Many of us would be surprised to see a complete kitchen utensils list - the kitchen couldn't possibility hold them all! Of course, because of ever evolving manufacturing techniques and the diversification of our society, we have more and more choice available. In addition to this, our own cultures have been 'infiltrated' by other cuisines, some of which necessitate other styles of kitchen utensils. Nevertheless, there is a powerful case for acquiring a sold basic set of kitchen utensils and applying the basic mechanism of the 80-80 rule. What is the 80-20 rule? This general law governs all activities, human and otherwise. For kitchen utensils purposes it means that 80% of all our cooking needs can be done with only 20% of our entire stock of kitchen utensils. Now there's a thought!
Whatever Your Basic Needs, Choose Quality! We could categorize our kitchen utensils list into storing, handling and cooking. Pans and pots come in various sizes and in a great range of materials. It seems quite evident that material quality is directly related to price, but it isn't always the case. The very latest aluminum pan might be twice as expensive as the traditional heavy iron kind, but that doesn't mean that it's twice as efficient. Cast iron spreads the heat throughout the whole surface of the pan, and so cooks more evenly. Less expensive (and thinner) materials tend to allow the cooking heat to concentrate in one area so there is a bigger possibility of burning. Mind you, if you are cooking eggs in hot oil taking just one or two minutes, then a thinner pan is perfect - it warms up quickly and makes a sizzling sound!
Heavy iron and ceramic earthenware is also great for enclosed pots with lids, for baking and stewing in the oven. The large mass of material encases the food and permeates it with heat from all directions. Simple clay pots are also used in this way. Many types of enclosed cooking pots have been adapted to our modern living style by fitting with low power timed electric elements. These electric pots can be set to begin cooking in the afternoon and provide us with a welcome meal at the end of the day.
Many people swear by copper pans, and they can cook very well. However, there are problems with this metal. Firstly, pans made of copper are expensive and they can be very heavy. In addition, they must be cleaned well to eliminate the build up of toxic elements. Acidic foods can't be cooked with copper pots and pans.
The use of antique cooking utensils is quite a two edged sword. Of course, they can cook beautifully if if used correctly. On the other, they can be prohibitively expensive and not really flexible. For instance, a modern utensil can be used in a couple of ways, because of our modern production processes. We can efficiently adjust the thickness of the material used to make our utensils. This wasn't the case a century ago.
Whatever Your Basic Needs, Choose Quality! We could categorize our kitchen utensils list into storing, handling and cooking. Pans and pots come in various sizes and in a great range of materials. It seems quite evident that material quality is directly related to price, but it isn't always the case. The very latest aluminum pan might be twice as expensive as the traditional heavy iron kind, but that doesn't mean that it's twice as efficient. Cast iron spreads the heat throughout the whole surface of the pan, and so cooks more evenly. Less expensive (and thinner) materials tend to allow the cooking heat to concentrate in one area so there is a bigger possibility of burning. Mind you, if you are cooking eggs in hot oil taking just one or two minutes, then a thinner pan is perfect - it warms up quickly and makes a sizzling sound!
Heavy iron and ceramic earthenware is also great for enclosed pots with lids, for baking and stewing in the oven. The large mass of material encases the food and permeates it with heat from all directions. Simple clay pots are also used in this way. Many types of enclosed cooking pots have been adapted to our modern living style by fitting with low power timed electric elements. These electric pots can be set to begin cooking in the afternoon and provide us with a welcome meal at the end of the day.
Many people swear by copper pans, and they can cook very well. However, there are problems with this metal. Firstly, pans made of copper are expensive and they can be very heavy. In addition, they must be cleaned well to eliminate the build up of toxic elements. Acidic foods can't be cooked with copper pots and pans.
The use of antique cooking utensils is quite a two edged sword. Of course, they can cook beautifully if if used correctly. On the other, they can be prohibitively expensive and not really flexible. For instance, a modern utensil can be used in a couple of ways, because of our modern production processes. We can efficiently adjust the thickness of the material used to make our utensils. This wasn't the case a century ago.
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A goodkitchen utensils list is essential when setting up a new kitchen. Head over Sid's site for further information about a kitchen utensils list.