Cooking: High Quality Cookware

And here yet another piece from one of our readers. If you’d like to share your thoughts on cookware too, please leave a comment below. Thanks!

I have very fond memories of cooking with my Grandmother. Grandma’s house was often filled with the good smells of chicken frying on her stove. Her black cast iron skillet was used frequently and really was an integral part of her kitchen.  However today we are trying to eat a healthier diet. We rarely eat fried food.  So, when Mum offered me grandma’s black iron skillet, I took it for sentimental reasons, not because I thought I’d use it. Boy was I wrong!

This black beauty is a reliable performer and has some unique features not found in modern cookware. Grandma’s fryer is big and it is great for frying.  This summer we enjoyed a couple of fish fry’s with friends.  I don’t like the smell of fish cooking inside, so we used the outdoor gas grill to fry the fish. The cast iron skillet worked like a charm.  The black iron skillet is the only pan that can stand that kind of total heat treatment. We even closed the grill lid to get maximum heat utilization.   Okay, I admit fried fish isn’t that much healthier then fried chicken. However, our summer fish frys were a fun. This was an inexpensive gathering with friends we would have missed without grandma’s iron skillet.

Grandma’s skillet also makes great oven baked corn bread. Corn bread made in a cast iron skillet seems to have better flavor development and browns very nicely.

Finally the cast iron skillet has become our preferred pan for pancakes. Every Sunday morning we enjoy homemade pancakes.  This skillet provides even heat distribution and our pancakes cook perfectly.  Of course Grandma’s iron skillet is well seasoned so just a little added oil is required.

A black iron skillet does require care. We clean the skillet immediately and we never soak this skillet.   After washing, we dry the skillet on the stove over low heat.   While still warm, I season my iron skillet by rubbing a little oil on the surface when required.

I think of my grandmother when I use the skillet.  I hope with a little care and a lot of love this skillet will provide many years of service to my family for another generation or two.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful article. For more articles on cast iron cookware click here (including how to handle cast iron cookware, different kinds of cast iron cookware and more).

Here another piece that one of our readers sent in. Thanks for that! If you too want to share your thoughts on cookware, please leave a comment below.

On Mother’s day several years ago my kids and husband presented me with a couple of Scanpans.  I love this cookware and use it daily.  My Scanpan pots look like new, even after several years of cooking.

I have two pieces of Scanpan cookware.  My first piece is a huge round pot with a glass lid. This pan is excellent for making chili, soup or spaghetti sauce.  The second Scanpan pot is a high-walled stir fry pan with a glass lid.   I use this pot for Asian style stir-fry cooking. Both pieces are non-stick, heavy durable pans.

I am really pleased with the performance of my Scanpan cookware.  Food cooks evenly.  The pan is solid, so dents are not an issue.   Although the pans are non-stick, I like little to add a little olive oil to help brown onions or when stir-frying.

The glass tops concerned me at first.  I thought in a house with several teenagers these lids would be short lived.  However the lids are made of heavy and apparently strong glass.  The lids have survived three moves and my teenagers.  I like the fact that the lids are clear, so you can view the food while cooking.   The one downside of the glass lids is the weight.   The lids are heavy and can be a difficult to turn over and set down when trying to attend your cooking.

These pans came with a special cleaning brush.  That tool went by the wayside early on. Now I just use a sponge or cloth for cleaning.   If there is a tough spot to remove I will use the green plastic scratch pads.   I find my Scanpans are easy to clean without a lot of dramas.

Scanpan cookware is pricey but worth it. This durable cookware is worth the investment, at least it was for me.

Scanpan pros:

• look like new, even after long usage
• non-stick
• heavy durable (no dents)
• food cooks evenly
• glass lids are made of strong glass (don’t break easy)
• lids are clear, you can watch the food cook

Scanpan contras:

• lids are very heavy, difficult to handle when cooking
• cleaning brush is useless
• expensive

I hope you found this article useful. Please also check out our article on how to buy Scanpan cookware cheaper.

Here another post that one of our readers submitted, thanks for sharing! If you have thoughts on cookware that you’d like to share, just write them in the comments section below. Thanks!

There are two areas that come to mind when I think of cookware.

The first is how easy is it to use, and how easy does it clean up. These questions are very important because of the lifestyle I lead. I have very little time to spend cooking over the hot stove, and clean up is a given.

I have found that almost any brand of non stick cookware will work for those easy clean ups. But I will add that you get what you pay for. Spending a little more money overall will get you a product that lasts longer, I have found the Rachael Ray non stick Hard Anodized cookware to be great for my needs.

It is a good quality set at an equally good price. Another thing that I can not live without is my Rival Crock Pot.

I am a single mother, with the time taken way running kids around to practices and working, I find the convenience of using the crock pot high on my list of necessities. I am able to cook wonderful tasting meals with very little prep time.

The Rival crock-pot that I purchased has two crocks. The first is your normal crock pot, but the second is divided into two separate areas. I like this when I am making nacho’s and have my meat on the one side and the melted cheese on the other. I use this all the time at parties. (Check out this article from YourHouseHoldKeeper titled “Save Money by Cooking with a Crock-pot” and Crock Pot recipes too).

Last but not least is my enamel roaster. I am talking the old blue roaster with white speckles on it, the kind your grandmother use to have. It literally makes the best roasted chicken. I have perfect roasted chicken every time I use it. When its time to make one of their favorite meals, it is almost always the roasted chicken that is requested. Having the right cookware, not only makes the job enjoyable, but it also makes it fun.