Cooking utensils like cooking pots, frying pans, wok, etc. is used to cook delicious food. They are suitable for stovetop, hob as well as in microwave and oven, depending upon the quality of cooking utensils material. You can find cooking utensils in the market, which are different in materials, shapes, and coating layers. Sometimes, coating is required to make the surface of cooking utensils non-stick.
There is a range of cooking utensils, which consists of knobs and handles. These knobs and handles are made of low thermal conductance materials, which helps people to easily handle utensils. Stainless steel cooking utensils is widely used across the world as it offers various qualities like easy to use, clean, and also they are durable.
Variety of materials used in the manufacturing of Cooking utensils:
Have you ever noticed which material, your cooking utensils are made up of? You can find the answer by looking at the daily cooking utensils used at home. Let’s read the brief description of the materials that are used for the manufacturing of cooking utensils:
Non-Metallic Cookware:
Non-metallic cookware is a utensil that is being used in microwaves and ovens. The use of stainless steel is a bit risky, as it is not a high-temperature resistant material. When steel comes in contact with the walls of the microwave, there are major chances of sparking and crackling.
Ceramics
Ceramic pots & pans are not exactly made up of ceramic but rather metal. The metal is layered with a sol-gel coating, which helps in making the surface of the utensil non-sticky. Silicon oil is released whenever the utensil is heated up. This unique quality of ceramic coating on the utensil makes the cleaning easier.
Silicone
For baking purposes, people mostly use silicone cookware as it can be used under 360° C temperature. However, it starts melting at 500° C and it is flexible & light in weight.
Glass
Under high temperature, the most safer cookware for cooking is Borosilicate glass but it will not give the same performance on the stove. This glass is transparent, which helps in making food more visible while cooking.
Metallic Cookware:
Some specific metals are used to make metallic cookware because those metals have good thermal conductivity. While cooking in metallic cookware, metal can react with food and changes the taste of food.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel shows good conductivity of heat. It comprises various qualities like corrosion-resistant, durable, non-reactive, and rust-free. As the surface of stainless steel is rust-free, there is no need for additional coating. To give a non-stick surface to the cooking utensils, layering the cooking utensils with additional substance is important.
Copper
Copper is a non-noble metal that gives high thermal conductivity, which helps the cooking utensils to heat up fast. But, it cannot hold the heat for a long time. Copper cooking utensils has gained popularity across the world as it has a thin layer of stainless steel that is coated over the cooking utensils.
Aluminum
Aluminum is a commonly used metal because it is light weighted and shows good thermal conductivity. In addition, this metal can be seen in the form of cast, sheet, and anodized, which are corrosion resistant. Majorly aluminum is utilized in baking pans, muffins or cake tin and pie plates, etc.
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel metal gives inefficient to heat and due to this reason, its price is lower than stainless steel. It gives a smooth surface and because of this reason, it is mostly used for making pancakes. Moreover, it is now used to make woks and knives. Carbon steel skillet is also used for frying, boiling, and baking because of its better quality.
Cast Iron
Cast iron is the most adaptable metal, as it has good heat conductivity quality and is also durable. Utensils made of this material are very useful while cooking in oven, grill, and stove. Cast iron utensils have a coating, which helps in preserving the surface while cooking.
Things to remember before purchasing Cookware:
- Make sure utensil is weighty: People usually choose utensils that conduct heat well, so that it will take lesser time to cook food. Such utensils are coated with thick cladding, which makes the utensil heavy.
- Try to opt for Clad cookware: We can see there is a variety of cookware materials like copper, iron, clad, aluminum, stainless steel. Clad material is a good option because it is coated with layers of metal, which is prepared under excessive pressure.
- List of Cookware is necessary: Make a list of utensils that are required for daily use, that list will help you to find appropriate cookware for your kitchen. Buying unnecessary utensils will cost you more.
- Personalized cookware set: If you want to purchase a set of cookware, try to found that set contains only those utensils that are needed in your kitchen. Excess shopping of cookware can mess up your kitchen as they will acquire more space.
- Dual nature cookware: Some utensils are best suited for microwaves and stoves. If you will have utensils used for both purposes, it will help you in handling the cookware and your time as well.
Conclusion:
In our lives, cookware plays an important role. We can find various cookware available in distinct materials, sizes, and shapes in the market. Cookware can be used on stoves, microwaves, and ovens depending upon its material and quality. Many of the cookware comes with plating over them, which helps them in giving a rust-free surface.
We can easily use cookware at home and office and can find a variety of cookware present in the market like pans, wok, pots, spoons, etc.