How to Buy a Cookware Set

Cooking is an art. While a few are expert at this art, there are some who consider it a pastime. Then, there is yet another section of people, for whom cooking is one of the most difficult tasks in the world. Whichever category you belong to, in order to cook well, it is very essential to have a reliable set of pots and pans. There is a wide variety of cookware available in the market today. From the exquisitely styled ones to the simply designed ones, the options are vast. Thus, it is very important for you to choose a set that would complement your style of cooking. In case you need any help, go through the following lines and find tips on buying a cookware set.

How to Buy a Cookware Set

The first step is to decide what your cooking style is. Are you someone who just rushes through cooking or someone who indulges in making delicacies? You might be a beginner, an expert or someone who stands somewhere in between the two. It is very important to reflect on the kind of cook you are, as it would lay a platform for the kind of cookware set you need to buy for yourself.
Cookware sets are generally available in variety of materials. Though copper is considered the best material, as it is a good and uniform conductor of heat, it is also the most expensive. If you do not want to invest a lot of money on cookware, then aluminum may be just the right choice. It is almost as good as copper and is cheaper too.
When you are buying aluminum cookware, make sure you get a thicker rather than a thinner gauge.
Cast iron cookware set is much cheaper than the aluminum ones, but it is a bad conductor of heat and also heavy in weight. Enameled cast iron cookware sets are yet another option, but they are expensive.
Nonstick cookware sets have manmade coatings that keep food items from sticking to the pan. These can be handy for things like fish and omelets. Finally, there are stainless steel cookware sets, which are easy to clean, but are also prone to hot spots i.e. certain areas of the pan gets hotter than other ones.
When you have basic knowledge about the cookware set material, it is the time to reflect back on the kind of cooking you indulge in. Are you more into frying, deep frying or roasting? Make sure the cookware set you have chosen has pots and pans which suit your style of cooking.
A basic cookware set should have four components. A 5-quart sauce helps you heat liquids and reheat soup and stew leftovers. A frying pan is essential for cooking eggs, sautéing onions and frying fish. A sauté pan, on the other hand, has higher edges than a frying pan, so it comes in handy for cooking meats on the stove, and for creating thick dishes, such as stews. No cookware set is complete, however, without a Dutch oven. These are big pots, often with handles on two sides, for lifting when the pan is full. You can use a Dutch over for making a big batch of chili, for roasting pork and even for baking some breads.
Some other pots and pans that you might want to have in your cookware set include a stockpot and a roasting pan. Consider a chef’s pan if you are more into cooking.
Finally, before buying a cookware set, make sure your kitchen has enough space to store it properly.

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