Can I roast in glass?

Question

All,

Recently we moved house, and took it as an excuse to ditch a bunch of old and dying roasting pans.

We kept some glass trays (suitable for cooking in) though, and have ended up using them for just about all our oven cooking. On the top I still use either the steel covered copper bottomed things or cast iron cookware, but in the over it's mainly the glass.

Everything seems to turn out just fine - am I missing something? Committing a heinous sin I've somehow forgotten? Do I need to run back to buying some proper metal roasting trays?

Asked by Alex

Answer

Dude you said you have cast iron. Cast iron rules. And it performs very well in the oven. No contest against glass and you can make pan sauce on the stove-top after the roasting is finished. My favorite pan to make roast chicken with is my 12" Lodge cast iron skillet. Glass is probably better at roasting than cheap cookie style sheets, because it keeps the heat distribution fairly smooth. But glass will not hold up well to heavy roasting use and will eventually ruin your dinner when it cracks or shatters. All Clad makes a great roasting pan with wire rack. But for most roasting a simple cast iron skillet works well and is indestructible.

Answered by Darryl

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What kind of cookware is suitable for a glass ceramic stovetop?

Question

I have a glass ceramic stove surface. I need to buy some cookware, but I'm not sure what kind I need to buy.

The manual has the following opinions about what cookware I should use (paraphrased):

• Aluminum: Care must be taken when using aluminum because it can break, fuse to, or mark the stove surface
• Copper: May leave metal marks on stove surface.
• Stainless Steel: Uneven cooking results.
• Cast Iron: Not recommended.
• Porcelain-Enamel on Metal: Heating characteristics vary based on core material. Coating must be smooth or it will scratch the stove surface.
• Glass: Not recommended.

Based on that information, it seems stainless steel or porcelain-enamel on metal are the only two types that aren't going to ruin the stove surface, and that I'll get the best results while cooking if I choose porcelain-enamel.

However, I see mixed opinions all over the net about what is suitable for the glass ceramic stove surface. One article I found was here: http://www.ehow.com/how_4499460_buy-cookware-ceramic-glass-cooktop.html. Contrary to what my manual says, this person says I should include cast iron cookware in sets.

What kind of cookware can I buy that will not damage my glass ceramic stove surface?

Asked by Kappers

Answer

I wouldn't pay much attention to this list. I would just get my cookware based on what functionality I need, not based on what my stove manufacturer says.

The idea of not using cast iron on glass to protect the glass from scratches is as perverse as keeping a sunhat in the closet and going to the beach bareheaded to protect the sunhat from color fading. Your stove's purpose isn't to gleam, it is to cook. The manufacturer probably tries to shield himself from customer complaints: "your stove got scratches" "nothing we can do, you treated it against our recommendation". This would explain the overly cautious list.

I have an induction stove with a glass plate myself. I don't have cast iron cookware from the type common in the US (Lodge pans and similar), but I have a wrought iron pan, not seasoned on the outside (it developed black rust during seasoning the inside, as well as something which I suspect must be ferrous sulfide). It is smoother than cast iron, but rougher than a typical stainless steel pan. I regularly use it on my stove. Also, I regularly clean the stove with a mild abrasive (equivalent to Unilever's brand Cif) and once or twice, I had a baked-on spill which wouldn't go away with this cleaner, so I used a steel wool scouring pad instead. I worked gently, but still applied enough force to remove the residues. After cleaning and polishing with a glass-ceramic cleaner, my stove literally mirrors the ceiling. I bet it has less scratches than my phone screen. So, I think that all the stories about iron cookware damaging the stovetop are greatly exaggerated. But if you are really scared, you can sand and season the bottom.

The other claims are also dubious. Alu melts at 660°C, you probably won't reach it even if you forget an empty pan on high for hours. Nobody uses pure copper pans anyway, and if it is an inner layer of a sandwich bottom, there is no way it will leave marks. And so on. Only the glass warning is good - not because it would damage the stove, but because you risk the glass vessel itself to shatter.

Bottomline: Buy based on what material is best for cooking whatever you plan to cook. The stove should be able to take it. And if you are rough and it does get a scratch or two, then I don't see why it should bother you - it is a tool, not a fashion statement.

