Need Cookware Advice

[Corey123]

Normally, to get a wok hot, I turn the heat under it up real high for about ten minutes. Then when I'm about to stir fry, then AND ONLY then will I add the oil. I have the window open and a fan on to discourage the smoke alarm from sounding off.

Yes Caine, when the oil is added to a hot pan, it begins to smoke almost immediately. And yes, you're also right about aluminum. It WILL etch if machine-washed. And sometimes turn dark. Which is why I don't machine-wash my ice cream machine's aluminum bowls

The key to successful stir frying is to have all the ingredients prepped and measured ahead like the Asian restaurants do because everything cooks incredibly fast.

 

[kitchenelf]

Yes, the dishwasher is not hard anodized aluminum cookware's friend and I have never used it on my pots and pans - except one time only - when I had the flu and finally got out of bed 5 days later only to find no one had washed the dishes. They even felt funny. It wasn't long before they were back to normal though.

Ron W - once you heat the pan, add the oil, which won't be much if you are sauteeing, you are good to go. That oil heats very quickly.

However, if you are talking an inch or so of oil you want it to start to ripple. You can also drop a piece of bread in the oil and if it bubbles all around you are good to go too.

 

[Corey123]

Also, that's a good time to add the sesame oil as well, if you have some.

It infuses the hot oil with the exotic Asian flavor and give a flavorful pungent taste to the meat and veggies!

 

[chitra67]

I don't have a dish washer.It is not common in Singapore,so no issues.

 

[chitra67]

Advantage: Aluminium is an excellent conductor of heat.

Major disadvantage: If you put them in the dishwasher, they get this milky white haze all over the outside surfaces. It's not a problem functionally, but it sure looks ugly.

thanks.Yes no doubt Alu is an excellent conductor of heat.I don't have a dishwasher,so apart from that milky white haze,will u say that anodized wok is best for cooking and frying?

 

[Corey123]

Advantage: Aluminium is an excellent conductor of heat.

Major disadvantage: If you put them in the dishwasher, they get this milky white haze all over the outside surfaces. It's not a problem functionally, but it sure looks ugly.

Exactly!

Case in point; I owned a set of Wearever nonstick aluminum cookware. It was a shiny blue. Over time, the exterior of the pnas had lost their luster and shine, and the plain aluminum lids had turned dull on the very first machine wash!

There's an old saying; If you want your aluminum cookware to shine, then keep it out of the dishwasher and it'll be fine.

 

[wysiwyg]

Carbon steel is just regular steel, being Carbon the main element that defines the mechanical properties of the material. It looks like plain steel and is not corrosion resistance. Carbon steel cookware must be washed and dried promptly after use to avoid rusting.