Five Ways to Make Your Cookware Last Longer
Imagine scheduling a sit-down dinner with friends and family only to pull our old pots and pans. You know right away that these pans will do nothing but stick and burn. You always want high-quality cookware in your home. It makes cooking meals easier and less stressful.
However, it's not all about the quality of the cookware. It's about how we treat it as well. Today, we're going to talk about the five ways that you can prolong the life of your cookware through good care and simple tricks.
1. Change Up Your Pot Usage
We've all been "one pot for everything" people at one point. However, this method can end up doing more harm than good. Each pot and pan comes in a multitude of sizes which are to be used depending on the meal size. Pots and pans come in all sizes and which size you use should be based on the meal you are cooking and what burner you are using.
Always cook larger meals on larger pots and burners. On the other hand, smaller meals or sides should be prepared on smaller pots and cookers. This will help create variety in the use of your cookware and thereby stop one pot from becoming unusable while the rest sit on the shelf in perfection.
2. Cook at the Right Temperature
While it might sound smart to turn up the heat and reduce the time it takes to cook, in reality, it doesn't work that way. The time it takes to prepare is dependent on many factors from what you are cooking to what additions you have added to the base meal. Also, cooking your meals to high can dry them out. While you might finish faster, you could end up with a worse product.
Cooking in this manner also hurts your pans. Though pans are meant to withstand various hot temperatures, cooking at a high temperature all the time will wear out the pan faster. For the best results, follow the recipe and take a bit longer to cook each meal. Your taste buds and wallet will thank you in the long run.
3. No Metal Utensils
In your kitchen, you should only be using wood and silicone utensils. While your outdoor grill might have a nice metal utensil set, using those indoors will scratch your cookware. You can also use plastic utensils so long as the plastic is not hard, but soft and flexible. Also, think about using various size utensils. It will make cooking a small and large batch meal simpler when using multiple size pots and pans.
4. Let it Cool
Before you start cleaning your pots and pans, you need to let them cool to room temperature. Pouring cold water into a hot pan might sound like a quick way to speed up cleaning. However, it hurts your container and can lead to warping and a shorter lifespan. If you fear food sticking to it, try using hot water to prevent the food from baking on. This will keep the temperature change from morphing your pot while also helping you save time cleaning later.
5. Hand Wash Your Cookware
If you are genuinely dedicated to prolonging the life of your cookware, then hand washing is for you. While most modern cookware can be washed in the dishwasher, hand washing will always remain the safest course of action. You will be able to control the heat and the violence that your pan endures while it's being cleaned. Another benefit to handwashing is that you can fit more into your dishwasher. Pots and pans can often take up a majority of the dishwasher space leaving you with either multiple loads or hand wash dishes anyway.
If you are need of quality pots and pans, check out the Almond Home selection of skillets. We offer ceramic and non-stick skillets in multiple sizes so that you can cook your food to perfection.