Answered by rumtscho

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Do black metal vessels cook food more quickly than normal steel?

Question

http://www.prestigesmartkitchen.com/default/deluxe-hard-anodized-pressure-handi-mini/p-33442-75884410482-cat.html

This is made of Aluminum. Does this make any difference to cooking speed as compared to the steel non black cooker?

Asked by Anisha Kaul

Answer

First, what you linked seems to be a pressure cooker. Pressure cookers cook completely differently from normal cookers, and yes, they are quicker, but not due to their color.

Now on to the actual question. The answer is: probably not. There are lots of factors involved, and the color isn't that important.

In baking, you get lots of infrared radiation cooking your food, especially in a small oven with uncovered elements (toaster oven). There, the color can have a significant effect on the rate at which your food is warmed, all other things being equal. Simple example: a steel pan and the same pan colored black. The steel pan will transfer more heat into the food in the same time period (even though the added dye layer already complicates it, because it reduces the effect somewhat).

But let's make the example more realistic. Steel pan vs. alumunium pan colored black. There, the material's thermal coefficient and its mass will be more important than the color. There are several factors acting in different directions here, so I can't tell you which pan will be able to output a specified amount of heat in shorter time (in fact, I suspect that if you wold plot the needed time against the specified amount of heat, the lines will cross somewhere). A really good explanation of everything important for understanding these factors is found here.

But your example wasn't for a cake pan, it was for a stovetop pot. And there, the color is even less important. On stovetop, the pan is in almost direct contact with a heating plate, and conduction plays a greater role in heating than radiation. The color only matters in radiation, not in conduction.

And last, let's say that you have somehow found a pan which outputs the same amount of heat in a shorter time only because of its color (this will probably be the black-dyed steel pot from my simple example). Does it mean that you will spend less time cooking? No, it doesn't. As a general rule, food which has been warmed gradually tastes much better than food which has been exposed to high heat. There are some exceptions (most notably, you don't get caramelization and Maillard below certain temperatures), but normally, you don't want to pump all the heat you have available into your food. You would end up with food which is scorched on the outside and raw on the inside. This is why most foods are prepared on a medium heat setting. And if you find a pan which transfers more heat to your food than usual, it doesn't mean that your food will cook faster. It means that you will have to turn down the heat to avoid burning your food. This can have its advantages - especially for your electricity bill - but it doesn't result in faster cooking.

Answered by rumtscho

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What should I look for in a cooking pan for Risotto?

Question

I just moved across country and basically sold everything I own including my cooking pans. I used to use a medium-high sided two handled pan that I cannot find an image for to show you. It worked for my purposes but I am generally cooking risotto for six and it never held enough and I would end up with some of my grains still on the crunchy side. I tried a larger around pan and it would not heat evenly enough on a conventional range. In a moment of desperation I tried using a wok, that was not a good idea. In any case I find myself on the hunt for a good pan to use that will handle six servings and heat evenly, I know I could cook in batches but I am generally just trying to get dinner on the table.

I am also aware that pans are subjective but with such a price range difference out there I don't have the money to experiment.

Asked by Varuuknahl

Answer

I suggest getting a quality stainless clad saute pan or saucier. For years I made risotto in the All-Clad 3 qt. saute pan shown here:

Unless you're serving huge portions this is plenty of room for 6 servings of risotto. There are larger options available though, including a mammoth 14" 6 quart one.

This pan easily does 90% of the work in my kitchen, so at any price it carries its weight in the kitchen.

That said, this past Christmas I got the All-Clad 3 qt. copper-core saucier shown here:

It's a very close matchup, but this pan is perfect for making risotto. The higher sides are a definite benefit, but you don't sacrifice much in flat surface area. The copper core is amazingly responsive, noticeably more so than aluminum. It's obviously rather expensive, so if you're uncomfortable spending that much on a pan I'd suggest getting one of their regular 3 qt sauciers -- you'll spend at least half as much.

If I only had one pan in my kitchen though, I think I'd still go back to the saute pan above. Its versatility is just unmatched.

