10 POTS AND PANS EVERY KITCHEN NEEDS

Question 1

Name the 8 pots and pans every kitchen needs.

Answer 1

1. A 12-Inch Tri-Ply (Laminated) Straight-Sided Lidded Sauté Pan
2. A 10-Inch Cast-Iron Skillet
3. A 10-Inch Anodized Aluminum or Tri-Ply Nonstick Skillet
4. A 2 ½- to 3-Quart Saucier
5. A 12- to 14-Inch Carbon Steel Wok
6. A 6- to 8-Quart Enameled Cast-Iron Dutch Oven
7. A 3- to 4-Gallon Stockpot
8. Something to Roast In

Question 2

Perfect pan for rapidly browning large quantities of vegetables or meat.

Answer 2

A 12-Inch Tri-Ply (Laminated) Straight-Sided Lidded Sauté Pan

Question 3

The true workhorse of the kitchen.

Answer 3

Skillet

Question 4

Why is triply construction important?

Answer 4

Stainless steel is heavy and can retain a lot of heat, but it’s a slower conductor. Aluminum id lightweight (and retains less heat per unit volume), but transfers heat really fast. Combine the two in a single pan by sandwiching the aluminum in the middle, and you’ve got a skillet that can retain heat for maximum browning and will distribute that heat evenly over its entire surface, eliminating hot and cold spots.

Question 5

Benchmark for great trip-poly cookware? Other brands?

Answer 5

All-Clad. But in side-by-side tests, Tramontana-brand All-Clad knockoffs perform almost as well for every task, and about a third of the price.

Question 6

Nothing beasts a ________ for searing a steak or nice skin-on chicken breast.

Answer 6

Cast iron

Question 7

Good substitute for teflon?

Answer 7

Cast iron if it’s seasoned correctly, but it’s still not as good as teflon (any materials-science engineer can tell you that).

Question 8

Easiest cast iron brand to find? Best in antique stores and flea markets?

Answer 8

Lodge is easiest to find, Griswold and Wagner are the best if at a flea market.

Question 9

Is cast iron just as good as teflon?

Answer 9

No, not only is teflon more slick but it’s also easier to handle than its heavier counterpart.

Question 10

Downside to non-stick.

Answer 10

You can’t heat it passed 500ºF or so, as the coating begins to vaporize, sending toxic fumes into the room. Also, metal will scratch the surface

Question 11

Are the newer materials for teflon safer?

Answer 11

Yes, but even with them, you’re at a disadvantage: it’s tough to form a good, meaty crust on teflon.

Question 12

What utensils should you use when cooking with teflon?

Answer 12

Stick with wood, nylon, or silicone made specifically for working with nonstick cooking.

Question 13

Why is spending a buttload of money a bad idea with nonstick pans?

Answer 13

Unlike other pans, these aren’t going to last your whole life.

Question 14

What kind of nonstick pan should you buy?

Answer 14

A midrange pan: something with enough heft that it retains heat fairly well, but not one that you’ll be so scared of scratching that it ends up sitting in the corner of the kitchen cabinet.

Question 15

Difference between saucepan and a saucier?

Answer 15

Subtle but important: Sauce pans have straight sides; sauciers are designed to keep their contents easily whiskable and storable, so they have gently sloped sides.

Question 16

why is a saucier a major advantage when cooking?

Answer 16

You don’t have to try to shove a round spoon or which into a square corner.

Question 17

What brand of saucier is best?

Answer 17

Any brand will do as long as it’ thick, heavy, oven-safe, and preferably trip-ply.

Question 18

Best vessel for deep frying, smoking, and steaming?

Answer 18

Wok

Question 19

How long will a good enameled Dutch oven stick around?

Answer 19

For life

Question 20

Dutch oven is ideal for what? Why?

Answer 20

Because of its weight and heft, it’s ideal for slow braises, in or out of the oven. All that heavy metal material takes longer to heat up or cool down. This means even the cycling oven will cause barely any fluctuations on the interior of your Dutch oven.

Question 21

Oven fluctuates how much?

Answer 21

25ºF up or down.

Question 22

Who sets the standard for quality when it comes to enabled cast iron?

Answer 22

Le Creuset, but it’s insanely pricey. Lodge is a third of the price.

Question 23

Problem with Lodge Dutch oven?

