Cookware Guide Types and Uses | Williams Sonoma Our Essentials list is comprised of the eight pieces of cookware that will allow you to cook just about anything you want—your kitchen workhorses, if you will. Some exceptional recipes might require you to repurpose certain pieces, if all you have are these eight (e.g. you may have to use your Dutch oven as a tagine), but, in general, these guys will get the job done. Fry Pan A flat-bottomed pan with a long stick handle and low sides that flare out at an angle to encourage air circulation and allow for easy flipping or turning of food. Best For: Fast cooking: frying, searing, browning. Consider This: 8-, 10- and 12-inch-diameter pans are the most useful. It's a good idea to have at least one fry pan with a nonstick surface for making eggs and one with a regular surface for higher-temperature cooking. Saucepan A heavy pan with a flat base, tall vertical sides that are roughly the same measurement as the pan’s diameter, and a long stick handle. Larger sizes should have a “helper handle” on the far side of the pan.

Best For: Cooking with a fair amount of liquid: simmering, boiling, cooking grains, poaching eggs and making sauces. Consider This: 1–1.5 qt., 2–2.5 qt., 3 qt. and 4 qt. are the most useful sizes, but if you have to choose just one, select a 3 or 4 qt. Sauté Pan A pan with a wide, flat bottom; vertical, moderate sides; and a long stick handle. Larger sizes should have a "helper handle" opposite the stick handle. Best For: Fast cooking while shaking, tossing or stirring food: sautéing (“sauter” is a French word that means “to jump”). Consider This: A 4-qt. pan is the most versatile. It's a good idea to select a sauté pan with a cooking surface other than nonstick so that you can achieve the best browning and caramelization. Multipot A tall pot similar to a soup or stockpot with a large perforated insert for cooking food in water and a smaller perforated insert for steaming food above water. Best For: Use the large insert for boiling and easy straining of large quantities of foods like pasta or corn.

Use the smaller insert for steaming vegetables and other foods. Consider This: Multipots are available in 6-qt., 8-qt. and 12-qt. They can be used to make small batches of stock, soup or stew. Dutch Oven A large pot with vertical sides slightly shorter than the pot’s diameter, two sturdy loop handles and a heavy, tight-fitting lid. (aka French Oven or Cocotte) Best For: Long, slow cooking, often with some liquid that’s allowed to circulate inside the vessel: stews, braises, roasts, casseroles. Consider This: 5-qt. and 7-qt. ovens are the most popular and most useful sizes. For a quick calculation, count one quart of capacity for each serving. Roaster A large rectangular pan with low sides to allow the oven's heat to reach as much of the food as possible. Often used in concert with a roasting rack, which elevates food above the cooking surface. Best For: Cooking in the dry heat of the oven at relatively high temperatures. Consider This: While roasters with a nonstick finish make for easy cleanup, a roaster with a regular cooking surface will yield better gravy.

Griddle A broad, flat pan often with a nonstick or stick-resistant finish that sits flat on a stovetop over one or two burners. Best For: Fast-cooking foods that benefit from a large, smooth cooking surface: pancakes, thin steaks, grilled cheese, bacon, eggs. Consider This: If you plan on cooking meat on your griddle, look for a pan with a depression around the rim to catch grease. Grill Pan A pan with a ridged cooking surface designed to resemble the grates of an outdoor grill, and low sides for increased air circulation. Best For: Higher-temperature cooking: grilling, searing. Consider This: To attain the best grill marks on your food, select a cast-iron or enameled cast-iron grill pan. Many of the pieces on our Beyond the Basics list are relatives of the eight pans on our Essentials list. They have slight variations that make them a better fit for certain tasks or types of food, but you can still cook a wide range of things in them. They can often be used in place of their counterpart on the Essentials list and vice versa.

Braiser A pan resembling a Dutch oven with lower sides and a heavy, domed lid that provides extra headroom for larger roasts. Best For: Gently cooking small pieces of meat, poultry or other ingredients in a relatively small amount of liquid: braising, slow cooking, making small stews. Consider This: Trying to decide between a Dutch oven and a braiser? If you make more stews, choose the Dutch oven. If you make more braises or like to pan roast, choose the braiser. Chef’s Pan / Saucier A variation on a saucepan that has short, outwardly sloping sides that promote rapid evaporation and facilitate the incorporation of air or butter with a whisk. Best For: Cooking liquids and sauces and making reductions. Consider This: If you use your saucier to make a roux, select one with rounded sides, which prevent a roux from being trapped in the pan’s corners. Stockpot A large pot with a flat base and vertical sides taller than the pot’s diameter to reduce evaporation, and two sturdy loop handles. Best For: Cooking with a large amount of liquid: simmering, boiling and making soups, lobster, corn, pasta.

Consider This: Stockpots with a capacity of 8 qt. or larger are the most useful. Soup Pot A variation on a stockpot with lower sides and a capacity more similar to a Dutch oven. Best For: Cooking with liquids, boiling, making soup. Consider This: Since a soup pot, a stockpot and a Dutch oven can often fill in for oTne another, select a soup pot with a capacity different from that of your stockpot and Dutch oven. Wok A versatile pan that traditionally has a rounded bottom and high, gradually sloping sides. It may have a long stick handle or two loop handles. (aka stir-fry Pan) Best For: Rapidly tossing and stirring small pieces of food: stir-frying. Can also be used with a lid for steaming. Consider This: If you have an electric cooktop, select a wok with a flat bottom for better heat distribution. If you’re cooking on a gas burner, a round-bottom wok is fine, but you may want to purchase a metal ring so that the wok can rest on your burner. Pressure Cooker A large pot with an interlocking lid that seals tightly with a gasket to allow pressure to build in the vessel.

Best For: Accelerating long and slow cooking processes like braising, stewing and simmering by cooking food in a sealed container with liquid, which creates high pressure and raises the boiling point of the liquids from 212°F to 240°F or 250°F. Consider This: Pressue cookers can only be filled to 2/3 of their capacity, so it’s a good idea to go a size larger than you think you’ll need. Essential Pan This pan combines the best qualities of a French skillet and a deep sauté to create a versatile piece you'll use every day. Best For: Everything from stir-frying and sautéing to simmering and braising. Consider This: Because this pan is so versatile, you might want to have more than one. Ideal for preparing pasta sauces and then tossing in the pasta before serving, it's also perfect for cooking family-sized stir-fries and risottos as well as one-pan meals like stews, chilies and oven-baked casseroles. French Skillet A relative of a fry pan with slightly higher sides that curve gently to the base of the pan to allow for easy tossing and flipping and to help contain splatters.

Best For: Frying, sautéing, pan roasting. Consider This: French skillets are a second fry pan, so get a size that is different from the rest of your fry pan lineup. Our list of Specialized Pieces includes cooking vessels that are designed to do or make just one thing. They absolutely excel at that one thing, but it's a good idea to make sure that your kitchen is properly stocked with versatile items from the Essentials list before delving too far into specialized cookware. Double Boiler A set of two pans, one nested atop the other, with a lid that fits both pans. The bottom pan is about the size and shape of a small saucepan. The top pan is slightly shorter. Best For: Water is simmered in the lower pan, while delicate sauces, custards, chocolate desserts and other foods that require indirect heat are cooked in the upper pan. Consider This: A double boiler should be made of materials that quickly react to changes in temperature. Copper is ideal. Tagine A cooking vessel that consists of a shallow circular pan and a conical lid designed to trap moisture and allow it to drip back onto the food inside. A small hole on top allows some steam to escape.

