Category Archives: Celebrity Chefs
Top 3 Non-Stick Frying Pans
Whether you know it as a skillet or a frying pan, every kitchen needs one, but unfortunately the non-stick frying pan is a kitchen essential which can occasionally have a bad reputation. But never fear, we are here to steer you through the potential minefield that is non-stick pans, and provide you with our top three recommendations.
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1st Choice: Le Creuset TNS 24cm Deep Frying Pan
From the best selling Toughened Non-Stickrange, this non-stick pan from Le Creuset is simply excellent and its extra depth makes it very versatile. Be warned, once you have got one, you may find you need one in every size!
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 Le Creuset 24cm Deep Frying Pan |
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2nd Choice: Raymond Blanc Professional 30cm Frying Pan
Another best seller and a personal favourite, this pan is well sized for larger families and provides excellent results time and again.
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 Raymond Blanc 30cm Frying Pan |
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3rd Choice: Stellar 3000 20cm Omelette Pan
This pan utilises a Teflon platinum non-stick coating, which is their highest quality coating, and the glossy black exterior looks great in modern, minimalist kitchens.
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 Stellar 3000 Black 20cm Omelette Pan |
- Temperature – once the desired cooking temperature has been reached, turn the heat down. The excellent heat conduction properties of our frying pans mean that they will retain the correct temperature, without having the heat on full.
- Utensils – Non-stick is a surface coating upon the pan, which means that sharp metal utensils can scratch and damage it. For optimum results, always use wooden, silicone or nylon tools.
- Dishwashers – Non-stick surfaces will last far longer if washed by hand, and the quality of the surface makes the task incredibly quick and easy. It is worth noting that some non-stick surfaces are classed as dishwasher safe rather than dishwasher proof. Dishwasher safe means that whilst you can put your pan in the dishwasher, its lifetime will be shortened.
Best Induction Pans for the Future
Prepare for a new way of cooking with cookware that will last an age…
Induction stove-tops are becoming increasingly popular; consequently I have more and more people coming into the store asking what induction is and what pans are suitable.
The first thing I tell them is there are A LOT of options out there, usually far more than you think.
Induction cooking is a magnetic friction based method of heating which means the bases of your pans must be strongly magnetic. What this gives as far as a cooking-top surface is concerned is a very fast heat up and cool down time, very easy cleaning and an inbuilt safety feature in that there’s no flame and you simply can’t forget to turn your stove off. The element will not heat up unless there is a magnetic pan on it so no pan, no heat. Consequently more and more people are installing induction hobs in their kitchens; some universities are now even putting them in their student flats!
CHOOSING INDUCTION PANS
Now here’s the best part: the vast majority of our pans are perfect for induction. Practically anything with a stainless steel base is good to go. For example, the whole Le Creuset range online is perfect (with the one caveat that cast iron is heavy and your stove top will be made of glass so you must be careful), the whole Stellar range is also now completely induction ready. Sadly, for my long standing love of Mauviel copper pans they are not induction suitable, although there are magnetic interfaces on the market that allow you to use existing pans. These tend to cost as much, if not more than the new pans you would be buying. Anything that is aluminium, enamel or hard anodised aluminium will need to have a steel base, so check their specifications. Circulon Infinite is one of our most popular non-stick ranges which is induction safe, as is the Le Creuset toughened non-stick, Jamie Oliver Professional Series Hard Anodised Range, Stellar 3000 and 6000 to name a few. Top tip: don’t forget to take a magnet to the base of the pans you already own, hopefully you’ll be able to keep your Gran’s jam pan if the magnet sticks!
OUR TOP 3 INDUCTION READY PANS
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1) Stellar 1000 Top selling stainless steel pan range.
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 Stellar 1000 |
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2) Le Creuset Toughened Non-Stick Top quality non-stick.
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 Le Creuset Toughened Non-Stick |
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3) Jamie Oliver Professional Stainless Steel Super popular range.
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 Jamie Oliver Stainless Steel |
I hope you find this guide useful!
Nina,
Manager
Pots and Pans, St Andrews.
Jamie Oliver gets fired up…
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As we reported back in June, Jamie Oliver is opening a new chain of restaurants called Union Jacks. He’s got together with award-winning American chef, Chris Bianco to open the first of the chain in Holborn, London in November 2011.
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“Where wood-fired flatbreads meet great British flavours.“
The PR for Union Jacks concentrates heavily on the sourcing philosophy of the food; “We take a lot of pride in our sourcing philosophy, and look to our own back garden first in order to celebrate the wonderful growers, farmers and winemakers we have here in this country.”
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| “A journey of discovery through Britain and reintroduction to familiar flavours, cooked and presented the Union Jacks way.“
You’ll be guaranteed incredible flatbreads and wood-fired cooking methods, with great British flavours. Jamie’s partner, Chris Bianco is a pizza hero in America, hand making all of his pizzas and cooking them in his faithful wood-burning oven in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Fancy trying your hand at a homemade pizza? Make sure you’ve got the tools; Jamie Oliver pizza slicer, pizza stone and pizza baking pan.
Michel Roux Jr Goes GLOBAL
No celebrity chef is complete without giving their name to a set of knives and cookware. Michel Roux Jr is late to this party, but the results of his long-awaited product line are impressive. All the Roux family restaurants have historically used Global knives and this long-term partnership has allowed them to create a truly high quality product.
Global knives are made in Japan using a process inspired by the craftsmen who made Samurai swords. They are moulded from one piece of metal, so there is no seam between the blade and the handle.
The collection includes:
3 piece Knife Set; G-ROUX/3
| ‘An ideal starter set for the aspiring chef, comprising of three basic knives suitable for most kitchen tasks’ |
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6 piece Knife Set; G-ROUX/6
| ‘a superb all-round set of knives designed to fulfil the needs of most home cooks, containing four very useful knives, a ceramic sharpening steel and a handy pair of fish-bone tweezers’ |
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9 piece Knife Set; G-ROUX/9
| ‘A comprehensive set of knives for the serious hobby cook or Professional Chef, containing seven knives to cover all purposes in food preparation and baking, with a ceramic sharpening steel and a pair of deluxe fish-bone tweezers’ |
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All knives come complete with Michel Roux Jr’s signature, and all sets include a free and unique Global & Michel Jr tasting spoon. Pots and Pans is also giving all customers who buy one of the new knife sets a FREE Global magnetic knife rack whilst stocks last.
The Great British Bake Off
Bright Bakers and Beautiful Bakeware…
If you’re not watching BBC2’s latest series of “The Great British Bake Off” and you’re someone who enjoys a bit of time in the kitchen, then you’re missing out.
Not only is it a feast for the taste buds, but also a feast for the eyes. When we’re not drooling over Rob’s Genoise sponge cake, we’re busy admiring the snazzy cookware all these amateur bakers get to play with.
From a rainbow of the iconic KitchenAid Artisan Mixers and some seriously professional looking knives (Henckels?) to a myriad of beautiful cup cake stands, cake holders and perfect pristine bakeware (Raymond Blanc); these amateur bakers must feel like kids in a candy store.
Next week we’re promised an episode devoted to the art of bread making. A scary challenge awaits the contestants as judge, Paul Hollywood, has held the post of Head Baker at various prestigious hotels, including The Dorchester Hotel, the Chester Grosvenor Hotel and the Cliveden Hotel in Berkshire. He is one television expert who knows his stuff and isn’t afraid to deliver bluntly accurate assessments to the contestants.
You can catch the show on BBC2 on Tuesdays at 8pm or on BBC iplayer.