---

Regarding your concerns that a wider pan won't heat as evenly, this is generally true for a cheaper pan. However, All-Clad pans use magic to bond a layer of aluminum (or copper) between a layer of magnetic stainless (exterior) and 18/10 stainless (interior). The end result is a very even heat which you can actually confirm with an infrared thermometer.

Answered by hobodave

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How Many Times Can I Use A Salt Block

Question

I've been reading up on Himalayan pink salt blocks. I am mainly interested in cooking with them, like cast iron. But, I noticed that they are a bit pricey, about $40 to $70. It also seems that they die after some usage.

My question is, how many times one can cook with a salt block before they are unusable?

Answer

I think the cost effective-ness and worth it portion of the question is quite subjective since there isn't a way to directly compare salt with cookware grade salt block. These salt blocks are considered unusable when it becomes cracked and fall apart, not when all the salt has been used up. Thus the price is for the novelty of using these blocks to cook food rather than the actual salt content. And whether the flavor is worth it is complete up to you to decide.

Due the obscurity of Himalayan salt blocks, I will provide a little background information for those who aren't familiar. Due to the Himalayan salt blocks' unique lattice formation, it has very low moisture and porosity. Due to this property it can be heated up to extremely high temperatures (up to 900 degree Fahrenheit). Also because of the lack of porosity the saltiness that comes off of it when cooking on top of it is minimal and will impart only a moderate amount of sodium. On top of that, it has many trace amount of other minerals including but not limited to sulfur, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. These additional trace minerals are what given the Himalayan pink salt its unique flavor.

Now if you want to cook using the block merely to try out its taste, i would recommend you use this instead. It is a bag of Himalayan pink salt that is meant to go into your food as seasoning.

How long a salt block last purely depends on how well you take care of it and luck. This article explains proper heating and washing techniques. Because these blocks are naturally carved out of the earth, fault lines(sometimes not visible from the outside or even with the human eyes) can exist on it. These fault lines will naturally grow bigger as the block is continuously heated to high temperatures. Because of this unpredictability, there isn't a "real" answer. However some can crack after just several uses(on one testimonial, one woman claimed it broke after two uses. But she was able to get it replaces for free) while other can last much much longer(others have report using it for over a year). Usually you can get a replacement if the block cracks in a short period of time. Find out about this warranty period from the supplier before buying.

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How much could I safely heat a content-less cast-iron pan?

Question

To which temperature could I safely heat my cast-iron pan on the stove, without any contents? I don't want to re-season it afterwards. Afterwards, I'd just let the pan cool off in room temperature. The base is ~0.5 cm thick.

Answer

If it is completely empty, you probably can't reach dangerous temperatures with your stove. The iron itself melts at 1500°C. The seasoning can be burnt off at much lower temperatures, a self-cleaning cycle in the oven is enough for it (500°C). I have taken an iron pan to above 400°C without damaging the seasoning. (I don't know exactly how high it was, my thermometer doesn't go above 400°C). This was on an induction stove set at maximum, I doubt that any other kind of stove can produce such temperatures.

Edit I just heard an example showing that you can take a pan on a resistive stove to above 500°C with prolonged heating, so you should be measuring it if you plan to go that high. (and if you have a thermometer in this range, you can post your findings to further limit the range of 400° to 500°C, because I'm curious).

But if you say "no contents", be careful that it is actually just the pan. You cannot oil it, because the self-ignition temperature (of flash point) of vegetable oil is low, Wikipedia gives it at 327°C. It could just smoke terribly and throw a spark or two when you reach it, but it can also flame up and then you are holding a small brand in your hand.

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What precautions should be taken while cleaning silver utensils?

Question

I have silver cups, plates, and bowls too.

Is it safe to clean them with normal washing powder? Or Does it need some extra attention?

Also, how do I clean the layer of black tarnish/patina without damaging it?

Answer

Dish soap will not damage silverware. To remove tarnish you can get special silverware cleaning solutions like tarn-x. Note that the tarnish itself is a form if damage caused by the oxidized metal, so by removing it you are essentially scraping of a tiny layer of silver every time.

