Cooking and Baking
What would a kitchen be without a stove? What pleasure we derive from soups and stews that warm us on a wintry night, exotic stir frys and juicy roasts, delectable breads and cakes and muffins.
Cookware and bakeware are tools for the chef, and an essential part of every kitchen.
When we think about frugality, the first thing that comes to mind is, 'What is the least expensive thing that will do the job?'
In today's world there's a wide selection of inexpensive cookware. Large stores often carry 10 piece non-stick sets for $50. or less. While these sets are fine if you are outfitting a college student or need a "make do" set until you can afford better, they really aren't your best buy because of their very limited useful lifespan. It won't be long until the pots pit and dent and the Teflon type coating chips off into your food. Presented with such a health hazard your bargain pots will end up tossed into a landfill.
We're fortunate to have such a tremendous variety of cookware on the market, and the recent resurgence of interest in healthful home food preparation is putting demands for even more selection, specialization, and innovation in the marketplace.
Your choice of cookware will be as individual as you are. In this section, we will take a look at all the different types of cookware and bakeware and help you decide which pieces you should have in your Frugal Kitchen.
Aluminum Foil
One of the basics for anyone living in an RV or on board a boat is a big roll of heavy duty aluminum foil. You can bake an entire individual meal in a foil packet. Foil can be formed into a tray for baking and grilling, and it can be used to wrap anything you do not want singed over an open flame or buried in ashes, such as a baked potato. Read More
Cast Iron
As a newlywed, I was gifted with a set of cast iron frying pans. They lasted a few nightmarish months before I got rid of them in a garage sale. They were impossibly heavy. Everything I cooked stuck to the inside of those pots, and no amount of soaking or scrubbing could possibly get them clean. Three days in the sink and I still had to attack the burnt solidified remains out of my pots with a screwdriver and hammer. I hated those frying pans, and held a party when they went home a very happy old lady. 30 years later I’m that old lady. I have tried just about every type of cookware sold and cast iron is hands down my favorite cookware. Read More
Stainless Steel
A good quality stainless pan, with sandwiched layers in the base, is excellent. You will get even heat, proper browning, and they will last for decades. But high quality stainless steel cookware is very expensive. Read More
Aluminum
Aluminum is one of the least expensive types of cookware, yet you will find it in just about every commercial kitchen. Read More
Copper
Known for its ability to heat evenly, copper is very expensive - and worth every penny. Unlined for candy making and specialty dishes, or lined with non-stick tin or non-reactive stainless, copper cookware is prized by the knowlegable cook. Read More
Teflon
Teflon's non stick surface is a favorite of beginner cooks. Easy to cook with, easy to clean, Teflon is one of the highest selling cookware products. Read More
Porcelain Coated Cast Iron
A porcelain coating on heavy cast iron creates even heating and a smooth interior surface that helps to prevent the sticking you find in unseasoned cast iron. Porcelain coating on the outside gives your cast iron a classier, and richer look. This type of cookware is very strong but it does discolor, scratch and chip unless you use plastic utensils, nylon scrubbies, and wash by hand. One of the advantages of buying a higher priced brand is, the company will usually re-finish damaged porcelain for a small fee. But you can also buy special enamel paint to take care of minor chips and abrasions. Read More
Enamelware
Porcelain coated aluminum or steel. Like porcelain coated cast iron, enamelware is very smooth, stain resistant, and tough. It doesn't have the same evenness of heat as cast iron, but it doesn't have the same weight, either. Enamelware is my choice for large soup pots and roasting pans. There are two types of enamel finishes, multicolored agateware which is popular in vintage cookware, and graniteware which contains distinctive little speckles in the finish. Enamelware is recommended for sun ovens and it is excellent for camping because of its ease of cleanup. Read More
Glass
Glass lets you see what you are cooking, it heats a bit more evenly than aluminum, and because it transfers heat directly, you can cook at a lower heat. Dark glass is perfect for sun ovens. The downside is, glass breaks. Read More
