Today, were talking about the most perfect cookware material on Earth: stainless steel.
Before you smash that comment button, I want to make it clear that Im not disparaging cast iron.
I wouldneverdo such a thing.
Cast iron delivers beautifully consistent cooking temperatures, but it takes forever to adapt to temperature changes.
Cleaning one, and then finding a place for it to dry, is even worse.
Stainless steel lids are oven-safe too, but theyre lightweight, easy to maneuver, and dishwasher-friendly.
Finally, I love how easy they are to storeI use anIKEA accordion rackand its perfect.
Here are my favorite applications.
Pan-Frying
When used properly, a stainless steel skillet is the best pan-frying surface, period.
Its nonstick enough for perfect softly-scrambled eggs, yet sticky enough to facilitatethe all-important Maillard reaction.
(This works at any temperature.)
Boiling and Steaming
A good stock pot is a true kitchen workhorse.
The lids I waxed poetic about earlier are the true stars here: they make braising super-easy.
The only kind you want is clad or multi-ply, which means its made from multiple layers of metal.
Super-fancy clad stainless uses a copper core for heat conduction; less-expensive models generally use an aluminum core.
As long as you look for heavy-bottomed, multi-ply, all-stainless construction, you cant go wrong.
Here are some recommendations to get you started.
Ive used mine daily for five years and it shows zero wear and tear.
It was also less than two hundred dollars, but I have no plans to upgrade.
When it comes to versatility, durability, and functionality, stainless steel is truly unmatched.
You wont regret it.
