Nothing beats a well-cooked omelette, whether served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The egg delicacy is an easy and healthy fix that you can prepare even when in a hurry. However, several factors come into play that enable you to cook this delectable egg delight, but the most important thing to keep in mind is the kind of pan that you use. A pan can make or break your meal, so it is crucial to take the following qualities into account when buying one.
1. Stickiness Level
If ever there was one boring thing in the kitchen when making an omelette, it is the inability to flip it because it got stuck in the pan. As such, you need a pan with non-stick properties to enable you to cook the perfect eggy meal. Besides, compared to sticky pans, the non-stick pans are easier to wash.
It can be tough choosing a suitable pan with so many brands out in the market. Not all non-stick pans are the same as they differ in durability, material, price, and brand. However, you can make the search easy by reading the current reviews for omelette pans online, and you will find one that will meet your needs.
If you love healthy eating, then non-stick pans are the perfect choice as they allow you to cook with little or no oil. Once you purchase your ideal cookware, ensure you read the package to learn how to keep it free of scratches and clean it effectively.
2. Size
When choosing the right size for your omelette pan, some factors will come in. The way you or your family members like the eggs and the size of your family if you intend to cook all the eggs together. If you are preparing the eggs, one individual at a time, then a small size will do perfectly.
On the flip side, if you cook all the eggs at a go, a bigger size will be more suitable. The pan’s diameter is not the only thing to consider when looking at the size. The thickness also matters. The thicker the pan, the better the outcome of your eggy delicacy, and the thinner it is, the outcome will be an overcooked and too flat omelette.
3. Easy To Maintain
How easy a pan is to maintain, the better the choice for you. Some pans get rusty with time, which can be a bother since you have to keep cleaning. Alternatively, look for ways to keep the rust away. The stainless pans are an ideal choice because they are not complicated to maintain and are easier to clean.
4. Material Used
One of the features that determine the quality of a pan is the material used to make it. The material can determine its durability and safety. Healthy eating is ideal, but apart from the food you cook, you should also consider the cookware material.
Some materials such as nickel and chromium are not good for your health as they contain toxic elements. Stainless, iron and ceramic cookware are a safe option. Apart from safety, stainless steel is also lightweight and scratch-resistant, and ceramic does not peel or chip off and is dishwasher-friendly.
Historical background of Pots & Pans
Boiling was the simplest and most widely practiced form of cooking for centuries, certainly until the 19thC. Large vessels known as cauldrons, kettles, boilers, and crocks were used and possibly the best known type of pot was the legged cauldron, which was usually made of bell metal, an alloy of copper and tin. Cauldrons without feet were designed for hanging only. Cauldrons were ideal for making soups and stews, but when smaller quantities were required, skillets were used. These were pots with three short legs and very long handles, which were placed over a fire. The 18thC saw the introduction of the range (the first type of kitchen stove) and skillets and cauldrons were replaced by flat bottomed saucepans, which rested on the hob, and pots that were placed inside the oven. In 1779, the first oval-bellied cast-iron pots that were tinned inside, making them both lighter and cleaner were made. Further technological advances led to the large scale production of pots and pans of all types during the 18thC and 19thC. By the 20thC, mass production meant that pans were widely available, but some from this period are still nonetheless collectible. The 20thC saw the introduction of some unusual types of pans. These included a square saucepan, which was first made in the 1920s and was especially recommended for electric hotplates as a space saver.
Materials
- Cast Iron By 1800, this was the most commonly used material and from 1840 onwards, pans were available with enameled surfaces.
- Aluminum Pans were made in this from the 20thC, but it is best not to use them for cooking unless they were made after 1920.
- Copper Expensive to produce and to buy, and impractical for modern kitchens, copper pans largely disappeared from use during the early 20thC.
Identification
Dutch milk pan in a mottled enamel that is often mistaken for American graniteware. The difference is that American enamel does not have any black in the mottling. This pan was made in the 1950s and has a sharp pouring lip.
The shaded orange enamel pan was made in France in the 1930s and is part of a larger range. Similar sets were produced in the 1950s, but these later ones have a bluish/grey interior.
- Stew pans and saucepans: The important difference between these two types of pan is that the former are straight-sided, whereas the latter are rounded. Also, saucepans have “covers”, but stew pans have tinned “lids”.
- Frying pans: Typically made from wrought iron, although cast iron and copper were used too.
- Fish Kettles: Fish kettles could be used for all kinds of fish, although some were designed with specific types in mind, such as mackerel or salmon. They included a perforated rack that was used to lift and drain out the fish intact. (See p.202.)
- Salmon Kettles: These were made for poaching a whole salmon. They were sometimes made from vitreous enameled iron, but they were also available in tinned steel or copper and, by the 1920s, aluminum.
- Shape: The shape of a fish kettle can say a lot about the type of fish for which it was designed. Salmon kettles tend to be longer because they had to take a whole, large fish. Squarer-shaped fish kettles were made for poaching halibut, turbot, or carp.
- Dating: Handles are a good guide to the dating of fish kettles. By the 1930s, handles were less heavy and made of tinned steel instead of iron. Earlier fish kettles, from before 1900, have flat lids whereas later ones, from the 1920s and 30s, have domed lids.