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Great Deals on Fine Cookware |
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Good pots and pans won't turn you into a five-star chef, but they will help you show off your skills. High-quality cookware heats more evenly and changes temperature more rapidly so that you can control the cooking process better. It is durable; coatings won't come off in your food, and handles won't come loose. Yes, it's a bit expensive, but 10 years from now you'll still have beautiful pans that perform flawlessly.
To identify great cookware, find out what metal is used in their construction. This may not be obvious; not only do coatings cover the metal, many high-quality pans use an interior core metal that is different from the outer surface.
The best pans use anodized aluminum. For those of you who are concerned about ingesting aluminum, the hardness imparted by the anodizing process keeps it on the pan and out of your food. Copper used to be at the top of the cookware kingdom, and if you like the vintage look of worn copper, go for it. If you don't, steer clear; it will be far too much work to keep your pans gleaming, and copper dents easily.
Next, examine the construction. The cookware should either be made of a single piece of metal, or the handle should be attached with imposingly large bolts up to a half an inch in diameter. Don't be shy; pick that pan up and give it a good shake. There should be absolutely no movement between handle and the cooking end of that pan.
Now that you've found some pans worthy of your cuisine, find the best deal. Sets often get you the best prices per piece, but may include items you'll never use. Price out both the cost of the individual pieces you want, then compare that to the cost of sets containing those pieces to get a great deal.
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