What to Consider When Choosing a Frying Pan

If you’re not a cooking savant, you may think you should buy any, old frying pan for your everyday cooking. The truth is that choosing one frying pan for every dish can cause your pan to become useless much faster than you were hoping for. You could end up spending a lot of money on something you can’t use in a few months. Having a set of frying pans that suit your habits is essential. 

While it could seem like a challenging decision to make, and with all the latest technology, we’ve decided to make it simple for you. We’ll guide you through the facts that will drive your decision, and allow you to make the best choice of cookware based on your household and your cooking habits. 

Household and Habits

The first topic you should consider is what your household contains. For example, if you use a gas or electric stove, the heat conducted is generally uneven; no one likes an unevenly cooked steak. If this is the case, you’re better off with a sturdier pan that is heavier than its components and has a thick base. This will help in easily distributing the heat. 

How many people do you generally cook for? A general rule of thumb is that a 20cm frying pan is a decent size for a one-person household. For a couple, you’ll be better off with a 24cm frying pan, and for any household of three or more, you should probably look at getting a 28cm frying pan.

The third thing to consider is your cooking habits. If you enjoy cooking foods like eggs, pancakes, and fish, these are more than likely to be sticky and would need a hardy, non-stick pan to suit. 

Aluminium vs Stainless Steel

When it comes to non-stick pans, they generally react badly to high heat. It’s best to cook with low-mid heat and always use plastic, wooden, or nylon utensils.

Aluminium pans have excellent benefits for the everyday household chef. These pans are excellent heat conductors. If titanium-reinforced, they boast the ability to cook on multiple types of hobs, are scratch and abrasion-resistant, and they’re easy to clean. They are also generally long-lasting pans and are non-reactive to acidic substances like vinegar or wine. 

Stainless steel pans are durable and are mostly oven-safe up to around 260 degrees. If you hate washing pans, these are for you because they are generally dishwasher safe. If you like hanging your pans on open hooks in the kitchen, they bring a beautiful aesthetic finish as their glossy or matte surface is gorgeous. Stainless steel pans are the lightweight choice but, like aluminium, they are non-reactive to acidic substances and they’re long-lasting. 

A good trick to use while cooking with a stainless steel pan that isn’t non-stick is to first place it on high heat and then drop the temperature. Place some oil in and swirl it around the pan. Once it’s cooler, add your food and more oil if necessary. The oil combined with the heat will close the microscopic pores in the pan, creating a non-stick surface. These pores will open again once washed. 

Two Other Types of Pans to Consider

There are two other types of pans to consider, and these are based specifically on what you’re cooking. They are not necessarily your everyday pan.

Grill pans if you’re a fan of grilled foods like bacon, burger patties, and sausages, a grill pan is a must-have. The grill pan divides the foods’ juices from the food, and grills the food instead of boiling, or stewing it. It also reduces steam which is great for small kitchens. 

Cast iron pans: these pans are a bit high maintenance, but if you’re a fan of a decent steak, they’re a perfect choice as they transfer heat efficiently, giving a good sear. They also hold heat for longer than your standard pans and are best used with low-mid heat. They are highly reactive to acidic substances, so as to ensure longevity, rather use a stainless steel pan when deglazing with acids like wine. 

Cast iron pans need to be seasoned (here’s where the high maintenance comes in). They will need to be washed, dried completely, rubbed with a thin layer of oil, and put into an oven before turning the oven up to 180 degrees for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, they can be left to cool off in the oven, wiped with paper towels, and used again. Cast iron pans are best cleaned with a sponge and a natural abrasive like salt - no water. If you use water, you will need to season the pan again. 

Innovative Technology in Pans

While searching for the frying pan (or frying pan set) that’s perfect for you and your family, keep in mind the extra benefits such as an ergonomic, soft-touch handle that will be easier for you to manage. If you’ve had a long day at work, the last thing you want is to hurt your wrist over a hot stove. 

Our innovative technology in our pans will take your cooking to the next level. If you want the perfect cookware for your home, look no further. Click here to see our incredible collection of essential cookware.