COOKWARE BUYING GUIDE
Looking to get to the core of cookware? With so many options to consider, it's important to know how different types of cookware can enhance your cooking. Use this comprehensive guide to uncover the substance behind the latest stovetop styles, and be well on your way to epicurean enlightenment!
Gourmet Glossary
These mysterious numbers actually refer to the percentages of chromium and nickel in the metallic makeup of stainless steel. The first number refers to the percentage of chromium, added for durability and greater resistance to corrosion. The second number refers to the percentage of nickel, used to provide a more polished, silver sheen. Cookware that is designated as 18/10 is 18% chromium and 10% nickel, the highest quality stainless steel available.
When one metal is bonded to another, especially for the purpose of providing cookware with a protective coating.
When a layer of copper is sandwiched between layers of aluminum or stainless steel. Since it's a better heat conductor than both stainless steel and aluminum, the addition of copper is a common method for enhancing cooking performance.
The middle layer of the cookware. This part of the pot or pan serves as the primary heat conductor.
The outside of the cookware. This is the part of the pot or pan that sits directly on the stovetop or burner.
Aluminum treated with a special electrolytic process that forms a dark coating of aluminum oxide on the surface of the metal. Far stronger than untreated aluminum, hard-anodized cookware exhibits greater resilience and conductivity, giving it an extra edge on the stovetop.
A technology by which cookware is heated using magnetic energy. Induction cooking requires cookware made of a magnetic-based material and a distinct stovetop with induction energy coils directly beneath the surface.
The inner surface of the cookware. this is the part of the pot or pan where food is cooked.
Cookware treated with one of three bases: silicone, ceramic, or fluorocarbon (PTFE). Cooking surfaces treated with a nonstick coating allow food to be easily removed without the aid of oil or fats.
A layer of metal used to create the body of a cookware component. The more layers of metal, the higher the ply; the higher the ply, the better the quality.
A sealed vessel that does not permit air or liquid to escape below a preset pressure. Because the water's boiling point increases as the pressure increases, the pressure builds inside the cookerand allows the liquid in the pot to boil at a higher temperature, causing food to cook faster.
Handles attached to the cookware body with rivets, or metal pins that pass through holes in two or more plates, holding them firmly together. Riveted handles can withstand far more stress than welded ones.
Light and flexible, this rubbery material is able to withstand temperatures up to 675 degrees. Since it's a poor heat conductor, silicone is often used to keep cookware handles cool so your hands don't get burned.
Designed for meals that require long cooking times over very low heat (soup, stew, chili), slow cookers are intended to be left on throughout the day.
The transfer of heat from a source, such as the stovetop or oven, to the metal of the cookware. Cooper and aluminum tend to conduct heat better than most.
