Sauté pan, wok, crepe maker: tips for choosing the right pan © iStock
Before you jump into the “cookware” section of your store, you need to ask yourself some preliminary questions.
- What is the type of your cooker?
For gas, electric or ceramic hobs, the question does not arise. On the other hand, if you have a induction hob, only the compatible stoves (magnetic) are accessible to you. They are sometimes a little more expensive, but, unlike a few years ago, all brands now have a dedicated range. This answer depends on the number, the size but also the type of pan you choose: sauté pan, wok , crepe maker, or all three for the most passionate about cooking!
In any case, the important thing is to correctly control the cooking temperature. Tefal, for example, offers the Thermospot, an indicator that turns dark red when the temperature is ideal.
Be careful not to heat too hard and for too long, it is doubly harmful: from the food, which is degraded, and from the material of the pan, which can release toxic substances.
Sometimes it makes more sense to invest in a quality product, rather than buying back cookware every year. “The first criteria for choosing a stove are strength and resistance” explains Delphine Gal, marketing manager at Tefal.
A quality pan is a frying pan that conducts heat well, which requires little maintenance, and whose bottom is heavy and thick. This is a guarantee that the heat will be correctly distributed over the surface of the pan.
Aluminum or stainless steel, cast iron or ceramic? And what coating? We explain everything in the following paragraphs. Also think about handle of your pan : ideally, it should be heat resistant, easy to handle and easy to clean.