Best For: Slow cooking, stewing or braising either on the stovetop or in the oven. Consider This: Tagines are traditionally made of earthenware or ceramic and should be used with a diffuser when cooking on a stovetop. Asparagus Pot An interior basket holds asparagus upright, so the thick stalks simmer while the tender tips steam. Best For: Boiling, steaming and easy straining of asparagus. Consider This: This tall pot can be used to boil or steam any foods that fit, from broccoli to artichokes. Egg Poacher This set includes a sauté-like pan and removable cups with handles, so poached eggs maintain their round shape and can be cooked to each person's liking. Best For: Poaching, or boiling eggs in water. Poaching is a healthful way to prepare eggs because it doesn't require any fat or oil in the preparation. Consider This: While the pan itself doesn’t need to be nonstick, it's helpful to have a nonstick finish on the cups for easy removal and cleanup. Crepe Pan A shallow pan with low, gently flared sides and a long, flat handle that allows for easy rotation to spread butter and batter.

Best For: Quick cooking of thin batters, often with a flip technique employed midway in the cooking process. Consider This: A 9- to 10-inch diameter pan is the most practical size for traditional crepes. Frittata Pan A set of two fry pans that interlock using their helper handles for easy flipping of food. Best For: Both pans in the set are heated and eggs and other ingredients are cooked in one pan. Then the second pan is interlocked on top and rotated to flip the frittata over to cook on the other side. Consider This: Select a nonstick set for easy transfer from one pan to the other. Paella Pan A round, shallow pan with a large diameter that usually has two loop handles. Best For: Used to cook the eponymous rice dish from Spain's Valencia region. Oil is heated, meat is sautéed, vegetables are sautéed, seasoning is added and then a broth is made in which rice is cooked. Consider This: Be aware of the size pan that you're purchasing because paella pans can run quite large. A 13- to 14-inch-diameter pan will fit just fine on your stovetop.

Fondue Pot A fondue pot warms classic cheese as well as meat fondues; a porcelain insert melts chocolate. Best For: Keeping melted cheese or chocolate warm for dipping food, or oil or broth hot for cooking meat. Consider This: If you're just going to be warming chocolate, a small pot will work fine for you. If you're going to be cooking meat in your fondue pot, it will need to be a little bigger and made out of materials that can withstand higher heat. The Best Skillet | The Sweethome The Best Skillet Last updated: May 10, 2016 Lesley Stockton To share this page via email, fill out the fields below: Message Sent! Send After more than 50 collective hours devoted to research, three years of long-term testing, and time spent comparing eight pans against one another in a side-by-side cook-off, we still think the tri-ply All-Clad Stainless Steel 12-Inch Covered Fry Pan is the best skillet for the money. Offering the best heat conduction, it’s also durable and comfortable to use. The All-Clad is even easier to clean than other tri-ply skillets.

And no other pan gets the kind of raves the All-Clad receives from professionals, enthusiasts, and home cooks alike. Yes, it’s expensive, but we think it’s worth the money considering that you’ll get a lifetime of use out of it. Last Updated: May 10, 2016 October 21, 2014: We switched the buy links in this guide to the version of our All-Clad pick that is cheaper and comes with a lid . July 18, 2014: We updated the Caring for Cast Iron section with notes from one of our editors who seasoned a new skillet with flaxseed oil. January 23, 2014: We updated the "Caring for Cast Iron" section with this amazing post on the scientifically ideal method for seasoning cast iron on Sheryl Canter's personal blog. *At the time of publishing, the price was $90. Runner-up Tramontina Gourmet Tri-Ply Clad 12-Inch Fry Pan With its smaller cooking surface, a whole chicken crowded the pan, but its even heat distribution and comfortable handle won us over.

Even though the Tramontina Gourmet Tri-Ply Clad 12-Inch Fry Pan underwent a makeover that reduced the cooking surface area to 8½ inches, we were still impressed with its performance. It seared a chuck steak as decently as pans almost twice the price, and even though a whole cut-up chicken was a tight fit, it did an adequate job of browning the skin. Cooked-on food released easily, but the Tramontina developed some mild discoloration on the underside that was almost impossible to clean. Runner-up Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless 12-Inch Skillet with Helper With its straight sides and its helper handle, you’re less likely to “toss” or “flip” food in this pan. And with its large cooking surface, you’re also less likely to overcrowd the pan. If you require a larger cooking surface and a convenient helper handle, the Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless 12-Inch Skillet with Helper can decently sear a steak, and it has the space to give a whole cut-up chicken some breathing room.

It doesn’t offer the heat retention and balanced heat distribution of our top pick or our first runner-up, though, and the steel discolors after heating over medium-high. If you want a brand-new look after the first use, you won’t get it with this pan. Table of contents The competition Why you should trust us I’ve been cooking professionally for almost 20 years, and I’ve been writing cookware guides for The Sweethome for more than two years. I know my pans. In addition to relying on my personal knowledge and experience, we looked at trusted sources such as Cook’s Illustrated (subscription required), Good Housekeeping , and Consumer Reports . We spoke to experts such as Charlyne Mattox, food and crafts director at Country Living and the author of Cooking with Seeds; J. Kenji López-Alt, managing culinary director at Serious Eats; Geri Porter, test kitchen manager at Martha Stewart Living; Kellie Evans, former Saveur test kitchen director; and Russ Parsons, cookbook author, James Beard Foundation Who’s Who Inductee, and former Los Angeles Times food editor. This guide builds on the work of Wirecutter associate editor Michael Zhao, the writer of the first version of this guide.

Who should get this A 12-inch skillet is perfect for making one-pan meals, searing steaks and other hunks of meat, stir-frying, and pan-frying. Its flared sides are great for creating pan sauces and reductions. If any or all of those cooking techniques are part of your repertoire, you might consider investing in a well-made skillet. If you’re using an old hand-me-down pan with poor heat distribution (think hot spots and cold spots that brown your food unevenly), you might want to think about upgrading. The flared sides on the All-Clad skillet make tossing vegetables easy. If you’re using an old hand-me-down pan with poor heat distribution, you might want to think about upgrading. If you have only nonstick cookware in your home and would like to do more high-heat searing and sautéing, a well built stainless steel tri-ply skillet is a great addition to your cookware collection. Nonstick pans aren’t appropriate for high-heat jobs, and the slick surface can’t develop the fond that’s integral for pan sauces. Common materials Most skillets are made out of the following materials.

