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| BUYING
THE RIGHT SAUCEPAN |
FOOD
& COOKING ARTICLE |
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Why are Stellar saucepans so good?
 Good
cookware is easy to come by; value-for-money cookware
is a whole ‘nother story. The fact is many retailers
and brands will wax lyrical about how good their products
are to justify the inflated price-tag but how do you
really know? Would you know what to look for and how
to identify a good quality pan in the sea of glossy
literature and marketing hype? Most of us wouldn’t,
and would base our purchasing decisions on how good
the saucepans will look hanging up in our kitchens rather
than how they would complement our cooking styles. True,
aesthetics do play a part but it is the materials and
construction of the pans (which you can’t necessarily
see) that will impact your cooking results the most.
Saucepans and cookware do not generally fall into the
“consumables” category and you would be very
unlucky if you have to invest in cookware more than
twice in your lifetime. Items like cleaning scourers
or coffee mugs can be bought on impulse with little
pre-emptive research. With replaceables you are influenced
on what you like at the time or what has worked for
you in the past, but with cookware (if you are lucky)
you won’t have much historic experience to go on.
This is why it is imperative to get it right first time
which therefore means doing your research . . .
 What
to look for in a good saucepan
Quality high-spec materials, thick bases, easy-to-clean-surfaces,
heat resistant handles, suitable for dishwasher use,
price – it is difficult to define what makes a
‘perfect’ saucepan as everyone will have different
views and opinions on the subject. However I will strive
to break down each element and offer recommendations
so that you can make your own judgement.
Saucepan Body
A pan must be able to draw and distribute heat quickly
and efficiently through the whole pan, not just the
base, or you end up with a thick layer of dark brown
carbonized mess at the bottom of the pan which is
every cook’s nightmare. Materials vary in their
heat-transfer efficiency with cast iron, copper and
aluminium sitting pretty at the top. Yet why are 70%
of domestic saucepan ranges out there Stainless steel?
Where cast-iron is extremely heavy and takes a lot
of maintenance much like copper, and plain aluminium
can dull and loose its gleam, durable stainless steel
is like a Trojan keeping its shine to its dying day,
is easy to clean and, to an extent, is self-repairing
with scratches healing over as the bare steel reacts
with oxygen in the air to prevent corrosion.
Stainless steel is an alloy of metals including (but
not always limited to) iron, nickel and chromium used
in varying quantities to boost its overall performance.
18/10 gauge stainless steel contains 18% chromium
which helps to prevent rusting and corrosion and 10%
nickel for a harder wearing surface and is generally
regarded a very high quality stainless steel. However
stainless steel is notably a poor conductor of heat
in comparison to the other metals and therefore is
often infused with an alternate metal core base such
as copper or aluminium to eliminate uneven heat distribution
and hotspots. If opting for stainless steel cookware,
investigate what core metals, if any used in the base.
If pure stainless steel, AVOID.
Copper has been historically used because of its
great conductive properties (twice as efficient as
aluminium and ten times as conductive as steel) and
as such, is used in professional kitchens the world
over. However the average Joe will need to sell body
parts to afford it and unclad copper can taint flavours
and react to particularly acidic foods such as tomatoes.
Because of this, copper is usually always lined with
another material such as stainless steel, tin or a
non-stick coating. More common, is using copper as
a core for pan bases - or for higher end pans, clad
or laminated as part of a tri-ply set up. This combines
the advantages of a highly conductive material in
relatively small quantities to keep the price down
while combating any issues with corrosion, food contamination
and general degradation.
The base of the pan is very important and thickness
plays a big part in determining the quality of cookware,
as does the base material - but you know you are on
to a winner if these same materials run up the sides
and feature in the pan walls. Many pan brands boast
of their thick induction-ready bases or heavy-gauge
aluminium-fused whatnots but few can claim that their
cores run all the way up the pan and this is what
separates the man-pans from the boy-pans (figuratively
speaking). This ensures that pan contents are heated
from the sides as well as the bottom for much better
results and shortened cooking times.
Saucepan Handle
 Quite
the opposite to the pan body, the handle must ideally
be able to prevent as much heat transfer as possible
and there are a number of tried and tested methods
forming today’s options. Thermoplastic and Phenolic
LHT (Low Heat Transmission) handles are arguably the
most effective when it comes to insulating heat from
the pan but have their limitations when used in the
oven and look a little ugly to boot. Handles with
silicone or other stay-cool grips again have their
heat limitations but can look very stylish particularly
when contrasting colours are used. However, with any
flexible material, it is always difficult to obtain
a clean, close-fitting edge, and because of this you
must be wary of dirt build up in hard-to-clean areas
– not ideal when hygiene is paramount.
When addressing hygiene, it is also important to
assess how the handles are attached to the pan body
whether it is via rivets, screws or direct welding
to the pan. Good quality pans will have a join that
is an incredibly close fit limiting its dirt-trap
potential and making cleaning more effective.
Welding or chunky rivets are promising if you are
looking for a long-lasting saucepan but where metal
joins metal, there is a high likelihood that these
handles will conduct heat. Much research and development
has gone into preventing heat transfer through metal
handles by tweaking the shape to bottleneck the heat
entering the handle and a greater surface area to
quickly dissipate what little heat does get through
so by the time it reaches your hand it is negligible.
By doing so, manufacturers have the option to use
attractive stainless steel fully throughout the entire
pan as they see fit.
Care & Maintenance
The longevity of your saucepans depends solely on
how you care for, and maintain them. Some pans are
easier to care for than others, some are easier to
clean than others but all require some degree of love
and affection if they are to stand the test of time.
