dishes

German, Czech and other modern tableware - the shop of choice

What kind of cookware you need depends on what and how you cook, whether you have an oven, how much space there is in the kitchen, and how many people are in the family.

A set of basic dishes for 1-2 people looks like this:

• 2 pans - small (for breakfast) and medium (for other dishes)
• 2 pots - 1 small dipper (porridge, egg, 1-2 servings of cereal), 1 medium pot for soup and pasta
• 1 medium rectangular shape - for baking meat, poultry or fish.

An average tableware set for a family of 3-4 people, including children:

• 3-4 pans - add a large and deep one (for stew, pilaf or pie) and a small flat one (pancakes for breakfast)
• 3 pots - add 1 for larger soups and broths
• 2-4 baking and baking pans - add a large dish (for stuffing, roasting meat, baked vegetables), a muffin pan, a round pie dish. A double boiler is useful for cooking for children.

For advanced cooks:

• Add paella pans, woks and grills
• Add spaghetti pots and brazils - low and wide pots with thick walls that you can boil, fry and bake in;
• Add tagines and ramekins, tart and quiche pans, muffins and cakes of various sizes.

Set or individually?

Dishes consisting of pots and pans are given as gifts for housewarming or birthdays. It seems practical, but some of it collects dust in the kitchen cupboard. If you're going to buy it yourself, find out what you need first. A set of dishes is good, because this way you can save up to 20% of the budget than if you buy everything separately. But only on the condition that everything from the set is useful for you. Therefore, if you cook a little, take a cookware set consisting of 2-4 items: a couple of pots, a salad, a pan or a stewpan. It's worth picking up large pottery sets when you want everything in the same style. This is important if the designer worked on your interior and all the details were not randomly selected. There are brands that prepare baroque, provencal, high-tech or vintage dishes.

Another plus of a set of dishes is that the dishes fit together and it is convenient to store them. Pots and pans sometimes have handles that fold away so they don't take up much shelf space. If you like to experiment, look for cookware sets for certain dishes. For example, for wok or fondue. There can be not only dishes, but also accessories - so you can organize a themed party. This dinnerware set is also perfect as a gift.

If you buy cookware separately, sometimes it's easier to start with 2-3 essential pots and only then buy something for yourself. For example, grill pans or woks. It seems that buying separate dishes is not as profitable as a set, but then you won't win too much. As for style, you can choose individual items from the same tableware collection.

How to choose a set of pots (German and Czech cookware)

Size: 0.7 liters per serving. If you are cooking for 1-2 people, 1-1.5 liters is enough, for three you need a 2-3 liter pot, etc.

according to the form. For spaghetti, you need a pot with a small diameter, but with high walls. It is better to cook the meat in a wide dish with low sides. Finally, for first courses and side dishes, dishes of medium height and diameter are suitable.

According to the material. Boilers made of steel are the most popular: this is medical steel, which is not afraid of shocks and high temperatures, does not rust and does not oxidize for a long time. You can cook a dish in a steel pan on any stove - including induction and glass ceramic. Serves for a long time, heats up quickly, tolerates temperature changes well: you can reheat yesterday's soup or stew - on the stove, in the oven or in the microwave. Steel is unpretentious in maintenance, but it is better not to wash it with powders and metal sponges. Among the disadvantages - such dishes are characterized by not the fastest and most even heating, it cools down quickly, it is better not to store ready meals in such dishes - the taste may be bad.

Aluminum utensils

Aluminum cookware heats up faster than others, weighs less and does not rust. If it is a pot made of thin stamped aluminum, then it is good to heat food in it, boil eggs, cook pasta and cereals. The disadvantage of such dishes is that they quickly deform and oxidize, food cooks unevenly and burns. Cast aluminum is thicker and stronger, often with additional layers of marble chips, titanium and composite. Such dishes heat up evenly and retain heat better, the dishes inside it do not burn. They are not suitable for induction cookers, they must be washed carefully: without powders and hard sponges. Cooked food should not be stored in aluminum containers.

Cast iron is the heaviest, but strong and durable pot. It distributes heat perfectly, heats up to maximum temperature, is suitable for stoves and open fires, and cast iron cookware stays warm for a long time. You can fry and cook in a cast-iron pan, the dishes remain juicy and do not burn - even if you cook for a long time or without oil and at maximum heat. Pure uncoated cast iron will rust, so it is better to choose enameled cookware. Cast iron heats up more slowly than others, so it is inconvenient to heat food in it. Not recommended for glass-ceramic and induction cookware.

Copper pans are expensive, but professional chefs love them. Copper cookware heats up very quickly and evenly, does not rust, is suitable for delicate dishes, sour foods and sugar. Therefore, it is convenient to prepare jams and delicate sauces in it: nothing burns or curls. Copper is a heavy metal that oxidizes when it comes into contact with food. To prevent it from getting into the food, the vessel is covered from the inside with tin-plated steel. Copper dishes look very beautiful - you can serve dishes on the festive table. Not suitable for induction cookers. It is better to clean with special means.

