Which pan will cool the liquid faster?
When purchasing kitchen utensils, the housewife always notes how long the new pan will keep warm. This is necessary to serve warm and tasty food instead of unsightly cold lumps of an unknown substance. Of course, heat was best preserved in earthenware, which our ancestors used in ovens. A little later they were replaced by cast iron. Today, similar devices are available for sale. They retain heat really well. But there are others who can keep the dish hot until the family arrives.
The content of the article
What material retains heat better?
Buying a quality pan is not easy. There are many factors to consider. This includes the ability to keep food warm and ready to serve. For such purposes, so-called “thermoses” are on sale. This is a kitchen utensil with a double bottom, equipped with soldered copper plates or with reflective material on the walls and bottom. This product perfectly retains the heat of cooked foods.
Be sure to consider the safety of the material. Cast iron and stainless steel are popular materials that will last for many years, maintaining their original appearance.
Aluminum is less thermally conductive, keeps food hot for a long time, but is short-lived. Ceramic dishes are too fragile and require careful handling. The choice is up to the owners as to which utensils will be more pleasant and convenient to work with.
Cast iron
A saucepan made from this material is, as they say, “forever,” if you don’t save money and buy a really high-quality product. Pay attention to the thickness of the bottom and walls. Ideally, if they vary within 0.7–1 mm. Such a kettle will heat food evenly and cook it literally in its own juice, preserving its beneficial properties.
Unfortunately, finding a truly cast iron item today is difficult. And they are expensive. But if you still manage to find such a device, feel free to take it and use it for many years to come. With proper handling and maintenance of appearance, cast iron will last for decades.
Please note that you cannot leave cooked food in the pot for a long time. It oxidizes and becomes unfit for food. This does not apply to non-stick or enamel pans.
Stainless steel
According to research, stainless steel is not a material that can heat food evenly and keep it hot for a long time. The problem is solved only by a double bottom, between the layers of which an aluminum or copper plate is placed.
Also pay attention to the thickness of the walls. 0.5 mm is considered optimal. Some reach 1 mm or more. Do not buy cheap products made from thin metal. They will not last long, do not have a guarantee, and the liquid in such a pan cools down very quickly.
Ceramic
Tempered glass and ceramic products are in last place in terms of thermal conductivity. Despite their attractiveness and preservation of the beneficial properties of products during cooking, they do not retain heat. The liquid in the dish will cool quickly.
There is also an advantage of such a product - food does not burn in it.
If the choice nevertheless falls on this type of material, choose products with a thick bottom and walls.Cooking will take a long time, but the taste will be strikingly different from the dish prepared in another container.
Aluminum
It has the highest thermal conductivity among the presented materials. However, this does not obscure the fact that such kitchen utensils are short-lived and quickly become unusable. It requires careful handling, special cooking equipment and will last no more than 2–3 years.
The choice is up to the hostess, who must decide for herself what is more important to her. Keeping food hot in the container where it was cooked is not the most important task. The main thing is that the products are prepared in compliance with safety precautions, without the introduction of harmful substances, and that they are evenly heated and retain the benefits inside.