What is the capsule bottom of a pan?

Stainless steel cookware is in great demand among housewives. It is safe for health, hygienic, and has a long service life. Products with a capsule bottom are especially popular.

Capsule bottom of the pan: what does it mean?

The capsule bottom, in other words, is multi-layered. It consists of pressed sheets of metal.

Many people think that these are just thick-bottomed pots. Actually this is not true. For its manufacture, not one material is used, but several different ones: kitchen utensils are made of several types of metal, which have different thermal conductivities. There can be several layers - from two to five.

The dishes are made according to the sandwich principle:

the two outer layers are made of one material, and the inner part is made of another. Medical grade stainless steel is used for the top and bottom layers, and aluminum for the middle.

Sometimes a layer of enamel is applied to the outside of the pan. This is done for decorative purposes. Products can be of various colors, with or without a pattern. In addition, enamel provides additional protection for kitchen utensils from corrosion and mechanical damage. The disadvantage of such products is that they are not suitable for stoves with an induction hob.

Reference! The number of layers affects the final thickness of the bottom of the kitchen utensil, which can be 5-12 mm.

For preparing regular dishes, products with an average thickness of 6-8 mm are suitable. If you take a product with a thicker bottom, you will have to get used to it: it heats up for a long time and cools down slowly. Without a habit, you can ruin more than one dish.

Types of multi-layer bottom of a pan

Multilayer tableware is made using two technologies: traditional and capsule.

Making a traditional “sandwich” is done as follows:

1. The first step is to make a pan. There is no bottom.
2. The aluminum layer is fixed on both sides with stainless steel sheets.
3. The product is placed under a press. Under the influence of high temperature and pressure, the layers are bonded together.
4. Using a machine, the resulting “sandwich” is ground on all sides, and then attached to the base of the pan.

The finished product has a bottom with clearly defined boundaries. Its diameter is slightly smaller than the dimensions of the base of the dish.

Now this production method is losing popularity.

The capsule version is manufactured similarly to the traditional one. The difference is that the product is not processed on a machine. The layers are also fixed to each other under the influence of a press and high temperature. But their diameter is equal to the size of the base of the pan. Therefore, the product is not processed on a lathe. The bottom will be integral with the finished product.

Reference! The capsule manufacturing method is more labor-intensive, so such kitchen utensils have a high cost.

Advantages of a capsule bottom

When purchasing multilayer dishes, every housewife notes significant changes. The combination of two metals with different characteristics gives the product a number of advantages:

1. Thermal conductivity improves.Thanks to this, the food is heated evenly, which improves the taste of the finished dish.
2. Cooking time is reduced, which leads to lower gas and electricity costs.
3. The dishes are universal. It can be used both on stoves with a regular surface and on induction ones.
4. Food in such a pan does not burn. Therefore, you don’t have to use vegetable and animal fat. The finished dish will be not only tasty, but also healthy.
5. The surface of kitchen utensils is smooth, this prevents dirt from accumulating, which means that pathogenic bacteria will not appear.
6. The capsule bottom retains heat for a long time. Food in such pans simmers and remains warm for a long time.

In practice it looks like this. For example, if you have a multi-layer kettle at home, you won’t have to heat the water often when drinking tea, because the water will be hot for a long time. Porridge prepared in the evening will keep warm until the morning.

Features of operation and care

In order for the dishes to last a long time, you need to choose only high-quality products, use them correctly and regularly care for them.

When choosing kitchen utensils, you should give preference to cast models - they are more resistant to mechanical stress. You also need to pay attention to the thickness of the walls and bottom. The thickness of the walls must be at least 0.8 mm, the bottom - 4 mm.

The fact that the product is of high quality is indicated by the presence of a mark on the bottom of the pan. It must contain information about the size of the product, the composition of the material used for manufacturing and the name of the manufacturer.

The capsule pot is easy to use. But in order for her to please the owner for a long time, you need to follow several recommendations:

• the pan must be filled at least 2/3 full;
• the diameter of the bottom of the kitchen utensil should be equal to the diameter of the burner or be slightly smaller;
• a cold pan should be placed on a preheated cooking surface;
• If food is cooked on a gas stove, you need to ensure that the fire does not reach the walls of the product.

In general, stainless steel is easy to maintain. But there are still a few tips that, if followed, can significantly increase the life of your kitchen utensils:

1. To avoid scratching the inside of the product, you should use silicone or wooden spatulas for cooking.
2. Cleaning powders should not be used to clean accumulated contaminants. The abrasive particles they contain will scratch the surface of the product. Instead, you should use dishwashing gels and creams.
3. If the food is still burnt, you need to soak the pan in a soapy solution and leave for 10 minutes.
4. Lemon will help remove plaque that appears. You need to cut it in half and carefully treat the entire surface of the dish with one half.

Every housewife should have a saucepan with a capsule bottom in her kitchen. It will reduce cooking time, and the finished dishes will be not only tasty, but also healthy.