Whether you are purchasing new cookware to replace an existing set, or outfitting your kitchen for the first time -- shopping for kitchen cookware sets can be a daunting task. There are so many different materials and price ranges to choose from that the average person can become easily confused. And while opinions vary on the subject, let me give you my personal recommendation on how to choose the best kitchen cookware set.
Kitchen Cookware Sets: How Will You Use It?
Before you dash out the door, credit card in hand, you need to stop and consider the use, or purpose, of your kitchen cookware. Just what will you be using it for? A person who does a tremendous amount of work in their kitchen needs a better range, and quality, of kitchen cookware than a person who only cooks occasionally, or who only boils water for pasta or re-heats meals in a microwave oven. If you don't spend much time in your kitchen, and don't anticipate that this will change in the near future, then don't go overboard in purchasing a kitchen cookware set that provides you with more than you will actually use.
Kitchen Cookware Sets: Which Material Is Best?
Now we come to the age-old question: which material is best? It seems that everyone has an opinion, and each type of material has its supporters -- and detractors. In point of fact, there is no one "best" material for kitchen cookware sets; each type of material has advantages as well as disadvantages, and you must weigh these carefully as you shop.
For example: One of the most popular materials for kitchen cookware sets is copper. Copper is a great conductor of heat, which makes it a great choice when you need to heat foods to a precise temperature -- that's an advantage. But Copper also has disadvantages as well: Copper kitchen cookware sets can react with foods which are highly acidic (such as tomato-based sauces). Copper can also be scratched very easily and will become discolored over time.
Kitchen cookware sets made from cast-iron also have pluses and minuses: Cast iron, being very dense, is a great material to hold heat in -- making it ideal for cooking at high temperatures, or for sauteing at a low temperature over an extended period of time. The downside? Cast-iron kitchen cookware sets must be kept "seasoned" in order to minimize sticking.
I guess I am rather old-school about this, but I prefer aluminum and stainless steel for my own kitchen cookware set. I have a wonderful set of pots and pans made from stainless steel which has been layered over aluminum. Since I am a better than average cook, I know how to minimize sticking and burning, and I find that aluminum/stainless steel kitchen cookware sets give a great balance between heat conductivity, being lightweight, and affording ease in cleaning.
Kitchen Cookware Sets: Minimum Equipment
When purchasing kitchen cookware sets, don't be a sucker for gimmicks: glass see-through lids, detachable handles, etc. What you need is to invest in a good-quality set of basic cookware items which will form the "nucleus" and around which you can make future additional purchases.
At a minimum, you are going to need one or two fry pans, one or two saucepans with matching lids, and a large-sized stockpot/lid. If you do a lot of Asian cooking you will need to invest in a wok, and if you do a lot of breakfasts you might want to purchase an omelet pan as well.
Another thing to take into consideration when purchasing kitchen cookware sets is the weight of the pieces -- particularly larger items such as stock pots and woks. Make sure you have the opportunity to actually "try out" the pieces by lifting them in the store before you buy anything. Also, make sure to read, and abide by, any manufacturer's printed guidelines -- they will tell you the best way to clean and handle your new kitchen cookware, what you can and cannot do with it (for example, whether you can use your kitchen cookware pieces in the oven, or whether they can be washed in your dishwasher).
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James
Posted 165 days ago
This article was really helpful. Thanks a lot. I plan on buying my wife a new set of kitchen cookware as a surprise and had no idea what to look for.