Answer 23

Author has seen a few cracks and chips in his day; it’s a third of the price for a reason - in this case.

Question 24

What kind of stock pot do you need to buy? Why?

Answer 24

The absolute cheapest will do because you’ll never be doing anything besides boiling or simmering vast amounts of liquid. Just something that will hold liquid and stay level.

Question 25

Are decent roasting pans expensive? Why?

Answer 25

Yes, just like with skillets, the best roasting pans are made with layered metals.

Question 26

When choosing a roasting pan, what should you look for?

Answer 26

One that you can use directly on the burner and in an oven. Also, look for comfortable handles and thick enough that it won’t warp under heat of the oven or weight of a turkey.

Question 27

What is the better option for a roasting pan? Why?

Answer 27

Heavy-duty aluminum rimmed baking sheet with a wire cooling rack set on it. It’s lighter, cheaper, stores right in the oven, and has the added advantage of being shallow, making it much easier for hot air to circulate around the food it’s cooking.

Question 28

Is a skillet just as good at cooking stir fry as a wok? Why?

Answer 28

No, All the charts in the world won’t tell you as much as your mouth, and the fact is, stir-fries do taste better when made in a wok, because a good stir-fry is not simply about the temperature the metal reaches. It’s about correct tossing and aerosolization of fats and juices as they leap up beyond the edges of the wok and are touched by the flame of the burner. It’s about the ability to rapidly heat and cool a piece of food as you flip it over and over through the different heat zones created by the pan as (much as flipping a burger frequently will improve its cooking). It’s about wok hei, the slightly smoky, charred, metallic flavor that only comes from a seasoned cast-iron or carbon steel pan heated to ripping-hot temperatures.

Question 29

Are the best woks also on the inexpensive side?

Answer 29

Yes, fortunately for us.

Question 30

Why are stainless steel woks a waste of money?

Answer 30

Not only are they extremely heavy and difficult to maneuver, they also take a long time to heat up and cool down— a fatal flaw for something that requires rapid, on-the-fly heat adjustments like a stir-fry. And food— particularly protein— has a tendency to stick to steel.

Question 31

Why is carbon steel wok a better choice than stainless steel? Flaws?

Answer 31

Though it still takes a relatively long time to heat up and cool down. It offers a better nonstick surface. The main problem with cast iron is that if it’s thin, it is extremely fragile— I’ve seen cast-iron woks crack in half when set down too hard. And when made thick enough to be durable, they are extremely cumbersome to lift, which is essential for proper flipping during a stir-fry.

Question 32

Why are carbon steel woks your best bet?

Answer 32

It heats quickly and evenly, is highly responsive to burner input, is both durable and inexpensive, and, if properly cared for, will end up with a practically nonstick surface. Look for carbon steel woks that are at least 14-gauge (about 2 mm thick). They should not give when you press on the sides.

Question 33

Woks are made three ways. What are they?

Answer 33

Traditional hand-hammered, stamped, spun.

Question 34

Which woks are like the ones they used to sell in infomercials in the 1980s?

Answer 34

Traditional hand-hammered

Question 35

Why are hand-hammered woks a good choice? What’s the problem?

Answer 35

The slight indentations left by the hammering pattern allow you to push cooked food to the sides of the pan while adding ingredients to the center without them slipping back. And hand-hammered woks are inexpensive. The only problem is that it can be difficult (impossible?) to find one with a flat bottom and a handle.

Question 36

How are stamped woks made? Potential problems?

Answer 36

By cutting out a circular piece of thin carbon steel and pressing it by machine into a mold. They are extremely cheap, but they are completely smooth, making it difficult to stir-fry properly. And they are, without fail, made from low-gauge steel and prone to developing hot and cold spots, as well as seeming flimsy.

Question 37

How are spun woks made? Advantages?

Answer 37

Produced on a lathe, giving them a distinct pattern of concentric circles. This pattern offers the same advantages as a hand-hammered wok, allowing you to easily keep food in place against the sides of the pan. Spun woks can be found in heavy gauges, with flat bottoms, and with flip-friendly handles. They are inexpensive.

Question 38

Traditional woks have what shape?

Answer 38

Deep bowl shape, designed to fit into a circular opening directly over the hearth.

Question 39

You want to avoid round-bottomed woks unless you have what?

