During the past year many of us reconnected with the joys of cooking and the benefits of preparing delicious meals from scratch. And while most people understand that ingredients can make all the difference to our meal, the cookware is also a key element.
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Not all cookware is created equal however and what we require of our personal range changes throughout different stages of life.
Do you remember the cookware you had when you first moved out of home? It may have been gifted to you, or something inexpensive that you bought simply because you needed it. As we get older and perhaps move in with a partner, many upgrade their cookware. You still only need something to cook relatively small quantities, but are looking for something that's better quality than what you originally had.
And then come the kids. Now you're looking for convenience, cookware that is very easy to clean and capable of whipping together larger quantities. Some people whose children have grown and left home might choose to renew their cookware as they downsize, while other people decide to renew their range as they're looking to invest more and experiment in the kitchen with an amazing quality pan.
With this in mind, Tefal takes us through the many factors to consider when choosing your cookware, no matter what stage of life you're at.
How to choose your cookware?
On average, people tend to own five pieces of cookware: two different size frypans, a saucepan, a stewpot and a wok. However there are specialty pans (think sauté, crepe and grill pans) that might be perfectly suited to your style of cooking and be worth adding to your collection.
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By researching the different cookware technologies available, you'll be able to match your individual needs to the perfect cookware for you.
Some questions you need to consider when choose your cookware include:
- Are you a novice, creative or expert cook?
- What's important for you? The results, design, durability, how easy it is to clean - or perhaps all four?
- What capacity do you need? This will depend on the size of your family and whether or not you cook large quantities for entertaining.
- Which materials are best suited to your needs? There's a variety to choose from, however aluminium non-stick is the most popular and widely used as it's easy to clean and has better heat distribution.
- Is your heating source electric, gas or induction?
- Do you just cook just on the stove, or need to move your cookware into the oven?
Looking after your cookware
On average, people renew their cookware such as frypans every three years. Taking care of your cookware will help you to maintain longevity. To make them last longer:
- Avoid putting your frypan through drastic temperature changes from hot to cold unless you have high-quality cookware.
- Avoid using metal utensils on the non-stick surface unless you have high-quality cookware.
- Don't use the abrasive side of the sponge unless you have high-quality cookware.
Important features to look for
If you're opting for non-stick cookware, it's imperative that the coating doesn't contain any PFOA, lead or cadmium. You want to know that your cookware is safe, so opting for a brand that offers this information about the coatings is very important. Tefal has a 100 per cent safe coating with absolutely no PFOA, cadmium or lead.
Other features you should look for when choosing your cookware are preheat signals that indicate when your pan is at the perfect temperature to start cooking.
Durability is important, as this will determine whether you're purchasing cookware that will last longer. If you're cooking with induction ensure you choose induction compatible cookware. Even if you're not cooking on induction, the induction compatible products are sturdier and provide more even cooking due to the thicker base.
Have you considered a removable handle? Cookware with a removable handle such as the Tefal Ingenio ranges are easy to stack, more versatile and easy to store.
