Many people often ask me a question: Which pot is best for cooking?

As a food self-media writer for many years, I have come into contact with a lot of pots and pans. Today I will talk about the pros and cons of several common types of woks on the market!

At present, the more common woks on the market include non-stick pans, iron pans, stainless steel pans, and enamel pans. Among them, the first three are more common. Enamel pans are called noble pans and can be used for frying, but they are not common as just woks.

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First, let’s talk about non-stick pans.

Broadly speaking, there are several types of non-stick pans, including coated non-stick pans, special-process physical non-stick iron pans or stainless steel pans.

The non-stick pans referred to here refer to coated non-stick pans. Physical non-stick pans will be discussed later. The most popular ones at present are medical stone non-stick pans, and I have used several.

The advantage of the coated non-stick pan is firstly that it is easy to fry, and the cold pan and cold oil will not stick. Especially for novices in the kitchen, the operation is very convenient and has a sense of success. There will be no burnt or sticky bottom, and it will not stick to the bottom.

The sticky pan is lighter; secondly, it uses less oil, has no fumes, makes the kitchen cleaner, and causes less damage to the cook's skin.

At the same time, reducing fat intake conforms to the modern people's pursuit of low-fat and low-calorie health concepts.

For example, when frying tofu, it is easier to use a non-stick pan and glide easily.

For example, fried sugar, fried bean paste, starch and other ingredients are most suitable for non-stick pans. They use very little oil and they will not stick. Other pans will not work unless you add more oil and add kitchen skills.

Disadvantages: There is a chemical coating on the surface of the non-stick pan, which can easily fall off due to high temperatures or permanent exposure.

Therefore, non-stick pans are not suitable for high-temperature stir-frying. Pay attention to cooking on medium or medium heat. Correct use can greatly extend the life of non-stick pans.

The most important thing is to avoid sudden cooling and sudden heating. For example, just rinse the pot directly under the tap after cooking. This will cause great damage to the pot. Many people's pots actually died from this.

Also, because of the coating, you cannot use a shovel or sharp object to clean the pot. Use a soft rag. You usually use a silicone spatula or a wooden spatula, and you cannot fry hard shellfish ingredients.

Summary: Non-stick is easy to use, but you should also pay attention to maintenance. Generally, you need to observe it every 1 to 2 years. If the coating is peeled off and scratched, it is recommended to replace it.

(If you are buying a pot for the elderly, non-stick pots may not be suitable, because many elderly people like to use steel wool to scrub, which should never be used to clean non-stick pots.) Secondly, iron pots.

The iron pot is a traditional pot in our country. Its popularity has declined for a while, but in recent years, with the changes in health concepts and the appearance of iron pots on the Tongue program, the price has risen sharply.

Advantages of iron pots: The pot body is thin, conducts heat quickly, and has no coating, so you don’t have to worry about the coating peeling off.

The key to maintaining an iron pot: Iron pots need oil to maintain. Over time, an "oil film" will form on the surface of the pot. The more you use the pot, the better and non-stick it becomes.

I have an iron pot at home. I bought it when I got married. I have been using it to this day. It is black and shiny and is much better than when I first bought it.

If used correctly, it can last for decades without breaking, and can even be passed down as a "family heirloom" to your children!

Tips: If you are going to fry or boil lard, be sure to use an iron pot. Not only for cooking, but also for maintenance of the pot!

Just like us women making facial masks, haha, the iron pot makes "oil mask"!

Disadvantages of iron pans: they rust easily, consume more oil than non-stick pans, and require certain kitchen skills.

Note: Do not use detergent and steel wool to clean the iron pot. It is best to make less soup and use the wok only for cooking. Use the special pot only.

Because as soon as the dishwashing liquid is washed, the "oil film" that has been built up on the surface will be washed away, and the iron pot will immediately become dull.

After cleaning the iron pot, wipe the surface dry and dry it on low heat. If there are no water stains, there will be no rust.

Generally, the surface of an iron pot is flat and rough, and it takes a long time to grow smoothly.

However, there are also iron pots with concave and embossed texture designs on the surface to reduce the contact area with food, which can achieve partial physical non-stick.

Of course, just such physical non-stickiness is certainly different from chemical coating non-stickiness.

Here is another tip for you to make a non-stick iron pot - heat the oil in a hot pot. Just heat the oil first, then turn it down a little, and add the ingredients. Even if it is fried tofu or stir-fried shredded pork, it will not stick.

La!

The third type is stainless steel pot.

Stainless steel is a pot that contains certain alloy components. It looks shiny on the surface. In fact, the quality is related to the type and content of the alloy it contains.

Prices on the market vary greatly, ranging from tens of yuan for cheap ones to hundreds to thousands of yuan for good ones, but you can’t tell on the surface.

The water is too deep, too deep.

Advantages: A good stainless steel pot has a certain resistance to acids and alkalis.

Disadvantages: Stainless steel also requires skills to achieve physical non-stick.

Usage Tips: Heat the stainless steel pot first. When you see small water droplets standing in the pot without being absorbed by the pot, add oil and stir-fry.

If the stainless steel pot you bought has as good a non-stick effect as the first non-stick pot, I suspect it may have a special coating, haha, personal opinion.