How to Take Good Care of Your Best Cookware

Correctly treating your cookware can make cooking and cleaning easier while extending the life of your pots and pans set. Some types of cookware have specific cleaning instructions, while others require prep before cooking any food inside. With proper care, your cookware will last for years, and in some cases, generations.

Copper Cookware

Scouring your copper cookware can damage the lining on your cookware set, especially if it’s a tin lining. Instead, wash copper pots and pans with warm water and dishwashing liquid. Cold water in a hot copper pan can warp the metal. If baked-on food is still a problem, soak the cookware in a solution of warm water and dishwashing liquid. Afterward, clean the exterior by polishing with a solution of white vinegar and salt or commercial copper cleaner.

Cast Iron Pans

For many years, the rule of thumb was cleaning cast iron with salt and hot water. Soap was never to touch the seasoning of cast iron, lest the taste of soap soaks into the porous surface. However, the has tide turned, and soap is now acceptable. It turns out that as long as a cast iron pan is well seasoned, the soap does not soak in.

You should season a cast iron pan before first use, and every once in a while. Brush all of the surfaces of the cast iron with a thin layer of oil, such as unflavored vegetable oil, and bake the skillet at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour. This creates a layer of polymerized oil, essentially making the cast iron nonstick.

Never put cast iron in the dishwasher, and do not use any scouring pads to clean the cast iron. Dry the cookware immediately, or it could rust after cleaning. After drying, rub with a thin layer of cooking oil and store the cookware in a dry place.

Aluminum Cookware

Aluminum cookware should not be cleaned in the dishwasher. Untreated or uncoated aluminum run through the dishwasher will speed up the oxidation process, leaving unsightly visible traces. Instead, wash the cookware as soon as possible after use (once it has cooled), and hand-dry it to avoid pitting. Use a soapy non-scratch scouring pad to shine the surface of the aluminum.

Stainless Steel Cookware

Let stainless steel cool down before trying to clean it. To avoid stains, wash stainless steel cookware with water and detergent as soon as possible. Scouring pads can scratch surfaces, making them more prone to staining. Soaking stainless steel cookware for long periods can cause mineral salts in the water to pit the cookware. Acidic food can damage the surface of stainless-steel cookware.

Nonstick Pans

While nonstick pans are among the few types of cookware sets that are dishwasher safe, you should instead hand-wash after it cools down. Use a soft sponge, such as plastic or nylon, with liquid detergent, or a paste of equal parts water and baking soda. To repair the surface, rub it down with a thin layer of vegetable oil and wipe away the excess, then leave it to dry—much like seasoning a cast-iron pan.

When cooking, use a small amount of fat, like butter or oil, before turning on the heat, and distribute the layer of fat evenly. Be sure to use only wooden or plastic utensils, as metal utensils can scratch the surface of cookware.

About CHEFS Catalog

Since 1979, CHEFS Catalog has offered the highest quality equipment to the culinary world, from professional chefs to home cooks. CHEFS Catalog’s collections provide practical kitchen solutions with bakeware sets, appliances, cutlery, recipes, advice, and more. With a passion for all things culinary, they understand the need for durable, reliable kitchenware. They started out as a premier commercial catalog, featuring Julia Child on an early cover. In 2017, CHEFS Catalog transformed into the go-to online source for quality cookware, bakeware, and accessories.

For all of your cookware needs, visit Chefscatalog.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2KF6tiz

5 Great Housewarming Gift Ideas for the New Homeowner

If you’re worried about what to get new homeowners for their house, think about a theme of renewal and practicality. What might they have not replaced in a while? Or what’s something they might not have yet but that is incredibly useful? You could help ease the transition for them with a practical yet thoughtful gift.

The best parts about moving into a new house are decorating it and throwing a housewarming party to celebrate a new chapter in life. If you’re the one going to the party, here are a few ideas for welcoming your friends into their new home.

Set of Food Storage Containers

A set of high-quality food storage containers is a winning idea. It seems like it’s one kitchen essential that needs to be replaced or upgraded periodically because lids get lost, plastic melts, or food stains the inside of the container. A set that includes glass containers with plastic lids would make a really nice gift for new homeowners. Choose an aesthetically-pleasing set with hinged, snap lids.

Tabletop Spiralizer

Vegetable lovers will appreciate an indispensable tool that can turn carrots, zucchini, beets, radishes, cucumbers, and more into fun spiral shapes. Vegetable noodles are a tasty, healthy alternative to pasta. A tabletop spiralizer is faster and safer to use than a knife for creating uniform spaghetti-shaped noodles. It’s a great gift for anyone who is making an effort to eat healthier or who simply wants to experiment with veggie textures and food presentation.

Jelly Roll Pans

Sometimes recipes call for a jelly roll pan, which is basically a smaller version of a rimmed baking sheet. With a jelly roll pan, you can bake thin sheet cakes or sponge cakes, coat them with cream or jelly, and roll the cake into a cylinder shape. These compact pans are also suitable for roasting vegetables and baking cookies. Chances are the new homeowners could use new bakeware sets that include two jelly roll pans.