Stainless steel tri-ply: This design sandwiches one layer of aluminum or copper between two layers of steel. Aluminum is very light, and it heats up quickly and does a great job of distributing heat. Steel is durable and holds heat well, but it’s also heavy and slow to heat up, and it distributes heat poorly. With a tri-ply pan, you get the heat distribution of aluminum along with the durability and heat retention of steel. Fully clad tri-ply pans contain an aluminum core that extends all the way up the sides, while many budget pans have an aluminum core base or a disk of metal welded to the bottom of the pan. You can use most pans with steel exteriors on induction burners, which heat vessels with an electromagnetic field. Other multi-ply: High-end cookware manufacturers also make five- and seven-ply pans at a premium price. The argument holds that more layers of metal result in better heat distribution. This isn’t necessarily the case, though, as the five-ply pan we tested exhibited a difference of 100 Fahrenheit degrees between the hottest and coldest points.

Aluminum: Although aluminum is ideal for its light weight and heat-conduction properties, it isn’t good as a stand-alone material for skillets. Cast aluminum is highly reactive, so acidic dishes that use tomatoes or vinegar tend to pick up a metallic taste. Pans made from aluminum are pretty malleable, too, and will show dings from drops and other kitchen accidents. Anodized aluminum: Anodizing is the process of dipping aluminum in an electrolyte bath and running an electric current through metal. The result is a dark gray surface that’s harder and noncorrosive. We find the dark color to be an issue when trying to gauge fond development in the pan. Cast iron: Pans made of cast iron are especially cheap, and they offer great heat retention. They also develop a natural nonstick coating over time if you treat them correctly. But cast iron is very heavy, a poor conductor of heat, liable to react with acidic foods, and potentially a hassle to care for if it isn’t coated with enamel. Like steel, cast iron can work on induction burners. Copper: Of all the common cookware materials, copper is the best conductor of heat, but it requires regular polishing and is prohibitively expensive for most people.

You can’t use it on induction burners, either. How we picked and tested Seared chuck roast “steak” in the Calphalon Signature Stainless Steel pan. What is a skillet? Determining what exactly separates a skillet from other frying pans is a bit difficult, but the definition from America’s Test Kitchen is as good as any: “Skillets are simply frying pans with low, flared sides. Their shape encourages evaporation, which is why skillets excel at searing, browning, and sauce reduction.” An everyday skillet can’t be so heavy that you don’t want to pull it out of the cabinet, but at the same time it must offer decent heat distribution and retention. It should also have flared sides (although we have a straight-sided pick if you require a lot of cooking area) and an oven-safe riveted handle. It should be easy to clean, too. We’ve found through our research and testing that a 12-inch skillet is typically a good size for many home kitchens. Most 12-inch skillets will have a cooking surface 9 to 10 inches in diameter (the All-Clad has a 9¾-inch-diameter base).

That’s enough space for you to sear a large steak or to cook an entire broken-down chicken with room to breathe. When food is crowded in a pan, it doesn’t have enough room for evaporation. When you have more space around your food, it browns better because moisture has space to escape. A 12-inch skillet is typically a good size for many home kitchens. For an all-purpose skillet, we recommend a fully clad tri-ply pan. Fully clad cookware will distribute heat evenly throughout the pan, because the aluminum core extends all the way up the sides. Bargain pans with only an aluminum disk in the base (also called an encapsulated bottom) tend to have hot spots, which can scorch the interior and your food. The weight of a pan is another important factor in its ability to cook food evenly. If a pan is too lightweight, your food will burn in spots due to uneven heat distribution. If a skillet is too heavy, it will retain too much heat, and adjusting temperature will become difficult. One pan we looked at weighed a whopping 5 pounds. In addition to the fact that heat control would be very difficult in a 5-pound skillet, such a thing is too heavy for everyday use.

You want a pan that can hold heat well enough to sear meat but can also cool down quickly enough if your food is browning too fast. Heat-mapping skillets with an infrared thermometer. We prefer skillets with flared sides over pans with straight sides. Curved edges make tossing food—which is important for toothsome sautés—easier. Flared sides also allow moisture to evaporate quickly, so seared meat and vegetables don’t stew in their own juices. A straight-sided skillet makes tossing food difficult and is better suited for dishes that require long cooking times, such as shallow braises. Handle comfort is very important and can vary drastically from brand to brand. Going to a kitchen store to hold a few pans before you invest is a good idea. That said, our pick, the All-Clad skillet, has a universally loved handle style. The depressed top serves as a secure cradle for your thumb, and the design is meant to stay cool even over high heat. “I don’t like handles that are big, thick, and round,” cookbook author Charlyne Mattox told us.

“The All-Clad handle … has a good balance.” A pan needs to be oven-proof at high temperatures, which rules out most cheap pans. Even silicone begins to crack after repeated exposure to heat. Serious Eats’s J. Kenji López-Alt told us that plastic is a deal-breaker. “If it has a plastic handle, it’s out. I need to be able to put my skillet in the oven.” A pan needs to be oven-proof at high temperatures, which rules out most cheap pans. We looked for pans that are easy to clean. Many of the pans we tested discolored after six minutes over medium-high heat, with some acquiring a dark gray hue that we couldn’t scrub off. We concluded we didn’t want a pan that would lose its luster after a single use. During our testing, we considered the handle angle, the weight, and the overall shape of the pans. After heating each pan over medium-high heat for six minutes (we used the same burner in our test kitchen), we measured the temperature variations around the inside edge of the pan with an infrared thermometer, hitting the same nine spots. Then we let the pans cool for five minutes and took a temperature reading in the center of the pan.

After eliminating two pans following the heat-map and heat-retention test, we seared 1-inch-thick cross-sections of chuck roast to assess the pans’ searing capabilities. We then selected the three top-performing pans for a final test, roasting a whole cut-up chicken in each and following that with a simple white-wine pan sauce. Our pick All-Clad Stainless Steel 12-Inch Covered Fry Pan With its superior heat conduction, durable construction, and comfortable handle, the All-Clad 12-inch skillet is a workhorse that will last beyond a lifetime. Using a patented sandwiching process back in 1971, All-Clad was the first company to make fully clad pans. It’s still widely regarded as one of the top cookware brands to this day. And after our extensive testing, our pick for the best skillet is the All-Clad Stainless Steel 12-Inch Covered Fry Pan . Esteemed food writer Russ Parsons put it best in an email interview: “Ideally, everyone should have a cast-iron skillet as well as a stainless steel/aluminum one.

But if you had to pick only one, for me it would definitely be the stainless steel/aluminum (and let’s be honest – we’re talking All-Clad).” The All-Clad pan hits all of our requirements for a great skillet. This fully clad tri-ply pan has excellent heat distribution, a roomy cooking surface, and well-angled sides. The comfortable handle juts almost straight out from the pan, not at an exaggerated angle as on other pans we tested. Even though Cook’s Illustrated (subscription required) noted that the company redesigned the pan in 2014 to “have a slightly more steeply angled handle,” we couldn’t tell the difference between the old and new models. Despite being the second-lightest pan in our test group, the All-Clad is heavy enough to retain consistent heat. Lastly—and this is very important—it was the only pan in our testing that came out completely clean and didn’t discolor from the heat. The All-Clad pan hits all of our requirements for a great skillet. All-Clad’s fully clad skillet offered the most consistent heat mapping, with a difference of only 30 Fahrenheit degrees between the hottest and coldest spots (as measured with an infrared thermometer).

