Want that battery powered frosting pen!

I am the first to admit that I'm not the world's most wonderful cook. Complex recipes and their exactness make my flamboyant soul itch, so I love everything about making cupcakes – especially those magic words: 'all-in-one method'. Even I can manage to assemble a vaguely-edible batch of cupcakes and, with Kitchener's fantastic gadgetry for icing and cupcakes (there's a whole section of the website devoted to icing and cupcakes. Much love), my 'creations' might even look presentable. Or at least I can cover them up stylishly.

Look, look, look! A battery-powered frosting pen!
WANT!

Posted by Elizabeth Aylward

Cookware Compared.

In choosing to buy cookware online there are many choices to consider to make sure you get the pots and pans that are right for you and your kitchen. What are the pros and cons of the variety of cookware available?

Cast Iron

Cast iron cookware lasts a lifetime, cooks evenly, and over time develops a nonstick surface. Cast iron cookware requires more maintenance than other cookware in that sometimes the interior surface needs to be sanded and re-seasoned. Cast iron has the added benefit of imparting small amounts of iron in whatever is cooked within, which is a great benefit for those who need more iron in their diet. Prices for cast-iron cookware vary greatly by quality and brand name.

Le Creuset

Le Creuset is a a high-end brand of cast-iron cookware that has been made in France since 1925, and also comes with a lifetime guarantee. Le Creuset has a range of products that include enameled cast-iron, enamel on steel, stoneware, and a tri-ply stainless steel. Many professional cooks and chefs recommend Le Creuset for the high quality of this beloved cookware. One advantage Le Creuset has over other cookware is that the enamelled surface looks great and comes in a variety of beautiful colours.

Stainless Steel

All-Clad is a high-end American cookware company that makes high quality pots and pans from stainless steel that comes with a lifetime guarantee. All-Clad also makes cookware that has a copper bottom and another line that has a copper core. This cookware looks great, has natural nonstick properties, doesn't rust, and the handles don't get hot.

Handcast Aluminum Alloy

SKK is a German company that makes an aluminum cookware that has a titanium bottom that is 40 times harder than stainless steel. An advantage of SKK cookware is that it offers the same high quality cooking of cast iron without the weight. Easy to clean, the SKK cookware comes with a lifetime guarantee.

All of the above cookware share many of the same pros and cons. While stainless steel and cast-iron cookwares have fast and even heat retention, the downside is the price and weight of the pots and pans. So do a little comparison shopping online and decide which cookware works best for you.

Cast Iron Cookware dos and donts

Cast Iron Cookware isn't cheap but it's an investment that will last a long, long time if cared for properly.

There are a few dos and dont's to bear in mind to maintain your cast iron cookware.

1. Do season your cookware.
2. Do dry your cookware thoroughly after washing.
3. Don't plunge a hot cast iron pan into water. You will damage it.
4. Don't let a cast iron pan sit in water for long periods. This will break down the coating you've created and lead to rusting.
5. Don't use soap or detergent when washing the cooking surface. Again, this will break down the seasoning and can create rust.
6. Don't ever use a scourer or wire wool on your pan! Don't worry about any coating that appears through use - it's quite safe. Given the temperatures that the pan will get to nothing that's going to wind up in your kitchen will survive for long anyway.
7. Don't drop a cast iron pot on your toe. They're heavy. It will hurt.

My favourite cookware shop

One of the reasons I started to amass a collection of weird and wonderful cookware was that I live near a really fantastic cookware shop.

Cheltenham Kitchener is a small, family-run kitchenware shop in Cheltenham, UK. The place is jam-packed to its elderly rafters with loads of really amazing kitchen stuff. It's almost impossible to go in there and not leave having made a purchase.

If you're not local to Cheltenham then they also have a great website where you can buy cookware online.

Care of Cast Iron Cookware

Cast iron is a great material for cookware and has been used for well over 150 years. Good quality, cast iron cookware is tough, will retain heat well, is non-stick and if well looked after will last forever.

A new cast iron pan should be washed and seasoned before use. After washing in warm, soapy water dry your cookware well. To season your cast iron cookware simply rub the cooking surface with a light vegetable oil (not olive oil or a spray oil) making sure you completely cover the inside surface. Once you done that place, upside down, in a hot oven (around 250-300°F). It's probably a good idea to place something in the bottom of the oven to catch any drips of oil. After a couple of hours, turn the oven off and leave the pan to cool down - it's going to be hot so this might take a while.

After use, wash your pan in warm water without using soap or detergent as this will eat away at the seasoning and may lead to your pan rusting. Also be aware when cooking acidic foods in your cast iron cookware as the acid will eat into the seasoning and you will need to fully re-season the pan once more.

You can repeat the seasoning process as often as you need to. I find it quite thereputic so sometimes season my Le Creuset cookware just to relax! With proper care you should begin to notice a deep patina developing on your cookware over time. The sign of a great pan that will last many, many years and probably long enough to pass on to your children!