Cookware Essentials Buying Guide
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Cooking Local Foods Made Simple Cookware Essentials Buying Guide • Pots and pans • Utensils and tools ü 1-2 small or medium ü Wooden or plas3c s3rring non-s3ck frying pans spoon(s) ü S3r-fry pan, wok, or ü Rubber spatula(s), preferably large non-s3ck frying high-heat tolerant pan ü Large, deeper spoon(s) (that ü Large stock pot with could be used for serving) lid ü Vegetable peeler ü 2 medium (3-4 quart) ü Can opener pots with lids ü Measuring cups and spoons (dry ü Roas3ng pan and liquid) ü 1-2 cookie or sheet ü Grater (box grater is most pans versale) ü Casserole dish (9x13 ü Mixing bowls or similar) ü Cung boards, at least one for meats/seafood and one for • Extras for limited facili3es produce ü Electric skillet ü Basic knife set – chef’s knife, ü Portable burner serrated knife, paring/u3lity ü Slow cooker knife, kitchen shears ü Grill pan ü Tongs ü Colander ü Digital 3p-sensi3ve instant read thermometer Cooking Local Foods Made Simple Cookware Essentials Buying Guide • Miscellaneous (non- Shopping Tips cookware) Ø Buy good pots and pans - not the ü Paper towels cheapest but not the most expensive. ü Dish soap, hand You want them to last, but need to also keep costs in mind. soap, and hand Ø Check out restaurant supply stores, sani3zer warehouse stores or discount stores; ü Many clean dish they offer kitchen equipment at good towels and cloths prices. Online vendors are another op3on, and many offer free shipping ü Re-sealable storage for large or higher-priced orders. bags, plas3c wrap, Look for sales on quality pieces you and foil need. ü Ø Buy what you need as opposed to a Spray cleaner set. Your set doesn’t have to match ü Trash bags/grocery or be pre\y, but it should look clean store bags and cared for. Sets can be a be\er ü Disposable plates, value, but only if you actually need all of the items in the set. Many sets cups, and silverware offer pieces that are not essen3al. ü Cooler Ø Avoid gadgets or specialty tools. A good, well-sharpened knife can replace almost all of these. Cooking Local Foods Made Simple Cookware Essentials Buying Guide: Choosing Cookware Material Advantages Disadvantages Stainless steel Durable Poor conductors - hot spots (coang with Easy to clean aluminum or copper improves) Foods may s3ck Aluminum Excellent conductors Dent easily Lightweight Foods may s3ck Will not work on induc3on May react with acidic, alkaline, or sulfurous foods Anodized aluminum Excellent conductors Usually not diswasher safe Lightweight Won't react like plain aluminum Less scking Less expensive Copper Excellent conductors Expensive Special care needed Will not work on induc3on Non-s3ck Prevent s3cking Scratch easily - no metal utensils Less oil/fat needed Most not dishwasher safe Cast iron Holds heat well Heavy Heats evenly Slow to heat Lasts a long 3me Rust easily Difficult to clean Special care needed Enamel-coated cast iron Holds heat well Heavy Heats evenly Coang may chip Ceramic and glass Mul3purpose - cook, Fragile serve, store May need to adjust cooking temp Diswasher safe Will not work on induc3on May crack with extreme temp changes Cooking Local Foods Made Simple Using Your Cookware Equipment Descripon Uses Fry pan/skillet or 8" pan with flat bo\om, low flared Fast cooking (frying, searing, omelet pan sides, and a single handle; usually browning) and omelets non-sck Fry pan/skillet 10-12" pan with flat bo\om, low Fast cooking (frying, searing, flared sides, and a single handle browning) S3r fry pan/wok 11-14” round, deep pan with a flat Fast cooking (s3r frying, bo\om, sloping sides, and a single searing), boiling, steaming handle Sauté pan Pan with a flat bo\om, low straight Fast cooking (searing, sauteing) sides, and a single handle; usually comes with a lid Small sauce pan 1-2 qt pan with a flat bo\om, Smaller jobs using simmering straight taller sides, a single handle, and boiling, such as making and a lid sauces Medium or large 3-4 qt pot or pan with a flat bo\om, Suitable for most jobs using sauce pot or pan straight taller sides, a single (pan) or simmering and boiling, such as double (pot) handles, and a lid making grains and sauces, and poaching eggs. Stock pot A large 6+ qt pot with a flat bo\om, Larger amounts of a recipe or tall straight sides, double handles, larger foods (such as a whole and a lid chicken). Dutch oven Usually a 5-7 qt pot with a flat Long, slow cooking (braising, bo\om, straight or sloping sides, stewing, roas3ng) and double handles, and a lid casseroles Cooking Local Foods Made Simple Using Your Cookware Equipment Descripon Uses Roas3ng pan Large rectangular pan with a flat Roas3ng at high temps, such as bo\om, low sides, and double for large cuts of meat handles; omen comes with a roas3ng rack Sheet pan Also called a half sheet or jelly roll Pastries, breads, baked goods pan (depending on the size), is larger than 9x13" with a flat bo\om and very short straight sides Cookie sheet Flat sheet larger than 9x13" with no Cookies, pastries, pizza sides Baking pan 9x13" rectangle or 8" or 9" square Cakes, brownies, casseroles, pan other baked goods Loaf pan 9x5" or 8x4" baking pan Breads, long rectangular or cylindrical baked goods, meatloaf Muffin pan Pan with 6 or 12 wells; 24 smaller Muffins and cupcakes, or to wells for a mini muffin pan make bite-sized or individual servings of other baked foods like quiches or egg dishes Cake pan 8", 9", or 10" round pans with flat Cakes bo\oms and straight sides Cooking Local Foods Made Simple Tips and Tricks Quick Equipment Subs3tu3ons Space Savers Ø Peel – paring knife, edge of metal Ø Use large plas3c tubs for spoon transpor3ng items, as a drink Ø Grate – finely chop with a sharp cooler, or for a make-shim sink knife, edge of a metal spoon Ø Use a clean, empty dishwasher as a Ø Grill – pan-fry in sauté or frying pan, drying rack broil Ø Plas3c, resealable storage bags for Ø Mix – cooking pot instead of mixing storing and transpor3ng foods and bowl prepped ingredients Ø Whisk, whip, or beat – fork Ø Insulated cooler bags that can be Ø Mash – fork, back of a hard spoon collapsed Ø Strain/drain – lid of pot, slo\ed spoon Ø Steam or boil – microwave with water Ø Double boil or gently melt – heat- resistant metal or glass bowl over bowl of gently boiling/simmering water Ø Time – kitchen 3mer, cell phone, stopwatch .