How to choose a frying pan - useful tips for a practical hostess

To prepare many dishes, a frying pan is needed, which must be of high quality and meet a number of requirements. When buying, you should take into account tips on how to choose a frying pan, relating to the basic parameters of these products. The market offers a wide range of numerous brands from different materials.

Is the frying pan of which material is better?

In the shops you can find a wide range of frying pans, which differ not only in appearance but also in their basic characteristics. Asking about which frying pan is best to choose, it is necessary to first determine the material. There are different options from cast iron, ceramics, steel and others. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages, the comparison of which will help determine.

Ceramic pan

Recently, ceramics products are becoming more popular because they are eco-friendly, lightweight and attractive. To understand how to choose a frying pan, the existing advantages and disadvantages of each option should be taken into account. The advantages of ceramic pans :

1. For the production of environmentally friendly materials (water, sand and clay) are used. In a frying pan with non-stick coating you can cook without using oil and do not be afraid that something will stick.
2. Given the high strength, wear will be low, because the ceramics are excellent against scratches and chips.
3. Choose a product from ceramics is also due to the fact that this material withstands high temperatures.

Ceramic non-stick frying pan has a number of drawbacks, which should be taken into account:

1. The high price in comparison with other options, but the list of advantages is quite justified.
2. Negatively, the temperature changes on the ceramic, that is, if the hot pan is lowered into cold water, then microcracks will appear on the frying pan, which significantly reduces the service life. It is not recommended to soak a frying pan for a long time.
3. When making a choice, note that a ceramic frying pan is not suitable for induction cookers.

Steel frying pan

Stainless steel products are used in professional kitchens, but many housewives choose them for cooking at home. If you are interested in which frying pan is best, we suggest to consider the main advantages and disadvantages of this option. The advantages of stainless steel pans include:

1. Attractive appearance, so the frying pan has a beautiful luster uncharacteristic for other options.
2. Frying pans of stainless steel have a low weight.
3. The quality of the material is not affected in any way by overheating, food burning and mechanical damage.
4. A steel frying pan can be used on induction cookers, but it is also suitable for other furnaces.
5. Steel does not rust over time and is not oxidized.

Let's turn to the existing drawbacks of stainless steel:

1. When the frying pan is heated without food, spots of green and blue appear on the bottom. On quality this does not affect and the fault is only visual.
2. It is difficult to clean the oil and pieces of food burnt out from the outside. Steel is afraid of abrasive powders, which can worsen the appearance.

How to choose a cast-iron frying pan?

Products from this material have enjoyed immense popularity for decades. The best cast-iron frying pans are suitable for frying pancakes and dishes, which mean long-term fretting. It is worth noting that this metal slowly heats up, perfectly accumulates and evenly distributes heat. If you are interested in how to choose a good frying pan, then it is recommended to consider the pros and cons of cast iron. To the existing advantages include the following facts:

1. Has a good heat capacity, so it is heated for a long time and slowly cools. These characteristics are ideal for preparing a number of dishes.
2. Many people like cast iron products in that they are easy to clean.
3. Cast iron has a low chemical inertness, so it does not interact with food and is not rusted.

Continuing to figure out how to choose a good frying pan, you should pay attention to the existing disadvantages:

1. Do not like cast-iron products because of their great weight, which complicates the cooking process.
2. Cast iron is a stiff material, so it does not tolerate falls and other damage.
3. It is not recommended to wash cast iron and it is better to simply wipe the surface with a napkin, so cook pancakes and fish in one pan is not advisable.

Which coating for the frying pan is the best?

Manufacturers use different coating options, regularly improving their quality. At the peak of popularity is a frying pan with non-stick coating, but there are other options with its pluses and minuses. In addition, each has its own peculiarities related to care for them and the ability to cook at high temperatures. All this is important to consider in order to choose a frying pan that would not disappoint after the first use.

Frying pan with Teflon coating

This type of frying pan is the most popular, but it should be said that in European countries Teflon is already considered a relic of the past. If you are interested in how to choose a skillet with non-stick coating, it should be taken into consideration that Teflon is coated with products made of both steel and aluminum. They can have a smooth or embossed bottom. When making a choice, you should consider the following information:

1. Thanks to the use of Teflon coating, you do not need to pour oil, as the food will not stick. Food will not burn and will not be overcooked.
2. To use the frying pan for a long time, it is necessary to provide special care. Use only wooden accessories when cooking. Cookware should not be exposed to high temperatures.
3. It is best to choose a heavy teflon frying pan that will last a long time.

Frying pan with granite coating

This option is also called stone or marble, and it is just at the start of its spread. Many experts are sure that soon the dishes made of granite will become the most popular. You can choose a frying pan with a stone coating for such advantages: for production environmentally friendly raw materials are used, the products are capacious, easy to care for and have a long service life. To understand how to choose a good frying pan, it is necessary to take into account the existing disadvantages:

1. Marble coating is sensitive to damage, therefore during cooking it is not recommended to use iron blades, and then wash it with hard washcloths. It should be noted that it is much more difficult to damage the presented version than Teflon.
2. The disadvantages are the increased price in comparison with other options.
3. Products of famous brands are often forged, so there is a high risk of choosing a counterfeit that will not have the advantages of original granite products.

Frying pan with titanium coating

To produce a heavy-duty base, manufacturers use ceramics with the addition of a large amount of titanium oxide, which improves the non-stick coating. The price of such products is high, which for many is a significant drawback. In addition, sometimes in the composition are found the additions of cheap raw materials, which can negatively affect the quality of cooked food. If in doubt, which frying pan to choose, you should consider the advantages of the presented option:

1. For production, environmentally friendly materials are used, which quickly heat up and retain heat for a long time.
2. The coating is stable and it is not afraid of mechanical influences.
3. In a frying pan of titanium, you can not only fry, but also cook pastries.
4. During cooking, you can not use oil, because the food does not burn.

Frying pan - dimensions

In most cases, frying pans of such diameters are found in shops: 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 cm. The size of the selected product can be seen on the package and it points to the upper diameter, which is important for selecting a suitable cover. In the instructions on how to choose the pan correctly, it is indicated that you need to orientate what is planned to cook, so for frying pancakes is enough for 15-16 cm, and for cooking potatoes with meat you need a diameter larger. In addition, it all depends on the number of people to be cooked.

Describing the rules of how to choose a frying pan, it is worth saying that it is recommended to consider the size of the burners on the stove. It is important that the product is not too large, because the center of the frying pan the food will already burn, and remain moist at the edges. With regard to the height of the sides, the optimal value is 3 cm. For baking pancakes, choose a pan with boards 1 cm high.

Frying pan, which firm is better?

To make the right choice, it is recommended to take into account the brand as well, because it depends a lot. Finding out which firm the best frying pans are, we suggest stopping your attention on such manufacturers:

1. Tefal . Leaders in the production of frying pans. The French company offers high quality products in a wide range. Pans have special indicators indicating good heating.
2. «Rondell» . If you are interested in how to choose a good quality frying pan, then pay attention to the assortment of this German brand. It uses environmentally friendly materials with a stable coating. The manufacturer gives a good guarantee on their pans.
3. "Kukmara" . This brand from Tatarstan uses Soviet standards in production. The manufacturer offers a wide range of products that have thickened sides and bottom. They are safe, high-quality and affordable.