Those measurements reflected the results we saw in our cooking tests: Steaks seared with even, deep crusts, chicken pieces browned deeply and consistently without burning, and white wine reduced without scorching, in the least amount of time. Chicken from our top three picks (left to right): All-Clad, Tramontina, Cuisinart MultiClad Pro. You can easily see how the browning patterns vary from skillet to skillet. The All-Clad produced the most consistent results, and chicken from the Cuisinart MultiClad Pro had some slight sticking issues. This skillet’s superior handling is also due in part to its handle, which is long, concave, and straight—like a metallic celery stalk mounted with the curve opening upward. As with most of the pans we tested, the All-Clad’s handle stays cool on the stovetop, even when you’re searing (but not when the pan comes out of the oven, obviously). The cast stainless steel handle feels secure and ready to take a beating. Our testers appreciated the angle of the handle, which afforded more control over tossing and flipping food, unlike the severely angled Viking Contemporary pan’s handle.

Recall that a pan needs to have some heft to it to produce consistent heat, but if it’s too heavy, you’ll never want to use it. At 2.7 pounds, the All-Clad is the second-lightest skillet in our test group. That light weight aids in handling and cleaning, but it also allows for better temperature control. Conversely, the Breville Thermal Pro pan we tested weighs almost 5 pounds and retains too much heat due to its thick base, making temperature control difficult. Cleanup of the competitors revealed surprising results. Every skillet, except the All-Clad, acquired a dark gray and iridescent patina inside and out after use. We scrubbed the skillets with hot water and dish soap, boiling water and baking soda, and a mild powder abrasive cleaner. The All-Clad was the only pan that came out completely clean, with no burnt spots or discoloration. Even after a year of regular use, our All-Clad looks relatively like new. All-Clad tri-ply pans come with a limited lifetime warranty , meaning the company will replace a defective pan, not one that the owner has subjected to misuse and abuse. Most food professionals love All-Clad.

Kellie Evans, former director of Saveur magazine’s test kitchen, said in an email interview, “[I] love All-Clad! Well made and sturdy. 14″ high sided skillet with lid is their best product ever.” Russ Parsons told us that he has been using his All-Clad three or four times a week for over 25 years, and it’s still as good as new. Charlyne Mattox said, “It’s still the one I go to all the time. … It cooks evenly, and it’s easy to clean.” All-Clad’s skillet is also beloved by major publications such as Cook’s Illustrated , which rated it first among the six tested. As the only “highly recommended” skillet, it received three out of three stars in every category, namely performance, sauté speed, user-friendliness, and durability. Flaws but not dealbreakers The most common complaint against the All-Clad is its price. And that’s a fair complaint: Similar offerings from Calphalon and Tramontina cost a fraction of what the All-Clad does. But an All-Clad skillet will last you a lifetime, even with heavy use.

A budget pan Tramontina Gourmet Tri-Ply Clad 12-Inch Fry Pan With its smaller cooking surface, a whole chicken crowded the pan, but its even heat distribution and comfortable handle won us over. If you’re not ready to spend $100 or so on a skillet, you’ll be pleased to know that you can get a pan that’s almost as good for quite a bit less. The Tramontina Gourmet Tri-Ply Clad 12-Inch Fry Pan is a dependable budget pick. It’s a solid performer, and at 2.9 pounds it’s just a tad heavier than the All-Clad. In our tests it seared a steak better than most of the other skillets, giving us a thick and consistent deep-brown crust. The pan itself also came out (mostly) clean, retaining some heat discoloration on the underside and sides. The handle is rounded and a bit bulky compared with that of the All-Clad, but ultimately we found it comfortable to hold. When we grasped the handle with a folded dish towel, it felt a little bulky, but we maintained control of the pan throughout testing.

Whisking butter sauce in the Tramontina skillet. When heat mapping with an infrared thermometer, we measured a 78-degree difference between the hottest and coldest spots in the pan (in contrast, our top pick, the All-Clad, had only a 30-degree difference). Tramontina redesigned this skillet in 2014, and one of the big differences is a smaller cooking surface (8½ inches across). In our tests a whole chicken fit inside, but barely. The browning wasn’t as consistent as in the All-Clad; for the money, however, this is a solid skillet. When it comes to cookware, typically you get what you pay for, but this pan will probably give you a solid 10 years of service, if not more. It’s backed by a lifetime warranty, too. We plan to use the Tramontina regularly in our test kitchen to see if it holds up. We think this pan is a great deal, but it can’t match the accolades and expert testimonials of the All-Clad. It also has a smaller cooking surface, which can be limiting. But at its current price, it’s an excellent pan, especially for a starter kitchen.

Good for larger tasks Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless 12-Inch Skillet with Helper With its straight sides and its helper handle, you’re less likely to “toss” or “flip” food in this pan. And with its large cooking surface, you’re also less likely to overcrowd the pan. If you need a pan with a larger cooking surface, the Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless 12-Inch Skillet with Helper is a good choice. Of our three picks, in our tests it had the second-best heat distribution (with a 50-degree difference between the hottest and coldest spots on the heat map) but produced the most inconsistent browning on chicken pieces. It seared a steak with no issues. This skillet has straight sides and a long handle that’s positioned at a sharper upward angle than those on our other two picks. Such features make the Cuisinart better for stationary work at the burner. With the convenient helper handle on the other side of the pan, it might be a tight squeeze in a smaller oven, but we think the helper is a good feature for anyone who needs the extra grip.

We saw some discoloration on the underside and in the bottom of the pan from the heat, but that’s more of a cosmetic issue. Care, maintenance, and cleaning Although you can put your stainless steel tri-ply pan in the dishwasher, that won’t keep it looking like new. Your dishwasher won’t release stuck-on food from the surface. We went to the test kitchens at Martha Stewart Living (my old stomping grounds) to get a step-by-step tutorial from Geri Porter, the kitchen manager for almost two decades. She is a pro when it comes to keeping cookware spotless, and some of the pieces she cares for have been in heavy rotation for over 15 years. Heat is your best friend when cleaning tri-ply. Take the pan straight from the stove to the sink, and be sure to wipe out any excess fat before adding water. Deglaze the pan with hot tap water, and loosen the fond with a long-handled dish brush. Add dish soap and scrub the pan, inside and out, with a green Scotch-Brite scrubbing pad. A continuous circular motion is the name of the game. If your pan is hot enough, you won’t need to use much muscle.

Scrub until the pan is clean of all cooked-on food. Rinse and dry with a clean, absorbent towel, and it’s that simple! Really, try it! If you clean your pans using the above method from day one, they will stay (mostly) spotless for decades. If you scorch your pan badly, follow the steps above and remove as much blackened area as possible before taking the following additional steps. Return the skillet to the stove with ¼ cup baking soda mounded in the middle and ¼ inch of water, and cook over medium heat. As the water evaporates, the baking soda will create a film on the side of the pan. When the inside of the pan is coated with a white film, transfer it to the sink and scrub with a green Scotch-Brite pad. New pads work better for difficult jobs like this. Scrub using consistent circular motions. Wash with hot water and dish soap, and wipe dry. This process will take a lot of elbow grease, and depending on the amount of scorching in your skillet, you might need to repeat the steps once more.

