Homeware Review

Cookware comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. While specialist cookware is necessary for some of the more exotic cuisines and recipes, every kitchen should stock the cookware staples; a frying pan, stockpot and saucepan. These fundamental items will allow even the most inexperienced chef to create a number of culinary delights including soups, stews, casseroles and more.

A frying pan enables you to cook a plethora of different dishes. If you partner a good quality frying pan with an equally adept sauce pan, you have the basis a simple yet highly effective set of cookware. sauce pans can be used for just about anything. Love hot soup, stews and casseroles? A sauce pan is an effective vessel for cooking or reheating such delicious recipes. For more specialised recipes, a Dutch oven or casserole dish is recommended, but don’t underestimate the value of your humble saucepan.

The fore mentioned staples of any cookware set will pave the way for a bounty of delightful recipes in the kitchen. Theses three pieces of cookware set are the most versatile and popular types of cookware, and the plethora of options available on the market further illustrates this. Once you have mastered these basic items, you can expand your culinary vocabulary with more specialised cookware.

While a typical pot or pan will suffice for basic cooking needs, if it’s something a little exotic or flavoursome you desire, specialty cookware is an absolute must. Among the many choices are pasta pots, pasta inserts, colanders, paella pans, crepe pans, woks, roasting racks – the list just goes on and on.

Paella, a dish containing rice, vegetables, meat, seasoning and occasionally seafood, is another to have gained international popularity in recent years. Spain’s signature dish is all the more festive when made with a good paella pan, which makes a great centrepiece to large gatherings. Scanpan, De Buyer, Paella World and All-Clad all make paella pans that’ll give your cookware collection a great international boost. You need to know that, if you’re interested in mastering paella, a good paella pan is a must. Paellas are renowned for the crust of rice and meat that is found at the bottom of the pan, In fact, this is considered a delicacy in Spain. A good quality paella pan is critical to obtain this rich, flavoursome crust.

Some of the most delicious recipes come from the French. Crepes, tartines, croissants – the French have it all. To replicate these famous dishes effectively, specialty cookware is paramount. If crepes are preferred, a crepe pan from De Buyer, Scanpan or Jamie Oliver will have you producing those light and fluffy treats in no time. If you prefer something more substantial, a French oven from Le Creuset or Le Chasseur will have you exploring a whole new region of fine food in no time.

The most prominent regular found in any Asian kitchen is a wok. Stir frys are such a quick and healthy way to break up a week of humdrum dishes. It needs to be pointed out, though, that a wok can also be used for steaming, deep frying, braising and making soup. A frying pan simply isn’t up to the all of those tasks. While some cheap and nasty woks are fine for your average kitchen, for those who really want to explore new cooking heights Scanpan, All-Clad and Calphalon produce exceptionally good woks.