difficult shapes from it. The only problem I have found with the new silicone bakeware is that it is very expensive. And even there, prices vary wildly and irrationally, so that if you shop around, you might be able to find what you need at a reasonable price.

One more personal note on all cookware: Much cookware has a handle made in a separate piece, often of plastic or wood. These burn and break. Even the metal ones tend to work loose constantly. I much prefer pots and pans in which the handles are either cast in one piece with the vessel itself or firmly welded or riveted on to it. Metal handles will sometimes heat up, forcing you to use a potholder or whatever to grip them, but they are less trouble in the long run.

	E-mail me!
	©2002-2007 by the author.

This website is hosted for free by

. Get your own Free Website now!