It is important to know what materials are available
and what their key properties are with regards to
cleaning and maintenance.
Uncoated aluminium, although often used for commercial
cookware because it is inexpensive and durable, is
not often found in a domestic kitchen because of its
dull silver appearance caused by oxidization and reactions
to some high-alkaline dishwasher detergents which
can run off onto your clothes and even taint food.
However, treated aluminium such as enamel-coated aluminium
and more recently, hard-anodized aluminium have become
very popular. Hard anodized cookware is twice as hard
as steel, resisting the inevitable knocks and scrapes
in the kitchen with ease as well as corrosion. The
rough surface allows a better adhesion for paints,
dyes and other aesthetic additions which is why hard
anodized saucepans are popular with the style-conscious.
In the past, hard-anodised cookware has been known
to react detrimentally with chemicals used in dishwashers
but advancements in technology have combated this
problem and most manufacturers visibly declare their
anodized cookware dishwasher friendly. If not made
clear, it is certainly something to look into further
before purchasing.
Stainless steel as mentioned earlier is self-repairing
to an extent as many minor scrapes and scratches exposing
bare metal “reseal” as it reacts with the
air. As the name suggests, stainless steel is very
easy to keep clean but may require periodic polishing
sessions to keep it shiny as new. 18/10 stainless
steel affords a harder surface so most abrasive sponges
will tackle burnt on food without much trouble and
without damaging the surface. For those that despise
hand-cleaning cookware, stainless steel is also suitable
for use in a dishwasher but they will find non-stick
saucepans even less troublesome.
Non stick coatings vary depending on the material
they are being adhered to. Teflon, Greblon, Quantum
2 and Excalibur are examples of non-stick and involve
different ingredients and application methods. There
has been a lot of hoo-har about the dangers of non-stick
coatings in the past, particularly circulating Teflon
and its unsubstantiated links to animal deaths from
fumes given off by burning Teflon and the breakdown
of the coating itself penetrating food. It must be
pointed out though, to reach the kind of temperatures
that non-stick coatings burn at, is extremely unsafe
in its own right. If the cooking guidelines are followed
correctly you will not face this problem and most
non-stick coatings have a huge warranty period for
peace of mind.
THE
“PERFECT PAN”
 With
many top saucepan brands around all offering their take
on the “perfect pan” it is often difficult
to see beyond the hype and marketing spiel, and observe
the pan for what it really is. Among Tefal and their
“Thermo-Spot”, Le Creuset’s colourful
cast-iron cookware, Circulon’s patented circular
grooves to elongate non-stick life (all great ideas
I hasten to add) and many more cookware gimmicks out
there by blow-your-own-horn cookware manufacturers,
is there room for modest companies who let their no-nonsense,
high-quality products do the talking?
Horwood would convince you to believe so with over
a hundred years in the trade, they have been supplying
happy customers throughout the British Isles through
their Stellar and Judge brands and building a solid
reputation along the way. What they have realised, unlike
some other top brands is that while a good design idea
can get you recognised in the first instance, industry
leaders build on a succession of good ideas using their
R & D budget to further the principals of a good
pan, rather than coming up with publicity stunts in
the boardroom. With this in mind, it is clear why the
mention of Stellar
pans are unavoidable in online cookery forums,
“Top 10” cookware lists and the like.
Throughout the majority of their ranges (1000, 4000,
5000, 7000, 8000 & 9000), Stellar use 18/10 stainless
steel with high thermal conductive aluminium “nuggets”
that are fused together as one in a unique hot-forge
process. This means the aluminium and stainless steel
layers are heated until almost molten and then impacted
together at such a force eliminating air pockets and
the need for bonding materials resulting in a much better
performing pan with a minimum 6mm base ensuring heat
is distributed right to the edges extremely quickly.
The Stellar James Martin Lamina range go one step further
with, as the name suggests, a laminated core running
up the walls as well as the base allowing heat to radiate
up the sides quickly, billed by Stellar as “the
most efficient and reactive cookware we sell”.
The alternate material used in the 2000, 3000 &
6000 collections is a high-grade thick aluminium for
superior heat conductivity throughout the entire pan,
with durability and distinctive appearances afforded
by the hard-anodized and enamel coatings. The walls
of these pans alone can be up to 4mm thick but thanks
to the practical lightweight properties of aluminium
it is still ideal for those not taking Superman’s
fitness class and although aluminium is not inherently
suitable for induction, all three collections have been
combined with an induction-friendly base. As a result,
the whole Stellar saucepan range extremely universal
and suitable for all hob types.
Top quality non-stick surfaces including Greblon and
Teflon are specially selected for their adhesion suitability
for the various collections with a maximum-life, scratch
resistant Teflon favoured for the aluminium pans and
Greblon for stainless steel. All of the non-stick surfaces
on the Stellar pans have a 10 year guarantee which is
in addition to the lifetime guarantee that accompanies
every pan so by investing in Stellar, you are investing
for a lifetime of controlled & efficient cooking,
a lifetime of beautiful, easy-to-clean pots and a lifetime
of peace of mind – not flavour-of-the-week gimmicks.
Stellar know that it is the raw ingredients and manufacturing
processes that will come out on top. That is what it
all boils down to (incidentally, don’t let your
pans boil dry – it can kick up all sorts of problems!)
Rick Eliason
Article courtesy of www.4yourkitchen.co.uk
Email
Hub-UK : info@hub-uk.com
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