Hello everyone, I am Xiao Gaojie.
In the last episode I talked about aluminum pans, copper pans and stainless steel pans.
This episode focuses on glass pots, enameled pans, non-stick pans and ceramic non-stick pans.
Let me talk about the glass pan first
In the last episode experiment, everyone saw that the glass pot has very poor thermal conductivity.
In fact, it is not only thermal conductivity, but its non-stickiness is also particularly bad.
Take a look at this fried egg in the glass pan
It’s burnt around edge of the egg but completely running in the center
And very sticky to the pan, there is no way to turn over
You see here, can you imagine how despair I am
The task of ordinary frying pan is basically impossible to complete
Not very useful, it is not recommended
Let me talk about the enameled pans
Let's figure out what is enamel
Simply put, the glass powder is melted at a high temperature to form a film wrapped on the outside of the metal.
Same as glass, it is also more sticky
It is not particularly ideal for frying pan, but as a stew pot
It is not a big problem, because basically it is boiling water in side all the time.
How to choose a good enameled pot
Usually the enameled cookware is especially brightly colored.
It will use lead or cadmium when it is manufactured.
Canada is forbidden to sell glass pots containing lead or cadmium
I don't know the rules of your region
But I suggest you buy a named brand
Lodge is a US company with a hundred years of history
Lodge enameled cookwares are produced in China, so it is relatively cheap
The other two brands are more famous.
Le creuset and Staub, which are made in France.
In addition to the different appearance, there is no obvious difference in performance between the two pots.
The only thing is that the handle on the Staub is metal.
While Le creuset is a plastic which can resist high temperature
My pot is 28cm, relatively big
Because I used to bake large bread
If you don't bake a loaf, just use it as a stew pot.
26cm is more suitable
I used this pot for many years, often in the oven and preheated at 525 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the hottest, the color of the pot becomes darker
But after cooling, it returns to bright red.
So far, after 5 years of use
No crack found
This pot is very durable and the manufacturer has a lifetime warranty.
If the budget allows, this is a good choice
You will feel happy every time you cook with it
Let's talk about the non-stick pan
There are too many non-stick pans on the market
I will summarize it in a few simple words, so that you have a very clear idea.
First, there are two types of non-stick pans
One is ceramic non-stick pan
The other is a non-stick pan with a chemical coating.
Let me talk about ceramic non-stick pan
My pot is a Zwilling ceramic nonstick pan
Its non-stickiness is disappearing faster than you can imagine
Some people say that the non-stickiness of ceramic non-stick pan can last for one year.
Mine may not even last for a month, and then it became like this.
Think about it, ceramics should be very close to the glass.
You can also check it yourself. This stickiness is a common problem with this ceramic nonstick pan.
If a non-stick pan becomes a stick pan
you might have to change its name
Let’s talk about a chemically coated frying pan.
One of the biggest concerns for everyone is whether this pot is harmful to health.
To figure this out, you need to know two substances.
One is PFOA and the other is PTFE
Polytetrafluoroethylene
You don't need to know what these two are.
You only need to know where they are and what hurts you.
Non-stick coating is PTFE,
PFOA is the material used in the production of non-stick coating
After the production is over, PFOA will be released.
Therefore, the coating does not contain PFOA.
Some studies suggest that PFOA may cause cancer in humans.
And it is difficult to decompose in nature
Environmental and health organizations hopes that manufacturers will stop releasing PFOA
Many manufacturers now do not use PFOA in the production process.
But the coating of the non-stick pans are still the same
It is PTFE
If you pay attention, you will see a lot of product descriptions marked, do not contain PFOA
It means that the PFOA is not released during the production process.
Whether or not it is marked as not containing PFOA
Non-stick pans are all free of PFOA
So PFOA is in nature, indirect contact with you.
while PTFE is in your kitchen, and you use it on the daily basis
Of course, environmental protection is also very important.
About this PTFE
From the current research results
American Cancer Society believes that PTFE is not a carcinogen
But the World Health Organization lists it as a third type of carcinogen.
Drinking coffee and caffeine in the same class of carcinogens
It is stable at low temperatures and decomposes when exposed to high temperatures.
At high temperature it will release gas
This gas can kill birds
And it will cause people to have symptoms similar to having a cold
Of course, the coating will burn out.
You can use non-stick pans as a supplement to your iron pans
And be sure to use the non-stick pan correctly.
You often see a red dot in the middle of the nonstick pan
The red dot turns color, which indicates temperature of this pan is high enough to add ingredients
There is another implied meaning
It tells you that don't heat up this pan anymore, otherwise it will be damaged
Actually helping you protect this pan
So it can last longer
Of course, producing a non-stick pan
in addition to coatings, there are other factors
We are focusing on what matters the most for a non-stick pan.
High temperature resistance is the weakest link
So when you choose a non-stick pan, you have to look at the highest temperature it can withstand in the oven.
The higher the temperature, the more durable of the pan.
Here are some brands for your reference
T-fal can withstand the high temperature of 500F
A lot higher than the average 350F or 400F
The other is a non-stick pan made of hard anodized aluminum.
This material is harder than ordinary aluminum.
I give you a brand name for reference: Calphalon Unison series
This technology was invented by this company.
Can also withstand temperatures of 500 degrees Fahrenheit
I don't recommend anything more expensive, since almost all the non-stick coating is made with PTFE. And you can not change the fact that PTFE can't stand very high heat
The lifespan of a non-stick pan is at most two or three years.
One more thing, non-stick pans are mostly made of aluminum.
If you use an induction cooker, you may have to check if it is compatible with the induction cooker.
I talked about 4 frying pans today. In the next episode, I will talk about my experience with cast iron pans, carbon steel pans and Chinese woks.
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Thank you for watching, see you next episode