How to choose the right lid for a frying pan

No matter how perfect the kitchen appliances are, housewives and professional chefs are not ready to completely abandon traditional cooking methods. This means that the frying pan will still be a must-have attribute of the kitchen. And how can you refuse those delicious dishes that you can cook with it! But for them to be truly good, some recipes require leaving the dish covered at some point. And after cooking, the lid helps keep the food warm longer, protects it from airing, etc. However, lids are not sold together with frying pans. You have to choose it yourself. And this must be done correctly, otherwise there is no point in such a lid.

Let's figure out how to choose a lid for a frying pan.

Size and shape

Simple selection criteria that do not depend on our preferences relate to the size and shape of the product.

The lid should exactly match the shape and size of the frying pan and fit snugly against its walls. That is, all we have to do is find a product that is suitable in shape (round, rectangular, sometimes oval) and has the required diameter that matches the diameter of the frying pan.

Important! Manufacturers offer a special type of lid - universal, which can be used for 3 diameters of frying pans and saucepans.

Which material to choose

Our grandmothers a couple of decades ago would have been surprised by this question. After all, there was no choice.The additional attribute of the frying pan was made only of metal. Today, every housewife must determine which material is more suitable.

Metal

These days, even metal lids form a diverse group.

• Cast iron. Such lids are usually immediately sold complete with dishes. They are noticeably heavier than the others, so they can act as a press.
• Aluminum. They are much lighter than cast iron, but they do not differ in strength and durability.
• Stainless steel. Most often, such lids are used for pots. But many housewives also use them for frying pans and are satisfied with the quality and ease of care.

Glass

Glass lids are becoming increasingly popular in modern kitchens. They are made from special heavy-duty glass, so they can withstand high temperatures.

I attract housewives with such items due to their transparency. You don't have to lift the lid every time to see what's going on in the pan.

Silicone

Silicone products appeared later among kitchen utensils. The food grade silicone used for their production also withstands high temperatures well.. They do not spoil in the refrigerator either.

additional characteristics

Eat a few more parameters to pay attention to.

• Headband. Many products have a metal or silicone rim. Metallic is usually done on glass objects. Such a headband serves as glass protection, keeping it intact when in contact with metal. A silicone rim needed for a tighter connection two items.
• Steam hole or valve. When cooking in a frying pan, housewives often have to let off steam.If in the past our grandmothers opened the lid slightly for this, then manufacturers of modern products have provided other possibilities. Some models have small steam holes. This is a simple option. A more advanced one is the valve, which is located in the handle. It switches automatically to let the steam escape. But if steam production has stopped, closing the valve will prevent the food from burning.

Advice. If you often stew meat, fish or vegetables, you are better off choosing a product with an automatic steam valve.

• Temperature sensor. Not all covers are yet equipped with this removable device. In addition, it increases their cost. But its convenience and benefits suggest that there will be more and more of them. Different colors on the sensor indicate the degree of readiness of the dish:

• heating - up to 40° - yellow;
• cooking - from 40 to 90° - green;
• burning - more than 90° - red.

We hope that your choice will be optimal!