- Stainless steel, which is an alloy of steel, carbon, chromium and other metals, is an affordable material for cookware. Not only does it resist corrosion, but it also conducts heat fairly well. The problem is that it doesn't disperse that heat evenly, meaning some areas of the cookware become hotter than others.
Stainless steel pots and pans made with an internal layer of aluminum -- which spreads heat evenly -- address this problem. More expensive cookware is made with this layer extending up the sides of the pans, not just on the bottom; this is ideal for everyday cooking. Buy a well-constructed 2-quart saucepan, 8- to 12-quart stockpot and roasting pan with a rack made of high-gauge stainless steel and an aluminum core to help meet your everyday cooking needs. - An 8- to 12-inch nonstick skillet or frying pan with a glass cover to cook eggs, meats, pancakes and vegetables is essential. This too can be made from stainless steel with an aluminum core, but it is coated with a nonstick layer that makes cleaning the pan much easier.
Cooking in skillets without this nonstick coating requires more oil or butter to keep the food from sticking to it. The nonstick coating will also help you cook with less fat. If you're cooking for one, consider a nonstick skillet as small as 6.5 inches to prepare single-serving meals. - One of the best heat conductors, and the least expensive type of cookware, is cast iron. If they are regularly "seasoned" (coated with fat and baked to seal the pan), they are much less likely to rust, and will develop a natural nonstick surface.
Some cast iron pots and pans are coated in enamel to help stave rust and spruce up the appearance, but these cannot be used on the stove. All cast iron cookware is very heavy. If you cook steak regularly and don't mind maneuvering a scorching hot, heavy pan, consider buying one cast iron skillet. It gives meat a wonderful charred quality which is difficult to create in any other pan. You can also put a cast iron skillet directly on your grill outside. - With exceptional heat conduction, copper cookware is best for consistently even cooking. Professional chefs like using copper because it reacts well to changes in temperature -- both heating and cooling quickly -- which gives the cook greater control. However, copper is reactive, meaning it chemically combines with your foods (especially those with higher amounts of acid) affecting its flavor and color if the cookware is not lined with another metal like steel or tin. Copper also discolors easily and must be polished regularly.
For everyday cooking, you don't need copper pots and pans, which are expensive. However, if you want to try one copper piece, buy a saucepan.
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