Edit - A good tip I forgot to mention: tarnish is self-limiting (meaning that only the surface of silver can get tarnished). This means that the best way to prevent tarnish is by leaving on the existing layer of tarnish. If you leave silver for 100 years and remove the tarnish the silverware will lose one layer of silver, then it will be good as new. But if silver is de-tarnished every month for 100 years, you'd have to remove 1200 layers of silver. So it's not good practice to de-tarnish too frequently; only do it when you need to.

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What precautions should be taken while dropping cold vegetables in a hot Teflon cookware?

Question

So, I use Teflon saucepans for cooking vegetables, only.

Tomatoes have to be added after the onions are done. Tomatoes have inherent water in them and are obviously below the pan's temperature.

I am afraid that in the long run it may ultimately damage the Teflon cookware.

What's the way out?

Answer

Tomatoes specifically will not damage your teflon pan any more than any other cold, wet vegetable. Teflon was used to store a form of uranium in the Manhattan Project because it's so nonreactive. Without it, uranium hexafluoride would eat through storage containers.

It sounds like you were also talking about thermal shock--which you can observe with a hot glass dropped in cold water. That happens on a very, very small scale with pans and food-to-be-heated. I think other factors--like scratching from spatulas and accidental overheating--would wear out the pan far, far sooner.

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How to take care of the teflon coated cookware to ensure their long life?

Question

I know the following three rules:

1. Don't use metal spoons.
2. Don't put hot teflon utensils in cold water.
3. Cook on low flame.

Is there anything else important, which is often overlooked?

EDIT 1:
Q: I have a teflon Kadhai and a teflon wok (flat bottom and straight walls). Do we have to take some special precautions when dealing with the Kadhai (because of its shape)?

EDIT 2
Q: Does wooden spatula also causes scratches? If yes, then what's teh way out?

Answer

Make sure food doesn't stay in the very bottom part for long enough to burn on. The flared sides and narrow bottom of these pans tend to concentrate heat at the bottom, and burn on food more easily than flat-bottom saucepans and frying pans. Once food is burned on, there is no way to scrub it off without also removing the nonstick coating. It only takes one batch of fried rice or browned onions to permanently wreck the pan. Finally, stir-frying involves a lot of vigorous motion with utensils, which rapidly wears out nonstick layers. With nonstick woks, it is simply a matter of time before they are ruined.

My suggestion is to replace your teflon wok and kadhai with (respectively) carbon steel and cast-iron equivalents at the earliest convenience. Woks and kadhais are designed for high-flame cooking, and if you reduce the heat to protect cookware, then the food won't get browned fully. With these materials you can use full heat without ruining pans or releasing toxic chemicals (from overheated Teflon). Cleanup is simple: just rinse out, scrape off burnt bits, wipe them down with a paper towel, and season with oil.

Finally, wooden or silicone rubber utensils are the best for a nonstick wok or kadhai; they won't scrape off the nonstick layer unless used very roughly, andthey can stand the heat without melting. Normal plastics (particularly polyethylene or polypropylene) tend to melt, and metal will scrape up the nonstick coating.

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Using a Dutch Oven as a Heavy Skillet replacement

Question

I don't own a large heavy skillet - the one I do own is small and can't hold much. Is using my Dutch Oven on the stove a reasonable replacement, if I leave the lid off?

Answer

It depends on what you're doing with it, but for the most part, yes. Things like giving it a shake/toss to move things around will be more difficult, unless it's one with a long handle on one side, but you can just stir instead. Also, lifting to pour stuff out of it will be more difficult.

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Which cooking apparatus is best to make Croque Monsieur?

Question

I'm looking for a small cooking apparatus that I can use to make Croque Monsieur. I've used this kind of device before but I don't know which words to use to google for it. Here's how I made a Croque Monsieur from the past:

1. Place a slice of cheese and ham between two bread slices
2. The sandwich is placed in between two grills which press against it like a jaw
3. After a few minutes, parallel grilled marks are left on both sides of the sandwich

Think of the above machine as a closed book engulfing a sandwich. What's the English name of that machine and is it available in small size(my kitchen has limited space).

Answer

The device is called a "panini press" and they're available fairly small. I've seen ones which aren't much larger than a toaster.

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What can I use a tempered glass pot for?

