Robust Cooking - The Healthy Cooking Blog

Common Cookware

by Julie Fletcher on April 13th, 2008

Trying to choose the best cookware can drive you crazy. Maybe not completely around the bend, but if you are shopping for pots, pans, and baking sheets for the first time, the selection and materials can make you a little loony. Aluminum, steel, copper, cast iron, glass, and enamel ware . . . What is a new cook to do?

The best way to choose cookware is to think of the types of cooking you are likely to do the most often. Will you be making a lot of quick meals or cooking, then storing food to be warmed later? Once a month cooks need more baking pans, while people who like to cook fast, fresh meals would do well with several more frying pans. Keep in mind, this is just for newer cooks, once you have been in your kitchen a while, you will know just what you need most often.

Once you know what types of cookware you want, it is then time to think of material. Aluminum is cheap and easily found, making it a prime choice for those who want to save money. Aluminum has been linked with Alzheimer’s disease, though the amounts found in our bodies are not fully from aluminum cookware. I prefer to use aluminum only for baking. The cookware from aluminum is light and conducts heat extremely well. Do not store foods in aluminum or use it for slow cooked foods.

Anodized Aluminum is aluminum cookware placed in an acidic bath and exposed to a current which causes a layer of aluminum oxide to form on the surface of the cookware. It is harder than normal aluminum cookware and considered slightly safer, as the process reduces leaching of aluminum into foods.

Stainless steel is popular for its’ durability. It does not conduct heat well, so most often you will find stainless steel combined with copper to allow better heat conducting. Many cooks swear by stainless steel/copper combination.

Copper is soft and conducts heat well. It is most often found in professional kitchens due to the cost. It scratches very easily and again, we find the stainless steel/copper combination, although steel is used as the liner in this case.

Cast iron is very durable, conducts heat well, and holds it wonderfully. Cast iron needs to be seasoned, that is, covered with oil, then heating. You can heat it in the oven or on top of the stove to season. It can be hard to clean, but some cooks have been known to place cast iron pans into a fire to burn off residue that cannot be removed by normal methods. The material does react with food and some foods can take on an ‘iron-y’ flavor.

Glass cookware is mostly seen as casserole or baking dishes. There are cooking pots and frying pans available. These can conduct heat very well and for the cook inexperienced with their use, can lead to burned food quite often. This has happened to me more than once. I prefer to leave glass to oven uses.

Enamel covered pots and pans are popular with some cooks, though the enamel can chip off of pots and pans. I prefer to avoid enamel covered pots. They can be very pretty, but some do not conduct heat well and the color can be ruined by high temperature cooking. The quality of enamel covered cookware depends on the manufacturer, avoid the cookware sold in discount stores unless it is a brand name and comes with a warranty.

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POSTED IN: Cookware 101