Club Sauce | Choosing Cookware

A Guide to Choosing Cookware for Sauce Making

Most cooks who are passionate about cooking will more than likely have dabbled in the science of creating sauces from scratch. During these attempts many will have come to realize that there is a lot more to sauce making than the recipe might suggest.

Many a meal has been ruined by lumpy, burnt gravy and unattractive tasteless sauces and while some of these failures may be attributed to not following the directions carefully; often it is the cookware that fails to deliver. Using the right type of cookware can actually make a big difference to how your sauces and gravies turn out.

To determine which cookware is the most suitable for sauce making we first need to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each type whether it be stainless steel, copper, cast iron, aluminum or clad.

Stainless Steel Cookware

Stainless steel would have to be one of the most utilized materials for cookware and with good reason - it is durable, easy to care for, does not react with foods and is relatively inexpensive

There are a couple of drawbacks however; one is that it is not a good conductor of heat. What does this means in relation to sauce making? Well you may find that your pan has hot spots which can cause the sauce to burn easily. Another drawback is that you may find that it responds slowly to temperature changes so that if your sauce is starting to burn it may continue to do so even after you have reduced the temperature on your stovetop.

Copper Cookware

Copper is considered to be one of the best conductors of heat and for this reason copper cookware is used by chefs all over the world. In this respect, it is a perfect choice for making sauces as it cooks evenly and responds quickly to temperature changes thus reducing the likelihood of a burnt sauce.

Copper however does have some drawbacks and the main one is that it can react with certain foods which means if you are making a sauce it may not only alter the final color of the sauce but also the taste. What this also means is that you may well be ingesting a small amount of copper with each dish.

Other disadvantages of copper are that it is not as durable as stainless steel so it can dent and scratch easily and apart from being expensive it requires quite a bit of maintenance to keep it polished and looking good.

Aluminum

Aluminum, like copper, is a good conductor of heat. However it can react with some foods, particularly acids which can cause an aftertaste in the final product.

Aluminum cookware is inexpensive but because it is a soft metal it is not terribly durable. The good news is that aluminum is lightweight which makes it easy to use for those with arthritis or poor muscle strength.

Anodized aluminum, on the other hand, is hard wearing, corrosion resistant, heats evenly and is more durable than its aluminum counterpart.

Clad style cookware

This type of cookware is made by bonding together a variety of metals in order to combine the benefits of each metal into the one piece of cookware. For example, some cookware items are bonded with two outer layers of stainless steel with an inner layer of aluminum or copper.

For sauce making, cookware with an outer mix of stainless steel and a copper interior is ideal. This blend of metals ensures that the sauce is not tainted by the copper component, (as it only comes in contact with the stainless steel), and it maintains perfect heat conduction.

Cast Iron cookware

Raw cast iron heats evenly and is able to withstand and maintain very high temperatures. Because of this it is ideal for browning while also being a great choice for long-cooking dishes like stews. However, it is not the most ideal cookware for cooking sauces as unless properly seasoned the sauce may stick to the surface and can easily become tainted due to the reaction with the metal. The seasoning process is also time consuming so be prepared to put in a bit of elbow grease to keep your cast iron cookware in tip top shape.

Non-stick Cookware

Non-stick cookware is quite suitable for making sauces, and although this type of cookware often does not brown foods well it doesn’t react with acidic sauces. As the name suggests, it is not likely that you will find your sauce sticking to the pan; however it is important that if you buy a non-stick pan that it contains a layer of copper or aluminium to ensure even heat conduction.

There are a lot of options available and not all cookware is of the best quality. It pays to shop around and find a good quality pan that won’t warp with high heat or have the coating peel off. Once you have purchased a quality product you may well find the taste and texture of your sauces and gravies will greatly improve.

Article provided courtesy of Only Cookware - a resource for professional cookware, stainless steel cookware sets and enamel cast iron cookware.

Jules Silver
www.clubsauce.com
“Where sauce is the art and the essence of fine cooking.”
888-560-3562 or 303-337-4445

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