The competition With its anodized-aluminum exterior, the Cuisinart MultiClad Unlimited 12-Inch Skillet with Helper is as decent a heat conductor as the company’s MultiClad Pro, but we picked the MultiClad Pro simply because stainless steel is easier to keep clean. The Breville Thermal Pro Clad Stainless Steel 12.5″ Skillet is a behemoth that weighs almost 5 pounds. It’s fully clad and has an added disk of steel welded to the bottom. We found in our heat-retention tests that it held on to heat a little too well, offering poor temperature control. Charlyne Mattox specifically mentioned the Breville during her interview with us, saying it got too hot for her liking. The five-ply Calphalon Signature Stainless Steel 12-In. Omelette Pan had a drastic 90-degree difference between hot and cold spots, and the patina it developed after two uses was impossible for us to scrub off. At around $100, the Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 12-In. Omelette Pan was a mediocre performer next to our top pick, registering a 70-degree difference in hot and cold spots.

Because the affordable Viking Contemporary 3-Ply Fry Pan discolored severely the first time we heated it, we had to disqualify it early on. The sharply angled handle made control and handling difficult, as well. (Photos by Michael Hession.) Types of Cookware - How To Cooking Tips - RecipeTips.com Cookware Materials | Types of Pots and Pans Cookware consists of different types of pots and pans that are used for specific purposes. Some of the pieces of cookware can be substituted for a type you may not have and still accomplish the type of cooking you need to perform. Pots and pans are available in different sizes and made of different types of material. Some materials are better than others when used for specific cooking methods. When selecting the cookware for your kitchen, you should take the following points into consideration: Budget - How much can you afford to spend on the pots and pans you purchase? You should purchase the best quality that you can afford. It will be well worth it in the long run. Otherwise, you will find yourself replacing them in a short time. Cooking Habits - How much will you be cooking? Do you eat out a lot and buy convenience food or do you like to prepare meals from scratch?

Will you be entertaining a lot? Cuisine - Will you be making a lot of pasta, soups, or stir-fries? There are special pots and pans that assist in preparing these types of food. Quantity - Will you be cooking for 1, 2 or several? Having the right size cookware will be important when preparing your food. Cookware Materials Cookware is made from many different materials. Understanding the differences will assist you in making the best choice for your needs. Some of the most common cookware materials are shown below with a description and pan care instructions for each. Aluminum Inside Coated with Stainless Steel Aluminum cookware is fairly inexpensive in comparison to cookware made from other materials. Aluminum is lightweight but fairly strong. It is a good conductor of heat and does not easily distort when exposed to high temperatures. Aluminum works well for sautéing and frying foods because if its heat responsiveness. The drawback of aluminum is that it reacts to acidic and alkaline foods, causing it to corrode and affect the taste of the food being cook. Aluminum is generally used as a core heat conductor, or coated with stainless steel or an anodized coating to protect the food.

Pan Care: To care for aluminum cookware, wash the pans with hot soapy water. Avoid washing the cookware in hard water because it tends to darken the aluminum. To remove stains, use a cream of tarter and water paste. Anodized Aluminum This is aluminum that has been given a special finish to protect it from corrosion. It is a good conductor of heat and the special finish makes it stick-resistant. It is a good choice of material to look for in pots and pans for most any type of cooking. Pots and pans made from anodized aluminum are not dishwasher safe and can be dark in color, making it hard to see slight color changes in the food being cooked. Pan Care: To care for anodized aluminum pans, do not cook foods that are highly acidic or alkaline in them because they have a tendency to cause pitting in the coating. They should be washed by hand in hot soapy water rather than in a dishwasher where the strong detergent would damage the surface of the cookware. To avoid scratching the finish, do not use abrasive materials on the surface of anodized aluminum cookware. Cast Iron Cast iron cookware is inexpensive to moderately priced. It is fairly heavy and conducts heat evenly.

It heats slowly but once it is hot it holds the heat well. This makes it good for deep frying and slow-cooking. It can be used on top of the stove and in the oven. Drawbacks to cast iron are that it rusts, stains and becomes pitted when exposed to air, moisture and certain foods. Pan Care: To care for cast iron cookware, do not wash in soapy water but try wiping clean with a paper towel. Run hot water over stuck on food to help loosen and remove. After your cast iron pot has been washed it should be dried thoroughly. To prevent the pan from rusting, rid it of any excess moisture by setting it on the stove over high heat until all moisture has evaporated and coat with oil before storing. Lined Copper Copper is one of the more expensive materials used to make pots and pans. It conducts heat evenly and is very responsive to heat. It heats up quickly and will also cool down quickly when removed from the heat, preventing sautés and delicate foods from burning and becoming overdone. Because copper distributes heat so evenly and efficiently, it is the best choice for frying and sautéing, but it is also a good choice for many other cooking methods.

One problem with copper is that it interacts with everything it comes in contact with. Moisture in the air causes it to form a film on it that is poisonous and salty food causes a chemical reaction that can make food have a metallic taste. To make the copper pots and pans safe to use, they are lined with tin, silver or stainless steel to protect any surface that would come in contact with any food. Because copper reacts to everything it touches, it needs to be polished regularly to keep its bright copper shine. Pan Care: To care for copper cookware, hand wash with hot soapy water and avoid using abrasive materials to clean. Use copper polish to keep copper from tarnishing and free from white spots. The interior should be re-tinned every couple of years, depending on usage. Non-Stick These pots and pans have had a coating applied to them that prevents food from sticking and makes clean up easier. The non-stick surface is really an advantage when cooking some foods, such as omelettes, and when reheating sticky foods, such as rice. It also reduces the amount of fat that is normally required when cooking.

The non-stick surface is less efficient when using certain cooking methods, such as sautéing, because the coating interferes with the transfer of heat from the underlying pan. Pan Care: To care for non-stick cookware, use hot soapy water and avoid using abrasive pads or powders. If food does stick to the pan, soak in hot water to loosen stuck on food. A nylon scouring pad, nylon scraper, or nonabrasive cleaner can also be used to help remove stuck on food. Do not wash in a dishwasher. Also protect the non-stick surface by only using wooden, plastic, or coated utensils when cooking. Porcelain Enamel Cast Iron Coated with Porcelain Enamel Porcelain enamel is applied as a coating only on pots and pans made of other material, such as cast iron or aluminum. It prevents them from corroding or reacting with the food being cooked. A pan coated with porcelain on the inside cannot be used for sautéing or frying but will work as a saucepan and can be used in the oven. Pan Care: To care for porcelain enamel cookware, wash with hot soapy water. For stuck on food, soak in hot water to loosen.

