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As you probably know if you read this blog, I spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen. When I’m not spending time with my family, it is absolutely my favorite place to be. I use my kitchen so much. Sometimes, you can find me mixing up tinctures and protection salts, and other times I’ll be making a delicious meal for my family. As any good home cook will tell you, having the right equipment is essential to preparing yummy dishes. Here are my favorite cookware materials to keep in the kitchen.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel pans sometimes get a bad rap, because they can be very difficult to clean if not used properly. However, if you’re working with highly acidic foods like tomato sauce, you won’t find a better material. Stainless steel doesn’t react poorly to acids like iron and aluminum, helping to preserve the taste of your dish and keep you healthy. Remember that silicone and wood utensils are typically best for this material in order to avoid scratching the cooking surface.
Cast iron
This is another cooking material that can scare off beginning cooks, but it really shouldn’t. In fact, I think that a cast iron skillet should be in every home. They are great for getting a hard sear on meats like steak or burgers. This allows your meat to have that beautiful caramelization without losing any of the moisture that makes it succulent and tender. It does take a bit of practice to clean, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll never want to cook in anything else.
Clay and Stoneware
Stoneware and other clay baking vessels are some of the oldest forms of cookware that we know of. The fact that they are still popular today should tell you a lot about how well they work. Food that can be cooked at a high temperature with steam is perfect for a clay pot. Stews and soups turn out great when cooking with clay, but you can also cook a chicken or hen whole. You can even bake bread in them! If you’ve never cooked with clay before, a warning: Be extra careful shocking your pot with either cold or hot temperatures, as the material can easily crack.
Glass
Glass is more properly considered a bakeware, but it makes the list because of how important it is. If you are roasting meat or vegetables, a glass pan is an easy, mess free way to go. Although not typically designed for the stove top, glass pans are ideal for the oven, where you can make casseroles, finish off meat, or roast. Glass is not a great conductor of heat, meaning that it will take a while to heat up. Once it is hot, however, glass retains heat very well, allowing it to cook your food more evenly than metal without needing a baking mat.
. Glass can also make a difference in your baking, as it provides a darker, more baked crust to breads and pies.
Combination cookware
In our modern time, many companies have successfully created brand new cooking materials, harnessing the best of many worlds. If a home cook buys clad cookware
and other fusion cooking items, they are investing in a piece of material that is designed to last, cook evenly, and be easy to clean. Often, these products are durable and nonstick, making them ideal for day-to-day cooking. While they may not have the same legacy as some of the other materials, their usefulness is quickly making hybrid cookware a must-have.
No matter what your skill level is or what you’re hoping to cook, there is a cooking material that will work best for you. Don’t be afraid to try them out!