Answer 39

Custom wok insert in your range. They won’t work, period, on an electric range and are tough to use on a gas range even with one of those wok rings.

Question 40

What’s wrong with woks that have flat bottoms?

Answer 40

Woks with bottoms that are too flat defeat the purpose of the pan, making it tough to flip food properly and to move it in and out of the high-heat zone.

Question 41

Best bet for a wok at home. Why?

Answer 41

A wok with a 4- to 5-inch-wide flattened area at the bottom and gently sloping sides that flare out to between 12 and 14 inches. This will give you plenty of high-heat space for searing meats and vegetables at the bottom, with ample volume and room to maneuver when flipping.

Question 42

What kind of handles should be on your wok? Why?

Answer 42

Two choices: Cantonese-style woks have two small handles on either side, while northern-style woks have one long handle and usually a smaller helper-handle on the opposite side. This is the type of wok you want. The long handle facilitates flipping and stir-frying, while the short handle makes it easy to lift.

Question 43

Should you buy nonstick woks? Why?

Answer 43

Avoid nonstick woks like the plague. Most nonstick coatings cannot handle the high heat necessary for a proper stir-fry. They start vaporizing, releasing noxious fumes, long before they reach the requisite temperature. They make browning difficult, and it’s impossible to get food to stick in place against the sides of the wok when you want to clear a surface to cook in the middle.

Question 44

Just like a good cast-iron pan, a carbon steel wok’s performance will improve the more you what?

Answer 44

Use it.

Question 45

Do most woks come with a protective film of oil to prevent them from rusting or tarnishing in the store?

Answer 45

Yes, it’s important to remove this layer before using it the first time.

Question 46

How do you clean a new wok?

Answer 46

Scrub the wok out with hot soapy water, dry it carefully, and place it over a burner at the highest heat possible until it starts to smoke. Carefully rotate the pan so that every area of it— including the edges— is exposed to this super-high heat. Then rub it down with oil, using a paper towel held in a pair of tongs, and you’re ready to go.

Question 47

How should you clean a wok?

Answer 47

After use, avoid scrubbing the wok unless absolutely necessary. Usually a rinse and a rubdown with a soft sponge is all that’s necessary. Purists may tell you not to use soap. But I do, and my wok is still well seasoned and completely nonstick. After rinsing it, dry the wok with a kitchen towel or paper towels and rub some vegetable oil into the surface to give it a vaporproof coating that will prevent it from rusting.

Question 48

With repeated use, what happens to the oil used in woks?

Answer 48

The oil you heat in your wok breaks down into polymers that fill the microscopic pores in the metal’s surface, rendering the material completely nonstick.

Question 49

What happens to a wok’s color after extended use?

Answer 49

The material will gradually change from silver to brownish and, finally, to a deep black. This is what you are looking for.

Question 50

How long will a good wok last?

Answer 50

With proper care, your wok will not only last a lifetime but also actually improve with age.

Question 51

Quntissential wok technique?

Answer 51

Stir-frying

Question 52

Why is deep frying in a wok superior to Dutch ovens?

Answer 52

The wide sides means that there’s less mess— any splattering oil hits the sides and falls back down to the center. The shape also makes it much easier to maneuver food, leading to crisper, more evenly cooked results. Boil-overs become a thing of the past, once again due to the wide, sloping shape, which allows for plenty of bubble expansion before the oil threatens to spill over the edges. Finally, it’s much easier to filter out bits of debris and detritus from the slanted sides of a wok than from the sharp corners of a Dutch oven.

Question 53

What’s the advantage of steaming is a wide wok?

Answer 53

You have far more surface area for steaming. This advantage can be stretched even further if you get yourself a couple of bamboo steamers. Bamboo steamers are designed to fit directly into a wok and are stackable, meaning that you can have two or three tiers of food all steaming in the same wok at the same time. Try doing that in a Dutch oven!

Question 54

How do you smoke in a wok?

Answer 54

Line the bottom with a piece of foil that extends over the edges by at least three-quarters the total width of the wok, then place your smoking medium (wood chips, tea leaves, sugar, rice, spices, whatever) directly on the bottom and set your food on a rack or a steamer on top of it. Place the wok over high heat until the smoking material on the bottom begins to smolder, then fold over the edges of the aluminum foil and crimp them to make a pouch, trapping the smoke inside.