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The Best Kitchen Tools for Stainless Steel Cookware

The best kitchen tools for stainless steel cookware might not be what you think, but first a few comments about the cookware itself. Stainless steel cookware is shiny and attractive, and is used in many professional kitchens in preference to any other type. It looks extremely clean and bright, and has a very prestigious appearance when hanging in your kitchen in full view of visitors.

Stainless steel is a good choice of metal for your cookware, although paradoxically it is not a great heat conductor so the best form of stainless cookware to purchase should have highly conductive copper or aluminum sandwiched between the stainless steel at the base of the pan. This will ensure a more even distribution of heat across the base of the pan and more even cooking without burning.

Although you might find it somewhat confusing to learn, the most appropriate utensils for stainless steel cookware are fashioned from stainless steel. That’s right – stainless steel utensils for stainless pots and pans. You might think that they should scratch, but they don’t – not unless you try to, and even then you have to try hard. The reason for this is the same as why you can’t scratch glass with glass: one metal has to be harder than another in order to scratch it.

Although stainless kitchen implements would look great in your kitchen, you can also use wood if the thought of using metal tools disturbs you. Wood is fine, but the problem is that you don’t get a full range of kitchen tools in wood. Wooden spoons and spatulas are common, but not slotted spoons, ladles or wooden fish slices. You can use wood to an extent, and also some plastics so long as they are not too soft.

Plastic tools are OK: they are functional and won’t harm your stainless steel cookware, but they can soften and they don’t generally have the strength behind them for any heavy jobs on the stove. Plastic also melts if you leave it too long in contact with the side of a pan – and that is not an uncommon occurrence as I am sure you will know. However, wood and plastic have one advantage over stainless steel kitchen tools, and that is that they don’t conduct heat very well. You can use them without burning your hands.

There is one solution to that problem that the wonders of science have brought to us: silicone. Kitchen tools made from cross-linked silicone polymers do not melt, do not conduct heat and do not scratch stainless steel cookware. However, they do cost money and they still look like plastic. Don’t get me wrong – looks aren’t everything, but for many women the look of their kitchen is just as important as its functionality, and often even more so.

No matter what kitchen implements you are using, you should know how to use your cookware properly. Many don’t and contribute to the scratching and burning that you often see on poorly maintained stainless steel pots and pans. Make sure that you add a light layer of oil to the base of your pan before cooking, and that you cook at the right heat.

Use too high a heat then you will burn the food onto the base, and that is when cookware gets scratched, stainless steel or not. Many women will get an abrasive pad and scrub away at the base of the pan trying to get it clean, and then wonder why it has got all scratched! Unbelievable! I am sure you know that if you burn stainless steel cookware, you should steep it in warm water and a detergent until it is soft enough to remove with a soft sponge.

Some people are too impatient and want their cookware cleaned immediately and not left lying about. These are the people with scratched and permanently discolored pans. Take your time and make sure you do the job right and you will have a shiny set of cookware that will last you almost forever.

However, back to the best kitchen tools for stainless steel cookware. You have four choices: wood, plastic, silicone and stainless steel itself. You can safely use each of these with your cookware, so your choice will be made on a combination of cost, looks, functionality, ease of use and tendency to burn.

Only you know which of these properties are most important to you, but it difficult to see past stainless steel tools for stainless steel cookware. The tools or implements look good, and are both easy to clean and long-lasting. However, ultimately which you use is up to you.

About the Author

For more information on stainless steel cookware and the most appropriate kitchen implements for it visit
http://www.uniquecookwares.com
where Rosemarie will offer you a lot more information on
Unique Cookwares
and how to look after it.

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