How Glass Top Stoves Can Help You to Cook Better

There are a few constants in life. You will have to do certain things like eating every day. Since you have to eat, it only makes sense to eat as good as possible. One of the best ways to make sure that you are able to eat well is to have the best equipment. This is why so many people are turning to glass top stoves for their cooking needs.

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The right ceramic glass cooktop will allow you to not only cook, but to cook exactly the way you want to. It does not matter whether you are looking to cook like Rachael Ray or like your grandma, you can accomplish it with these stoves. This is because you will have more accurate temperature controls, the ability to adjust the size of the burner as well as the ability to cook at high temperatures so your stock will be done even faster.

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Accurate Temperature Controls

One of the main problems many people have when using expensive Cuisinart cookware on a cheap stove is that the temperature is never accurate. The temperatures will vary even when you have the temperature set at the same place on the dial. The great thing about using a glass top electric stove is that every batch of fried chicken in your cast iron pan will come out perfect.

Adjusting Burner Size

Cooking small batches of sugar in a copper pot is a great way to make caramel, but normally you cannot find a heating element which is the right size. With the glass cooktop, you can adjust the burner so that it can be small enough to cook up a batch of caramel or large enough to accommodate a large Calphalon frying pan.

Higher Cooking Temperatures

Being able to cook at high temperatures is one of the things experienced chefs will always look for in a good range. When you are ready to start cooking like a pro with your Circulon pans, you will want to use glass top stoves. The secret lies in the use of electric and infrared heating elements. Because the environment under the glass is waterless, it means the glass heats up quickly and can get very hot for good searing, frying or sautéing.

How Glass Top Stoves Can Help You to Cook Better

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How to Choose the Correct Knife Set

Knives are one of the most important kitchen utensils. You use them daily to cut, chop and slice food so it's important you have a good set. When purchasing a new set, there are quite a few things one must take into consideration. First and foremost, you must think about what blade types you need. You must also consider how much you're willing to spend. Getting a good knife set can cost you a pretty penny so it's a must you do your due diligence before purchasing anything.

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A good set of knives should last a lifetime. If you're on the market for a new knife set right now, you have a lot of options. A good rule of thumb is to figure out how much you can afford to spend and then find the best set you can in that price range. Knife sets are an area where it's worth spending as much as you can. The more expensive sets usually have better quality blades that are less prone to damage and corrosion.

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Buying a set is the best way to go because cutlery is usually much cheaper when bought as a set. A good kitchen knife set will include all the blade types you need to prepare food along with a block to store them in. Most manufacturers also sell individual pieces, so you can add to your collection as the need arises or replace a lost or broken knife. If you can't afford a high-end set, you may be better off buying a couple of expensive knives and then adding to your collection as you see fit.

There are a variety of types of knives you can buy. Chefs typically prefer the finer edged blades because they can cut with precision. These blades require extra care, and typically need to be sharpened after every use.

When buying a kitchen knife set, one must consider the type of steel used to create the blade. Carbon steel is used in the lower end sets and is more likely to rust or discolor. Stainless steel is a better choice and is less susceptible to discoloration. The best choice is high-carbon stainless steel, which is strong and resists rust. Ceramic knives are extremely sharp but are easily damaged if they come in contact with a hard surface or are dropped.

You also need to be aware of the different methods used to create the blades. Stamping is a process through which the blades are cut from large sheets of metal. Forging is a process through which the blades are heated and then pounded and ground into the correct shape. Stamped blades are lighter than forged blades. The cheaper sets are usually stamped, but there are some good high-end blades that are stamped as well.

It's important that you do a little research before looking at knife sets. Not all knives are created equally and you could potentially spend a lot of money on a set that doesn't suit your needs. Luckily for you, there is a lot of good information on the Internet in regards to buying cutlery.

How to Choose the Correct Knife Set

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Chefs Use Commercial Cookware For the Best Results, You Can Too

Commercial cookware is in a different league from the cookware that you find at the standard department store. The price is too, but if once the cookware is examined closely, one can understand and justify the cost. Have you ever followed a recipe closely, did everything that you thought was correct, only to end up with disappointing results? It's not just an excuse to say that it must have been the cookware and not the chef.

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Chefs demand quality cookware for the simple reason that they know it cooks better. A chef's career rest on his reputation and they are not going to tarnish that by using inferior products. Cheap cookware does not disperse heat evenly. Uneven heat can ruin the precise requirement that many dishes require. Cheap cookware also is difficult to clean and less efficient. It takes long to heat up, cools down quicker, and if you ruin a dish, you lose the cost of the ingredients and the time of the chef.

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Some of the most important properties of quality commercial cookware are the materials used for the construction. No one material is best for all jobs, but some come close. The chef must consider what is being cooked. Some foods like lemon and tomatoes are very acidic and the acid can mix with the metal and give the food a metallic taste. Some non-stick materials like Teflon are reported to be a health hazard, even killing birds from the fumes if overheated! Copper and aluminum are great conductors of heat, but they are reactive. Reactive metals must be considered when cooking acidic foods.

Stainless steel is the most universal and commonly used type of chef cookware. The reason is durability. Stainless steel is a poor conductor of heat and any scour spots from improper cleaning or over-heating from burned dishes will result in a permanent "hot spot" that will over heat. The department store cookware is notorious for being all stainless steel and that is why it's cheap. Commercial cookware is rarely all stainless steel. Sandwiched between the stainless steel is an aluminum or copper core that spreads the heat evenly while the outside stainless layers provide easier cleaning and durability.

There are specialty commercial applications too. Cast iron is an example. When cared for and seasoned by a properly trained grill cook, cast iron is the choice for frying! Cast iron cooking has the distinctive "griddle" taste. Care is the key though. If not cared for it will rust. If washed with dish soap, the food can take on a soap taste. Sometimes copper is preferred for tea kettles because of the taste. When a chefs' recipe calls for specific cookware there is a reason.

As more home chefs put more effort into their home cooking, there finding that their current cookware is not working. Poor tastes from the metal and even unsafe conditions happen once they start putting the department store cookware to the test. Loose rivets from the expansion and contraction of heating and cooling make for a piece that is an accident waiting to happen. Be like the professionals and demand the best and by commercial cookware that will last a lifetime.

Chefs Use Commercial Cookware For the Best Results, You Can Too

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