In the following lines, I will give you several criteria according to which you can choose the best pans so that I know for sure that you know every aspect that matters when you have to buy a new pan, and you want it to be the best.
The Best Pan, by Type and by Destination
A self-respecting chef immediately has several pans because you can’t cook any food using just one pan. The vegetables need a wok pan, while the pancakes will be made with a thin pan. Thus, depending on the food you are going to cook, you need to choose according to the types below:
However, my recommendation is to have a pan of each type
Universal frying pan: The universal frying pan is, as its name suggests, the kind of pan you can use to cook any type of food. However, even if a universal pan is okay from my point of view, it is always better to have one pan for each type of food because you will notice the difference.
Grill pans: Grill pans are very good, especially since they can be used to cook without oil. I wrote more about grill pans here.
WOK pans: As I said above, these are especially vegetable cooking pans.
Pancake pans: You should use another pan, not one of the above, and this should only be used when cooking pancakes. They are generally thin.
Professional pans: if cooking is your biggest passion, you should have at least one professional pan in the kitchen. Many professional and semi-professional pans are deep, but that doesn’t mean that a deep pan is what you need. This is because they are very good from several points of view, and most of the chefs in the restaurants have a model.
These are the existing categories of pans, and you can choose the right pan for you as needed. But I will buy a frying pan in each category because I will be able to do magic in the kitchen.
By Material
The material is an essential criterion for choosing the best pans. Thus, you must immediately check the pan’s material you want because this is directly related to the quality.
As in the case of the categories, we are talking about several types of materials for pans, and each has different advantages in terms of temperature and so on. Usually, quality materials help you not to use oil when cooking, the food will not stick, and if you cook another food, it will not taste the latter.
Ceramic pans: Ceramic is one of the best materials for pans, and this is because we are talking about an affordable material but at the same time a good conductor, distributing the temperature evenly while helping to keep food from sticking Pan.
Teflon pans: Teflon is also very popular because it does not stick to food, but it is recommended to use a wooden spatula to not scratch the pan.
Cast iron pans: cast iron is an alloy of iron and carbon, and the advantage of cast iron pans is that they are cheaper but also very durable. It’s okay even when it’s scratched, but sometimes the food sticks.
Aluminum pans: Aluminum is a well-known material, and many companies choose to make aluminum pans. It heats up more easily than stainless steel, and the price is very reasonable.
Stainless steel pans: stainless steel is not the best material for pans because the food sticks and the healing time are long.
Other types: Dry cooker, titanium, Duratek, and so on.
By Diameter
You usually choose the diameter of a frying pan according to the amount of food you will cook. Usually, most pans have a diameter of 16 centimeters, but there are quite a few pans of 20 or 24 centimeters. Of course, the smaller the pan’s diameter, the cheaper it will be.
By Heat Source
Another thing to keep in mind when you want to buy the best pan is the heating source. This can be a gas stove, an electric stove, or a ceramic hob. The best pan can be used for any heating source, but pans are also designed only for a certain type of heating.
By Accessories
If the pan comes with a lid and a spatula, this is an advantage. The cover should also be ergonomic.
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