Qualities

Today was the culmination of a long search for kitchen happiness for my Bride. A couple of years ago, she wanted to replace the peeling relics that she had cooked with for aeons.

However, one doesn't just go out and buy pans though...oh no, they must possess qualities. They must have balance, a certain type of coating inside the pan as well as out. They require a cover in some cases and the cover of course must be transparent. They must be able to be washed in a dishwasher and have a handle...a handle that will not become too hot to hold without a lifting rag. Further they must be able to be used on induction stover (which we do not yet have, but ya never know).

Of course when looking for a line that has all the qualities that you want you must accept that they could be expensive. I do not know about other countries, but here there are kitchen utensils and then there are kitchen utensils. There are known brands and some are quite pricey...the question then is, will the utensil give one value for the money?

A while back now, the Bride came across a line that was on sale in one of the local super markets here. The brand was called "Green Pan". She was very pleased with this "super pan" and I think that the seed was planted at that time, even though she did not know it at the time.

Later on she came across more pans of different sizes and the brand was, "Green Chef", which we discovered today was related to the Green Pan people.

So then, the Bride had an almost complete selection of these wonderful pans when she showed me the hapjespan that we had been using for donkey's ears and there was lots of damage to the teflon-like coating inside the pan. Now, I do not know the English word for hapjespan, but it is like a deep skillet with a handle. The pan that she wanted is actually something between a hapjespan and a wok.

She spent quite a while looking over the internet for a replacement. She discovered just what she was looking for and it was made by the Green Chef folks again. Great! ...Not. The pan had all the qualities boxes ticked, except it had no cover. Oh dear, what to do.

She looked and looked but could not find one anywhere that had the transparent cover. Well, there was nothing for it but to just go ahead and get the Green Chef pan and hope that her old cover from the discarded pan would fit it.

The bride called the local store and had a conversation with the woman working in the store. She said that there was one left and so the Bride asked her what the diameter of the pan was and it was 28cm...her cover was slightly less, so the cover would fit perfectly. These pans have an inside diameter and an outside diameter. Have you twigged where I am going with this?

You see, the cover has a type of internal fitting that is smaller than the outside diameter so that condensation that gathers on the inside of the cover whilst cooking will drip and roll down the side of the cover and back into the pan instead of along the outside of the pan. Ideal. However the store was just about to close, so we would have to go tomorrow (today, now). She told the shop lady that we would come and pick it up then the following day.

Today we did just that. We took the cover with us to the shop and tried it before actually buying the pan. Sometimes you have to just not give up when you want something with the qualities that you desire. The set is complete now and we are content. A side note is that we did not have to spend an arm and a leg for this quality set of pans.

Is it us or do you guys have strong preferences in the kitchen?

 

oh, no! I LOVE good quality kitchen items. I love my aluminum clad stainless steel pots from belgique? and my lifetime pans that were grandmas and a few cast iron ones and a few enamel clad ones. zyliss tools, and my Warthers knives. We have a line from a company that does home party shows... kind of like tupperware except it is called Pampered chef... well, I have been more than disappointed in that stuff and the prices are just ridiculous! I found a stoneware dish from the catalog for one dollar not long ago at a thrift store . no lid but pfft. I was sure I could find something. and I did for another 50 cents on another day there. the dish was 120.00 regular price. oyvey! not in my lifetime would I spend 120.00 on that. I bought it specifically for my solar oven and it was perfect. I made stuffed "cajun bell" peppers one day in it. perfect!

 

When we married my bride had a formidable set of faberware. It was a line of kitchenware that had developed a following that lasts to this day, and used items are traded fluidly on the used market even now since they are no longer made. My fortunes were favorable when we opted for renewal after more than 20 years, and the models she preferred were not as harsh on my wallet as I know they could have been.

 

Over the years I've used super cheap totally awful pots and pans to top of the line Crueset and for probably the past 20 yrs have settled on stainless. I have two frying pans that are now some super hard substance that will fry without sticking. Not teflon but something like it and 1 huge wok. None of these are a set but one by one I've acquired what I like and what works. Am keeping each and every one of them as they all work, are all by different makers and one needs a lifting rag but together they're all the pots & pans I love to use.

Now knives are a totally different ball game. Zwilling J. A. Henckels is the ONLY knife I like and have everything from the smallest paring knife to the largest in the kitchen. Used these for years and they're not going anywhere.

 

Oh yeah CAROLYN--I can see that you have very strong opinions in the kitchen. I don't feel so bad now. haha. It sounds like you have a good selection of things.

DIRT-M--I can see that you guys have some good stuff there as well. I have never heard of your wife's favourites, but it must be a good one.

ISLAND--Yeah, we did the same because we never stayed in one place too long, so we just had inexpensive second-hand stuff which we stored every time we would go travelling. The Bride's group of pans are not really a set either, more a collection of loose pans. I have the idea that when the Bride uses those loved pans of hers that the cooking results are better than if she was using just any ole pan.

We have some excellent cutting and sawing knives as well. They are all inexpensive, but work a dream.

Thanks for all your remarks folks. I may get some good tips here.

 

Lots of my stuff has been gathered here and there from years ago as I came across it. I've never much been one for "sets" of anything.

I love coffee mugs but have none that are a set. Some are pottery, some are fine China but none match which I like.

 

I think the best thing I have re knives is a high quality sharpening steel. Its funny it took so long for me to aquire one. I have tried every stone and automated sharpener but the steel is the key.

 

@Dirtmechanic - You're totally correct that a steel is the best. I've used most everything under the sun to keep my knives sharp too but have ended up taking them periodically to a fellow who sharpens knives as I'm not good at using a steel myself. Just can't seem to get it.

 

I like that he mentions the western method but the other way is probably better. Plus a nun had a stroke. What could be funnier? Scott Rhea Project on Youtube..if you want to learn butchery.