I go nuts over pots and pans

By Staff
Suzanne Langcuster
Now that I'm retired and have more time to cook, pots and pans have really become interesting to me.
Many of my pans were very worn and dented from one kitchen incident or another.
So, this gave me a good excuse to check out the sales after Christmas. Recently, Southern Living had a wonderful article on shopping for good pans and suggested that April is the best month to find bargains in the cookware department.
They also gave some excellent tips on how to choose good cookware that will last.
One of my best purchases is a non-stick skillet. It was on sale and is a Kitchen-Aid skillet.
It has a heavy base and provides good browning. It is a small skillet, just the right size. These skillets brown easily and fry eggs well.
The best stainless steel skillets have a heavy bottom with a layer of aluminum or copper and both and are great for heat distribution. The 10-inch is a must for stir frying.
There is an infused anodized aluminum pan that is a must for browning, especially meat. I enjoy browning minute steak, or chicken breast.
Then I place it in a Pyrex dish and cook on low heat in the oven until tender. You can cut it with a fork.
Many of these pans have a stay-cool handle. This makes it nice.
And what would we do without our cast iron skillet?
It is wonderful for frying, baking cornbread, braising meats and stove-top casseroles that you have to brown and let cook longer on top of the stove.
I'm a skillet person myself, so all of the above are important to keep in your kitchen. Skillets have many different uses.
The good time to buy is coming up. Always check our sales items. It's amazing how much you can save.
You can spend as much as you want on a skillet. They range in price from $10 to several hundred dollars. It all depends on what namebrand you want and if you want whatever the latest non-stick coating may be.
I do suggest you be prepared to spend at least $30 or $40 on a quality skillet. You'll find the non-stick coating lasts much longer and the bottom will stand up to the heat much better than the cheaper ones.
They heat more evenly and you'll find that the intense heat of the eye won't warp the bottom so easily.
In the long run, you'll actually save money by spending a little more for good pots and pans.
Suzanne Langcuster is a food columnist for the Franklin County Times.