Question

I've recently been thinking about what I can get rid of in my kitchen, and I've been debating throwing out a tempered glass pot like this (without the lid):

It's a piece of Pyrex Visions that I've had since college, that I've mostly kept for sentimental reasons. I really only use my cast iron in the kitchen these days, with the occasional copper clad pot thrown in for good measure and I can't really think of a good use for this vintage pot! Except perhaps living in fear of it exploding while on the stove.

Is there a good use for a pot like this, or should I just trash/donate it?

Answer

I see two sides of this question. First, should you keep a redundant tool in your kitchen, and second, is there a specific purpose to this pot.

I may be biased because my kitchen is small, but my point of view is to get rid of any redundant clutter. Get a few pieces of quality cookware and use them every day. There is no sense in having 3 pots which do the same thing, even if one is half a liter bigger than the other one. (The worst situation is when the small one is decent, and the big one is bad quality, but sometimes you need the volume, so you still keep the big one around). If you don't use a thing, remove it from your kitchen. (Of course, donation/ebay is better than trash from a sustainability point of view).

The second question is, even if you don't use it now, is there an occasion where you might want to use it? It so happens that there is.

Generally, it is a bad idea to use Pyrex on the stove (see this question), and the handle makes the pot impractical to use in the oven (you don't give a size, but I bet you can't place it in the center, if you're able to close the oven door at all). But there is something else you can do with it. This thing makes an awesome double boiler.

If you don't have a professional double boiler, the usual way to "build" one at home is to find a bowl and a pot so that the upper rim diameter of the bowl is slightly bigger than the pot's diameter. You put water in the pot, put the bowl on the pot so that its bottom is suspended in the boiling water, and fill the bowl with your ingredients. It works with any moderately heat-resistant bowls (including glass, but don't use nylon), but I prefer to use glass.

First, glass is a bad heat conductor, which means that it heats more gradually and you have more time to work before your ingredients overheat. This makes it much better than steel. Second, glass is transparent. This means that you can see the boiling water and adjust the temperature according to how strong your boil is. You can't do this with a metal or ceramic bowl.

The drawback to this setup is that at some point, your ingredients are close to overheating. You have to remove the bowl from the heat, and do so quickly. Well, by then the bowl is very hot, it is slippery on the outside because of condensed steam, and your mittened hands slip on the rim withot findind purchase, while the hot steam penetrates through the cloth to cook your skin. The best solution would be a glass bowl with a handle, and that's just what you have here.

The problem in using the dish as a double boiler top is that its bottom is rather flat, making it less suited for small amounts of ingredients. Depending on how much you cook at once and how big the pot is, this may or may not an issue. The second problem is that you can't shock cool it to stop an uncontrolled overheating. But being as easy to grab as it is, you can just keep a cool bowl on the counter and dump the ingredients into it in case of emergency.

Conclusion: if you think you need a double boiler often enough to warrant the room occupied by this thing, you can keep it. But if you don't use it often, there is no point keeping it around as just another pot.

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Left my cast iron on the hot burner, now what?

Question

So the other day, while baking off excess water after washing, I spaced out and forgot it was there and headed upstairs for say, an hour. When I got back down the pan had a white-ish ring in the center. After cooling and scrubbing it down it appeared that the seasoning had been vaporized in the area that has the ring.

I oiled the pan to prevent rusting and haven't gotten back to it in a week or so.

My question is: Should I remove the seasoning from the rest of the pan or should I just re-season the whole thing? If I should remove the seasoning, what is the best way, I think I read some on here but I haven't been able to get back to it. I recall possibly using the clean cycle of the oven?

There's plenty of info on here about seasoning so don't worry about that!

Feel free to make jabs at the space cadet too, I beat myself up about it until I realized the pan wasn't completely ruined!

Answer

Personally, I'd just season the pan a couple times to cover the spot; it seems excessive to strip off all the other seasoning and start from scratch unless the pan is really deeply rusted.

Other people may feel differently, of course; there are as many opinions about caring for cast-iron as there are people that own it.

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Nonstick cookware or not?

Question

I am looking to replace my >10 year old Calphalon nonstick cookware. I can see the nonstick surface coming off the pans, and am starting to worry about how much of that is getting into our food.

I love the ease of cleaning nonstick cookware, but am wary of buying it again. Should I opt for nonstick or not?