A nylon scouring pad, nylon scraper, or nonabrasive cleaner can also be used to help remove stuck on food. Porcelain enamel can be cleaned occasionally in the dishwasher unless it has a non-stick interior surface. Limit the use of a dishwasher to avoid the strong detergent dulling the enamel surface. Stainless Steel Stainless steel cookware is moderately priced. It is the most versatile material to use because it keeps its bright shine and has good tensile strength, preventing it from denting easily. Stainless steel is a good material for any type of pan because it does not corrode and does not react with alkaline or acidic materials. The one problem with stainless steel is that it does not conduct heat well. To combat this problem, pots and pans made from stainless steel have should have a thick aluminum or copper core in the bottom of the pan to help conduct heat more evenly and make the pan more responsive to heat. In the better quality pans, the aluminum or copper core also runs up the sides. You may find a stainless steel pan with an aluminum or copper plate on the bottom but if the plate is not thick enough, it will not do an efficient job of conducting heat evenly.

Pan Care: To care for stainless steel cookware, wash with hot soapy water. A nylon scouring pad or nylon scraper can be used to remove stuck on food. There are stainless steel cleaners that can also be used to remove stains and bring a shine back to the cookware. Stainless steel cookware can be washed in the dishwasher but the high temperatures in the drying process can cause the water spots. To avoid water spots, remove the pan from the dishwasher before it is dry and wipe with a soft cloth. Tempered Glass Available as flameproof and ovenproof glassware. Both types of glassware hold heat well but are not heat responsive. The flameproof glassware, which is fairly expensive, can be used in the microwave, on the stovetop and in the oven. It heats unevenly, resulting in hot spots that cause food to stick. Ovenproof glassware can be used in the microwave and in the oven, but if used on the stovetop, it must be used with a diffuser. Pan Care: To care for tempered glass, wash in hot soapy water and soak to loosen stuck on food. Do not use metal scrapers or abrasive powders to remove stuck on food.

Tempered glass cookware is dishwasher safe. Types of Pots and Pans There are many types of pots and pans available for different cooking methods. Many of the types can be used for more than one method. Shown below are some of the different types and a brief description of each. Braiser Pan A round or oval-shaped pan with two stay-cool handles and heavy domed cover. This is a heavyweight pan made of anodized aluminum or stainless steel. Both types of material contain an aluminum or copper core layer in the middle that runs all across the bottom and up the sides, which spreads heat evenly through the pan. Braising pans can be used on the stovetop and in the oven. It is important that the cooking vessel has a tight fitting lid so that the liquid does not evaporate. They are available in depths ranging from 2 to 3 inches and in various sizes ranging from 10 to 13 inches in diameter or 2 ½ quarts to 6 quarts. This pan could also be used as a casserole pan. Broiler Pan Cookware is used to broil foods in the oven such as steaks, roasts, or various cuts of meat, poultry and vegetables.

It is typically constructed of stainless steel or heavy gauge steel with a black porcelain enamel. Broiler Pans consist of two sections, a low walled pan section and an upper cooking surface that is the broiler plate lid. The cooking surface or lid, which contains open slits and small holes, holds the food as it broils while the pan below catches the drippings. Since the lid has only minimal openings, it keeps the hot grease and drippings contained within the pan so they don't flare up and burn the bottom of the food as it broils. Also known as a broiler roaster, oven roaster or oven broiling pan. Casserole A round or oval pan with steep sides, which ranges in size from 2 quarts to 12 quarts. The casserole pan can be found made from many different materials. It is available made from the same high quality materials as a saucepan or you may find it made from glass, ceramic or earthenware. It may have a cover but many times the cover is not used when cooking the food in a casserole. Depending on the material it is made from, it may be used on the stove top but is generally used in the oven.

It is used for cooking one-dish meals and the meal is served at the table in the casserole pan. Chef's Pan A medium depth pan that generally has flared or rounded sides but is sometimes found with straight sides. It has a flat bottom and wide mouth, which accelerates the evaporation of liquids. A chef's pan most often will have a long handle and a tight fitting cover. It is made of a metal with a thick ground base that allows temperature changes to occur rapidly as the level of the heat applied to it changes, either increasing or decreasing for the best heat conduction. Chef's pans are available in a variety of sizes such as 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 quart. The height of the sides make it easier for sautéing, frying or steaming greater amounts of foods, allowing sufficient space for turning and stirring of the contents. Chef's pans are very similar to saucier pans and either pan can be used interchangeably.

Chestnut Pan Made in the shape of a wide-walled pan or a skillet, this roasting utensil is designed specifically for heating the large, brown shell variety of chestnuts over a stove or heat source such as fire, gas or hot coals. Roasting chestnuts over an open fire is best accomplished with a longer handled roasting pan or basket made from steel wires like a steel cooking basket, while the deep-walled or skillet-like pan is best for coals, gas or electric heat. Formed with large-sized holes in the bottom, the Chestnut Pan allows the heat to have greater exposure to directly heating the chestnuts in a shell as they cook. Double Boiler A double boiler consists of two pans where one sits inside of the other. The bottom pan is slightly larger so the top pan can fit inside. The bottom pan contains hot water and the top pan holds the ingredients that are being cooked. This type of pan is used when making delicate sauces that have a tendency to separate if cooked on direct heat. Double boiler are often made from stainless steel but can also be found made from other materials, such as enameled steel, aluminum, and glass. Dutch Oven A round or oval, heavyweight pot with a domed cover.

A Dutch oven has steep sides that range in depth from 2 to 4 3/4 inches and range in size from 2 quarts to 6 quarts. You will find them made from stainless steel, anodized aluminum and cast iron. They are used for pot-roasting, stewing, braising, boiling pasta and making soup. They can be used on the stovetop and in the oven. Dutch ovens are a popular cookware item used when camping. Some cast iron models have legs, making it easy to set the pot over coals or a campfire. Fondue Pot Electric Fondue Pot A type of cookware that consists of a pot with a heat source such as a portable cooking fuel or an electrical heating element placed directly below the pot that is used for a food preparation process known as fondues. The pot may be filled with cooking oil, wine, cheese, chocolate, or other ingredients depending on the food to be prepared. The heat source melts or fully warms the contents so that food can be dipped into the pot and either cooked or coated with its contents. Typical foods that are dipped in fondue pots are small pieces of toast, bread, meat, fruits, or vegetables.

They are dipped into the contents of the fondue pot and eaten as an appetizer or as part of a meal. The word fondue is a French term meaning "to melt." Frying Pan / Skillet A frying pan has a flat bottom with short sides that are flared or sloped, which makes it easier to toss and turn food with a spatula. The pan should be made of heavyweight material that is responsive to heat, such as lined copper, stainless steel with a copper or aluminum core, anodized aluminum or cast iron. There are also frying pans available with non-stick surfaces. It is used for frying foods but can also be used for sautéing. Frying pans are available in several sizes, such as 6 ½", 7", 8", 9" 10", 11", 12", and 14". They are available in depths of 1 ½" to 3" and generally come with a cover. Glass Baking Pan A baking pan made from tempered glass. The glass may be flameproof or ovenproof and are available in square and rectangular shapes of various sizes.

