Need Cookware Advice

[csalt]

Being on a limited budget our range of cookware is also limited but highly functional and always makes a good job of it. I have only got a non stick deep large pan , with lid as opposed to a wok but it works very well for me.

[Andy M.]

It's a thin metal that's grey in color. It's the standard for woks. You will have to season it as you would cast iron. It heats fast and is much lighter than cast iron.

[evenstranger]

I'll second (or third) on stainless three-ply cookware. It's not cheap, but you don't want cheap cookware. That doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune either. There are lots of alternatives to All-Clad, made as well or better and for a lot less money. I just had the opportunity to put my hands on some Vollrath cookware this weekend, and they are very sturdy. Not pretty, like All-Clad stainless, but you know when you pick it up, it's gonna last a lifetime. I did some price comparisons online, and a 10" SS fry pan from All-Clad (cooking.com) sells for about $105. The comparable Vollrath pan (chefsresource.com) sells for about $68. There are lots of other brands out there. Buy what you're comfortable with, what you will enjoy using and what you can see yourself cooking with for the next 40 years.

[Mirandgl]

Hi Chitra,

I am also a newer member of this forum but I am not new to cooking. I began wok cooking a long time ago and have had mixed results. I began with a hand hammered carbon steel wok I purchased at an Oriental import store and evolved to a flat bottom non-stick wok.

I discovered that most of the problem I had using a wok was due to insufficient heat source. Most household ranges/stovetops do not produce adequate heat for the design of the wok. I have since elected to use a large sauté pan for my stir fry cooking.

I can provide a testimonial for what Andy M. wrote about the SS clad style cookware. I make catsup every year with fresh tomatoes from our garden. I had an inexpensive and very thin stainless steel stock pot for years and finally broke down and bought an Al-Clad brand pot. Making catsup is a long slow process but the new pan improved the quality of our product and cut a great deal of time from the cooking/simmer due to the even heat and virtually no hot spots to burn the delicate ingredients and sugars.

[chitra67]

thanks once again,for sharing yr experiences and thoughts.

[Ron W.]

Check out an Anolon Titanium stir fry pan.

Safe up to 500° and very versatile.

Amazon.com: Anolon Titanium Non Stick Dishwasher Safe 12-Inch Open Stir Fry Pan with Helper Handle: Kitchen & Housewares

[Corey123]

Personally and theoretically, I think cast iron or carbon steel woks are the ones best suited for stir frying because this method of cooking, which Asian people take delight in doing, requires extremely high temps and heat to fast-cook meats and veggies super fast.

Cast iron also hold heat longer. About the only drawback with these two is that you MUST keep the pan seasoned (greased) or they will start to rust.

The other downside with cast iron is that it IS really heavy, so if you don't think that you'll have the muscle and power to swing one of these, then you might feel more comfortable with the lighter CS or SS wok. Stainless steel IS expensive though.

Yes I also use stainless steel and hard anodised aluminum pots & pans for boiling and sauteing because they don't require high heat to get them going and to maintain the cooking temp and speed.

There ARE some SS woks, and even though they are so beautiful to look at and hold, I wouldn't recommend them for stir frying. They could develop brown or worst yet, blue burn spots, and they are virtually impossible to get out!

Even if you have only a large CI skillet or Dutch Oven (I have both), you can still get by with it for stir frying. I've done it many times before I bought my CI wok.

But the wok IS the most preferred vessel because of its high sides and the way that most people stir the food as it is being stir fried.

I'm left-handed, and since my left shoulder sometimes gives me such excruciating pain, I just leave the cast iron wok on the stove and use the Asian stir-fry spatulas when I stir fry.

[Ron W.]

What do you mean by high heat using a wok.

How hot do you want the oil to be.

[Caine]

Originally Posted by chitra67

What are the advantages of hard anodized aluminium? any disadvantages?

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.

[Caine]

Originally Posted by Ron W.

How hot do you want the oil to be.

You know the point where the oil bursts into flame? Well, about 1 degree fahrenheit below that point.