Answer

I'm with @Ward -- I like being able to scour my pans for those times when even deglazing doesn't work. (although, I've found that if you ever forget about the stock that you're trying to reduce ... burning chicken bones is a nasty smell and will stain even stainless steel).

I do have some non-stick, and even a non-stick flat-bottomed wok (from circulon, but then, I'm also using electric, so it's possible I don't get enough heat to ruin it; I also never pre-heat it without oil in it, as you should never heat a dry nonstick vessel).

I'd say to look at replacing your set bit by bit -- which items do you cook that really need non-stick, and what pan do you cook it in? Maybe replace your more beat-up items with something not non-stick, try cooking with it, and see how well you like cooking with them -- it's possible that you won't like it, and it'd be better to be out the cost of only a piece or two than a whole set. You could even try out a few different materials -- cast iron, stainless, anodized aluminum, etc.

It also might take a little time to get used to cooking with out the non-stick. One mistake I've seen people make is not giving their pans enough time to pre-heat. (I think it was the Frugal Gourmet who'd say "Hot pan, cold food, food won't stick" ... which isn't entirely true, but you'll have much less problems with a hot pan).

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Cooking on the stove: what is "too hot" for a pan?

Question

I'm a novice cook and often hear about "learning one's stove". Obviously manufacturers, cooking methods, and appliance types vary and so "high" on one stove isn't comparable to another.

That said, many of the posts here suggest to heat a pan before adding oil, and the commentary that follows always has the sage advice, "...but not too hot!"

My question is thus:

How do you know you've gotten a pan too hot?

Answer

Flick water on the pan. If it just sits there, it's not hot enough. If it combines into balls and skates around on the pan, it's either too hot or just right for a wok or blackening something. If it sizzles and evaporates within a couple of seconds, it should be good for a normal sautee or sweat.

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Should you avoid cooling a frying pan with water?

Question

Sometimes after I fry something, I wash it immediately in water because it's a bit easier to wash (before the remains stick to the pan).

Does this damage the pan in any way?

Answer

This would depend on the kind of pan, the heat level of the pan, and the coldness of the water, if any of these are at real extremes, but I'm guessing that in most cases, you will not have a big problem with pan damage. Make sure there is not a lot of hot fat in the pan when you add the water (which would cause spatters ), but that's more of a personal safety issue than a pan damage issue. There are other things in a kitchen that I'd worry about much more than pan damage (dull knives, for example)

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Why does my food turn out poorly using an All-Clad Stainless-Steel Fry Pan?

Question

I have an All-Clad frying pan, the precise one shown below:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005AL5F

I made this purchase out of curiosity after reading about the benefits of this professional grade cookware (from the above Amazon link):

• Beautifully polished, magnetic stainless exterior layer.
• Pure aluminum core that not only covers the bottom of the pan but also extends up the sides. This allows for great heat conductivity as well as an even heat distribution so you won’t have "hot spots" when cooking.
• Stainless-steel interior layer/cooking surface.
• Long, polished stainless, stay-cool handles.
• Sturdy, non-corrosive stainless-steel rivets won't react with foods.
• Polished stainless-steel lids fit evenly with the pan’s edges to seal in flavor of your foods.
• The All-Clad Stainless collection is compatible with an induction stovetop (with the exception of a few pieces) in addition to gas and electric stovetops.
• The Stainless collection is dishwasher-safe, excluding pieces with a nonstick cooking surface.

However, as a novice cook, I can't seem to cook anything as well using this pan compared to a non-stick teflon pan. Food seems to stick or become overcooked easily or just not turn out well.

Have I fallen victim to a weak product sold on marketing hype? Or am I simply too novice to properly utilize this pan? What cooking skills might I be missing to properly utilize this tool? What tools should I be using instead?

What reasons might there be for me sucking at using this pan?

Answer

You've got a great pan and in a short time I'm sure you'll come to love it.

When using a standard pan (one without non-stick coating), heat your pan dry over high heat until you can hold your hand about 6-inches above the cooking surface and feel the heat radiating upward. This allows the tiny cracks and crevices that are imperceptible to the bare hand to expand and when the oil is added, it will coat and create a more even cooking surface.

