HEAVY METAL IN THE KITCHEN?

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HEAVY

METAL IN THE KITCHEN?

 

 

When

buying pots and pans, you should know a little about

 

 

the

heat conductivity of different metals. Here are some

 

 

of

the pros & cons for some of our common cookware materials:

 

 

 

 

 

COPPER

 

 

 

is

the best heat conductor of all commercial metals. It is 99

 

 

percent

heat efficient, which enables it to heat up and cool

 

 

down

almost immediately. Chefs value this quality when making

 

 

delicate

sauces. Copper alone is too soft for cooking, so it

 

 

always

has a stainless steel, tin, or other lining.

 

 

Copper

has several drawbacks, however. For one, the good

 

 

stuff

is very expensive. Many stores sell shimmering sets of

 

 

light-gauge

copper cookware, mostly suitable for placing on a

 

 

side

board as decoration. Good-quality copper is heavy---A

 

 

big

saucepan weighs about the same as a St. Bernard puppy.

 

 

Finally

you can spend half of your productive life cleaning

 

 

and

polishing the darn stuff-Copper discolors when more than

 

 

two

people look at it. As for the linings tin is old-

 

 

fashioned.

Professionals, know how to use it, but amateurs may

 

 

melt

the tin by accident. Moreover tin lining, wears out and

 

 

must

be replaced. Don't bother; go with stainless steel lining.

 

 

 

 

 

STAINLESS

STEEL

 

 

may

not conduct heat very efficiently, but it has many

 

 

advantages.

For one, stainless steel is easy to clean; it is

 

 

also

indestructible. To improve heat conductivity, manufacturers

 

 

put

a copper pr aluminum core in stainless steel pans, giving

 

 

you

the best of both worlds.

 

 

 

 

 

ALUMINUM

 

 

 

pots

and pans have gotten a bad rap in recent years. Certain

 

 

scientists

contended that aluminum cookware releases toxins

 

 

that

can have sundry bad health effects. Recent studies have

 

 

found

no hazards with aluminum, however. True, certain acidic

 

 

foods,

such as tomatoes, react to aluminum and turn the color

 

 

of

pond scum, but the transformation is no health hazard.

 

 

 

 

 

CHEMICALLY

TREATED ANODIZED ALUMINUM

 

 

cookware

has become increasingly popular in recent years.

 

 

Anodization

is an electrolytic process that creates a hard,

 

 

inpenetrable

oxide film over the aluminum , which prevents

 

 

reactions

to foods like eggs and tomatoes. Anodized aluminum

 

 

pots

and pans are always heavy-gauge, charcoal gray in color,

 

 

and

more expensive than regular aluminum cookware (but still

 

 

costs

less than stainless steel and copper). Calphalon is the

 

 

major

purveyor of anodized aluminum.

 

 

 

 

 

CAST

IRON

 

 

is

a good conductor of heat and retains heat better than other

 

 

materials

used in cookware. That quality makes cast iron ideal

 

 

for

searing steaks, hamburgers, or other meats at extremely

 

 

high

temperatures, or for browning stew meat before adding it

 

 

to

casserole. Cast iron is inexpensive, durable, and versatile.

 

 

It

takes a long time to heat and cool, so we don't recommend

 

 

it

for delicate sauces.

 

 

 

 

 

Goddess Bless!

 

 

GrannyMoon

 

 

 

 

The GoddessSchool Bookstore

 

http://astore.amazon.com/ancestordetect08/

 

 

" Do not ask Goddess to guide your footsteps if you are not

willing to move your feet! " ~GoddessSchool.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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