What are Secrets of Choosing the Perfect Cooking Lid?
Despite its simple design, the cooking lid remains a kitchen accessory that is full of questions. For example, is it really necessary? If so, which one? We answer these questions.
Why is a lid needed?
Buying a lid for a frying pan is one of the first tasks that the hostess solves. Why? Yes, because without it, cooking is not so brisk, and kitchen surfaces do not look as clean.
Splash protection. During cooking, all surfaces adjacent to the burner suffer from them. Cabinet fronts, hob, kitchen apron, and even the bottom of the hood.
Heat preservation. Some ingredients, and sometimes whole dishes, require frying at a certain temperature. The lid allows you to maintain it without adding fire, that is, without wasting extra energy.
Moisture retention. Juicy dishes look more appetizing, they are eaten with pleasure by adults and children. To avoid overdrying meat or poultry, cover them. This keeps useful moisture inside and helps the components gain flavor.
Safety. Small droplets of hot oil can leave a serious burn on the skin, as well as hot steam from a dish. The lid creates a protective barrier between you and household hazards.
What are cooking lids?
Previously, lids for the kitchen were bought along with pans. Each frying pan had its own splash guard. It was not always convenient. Plus there were questions about the accessories themselves. Some are too heavy, others get too hot, and others you can’t trust a child. Manufacturers of dishes took into account all the wishes of customers. Today you can choose the most comfortable option.
By function:
- Classic or special. It is selected for a specific brazier and has a fixed diameter. It is a wide flat base with sides to rest against the frame of the pan and a handle for moving around the kitchen.
- Versatile or multifunctional. Innovative analog with a special device. It has a wide rim with a visible relief, which plays the role of sliding edges.
How to choose a cooking lid?
Pans are often sold without lids. It’s not about the manufacturer’s savings, but about the market standard. For example, the classic roaster, in which the meat acquires a golden crust, goes solo just for this reason. The crispy crust under the lid does not always come out. However, many housewives always cook with a protective screen so as not to get burned and stain the kitchen work surfaces. In this case, they select a saving accessory on their own. It seems that the diameter of the pan lid is the only parameter to consider. Not really.
The form. If the house does not have a square brazier, there is no point in spending money on a square lid. On round pans, it is useless, and it will take up a lot of space. It should follow the shape of the container.
Pan lid size. Here, indeed, we are talking about the diameter. It matches the parameters of the brazier body. Measure not along the bottom, but along the upper edge of the sides, at the widest point.
Material. We have reviewed the most popular options in the table above. Tempered glass is considered the standard for regular home use. The transparent base is resistant to high heat, strong, and does not interfere with visual control of the readiness of the dish.
Steam release. The presence of a special steam hole in the base will greatly simplify the kitchen routine. With it, you can control the presence of liquid in the pan without opening it every five minutes.
We hope this was interesting. If you are looking for a high-quality cooking lids, all you need to do is just visit the HexClad website.
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