What to Know Before Selecting your Non-Stick Cookware
Non-stick cookware has many advantages to the cooking hobbyist and family chef. The pots and pans that are coated with a non-stick surface tend to be much easier to keep clean. These pans are the best by far for cooking items such as eggs and pancakes because of the non-stick surface. Non-stick cookware is also the cookware of choice for the American Heart Association because you can cook your foods in less oil and fat than you would require when cooking in other types of pans. Because of the convenience and popularity of the non-stick cookware, many well known cookware manufacturers offer their own non-stick lines. Even professional chefs like Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck have jumped on the bandwagon in marketing their own lines of these products.
Advantages of Non-Stick Cookware
While non-stick cookware may not be your favorite choice for every recipe, there are many advantages to these coated pots and pans. Many non-stick products use a base pan that is crafted from aluminum, which makes the pan a highly efficient heat conductor. The higher end non-stick pans will come with a coating that has been applied in a number of layers to enhance the durability of the cookware. The best pans in the world will include up to seven layers of the non-stick coating. To ensure that the cookware that you are buying is a high quality, you can run your finger across the interior surface of the pan. If you find a very smooth surface to the touch, you can rest assured that the pan you are considering probably has multiple layers that have been properly applied and cured.
Non-stick cookware allows for the frying and sautéing of foods without a need for much oil in the pan. This is why the non-stick pans are recommended by the American Heart Association, since food can be cooked with very little additional fat or calories. The National Stroke Association has followed the Heart Association in this recommendation for the same reason – less fat and oils leads to healthier cooking.How to Use Non-Stick Cookware
Because of the coating that has been applied to the interior of the pots and pans, care needs to be taken to prolong the life of this cookware. First, never use any sharp or metal objects like knives or metal spatulas inside the pan. Opt instead for plastic or wooden utensils that will be gentler on the coating. Non-stick cookware should be hand washed using a regular dish washing liquid and sponge. If scrubbing is required, a nylon scrubber may be used, but avoid abrasive products like steel wool since this can scratch the coating. Because of the chemicals used in the production of the non-stick coating, it is safest to use these pots on pans on low and medium settings on your stove. Anything higher can affect the coating, and is actually unnecessary due to the heat conducting efficiency of non-stick cookware.
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