How to choose a frying pan?

There is no doubt that the wok is the C-position cauldron of our kitchen utensils, and it is also one of the most essential kitchen utensils. The purchase of a frying pan is not as complicated as electrical appliances. There are only three simple points, of which the material is the key point.

1. Look at the material

The first and most important thing to look at when buying a wok is the material.

However, when I opened the shopping platform to search for wok, and saw the dazzling array of materials, many friends were dumbfounded.

In fact, it's not that complicated. In the final analysis, there are only the following categories of wok materials. The chefs are classified to give you a brief introduction.

Cast iron (pig iron) pan

Cast iron pot is made of cast iron, so it can also be called pig iron pot. The carbon content is about 3%, so the texture is relatively brittle and ductile.

Poor, the "pot" in the idiom "smashing the pot and selling the iron" refers to the cast iron pot.

Advantages of cast iron pans:

Cast iron pans can be multi-purpose in one pot, frying, frying, slow-frying, boiling, stewing, whatever, suitable for cooking with little power, such as

Coal, firewood stoves, etc., as well as dishes such as "iron plate XX" common in restaurants are all cast iron.

Disadvantages of cast iron pans:

Compared with the advantages of cast iron pots, the disadvantages are too obvious. The thermal conductivity of cast iron pots is average, and the temperature is not easy to control; the specific heat capacity is too large,

It will store too much heat; the pot is heavy and not suitable for women; it is not resistant to corrosion, it will rust, and it will stick to the pan.

The cast iron pot is not very easy to use for cooking, but it’s okay to use it to make dry pot spare ribs and dry pot bullfrog 9. It’s okay to put it on the stove to make a northeast stew.

Wrought iron pan

Wrought iron pot is forged from black iron sheet with relatively low carbon content, either machine forging or manual forging.

To be entangled, there is no absolute difference between good and bad, and even the current machine forging is better than manual forging.

In particular, the current mainstream press-spinning process for medium and high-end frying pans9, one-press molding, thin and beautiful, heats faster and more evenly, and artificially beats more

Most of them are publicity gimmicks and shopping feelings.

Advantages of wrought iron skillet:

It conducts heat faster than a cast iron pan, does not store excess heat, the body of the pan is relatively light and thin, and the cooking has steam, which is very suitable for Chinese stir-frying.

Disadvantages of wrought iron skillet:

It is easy to rust, and it takes a certain amount of time to raise the pot after buying it. It is not suitable for stewing or making acidic ingredients before it is raised.

However, modern medium and high-end frying pans all use the nitriding process. The surface of the wrought iron frying pan after nitriding treatment has an oxide layer that is 5 times harder than iron, which is more anti-corrosion and rust-proof than ordinary iron pans, and is more wear-resistant and durable. , To avoid the trouble that we can raise the pot, greatly reducing the difficulty of maintenance in the later stage.

Stainless steel pot

Stainless steel pots can be divided into 304 stainless steel, 316 stainless steel, and 400 stainless steel series because of different steels. 316 has better corrosion resistance and healthier safety than 304. The 400 series is a stainless steel pot with heat-concentrating magnetic conductivity 9 at the bottom.

Advantages of stainless steel pot:

The appearance is responsible, wear-resistant, corrosion-resistant, will not rust, and the material is healthy.

Disadvantages of stainless steel pots:

The specific heat is large, it will store excess heat, heat conduction is slow, it is easy to stick to the pan, the bottom may be burnt, and the sides are not hot, so pure stainless steel pans are not suitable for making wok frying.

In order to avoid the sticking problem caused by material defects, many stainless steel pots will add fish scale pattern design. , difficult to clean up. If you have to buy it, remember two points: - it looks good, and the second is to choose smooth pot noodles.

copper pot;

Due to the different copper content, copper pots can also be divided into brass (alloy) and copper.

Advantages of copper pots:

Copper has very, very good thermal conductivity, weak heat storage, doesn't store extra heat, and in general, works very well as a wok.

Disadvantages of copper pans:

It is not resistant to corrosion and is very difficult to maintain. If one does not pay attention to maintenance, it is easy to rust, oxidize and corrode.

Copper pots are generally used for special purposes. After use, they should be washed and dried immediately. Generally, families and players do not recommend using copper pots.

Aluminum pan, non-stick pan

The aluminum pan and the non-stick pan are put together here, because the material of the coated non-stick pan on the market is basically aluminum.

Advantages of aluminum pans:

The thermal conductivity is also very good, the heat storage is also very strong, and the weight is relatively light. If it is used as a frying pan, the performance is also relatively good; the non-stick pan is coated with a layer of Teflon inside the aluminum pan or made of other materials. Non-stick effect.

Disadvantages of aluminum pans:

No matter what kind of coated aluminum non-stick pans are, they all have a common disadvantage, that is, they are not durable. About half a year to a year, the coating will begin to break down. When the coating falls off, it loses its non-stick effect and is exposed. The aluminum is not resistant to corrosion and is easily oxidized.

2. Look at the size

After the material selection is completed, it is much simpler later. After determining the size you need, you can basically choose the product.

The size of the wok ranges from 20 cm to 40 cm.

Among them, the diameter below 32cm is only suitable for 1-2 people, and it is not easy to use in a family with more people.

32cm~35cm is suitable for ordinary 3-5 people.

More than 35cm is easier to use, suitable for multiple people.

3. Look at the weight

The weight of the wok should preferably not exceed 1.5kg, about 1.5kg or less, which is basically suitable for all people. More than 1.5kg, even like a 2.2kg iron pan, basically women can't hold it.
In a word, the quality of the frying pan is only related to the material itself, whether it is easy to use or not, is only related to the user's experience, habits and cooking level, and has little to do with the brand. Emphasizing the brand does not make much sense. Therefore, as long as the material of the pot is similar, the size and weight are suitable, it is enough, and it will be more meaningful to focus more energy on improving the cooking level.