#1 Follow the instructions that came with the cookware
How many times have you bought cookware and threw away the piece of paper that came with it with all the washing instructions before ‘first use’? Guilty as charged.
The reason why you have to be assiduous in following these instructions is that just rinsing the surface with water or wiping away any visible residue with a cloth does not remove oils from the surface.
If you don’t wash your cookware properly, the oils will mix with whatever you’re cooking and create an odd flavour. Worst case scenario is that the oil burns onto your pan, affecting its appearance or its non-stick properties.
#2 Stick with low to medium heat
Nothing like turning the stove up to the max when we’re in a rush to cook our food. Again, this not only ruins the dish but also ruins your cookware. Use low to medium heat when cooking most foods.
#3 Don’t use a metal scourer
Metal scourers are a big no-no. They are essential for industrial kitchens to scrub barbecue or external surfaces of cooking equipment.
But food safety experts warn people from using them on normal household cookware. What you don’t want is for small fragments of the metal scourer to be left on the cookware or lodged in between the handles or lid covers where they can fall onto the food. Stating the obvious here but your intestine cannot digest metal and – in worst cases – cause perforations and make you sick.
If you have stainless steel cookware, use microfibre cloth. They can still take away the grease and give your cookware a beautiful, clean streak.
#4 When in doubt, use warm water
Filipinos love ‘tutong’, that layer of crunchy rice at the bottom of the pan that is slightly burnt than the rest. However, there are times when food is overly burnt that it sticks like charred fragments on the cookware. Avoid the metal scourer and soak the pot or pan in warm water while it is still warm. Use the cleaning liquid that came with the cookware or wait for the burnt food to soften and dislodge before cleaning your pot or pan thoroughly.
#5 Use oil for less fatty foods
There are some ingredients that don’t little or no fat content. This means they are likely to stick to the pan as well. When possible, use oil to create another surface between these ingredients and your cookware. This is why pouring a good amount of olive oil on your pasta dish is a great way to serve a beautiful Italian meal without the pain of sticky remnants on the pan later.
Since the pandemic began, the number of hobby chefs have gone up as we stay in more often. This means that cookware is getting more usage than ever before. Judith Viado, co-founder of Nutricraft cookware, believes that quality cookware can make it easier for more people to dine in and enjoy dine-out style cooking. For example, Nutricraft cookware are made of stainless steel and can sustain the use of metal utensils touching the surface. She also calls some of their cookware her ‘three-in-one kitchen assistant’. That’s because Nutricraft pots with lids can be used three ways.
First, you can use the open/whistle feature to monitor when the food is on the boil or heating up so you can adjust the settings. Second, there’s a vent setting that allows you to cook your food continuously, allowing steam to be released without triggering the whistling sound. Finally, there’s the closed or locked setting, which offers you the pressure-cooker-like feature. The locked setting is perfect for nilagang baka (beef soup), arroz caldo (rice porridge) and tinolang manok (chicken soup).
Cookware that are taken care off regularly can last longer and save you money, she said.
Australian Filipina is proud to partner with Nutricraft for our ‘Kain Tayo’ (Let’s eat) series, educating our readers about healthy eating and good cookware. Go to https://nutricraftcookware.com/ for more details on their range.