Buyer's guide: which stainless steel pan to choose?
You would like to buy a stainless steel pan, but you are not really sure about which one to pick? In this guide you will find several selection criteria that should help you find the stainless steel pan that best suits your needs. But before we delve into the meat of the issue, you should first understand why you should choose a stainless steel model rather than a cast iron, aluminum or Teflon one. In short, stainless steel is a durable material, which means that your kitchen utensils will last a very long time. But wait, there is more: stainless steel is healthier. Stainless steel is both sanitary – as it contains no particles that are harmful to food – and extremely durable. As a matter of fact, stainless steel is the material of choice for surgical tools. CRISTEL products are 97% recycled and 100% recyclable. They are also composed of 18% chrome and 10% nickel. Want to know how to choose your stainless steel pan? Discover our comprehensive buyer's guide.
Non-stick coating?
Choosing between an 18/10 stainless steel pan or an induction one is not always easy. The first thing you should ask yourself is this: should you choose a non-stick coated or an uncoated pan? The non-stick coating is mainly useful for cooking delicate foods that are likely to stick, such as fish, eggs, sauces, etc. A pan with a non-stick coating is also very useful for slimming cooking since there is no need to add fat. On the other hand, the non-stick coating is not made for high temperature cooking or for meat.
Moreover, a little known fact is that those pans are made with PFOS & PFOA, toxic acids that can seep into your food. CRISTEL stainless steel pans coated with Exceliss+ non-stick coating are guaranteed free of PFOS & PFOA as well as any other toxic agents.
Removable handles?
Should the stainless steel pan come with a removable or non-removable handle? Pans with removable handles are extremely practical. With this kind of handle, you can easily put your pan in the oven without burning yourself. Handling in the kitchen is also greatly facilitated.
Moreover if you elect to choose pans with removable handles, you will have an easier time storing them in your cupboards – a considerable save of space. Similarly, if you own a dishwasher, you completely avoid the problem of having the handles sticking out; this way, you will be able to wash more utensils at once. Not having protruding handles when cooking on a hotplate also makes the kitchen safer, especially for children.
Compatible with which cooker?
To know if you should choose a stainless steel pan compatible with all technologies or a specific model, you should base your choice on the equipment you have in your kitchen. The induction pan, for example, is compatible with all heat sources – including any kind of induction table.
To avoid even the chance of making a mistake on that front, we advise you to choose a stainless steel CRISTEL pan compatible with all cookers, including induction. Choosing a pan compatible with all technologies means you get cookware that will never need to be replaced throughout your life, even if you move out in the future!
For what use?
When choosing a stainless steel pan, you must also think about how you will be using it. For example, do you need a pan for searing, simmering or grilling? Similarly, do you want to use your pan to cook fish, to make pancakes, sauce dishes or other?
The choice of pan will depend on it, since there are frying pans, crepe pans, stainless steel fish pans... For sauce dishes, for example, it will be wiser to choose a pan with high edges – and not a crepe pan. Therefore, think carefully about what you are going to do with your stainless steel pan and do not hesitate to buy several of them in order to be able to cook everything easily.
At what price?
A good stainless steel pan is a one-time purchase. CRISTEL pans are guaranteed for life against all manufacturing defects. Treating yourself to a CRISTEL pan means choosing a very high quality product, made in France from top tier materials. CRISTEL stainless steel pans have several layers of materials, which makes them much more resistant, robust and efficient. In other words, if you want to be able to keep your pans in excellent condition for many years to come, you will need to invest in them. Pans that are sold in shops at low prices will deteriorate very quickly, after only a few uses.
What durability?
Investing in a pan means making a long-term purchase. CRISTEL stainless steel pans are guaranteed for life. It is a purchase that will stay with you for many years to come and that you can even pass on to your children later on. When you buy a CRISTEL pan, you do not have to worry about its durability.
In addition to being guaranteed for life, these pans are made of very high quality materials. In addition, CRISTEL can retread your pan. For a small fee, CRISTEL will recoat your pan's non-stick coating to make it look like a brand new one. This service extends its lifespan by a few more years. Buying a CRISTEL pan means fighting against planned obsolescence – it is a one-time purchase.
What diameter?
The last criterion to consider when choosing a stainless steel pan is its diameter. You have to consider the number of people you have in your family, but also the types of dishes you cook most often, or even the size of your cooking plates.
Here are the main dimensions of stainless steel pans that you can find: 16 cm (Mutine), 20 cm, 22 cm, 24 cm, 26 cm, 28 cm, 30 cm, 32 cm and 36 cm. Your best bet is to choose several pans of different sizes so you can adapt to any situation.
To conclude
As you have seen, choosing a stainless steel or induction pan is not a matter of chance. There are several important criteria on which you must base your choice, otherwise you will end up with a pan that does not meet your needs and expectations. Do not hesitate to take the time to choose it carefully, because it is a purchase for life, especially if you choose a CRISTEL model. Moreover, if you choose a CRISTEL pan, you know that the retreading service can be very useful if the non-stick coating on your pan has been damaged over time and years of use.
Now that you know exactly how to choose a stainless steel pan, all you have to do is go and find the one that suits you best, always keeping in mind all the criteria listed and explained in this buyer's guide.
