To cook great food, you need great tools. And the state of your cooking pots or pans can easily make or break a dish.
Looking for induction pans that can handle your stove? No problem. Need a non-stick pan to avoid burning your signature dish? Got it. Want a cast iron skillet to use both on the stove and in the oven, to really nail that Sunday roast? Done.
No matter what you’re in the market for, we have what you need to get frying, steaming, sautéing, searing, and everything in between. Check our guide to buy pots and pans.
A cooking pan with a plan
Saucepan, nonstick frying pan, sauté pan, wok, stir-fry, griddle, skillet. The list goes on. It can be difficult to know which pan to choose, and when to use it. Let us guide you through the frying pan jungle, and we’ll talk you through four of the most commonly used ones.
The classic frying pan
This is the classic pan that almost everyone has in their home. Use it for frying, searing, browning, heating, or whatever you need it to. It has a wide base to spread heat evenly, so your food won’t burn or stick. You just can’t go wrong with a non stick frying pan.
The steaming sauté pan
Sautéing comes from the French word “sauté”, meaning “jumped” or “bounced”. To sauté your food, you toss it in the pan over high heat, with a small amount of oil or fat. The idea is to “sweat” your ingredients, without them starting to fry or stew. To do this, you need a pan with slightly higher sides than a regular frying pan. This to make sure your food won’t end up tossed all over your kitchen. And that’s the sauté pan.
The modern wok pan
To get that perfect texture of your wok noodles and veggies, you need to be able to sear and toss your food. Over and over, without heat spreading through the entire pan and the food being tossed over the side. A wok pan can do just that. The width, as well as the tall, sloping sides, concentrates the heat to the base. It also helps keep your food in the pan and off the floor.
The old-school grill pan
If you’re looking to nail that perfect piece of meat, with that smoky grilled taste and signature char marks, this one’s for you. The flat surface and ridged base make sure that excess fat and juices flow towards the edges of the pan. If you get one with spouts, you can even pour out the drippings. So, rest assured, you’re in no danger of accidentally boiling that nicely cut steak. Heads up, though. These things get pretty darn hot, so make sure to use both pot holders and trivets while you’re levelling up your culinary skills.