Add just enough oil to lightly coat the surface. Adding to much oil leads to pan-frying which is fine if you're frying chicken but not what you want when searing and sauteing meat. There should just be a thin film across the bottom of the pan. An additional benefit to first heating the pan is the fact that it will actually take less oil to coat the pan due to the decreased viscosity. When the oil hits the hot pan it will instantly heat and should shimmer across the bottom like water on a freshly cleaned windshield.

You don't put the oil in the pan first because the longer oils and fats heat the quicker they break down and smoke. If you were to add cold oil and cold food to a cold pan and then start heating, you just end up with a big sticky mess.

Make sure you're prepared to add the food to the pan once the oil goes in otherwise the oil will start to burn.

The issue with burning and overcooking is going to be a matter of controlling the heat. Start searing and sauteeing over high heat because as food is added it will suck a good deal of heat from the pan. If it isn't extremely hot to begin with you'll end up with a steaming mess of gray colored meat or vegetables that aren't doing much cooking. Once the meat is browned but needs further cooking you can always turn down the heat to prevent excessive browning and crusting before the interior is done.

Even if you aren't planning to do a pan sauce, or if you've burnt what was cooking in the pan, you'll still want to deglaze with some water while the pan is hot (you can reheat it if it has already cooled down) so that you can scraped up the cooked on bits more easily and have less scrubbing to do when cleaning the pan.

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What to look for in a pot?

Question

What to look for in a pot. I'm supposing somebody that's just starting to live alone or a couple. Help me complete this list.

Size: small, but not too small. Maybe 2L or 3L.

Material: Stainless steel with a thick bottom. As you are going to buy only one pot to begin with, spend some extra money on quality.

Bottom: A thick bottom is a must on electric or ceramic stoves as they don't bend out of shape so easily. Also, a thick bottom is handy for slow cooking as the heat diffuses more evenly.

Handle: Same material, stainless steel. This is handy if you want to put the pot in the oven. Look at the fixture to the pot, it must be riveted on, with thick rivets.

Stove: if it's going to be induction - Glass, Ceramics, All Aluminum etc. are all out.

Price: Not too expensive. 20€ - 30€?

What am I forgetting?

Answer

Modifying your original terms:

Size: 2-3 quart/liter. I consider 2.5 quarts to be ideal.

Material: Two options: hard-anodized aluminum nonstick, OR stainless-steel interior/exterior. With stainless, it should have either an encapsulated aluminum disk base or a tri-ply construction (aluminum layered with stainless)

Bottom: Thick is good, and you absolutely must have aluminum here for conduction

Handle: stainless is good, as long as it stays relatively cool. The handle absolutely must be riveted on, with thick rivets. Screws, glue, or welded handles do not last long-term. Tack-welded handles are the bane of the restaurant I work for right now; we've had several handles snap off in the last year.

Additional things to look for:

Weight: HEAVY. You want fairly thick cookware for even heating, but most of that weight should be from thickness of the aluminum disk.

Design: A flared lip around the pot, to facilitate clean pouring.

Shape: I'm partial to shallow designs, which flare out at the top. Although it's nonstick and not stainless, I love my Calphalon Contemporary shallow 2.5 qt saucepan for it's extra-flared design. This lets it transmit heat more efficiently from the range, and allows it to safely hold a larger capacity of food. It also allows for faster and cleaner reduction of sauces.

Lid: TEMPERED GLASS with a handle on top, and a flange to help seal tightly on the pot/pan. Tempered glass is very durable and lets you see the progress of your cooking without releasing the steam. The handle also remains cool, so you don't burn yourself on it; this is the second problem I have with solid stainless lids on many premium cookware lines (All Clad, and most manufacturers' tri-ply products).

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How do I remove turmeric stains from metal/plastic cookware?

Question

As much as I value tumeric for its rumoured cancer-battling qualities, I find its tendency to stain anything it comes into contact with (including 'stainless' steel) discouraging to the point that I use it much less than I would like.

In a previous question regarding a tumeric-stained marble mortar and pestle, it was recommended that bleach be used to remove the stain. Is this recommendation applicable across the board? Pots? Pans? Plastic colanders?

