Home: Frying Pans

Frying pans come in a variety of differing metals and shapes, each with their own properties and advantages. Let's begin by looking at the metals in which a frying pan is constructed from.

Aluminium: The most common metal to be covered by a non-stick coating. It's chief benefit is the lightness of the metal. Making it easy to maneuver and lift.

Anodized aluminum: A superior construction to the basic aluminium pan. It contains low ridges in the surface to more evenly conduct heat.

Cast iron: A hard wearing pan which retains heats excellently. People with a deficient level of iron vitamins may benefit from food fried in cast iron pans. They are made from thick metal, and therefore are heavy to handle.

Copper: The most expensive metal to make frying pans out of. It's chief benefits are even heating and a quick temperature response.

Stainless steel: They look impressive, do not rust and require little in the way of maintenance. On the downside, they are poor heat conductors.

To save on costs, some pans have a copper base for it's excellent heat response, but the sides and handle are made from stainless steel or aluminium.

The height of a pans sides varies. A high sided pan is ideal for sautéing, where the food needs vigorous stirring and flipping.

A grilling pan, or griddle pan, is usually made from cast iron and has ridges on it surface. This produces a barbecuing style effect for meats such as steak.

The dimension of a frying pan varies on average from around twenty to thirty centimetres. Or in inches, eight to twelve inches.