Cover: enamel, ceramic, synthetic.

Vitreous enamel is the most durable tableware: it melts to the bottom, can be baked at 200 degrees, does not rust and is easy to clean. Can be washed in a dishwasher.

Ceramics is the most environmentally friendly, does not spoil the taste of dishes, better preserves all juices and vitamins. You can store ready-made dishes in such dishes and eat them at the table.

The synthetic coating allows you to fry without oil, even caramel and scrambled eggs do not stick, but they are the most fragile. You can cook only with a plastic or silicone spatula, the dishes should be washed with a soft sponge, heated to 200 degrees and only on the stove.

• If the lower part of the pot is multi-layered, and the handles are metal, then you can cook, fry, stew and bake in the pot. It is better if the composition includes cast aluminum, steel, stone chips. Such a bottom distributes heat perfectly: you can fry steaks without oil at maximum heat and nothing will burn.
• If you are cooking on induction cookware or glass ceramic, take a pot with a perfectly flat and stable bottom. For copper or aluminum cookware, there are special steel discs for cooking on induction cooktops.
• When you use several different pots, it would be good if they fit together - so it is easier to store.
• If you often prepare and reheat baby food, use a saucepan or small pot with a handle. You can even handle cooking with one hand and hold the baby with the other.
• The transparent lid helps you keep an eye on the food: no need to lift it every 5 minutes. But the glass must be very durable, able to withstand shock and high temperatures.
• The handles on the lid and the pot itself are best made of steel: such dishes do not melt and are not afraid of high temperatures, you can heat the dish in the oven with them.
• Removable handles are also very convenient: pots take up less space, you can place similar dishes in the oven.

How to choose a pan set (modern German and Czech cookware)

in size. If we consider the volume for the pan, then we consider the diameter in centimeters for the pan. The diameter is indicated not for the lower, but for the upper circle. A 16-18 cm dish is enough to prepare breakfast for 1-2 people or to heat up a portion, for lunch or dinner for a family of 3 - 22-24 cm. The largest pan - 26-28 cm - is needed. Make more than 2-3 servings and make a stew or risotto. Woks also have this diameter, although their bottoms are quite small.

In addition to the diameter, pay attention to the height of the vessel walls. Pans with 1-2 cm walls are needed for frying pancakes and pancakes, 3-5 cm for frying meat or meatballs, from 6 cm and more for cooking stew, pilaf or large pieces of meat and game.

according to type and shape. In the kitchen, you most often need a standard pan with straight or slightly expanded walls. At such times, it is convenient to stir the food and turn it with a spatula. There are other utensils that are used for certain dishes. For example, a grill pan with a ribbed surface. Its shape can be round, oval, rectangular or square. Focus on the size of the portions and the burners on the stove. On a round or square pan, you can fry on only one fire, and on a rectangular or oval pan - on two at the same time.

The wok also has a special shape that allows you to cook on high heat using the walls. The pilafis pot and the paella pan look about the same. Material and coating. Everything here is about the same as in the boilers. We will only add that similar cookware does not make all-ceramic pans - only with a ceramic coating, which is quite fragile. It is better to cook steaks and stews in a pan made of enameled cast iron or steel, but with a multi-layered bottom. In a cast-iron pan, you can even fry over an open fire if you take the pan to the country. Use a pan with a synthetic coating to fry the eggs without sticking. If you want to fry first and then bake in the oven, steel or cast iron pans are best. In this case, the handles must be fireproof or removable.

Utensils for cooking

according to type and shape. There are baking forms - sweet and savory, as well as forms for baking meat, poultry, vegetable dishes.

For baking, round-shaped dishes are most often needed - removable or regular. It is convenient to cook cakes and souffles in the removable one, which are difficult to remove without damage. A one-piece mold is suitable for yeast and pie.

Another useful utensil category is muffin, muffin and cupcake tins. They can be 6 or 12 pieces - choose the dishes according to the size of the oven. There are also separate silicone molds that can be placed on a baking sheet. Forms for muffins are usually deeper, for cupcakes - medium. Forms with low wavy sides are suitable for sand baskets or mini-tarts. If you are baking large cupcakes, a rectangular or round pan with a hole in the middle will do.

Baking dishes are presented in rectangular, square, round, oval shapes. Squares are suitable for lasagna, round - for moussaka or ratatouille, the rest of the dishes can be used for roasting meat, poultry and fish. Choose the size depending on the servings and slices.

summary

• When choosing cookware, consider how many people are in the family, whether there are small children, how often and what you are cooking.
• When choosing a pot, pan or baking dish, pay attention to the shape, size, material.
• Cast iron and cast aluminum cookware distributes heat best, ceramic retains flavor and juices well, steel heats up faster and weighs lighter.
• On an induction stove, you can cook food only in steel dishes, and in a gas oven you should not bake dishes made of molds, silicone or thin metal.