How to Choose the Best Stainless Steel Cookware

Good cooking starts with a good set of cookware.  With the right cookware, you can easily whip up all your favorite dishes.  Today’s cooks find stainless steel cookware to be one of the best choices for the modern kitchen.  Not only do they look good, but they are durable and easy to clean.  Stainless steel cookware is best for frying, browning and roasting foods.

All-Clad 5000-9 Cookware

For food that tastes good and looks good, you should use only the best stainless steel cookware.  The quality of stainless steel pots and pans differ widely, from cheaply constructed cookware to top-of-the-line All-Clad cookware.  An expensive All-Clad cookware set may not be for everybody, but you can still find affordable pots and pans that will work just as well.

While stainless steel has wonderful qualities that make it ideal for cooking, it is a poor conductor of heat.  To overcome this shortcoming, an aluminum or copper core is placed on the bottom of the pan to help distribute heat evenly.  Both metals provide even distribution of heat, but aluminum retains heat much better than copper does.

Top brands use 3-ply or 5-ply stainless steel pots and pans with both aluminum and copper cores sandwiched between layers of stainless steel. If this cookware is outside of your budget, you can look for quality stainless steel pots and pans with an aluminum or copper plate at the bottom.  The plate should extend over the entire bottom of the pan and should be solid and heavy.  Cheaper cookware sets have small plates only in the middle of the pan and do not work very well.

Stainless steel pans are made from an alloy of iron with chromium and nickel.  The heaviest and most durable pans are made of 18/10 stainless steel.  This contains 18% chromium and 10% nickel.  Pots and pans made of 18/8 stainless steel also work well.  Stainless steel cookware labeled as 18/0 contains 18% chromium and 0% nickel.  These are usually very thin and their use is limited to steamers and pasta cookers.

Before purchasing cookware, test the handles of the stainless steel pots and pans.  Handles should be solid and attached securely to the body of the cookware.  They should also be heat resistant or stay cool to protect you from burns or injury.

Stainless steel is non-porous and scratch-resistant, so you can use any kind of utensil on the pans without worrying that the surface will flake or crack.  You’ll always get the natural taste of the food you are cooking.  With the best stainless steel cookware, it has never been easier to serve an appetizing meal.

New Topics - Product Review, Book Review and Recipes

I'm moving forward to make ritzarikitchen.com to be more informative for my visitors.  Not just promoting my cake and cupcakes, but at the same time, I wanted to share some knowledge with others.  And I also appreciate if you could leave your comment :). 

Therefore from time to time, I will now be adding new topic on product review, or book review or even recipes for anyone out there to try it out.

So stay tuned!!!

By the way, my cake and cupcake biz is still on :).

Stainless Steel Cookware Sets

With all the bad publicity that Teflon-coated or non-stick cookware is getting, more and more people are turning to stainless steel cookware. Purchasing a good quality stainless steel cookware set may be one of your best investments in terms of practicality, durability and health benefits.

One big advantage with stainless steel pots and pans is that they are very durable and can last a lifetime. They do not require special care and you can use any kind of cooking utensils on them. Stainless steel does not corrode or stain. To maintain their beautiful mirror finish, you should not use abrasive cleaning materials on them.

Different grades of stainless steel cookware sets are available. They can be made of 18/0, 18/8 or 18/10 stainless steel. The first number gives the percentage of chromium in the steel. The second number is the percentage of nickel.

The best stainless steel cookware uses 18/10 steel. It is the heaviest and the most expensive grade. It is also the most durable and gives the best cooking results. Cookware made of stainless steel that contains no nickel (18/0) is the thinnest, and is suitable only for cooking pasta or for steamers.

Stainless steel pans are ideal for browning meats. It produces a nice fond, the caramelized bits that stick to the bottom of the pan when frying or browning. You can deglaze the pan and make the most delicious gravy.

When buying stainless steel cookware, make sure it has an aluminum or copper core, and preferably both. By itself, stainless steel is a poor conductor of heat. Aluminum and copper will help distribute the heat more evenly, and the cookware will respond quickly to changes in temperature. Also, make sure that the aluminum or copper runs up the sides of the pan.

Buying a set of stainless steel cookware has its advantages. First of all, a cookware set is visually more attractive than a collection of mismatched pot and pans. Second, you can choose a set that suits your budget as well as the size that your family needs. You will get great value for your money with a good set of cookware.

A typical cookware set may consist of covered saucepans, skillets, covered sauté pan, covered stock pot, and steamer. The saucepans and skillets usually come in different sizes. Some cookware sets may include a Dutch oven.

When buying a stainless steel cookware set, always buy the best that you can afford. After all, you’ll be cooking with it for many years to come.

Strawberry Mousse with Dark Chocolate Shavings

I found this recipe and have yet to try it.  Anyway, I posted it here to share it with my readers. For those who love strawberries, you ought to try it out. :)

Ingredients:

1 lb strawberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

4 egg whites

2 tbsp lemon juice

Dark chocolate

Chopped pistachio

Instructions:

Place the strawberries in a food processor, together with the lemon juice and sugar. Puree until smooth.

In a mixing bowl, mix the whipping cream with an electric mixer until stiff. Add the pureed strawberries and mix gently.

Then mix the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Very carefully fold in the egg whites into the berry/cream mixture. Put the mousse into individual glass dishes and chill for at least 2 hours, until nice and firm.

Sprinkle with freshly grated dark chocolate and pistachio and enjoy!

Gift Box Cake Again

I simply loved wrapping my cake.  :)  And this time, I received another order requested for gift box cake.  Saufee from Kajang wanted to surprise his wife.  After a few times exchanging emails, he agreed on the design.  Finally the day came, and the delivery was made to Avilion Admiral Cove as the celebration was held there.

Let's enjoy looking at the gift box cake. 

Inside cake Chocolate Marble Cheese Cake

Theme color : Orange and Brown

Thanks, Saufee 

for your order.

Interested to order for your love ones on his/her special day? Drop an email to rose@ritzarikitchen.com or ritzaribakery@gmail.com for further inquiry.  You can also join us at FB fanpage, RitzDelight or you can text me at 019.370.1923 or whatsupp me at 017.7501393.  Please mentioned your name when you text me. :)