Stainless steel cookware is the favorite of professional chefs and home cooks, and can be found in almost any kitchen. There are many alternatives to steel cookware, so picking the best one for your kitchen can be a bit tricky. It is not necessary to have a complete set of stainless steel cookware, but every kitchen should have at least a few pieces for the main tasks. A stainless steel pan is ideally suited for certain cooking needs that cannot be fulfilled with any other style of cookware, like non-stick cookware. Learning to cook with stainless steel cookware can take some time for those who are accustomed to using only non-stick cookware, but there are so many great advantages of steel cookware that you will realize once you give it a try! Many people hesitate to use stainless steel cookware, often because they don’t know the advantages of using a stainless steel pan compared to other types.
Of course, non-stick cookware has its place in every kitchen, but there are some things that it is not suited for. A non-stick pan can be used to sear beef, for example, but it cannot match a stainless steel skillet when you want to make a simple pan sauce. While it is true that many foods require more fat to cook properly in a stainless steel skillet, this doesn’t have to be a bad thing! You can use healthy alternatives.
A stainless steel pan can also withstand much higher heat than its non-stick counterpart. Most non-stick pans are not recommended for use with high heat or in the oven, as it can cause them to deform or even cause the potentially toxic non-stick coating to flake off into your food! In contrast, a stainless steel pan can handle the heat with no problem, making it a more versatile and safer option for various cooking techniques. By the way, if you’re thinking of buying a new set of cookware but are unsure if there’s enough space in your cabinets, you might want to consider getting a pots and pans storage rack.
Advantages of Steel Cookware
- Durability: A stainless steel saucepan can last virtually forever!
- Non-Reactive: Since stainless steel is non-porous, it does not absorb or retain flavors from food.
- Cleaning: Unlike non-stick cookware, a stainless steel pan is always dishwasher-safe.
- Health Benefits: Without diligent care, cookware with a non-stick coating runs the risk of having that coating leach out or even flake off into your food. The main components of stainless steel cookware are iron and chromium, which will not harm you.
How to Buy the Best Stainless Steel Cookware
- Quality: Since it can be your last steel cookware, you should buy the best stainless steel cookware that you can afford! A high-quality stainless steel saucepan might cost $100, but you can use it forever, so it’ll be worth the extra cost in the long run.
- Heat Conduction: Stainless steel is actually a terrible heat conductor! For that reason, it is essential that you only buy stainless steel cookware that has a copper or aluminum core in its base.
- Choose One with a Lid: Glass lids are better, in my opinion, because you can see the food while it cooks, and they tend to be a little heavier, so they keep a tighter fit when placed over the pan. There are lots of options.