I hope there is some other way to remove these stains because I am starting to accrue tumeric stained clothing that I can't bleach, as recommended.

Answer

For hard, chemical-resistant surfaces such as marble, bleach or peroxide cleaners will help. On things like counters, pots and pans, a Magic Eraser will often take off the stain. Sometimes a harsher abrasive like Comet or Barkeep's Friend will be needed.

Softer or porous materials, including cloth and many plastics often CANNOT BE UNSTAINED. In my kitchen we treat turmeric like a dangerous chemical -- isolate, contain, and plan ahead to limit exposure. It's just that destructive.

You might as well tie-dye or bleach white any clothing you get turmeric on; it India it is used as a dye for saris because it will semi-permanently tint cloth. When dry you can brush it off, but it has become moistened and allowed to sit a moment, the color is pretty much permanent.

Edit: UV+peroxide: I saw a patent for removing turmeric stains from upholstery using UV light and hydrogen peroxide. You might try soaking fabrics in peroxide or Oxyclean (which uses peroxide) and leaving then out in the sun. Can't hurt right?

Edit: strategies to manage turmeric without making a mess

1. Plan ahead where you'll use it, and which utensils and vessels will hold it, so you don't mess up anything you don't need to.
2. Re-use already turmeric-stained items so you don't wreck anything new
3. Mortars and pestles, tupperware, wooden and soft plastic utensils are a lost cause. At least the stain is purely cosmetic?
4. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear an apron.
5. Keep spilt powder dry (it won't stain) and brush it off with a paper towel into the garbage. Brushing away promptly keeps you from inadvertently spilling liquid on it, or wiping it with a wet towel during cleanup. That is, unless you want a neon-green counter and towel?
6. Whenever you spill something containing turmeric, promptly wipe it off, to reduce staining.
7. Hard ceramic and porcelain are immune to staining unless the surface is rough. Try to use these for storage. Glass will stain. Stainless steel is resistant but not immune.

With these strategies, I find I can use turmeric regularly without problems.

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What is a good brand for teflon pans?

Question

I am going to buy a new teflon pan and seem to run into bad luck with cheaply made ones which flake off too quickly. Also can any good brand teflon pan withstand automatic dishwashers?

Answer

It is not a good idea to combine ANY teflon pan with an automatic dishwasher, regardless of what the manufacturer says.

But fortunately for you, I have handy the Cook's Illustrated from October 2010, which did a nonstick skillet (aka frying pan aka saute pan) review. According to them, even the best nonstick coatings won't survive more than a year or two of heavy use. This makes proper care all the more important. Brand also isn't a good indicator of coating quality, because many pan manufacturers buy coatings from the same suppliers. To quote the article:

Most cookware manufacturers don't make their own nonstick coating; they buy it from suppliers offering a menu of options, from basic to premium, and spray it on their pans. It's similar to painting a room; the quality of nonstick coating is determined not only by what's in it but also by how carefully it's applied and cured, and how many coats the manufacturer decides to put on.

They found the Tefal (T-Fal in the States) Professional Total Nonstick Fry Pan ($35) had a nonstick coating that outperformed the other pans by a significant margin, probably due to its 5-layer nonstick coating (most pans use 2-3 layers). The only fly in the ointment was its handle, which had rivets that loosened after abuse. But, for $35 that isn't bad, doubly because it outperformed the $150+ All-Clad nonstick pans they used normally.

If you're looking for something cheaper than that, I'd suggest you look at construction and not brand. Pick a heavy pan (for its size), with either solid, thick-gauge aluminum OR a multi-ply construction. This combination ensures the pan will heat evenly and rapidly (crucial for eggs), and is resistant to warping (important if you use an electric range). If you're cooking eggs, avoid hard-anodized aluminum interiors, as they don't help prevent adhesion of eggs, and just cost more. The nonstick layer should look thick and smooth, not slightly textured.

My most-used frying pan (the default egg pan) is a small T-Fal that cost all of $7. The important thing is that it has the right construction and I treat it correctly; I'm careful not to scratch the surface with utensils, I never use a scouring pad on it, and it can't go near the dishwasher. This makes more of a difference than picking a fancy brand.

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