The flameproof glassware, which is fairly expensive, can be used in the microwave, on the stovetop and in the oven. Ovenproof glassware can be used in the microwave and in the oven, but if used on the stovetop. The glass baking dish is used to bake fish, meats, casseroles, vegetable dishes, breads, cakes and other desserts. Gratiné pan A type of bakeware that is used to make the traditional French food dish that is prepared with a brown crispy top crust. The dish is most often a shallow sided container that is oval in shape, however, it can also be round with sides that are deeper than the oval shaped pan. Made from aluminum, steel cast iron or stoneware, the Gratiné Pan allows the food to cook evenly and in the same amount of time as it takes the crust to brown. Often made as a casserole, a potato dish or a vegetable dish, a gratiné is browned under a broiler oven to produce the golden tan crust that represents the key element of this food. Gratiné is also known as au gratin.

Griddle The Best Nonstick Pans - Cooking Light Cooking Light Like Cooking Light on Facebook Full Star Icon Follow Cooking Light on Instagram List Icon Follow Cooking Light on Snapchat Follow Cooking Light on Twitter Watch Cooking Light on YouTube play-icon Watch Cooking Light on Youtube Menu Icon Photo: Randy Mayor Arricca Elin Sansone August 22, 2011 Good ones can vary in price by more than $100. Which you buy depends on your nonstick strategy. Nonstick skillets are the invaluable utility player on your pots-and-pans team, but they're not like the cast-iron pan lovingly handed down from your mother: These pans are fragile, and when the coating becomes scratched or starts to peel, you'll need a new one. Even the most expensive nonsticks will eventually show wear, especially if you forget the "don't use a metal spoon or spatula" rule, or if you tend to bang pots around in your cupboards—so how much you should pay is a matter of debate among the Cooking Light staffers. Some prefer to buy the least expensive (but solid) nonstick skillet and replace it every year or two. Others opt for a premium pan and treat it with maximum respect.

Test Kitchen Chef Robin Bashinsky recently replaced his well-cared-for All-Clad nonstick skillet after 10 years. "I think the expense was well worth it," Bashinsky deadpans. Most pans feature a layer of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a petroleum-based polymer. "It's a waxy substance that repels water," explains Hugh Rushing, executive vice president of the Cookware Manufacturers Association. "As the cooking temperature rises, water is released from food and pushes the food off the pan." To make a pan, a primer is sprayed on the base metal (usually hard-anodized aluminum), followed by an optional secondary layer containing reinforcing materials to help prevent scratches; then comes a top coat consisting of the nonstick material. Teflon is the most widely known, but there are many proprietary coatings. Higher prices usually buy you more layers. Concerns about toxins released by PTFE or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the chemical bond that helps nonstick coatings adhere to the metal pan, relate mostly to the manufacturing process rather than careful everyday cooking. But you should never crank the heat above medium-high, and toss any pan that's heavily scratched.

Ceramic or silica-based "green" coatings, which form a slick, glasslike surface, are an alternative to traditional nonstick. Ceramic needs a bit of TLC; we've found it chips easily if banged against other pans. 5 Ways to Keep Your Pan Performing High temperatures reduce the pan's lifespan, so use only low to medium-high heat. Use only plastic, silicone, or wooden utensils, and avoid cutting in the pan. Cooking sprays are another no-no. "They contain lecithin, which leaves a gummy residue that interferes with the nonstick qualities," says Michael Witsch, senior research chemist with DuPont. Skip the dishwasher (even if the manufacturer says it's OK). Let your pan cool after use, then wash with warm, soapy water and a sponge. Avoid abrasive cleaners. Warranties range from a few years to a lifetime, but most don't cover normal wear and tear. Stick with a known brand if you want the guarantee; store brands may not be made by the same company every year.

You May Like Skillet : TradeSkill Mods : World of Warcraft AddOns Re: Minor Errors Originally Posted by Laccy Sometimes when switching from Tailoring to Enchanting using the top buttons (above the skill bar), it will kick me into Blizzard's UI for crafting. I've not had it occurred when switching from Enchanting > Tailoring, only Tailoring > Enchanting. I've never seen (or heard) of this behavior and I don't have a Tailor/Enchanter to see if its something recent. Only thing I can suggest is to disable all other addons and see if that fixes the problem. If it still occurs, please open a ticket on the project site . Originally Posted by Laccy Checking or unchecking "Show Craftable Counts" doesn't seem to do anything. For example, for any non-daily crafted item, the two options would mean the same thing. With a daily crafted item (ex. hexweave cloth, secrets of draenor x), the number also doesn't change. What is the point of this function then? "Show Craftable Counts" should only have an effect if the recipe outputs multiple items (and Blizzard was kind enough to tell us).

If a recipe produces four items and you have enough mats to execute the recipe twice, the the option should change the count between two and eight. Some of the Draenor recipes that produce multiple items aren't marked as such, so Skillet doesn't compute properly. Originally Posted by Laccy Also, I was confused for a long time about the yellow/green/orange numbers on the right. I thought it was related to the skill-up possibility, and it really wasn't clear from the description what this was. I think it would be better if it was default a summation of bag/bank, then people could break it down however they like. I was really annoyed for a long time that it didn't show how many items I could craft until I dug through the comments and found it's actual function. Do you mean the numbers to the right of each recipe? These represent the number of items you can make by using materials from various sources (bags, bank, vendors, alts). Which numbers display are controlled by right clicking the bag icon at the top of the scrolling region. Since Blizzard now allows you to craft directly from your bank, one of the numbers is probably obsolete.

Lodge : Frequently Asked Questions Home > Frequently Asked Questions Below are our most frequently asked questions click on the question to collapse or expand answers. If you still need information, please call our customer service department at 423-837-7181. How do I reseason my cookware? While maintaining the seasoning should keep your Cast Iron in good condition, at some point you may need to repeat the seasoning process.If food sticks to the surface, or you notice a dull, gray color, or rust, repeat the seasoning process: Wash the cookware with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush. (It is okay to use soap this time because you are preparing to re-season the cookware). Rinse and dry completely. Apply a very thin, even coating of MELTED solid vegetable shortening (or cooking oil of your choice) to the cookware (inside and out). Place aluminum foil on the bottom rack of the oven to catch any dripping, and set temperature to 350 – 400 degrees F. Place cookware upside down on the top rack of the oven. Bake the cookware for at least one hour.

After the hour, turn the oven off and let the cookware cool in the oven. Repeat the process as needed to achieve the classic black patina. Store the cookware uncovered, in a dry place when cooled. How do I remove rust from my cookware? Rust on Lodge Cast Iron Cookware indicates the seasoning needs to be replenished, or in some instances completely replaced. Three types of rusting can occur: Flash Rusting: Usually, rust on a new piece of cookware is flash rusting. Rubbing vegetable oil briskly with a cloth on the affected area can remedy this type rust. Profile Rusting: This rust is seen and felt on the cookware. To remove this type rust use a very fine grade of steel wool or an abrasive soap pad, such as SOS, Brillo, etc. to scrub the affected area. When the piece is scrubbed down to raw cast iron it should be re-seasoned immediately (video) . Severe Rust: If rust is covering the majority of the cast iron is considered severe. Perhaps the item has been in a state of neglect. No amount of hand scrubbing will remove this rust.