Copper Cookware

Copper is not only beautiful, but it also offers superior heat conduction and even heat distribution to maintain the purity of your cooking flavors. Designed for oven-to-table serving, everyone needs at least one piece of copper cookware in their collection of pots and pans. If a full copper piece isn’t in your budget, you could always choose a stainless steel Dutch oven that has a textured copper lid. It’s a beautiful and versatile statement piece.

Professional Kitchen Towels

A nice set of large utilitarian kitchen towels are handy and serve many purposes. They are lint- and streak-free, and made of durable cotton that can handle cleaning, scrubbing, and drying required in daily kitchen use. You don’t see a chef without a kitchen towel in a restaurant setting. If a splash of sauce runs off the edge of a plate, one quick swipe of the towel provides proper touch-up before serving the meal. Home cooks equally appreciate the versatility of these towels.

About CHEFS Catalog

Founded in 1979, CHEFS Catalog specializes in offering those in the culinary world, from professional to amateur, with the highest quality kitchen equipment. CHEFS Catalog aims to provide the finest and most practical kitchen solutions with a wide array of offerings, including cookware sets, appliances, cutlery, recipes, advice, and more. Beginning as a commercial catalog with Julia Child featured on an early cover, CHEFS Catalog has since evolved into the online source for quality cookware and accessories, launching a convenient e-commerce site in 2017.

Upgrade your kitchen with the exceptional quality of kitchenware CHEFS Catalog offers, at Chefscatalog.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/30V2XG7

The Best Kitchen Gifts for Mother’s Day

This Mother’s Day, give your favorite home cook a special gift she’s had her heart set on, but might be too shy to ask for. Or maybe she doesn’t even know she needs what you’re about to give her. If the mom you are buying for loves cooking, you want to get her something practical and that she’ll use often, but also an item that looks classy on the counter and is a natural conversation piece when she’s entertaining.To celebrate the mom in your life, here are some unique ideas that are sure to make her feel special on May 12.

Copper Cookware

Copper pots and pans are attractive with a distinct shiny look, which is why people proudly display them on open hanging racks in their kitchens. Not only do many copper cookware pieces look great in the kitchen, but they also make a statement on the table. Other cookware sets just don’t have the same flair. Beyond beauty,copper is an excellent heat conductor. It’s very responsive to temperature changes, which is why many cooks use copper to make delicate sauces or risottos—basically anything where you need precision heat control. The fun part is picking out a signature piece or two—or a whole set. Does she need a saute pan, casserole, or stew pot? Wherever your decision lands, copper cookware is an ultimate choice for gourmets and home chefs alike.

Knife Set

It could be argued that there’s nothing more indispensable in the kitchen than a perfect chef’s knife that’s designed to do everything from chopping vegetables to mincing garlic to slicing fish. After all, the art of cooking truly starts with the dicing, chopping, and slicing of ingredients. Maybe she already has that one knife that fits perfectly in her hand. However, if she’s been coveting a knife set but hasn’t yet made the purchase, make her Mother’s Day extra special with a classic set, such as a Wusthof knife set—one of the most trusted and well-known brands among professional chefs and home cooks. Wusthof knives have been manufactured in Solingen, Germany since 1814. Over 200 years later, Wusthof is still family-owned and managed, and creating a wide range of cutlery in Solingen.

Saute Pan

Every cook needs a great multitasking saute pan. It’s the one pan you reach for when you want to scramble, sear, and, of course, saute. A saute pan is similar to a skillet because they both have wide, flat bottoms. But a saute pan’s sides are straight and relatively tall, making it less likely to spill liquids when stirring. A skillet has slanted sides. Nuances aside, saute pans come in every size imaginable and are an essential tool in the kitchen. They also range in materials, including cast iron, nonstick, and stainless steel. A saute pan is probably the one she reaches for the most often, so make sure she has a good one in her kitchen.

Whether it’s copper cookware, a knife set, a saute pan—or all of the above—you’re bound to make your mother happy while she’s whipping up something delicious in her kitchen.

About CHEFS Catalog

Since 1979, CHEFS Catalog has offered top-quality, high-performing kitchen equipment for chefs and cooks of all skills levels to create everyday meals and gourmet feasts. CHEFS Catalog strives to reach everyone from cooking enthusiasts to professional chefs. The company features the best kitchen solution products as well as recipes and other helpful kitchen tricks and tips. CHEFS Catalog is passionate about cooking and understands your need for reliable and long-lasting kitchenware. The company started as a commercial catalog in 1979 and featured Julia Child on one of the early covers. CHEFS Catalog has evolved over the years and launched a new e-commerce site in 2017.

For more Mother’s Day gift ideas and to browse the full line of CHEFS Catalog kitchenware, visit Chefscatalog.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2KXtM9k