Purchasing professional pots and pans for a kitchen

Chef will almost certainly present you with a list as long as your arm while clearly stating that every item is absolutely essential. Whittling that list down might prove difficult but here are some tips to help you match your budget against your needs.

Aluminium cookware

Aluminium cookware is very commonly used in kitchens where the money’s a bit tight; it’s lightweight, so easy to handle and manoeuvre. It’s cheap, doesn’t corrode, and conducts heat superbly. When it comes to stockpots and very big pans, where lots of uniform heat is needed for boiling for example, this should be your material of choice.

The disadvantages to aluminium are that it can react with acidic foods which might affect taste and eventually begins to pit the pan’s interior. Also, it’s a soft metal, so it can dent and scratch easily – but you can counter this by opting for good quality, thick-walled and -bottomed pots which can suck up a lot of punishment.

Even better, you could look at slightly more expensive ‘anodised aluminium’ pots, which have an extra thick layer of aluminium oxide over the whole surface. This is a darker, non-porous layer that is harder, acid-resistant and helps bring contents up to heat even faster. But take note – putting these pots in a dishwasher is ill-advised, since once the oxide layer is scratched it can’t be repaired.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel is still a popular choice because it doesn’t tarnish, it’s hard-wearing, hygienic and very easy to clean. It’s also less ‘sticky’ than other materials but the quality of stainless steel varies a lot. Cheap, thin cookware simply can’t cope with the rigours of a busy commercial kitchen and can’t conduct heat properly, leading to hotspots and burnt food. At the very least, look for a pot or pan with a heavy base layered with aluminium for good conductivity, and with sides that are at least 14-gauge (about 2mm thick).

The Wok

One item often overlooked, and yet is one of the most flexible pieces of cookware ever invented, is the wok. In this case, it’s widely agreed that carbon steel is the best material – again, with a 14-gauge minimum thickness for that extra durability.

Non stick

You’ll probably need at least a couple of pieces of good quality non-stick cookware in your kitchen, for frying delicate fish, making omelettes etc. In which case, look for steel non-stick pans, since non-stick layers adhere better to steel than to aluminium.

A quick and simple way to judge a pot or pan’s quality is by looking at the handle and how it’s fixed. If it appears to be a weld, walk away. Welds weaken over time and use, and there are too many stories of handles breaking and boiling contents spilling. Look for triple-riveted, solid metal handles that are as thick as the pot’s walls.

Finally - don’t stint on the number of pans you buy. Chef needs enough to cope with cooking for a full house, and possibly then some. Nothing irritates him more than having to wait for the poor pot washer to scrub up a pan. In fact, that’s when they start getting thrown about..!