To salvage the cookware take it to a local machine shop or auto/body shop and have it sandblasted, returning to its raw form. The cookware should then be seasoned immediately. What is Seasoning? Seasoning is simply oil baked into the pores of the iron that prevents rust and provides a natural, easy-release finish that continues to improve with use. Seasoning can refer to both the finish of the cookware as well as the ongoing process of maintaining that finish. Lodge uses a soy-based vegetable oil to season our cookware. The oil is highly refined, and all proteins that cause soy-related allergies are eliminated. The oil contains no animal fat, peanut oil, or paints. Some cookware may have slight variations in the seasoning finish. These variations do not affect cooking performance, and typically even out with use. It is very important to maintain the seasoning of your cast iron and seasoned steel cookware by applying a very thin layer of oil after each cleaning. This will help keep you cooking for decades. My new pan feels rough in some areas. Is this normal? Yes. This is a result of the sand casting process. With use and replenishment of the seasoning, the pan will become smoother.

Unlike other types of cookware, Lodge Cast Iron only gets better with use. For concerns about roughness, it is OK to use a fine grade of sandpaper to smooth out the rough areas. Make sure to re-season the item before using.. What heat sources can Lodge products utilize? Lodge products may be used on various heat sources including gas, electric, induction and ceramic/glass top stoves and ovens. Seasoned Cast Iron can also be used on the grill or for camp cooking. Some induction tops may not be compatible with our double-burner griddles. Microwaves should never be used. Do not to drop cookware on the stovetop or slide across the surface. Begin heating cookware on low and slowly bring heat up to medium or medium/high. Always remove cookware from the stovetop after cooking. We recommend that you refer to your stove/range manufacturer’s owner manual for more information regarding ceramic/glass top stovetop requirements. Are there foods that I shouldn't cook in Cast Iron? Foods which are very acidic (i.e. beans, tomatoes, citrus juices, etc.) should not be cooked in Seasoned Cast Iron until the cookware is highly seasoned.

The high acidity of these foods will strip the seasoning and result in discoloration and metallic tasting food. Wait until cast iron is better seasoned to cook these types of foods. Lodge Enameled Cast Iron is not affected by acidity and can be used with all foods. Is Lodge cookware guaranteed? There is not a written warranty for Lodge Cast Iron cookware; however, we do stand behind every product manufactured. For product problems, please contact Lodge Customer Service and we will solve the problem to your satisfaction. Lodge Enamel Cookware is covered by a Limited Lifetime Warranty . Are Lodge Enamel products tested for lead safety? Lodge utilizes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Test Procedure 7.5.1.4a Leachability of Lead and Cadmium for Glazed Ceramic Surfaces. The FDA Division of Compliance Programs uses ASTM-C738 as the Standard Method of Test for glazed ceramic. In addition to information provided by vendors, Lodge Manufacturing Company uses third-party testing to ensure that products with the Lodge name comply with standards set forth by the United States Food & Drug Administration. All our domestic as well as imported cookware complies with the FDA Standards.

We are also in compliance with California Proposal 65, the world’s most rigid standard for lead and cadmium content. Are Lodge products made in the USA? All of our foundry Seasoned Cast Iron and our Seasoned Carbon Steel products are manufactured in the USA and always will be. All Enameled Cast Iron products are made in China to our strict quality standards and overseen by an American owned 3rd party inspection company. Our accessories come from multiple sources, some of which are American, and some overseas. Our in-house Quality Assurance Department constantly inspects all items we produce and sell. What type utensils can I use with Lodge products? To avoid scratching, we recommend using wood, silicone, or nylon utensils with our Porcelain Enameled products. Any utensils, including metal, are o.k. on Cast Iron and Seasoned Steel cookware. How is the diameter of Lodge cookware determined? We measure from outside rim to outside rim across the top of the cookware, not the bottom. Please note that the item number may differ from the actual size. For example the L10SK3 is not a 10", but a 12" skillet.

The 10 in the item number comes the days from when cast iron pots and pans were sized to fit on the numbered eyes of a wood stove. The L10SK3 was for a #10 stove eye. How do I clean tough stains on Lodge Enamel? For persistent stains, soak the interior of the cookware for 2 to 3 hours with a solution of bleach, consisting of one teaspoon of bleach per pint of water. To remove baked on food residue, boil a mixture of 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda in the cookware. What is the maximum temperature for Lodge Enamel? If you own Lodge Enameled Cast Iron with a black phenolic plastic knob, your cookware is oven-safe up to 400ºF. If you have cookware with a stainless steel knob, it is oven-safe up to 500ºF. What is the difference between Seasoned Steel and Seasoned Cast Iron? Lodge Seasoned Steel products are made out of 100% carbon steel. While the iron pans are cast in molds, the steel pans are formed by spinning and stamping, allowing them to be lighter and thinner than cast iron.

Seasoned Steel will heat up and cool down faster than cast iron. The Iron products typically have integrated handles, while the Steel pans have riveted handles. Both Seasoned Steel and Cast Iron products are pre-seasoned at our foundry with the same soybean oil, and as always, they are both made in the USA. Are Lodge silicone products BPA free? Yes. All Lodge silicone products are certified by suppliers to be both BPA(Bisphenol A) and Phthalate free. Where can I purchase Lodge products? Lodge products are available in numerous retail stores, catalogs and e-stores. Lodge does not control our retail pricing at these locations, so check with your favorite housewares, gourmet, mass merchant, sporting goods, hardware, catalog and e-stores for the best prices and selection. What is Heat-Treated Iron? Lodge's line of Heat-Treated Iron is made just like our traditional cast iron, then put through a patented heat treating process that inhibits rust. Yes, you read correctly, this cast iron is resistant to rust! The iron is heated in a special oven at high temperatures, changing the molecular structure of the iron. This is not a coating of any kind.

The process is very similar to blued or case-hardened steel, like you would find on certain gun barrels or tools. The superior heat retention and other benefits of cooking in cast iron are all the same. All of these Heat-Treated products are pre-seasoned as well. While we still recommend cleaning these pieces in the usual way (see video here) , there is much less worry involved if proper care is not followed. These pieces have even survived hundreds of cycles in a commercial 2-minute dishwasher without showing any signs of rust. Keep in mind that your seasoning will have to be maintained and periodically restored as usual. Why is Lodge Enamel Made in China? Enameled cast iron cookware has exploded in popularity since the advent of celebrity cooking shows. As the maker of the world’s best cast iron, Lodge customers turned to us for an affordable and dependable alternative to expensive European brands. After exhausting efforts to find any plant who would enamel bright colors in the United States, Lodge had to search overseas for a partner that could meet our quality standards. We happened to find those partners in China, and have worked directly and constantly with them. We work with U.S.

owned third-party inspection teams to ensure that quality is up to Lodge standards, and that all partner companies comply with all applicable employment laws and regulations. We are proud of our Enamel products and stand behind them like we do our traditional Cast Iron. The profits from our Enamel sales still go to support over 250 families at our American company. As an American manufacturer for over 100 years, Lodge takes pride in making over 80% of our products in the U.S. and providing jobs for our community. How do I Assemble my L410 Sportsman's Grill? Click Here for printable directions. Happy grilling!

Question: A skillet is an alternative name for which cooking item?
Answer: FRYING PAN