Why should I think about replacing my pans?

Amazon Saucepan Set

If you haven’t  looked at new saucepans recently you may be very pleasantly surprised. The choice of materials and styles is very wide. They look really good.
Many are designed for maximum stackability. And also have a lot of user friendly features such as interchangeable locking lids and matching hanging racks.

Cooking Pans - Best Types

Half the challenge of creating the perfecting dish can be achieved by using the correct pan for the correct task. This article looks at the best uses of several types of cooking pans.

Cooking Pans

Many people do not realize that they are using the wrong type of cooking pans when they are Read more

Saucepan coatings

In recent years the whole market for cooking pans has changed, with an increasingly wide selection of pans becoming available. More than this being down to differences in material from which the saucepans are made, it is due to technological advances in the coatings which are available for cooking pans. Most people know that there is a difference between traditional and non-stick frying saucepans, but many probably don’t know much more than that.

Single-Layer Non-Stick Coating

Single-layer non-stick coating is usually found in cheaper cooking pans and as the name suggests consists of a single layer of non-stick material which has been painted onto the pan. While this may be useful at first there is a danger that this will be easily damaged when you wash your saucepan, use utensils inside the cooking pan or even after it has been heated and cooled a number of times.

Dual-Layer or Triple Layer Non-Stick Coating

Choosing a pan with either dual-layer or triple layer non-stick coating will ensure that the coating is less prone to damage, so the pan will last longer. Often these types of cooking pans are only marginally more expensive than single-layer non-stick coated versions, but may make the pan last years longer. Even with this type of coating there is however still a risk that you can damage the coating by using inappropriate utensils in the saucepan.

Teflon

Teflon is perhaps the most recognised brand of non-stick material which is used in cooking pans. Made by the DuPont company, Teflon is made from a plastic material called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Teflon is applied to pans slightly differently to some other non-stick coatings, with a triple-layer effect being used. The first coating contains a sticky material to help the Teflon stick, which is followed by a coating of the Teflon itself. To give added protection a third layer is added which contains a number of hardeners mixed with the Teflon. This is designed to help protect the Teflon from being damaged by scratching and normal contact with food. So overall, Teflon is a non-stick coating, but with additional benefits over some of the non-stick coatings used in cheaper saucepans.

Porcelain Finish Pans

A different type of coating which is available on some higher end cooking pans is a porcelain finish, which is completely different to a non-stick coating. Some people prefer this type of coating not only as it is usually more durable than simple non-stick coated pans, but also as there is less concern over safety. Some of the chemicals which are used in other non-stick coatings for frying pans have been recognised as potentially harmful when they are heated over a certain temperature. There is no such concern with porcelain enamelled cooking pans. Instead a substantial layer of porcelain is enamelled over the pan, and this is so thick and durable that there is likely to be little impact even with heavy use. Porcelain itself is naturally non-stick, so there are no chemicals needed in this treatment.

Posts about Pans as of March 16, 2009