Metal dishes: types and features of choice

Metal dishes have enjoyed unchanged popularity for more than one century. Nowadays, the range of products is large - products for a variety of purposes are on sale, made from a variety of materials with different types of coatings. It is worth dwelling in more detail on the features of metal dishes.

Metal utensils are often used in everyday life, as well as in catering outlets due to their extremely high functional, ergonomic and aesthetic characteristics. Metal cookware has the following features:

• metal products are durable - with proper care they can be used for more than one decade, keeping their appearance and technical and operational parameters unchanged;
• environmental friendliness - high-quality metals used for the manufacture of dishes do not emit harmful and toxic substances, hazardous chemical elements during cooking, they do not contain radiation, which means they are completely safe for use in everyday life;
• reliability - metal kitchen utensils are highly durable, resistant to temperature extremes and deformations;
• ease of care - the use of dishes made of steel, aluminum, cast iron and other alloys does not require specialized detergents, products can be cleaned with the most common dishwashing gels and a sponge;
• aesthetics - usually utensils made of metals have a beautiful, noble shine or can be treated with decorative coatings, due to which they harmoniously fit into any interiors;
• durability - this option is perhaps the only one that can withstand daily use for a long period of time;
• cost - if you compare metal products with other kitchen items, then their price will be much more profitable, especially if we consider the cost from the standpoint of price and quality.

Of the minuses, high thermal conductivity can be noted - metal objects quickly heat up even from cooked food and drinks, which means that you can get burned during lunch.

For the manufacture of kitchen utensils, a wide variety of metals are used - utensils are made from tin, brass, steel, nickel, aluminum, in stores you can find iron, tin, as well as bronze and silver items. Steel utensils include all enameled, galvanized, painted and "black" products, as well as stainless steel utensils and non-stick pans. It is represented both by dishes that directly come into contact with food (plates, bowls, as well as cups, salad bowls, all kinds of forks, spoons, knives, etc.), and not (basins, cans, tanks or buckets).

The disadvantages of such devices include the reduced mechanical protection of the applied coating. So, galvanized dishes are not used for contact with food, since zinc can react with alkalis and acids, therefore, water tanks are mainly produced from this material. Painted utensils are most often used for the production of containers designed to move water supplies.

Steel products are also made without coating - it is called "black" and is represented by a wide variety of items: pans, pots, baking trays and baking dishes.

Stainless steel dishes are characterized by extremely high performance properties. It has a strictly “grocery” purpose and is more expensive than other types of steel dishes - pots, as well as pans, pots, plates, cocotte bowls, bowls and many other products are made from it.

Cast iron appliances for the most part are represented by cooking containers - pots, massive pots, pans and braziers. Such dishes are characterized by low thermal conductivity, food does not burn in it, while heat is retained inside the container for a long time, due to which the dish "reaches" and turns out to be especially tasty.

In the manufacture of utensils from non-ferrous metals, as a rule, aluminum, copper and all kinds of alloys are used with the application of a mandatory protective layer. Such kitchen utensils look very impressive and stylish, but if the integrity of the protective layer is damaged, harmful substances will begin to enter the food, therefore it is not recommended to store food in such a container, and when cleaning, use only soft washing gels, do not use hard brushes and abrasive powders.

Utensils made of copper alloys are represented in most cases by brass and cupronickel products. These are stylish and expensive utensils that are used for direct contact with food products - teapots, glasses, glasses, milk jugs, salad bowls, caviar bowls, bowls and all kinds of gravy boats.

Silver is most often used to cover sets and kitchen utensils, less often gold, as well as enamels, varnishes and glaze. Chrome-plated and nickel-plated cookware has become widespread. The most popular are cookware with a non-stick coating. It is intended for cooking dishes without the use of vegetable oils and other fats, respectively, the finished dish does not contain additional calories and carcinogens. Such food is considered to be tastier and healthier.

However, some scholars argue that Teflon coating is potentially unsafe for humans... When heated to +220 degrees, the coating begins to emit benzene and other harmful substances, so such pans and pots are not recommended for baking in the oven. At elevated temperatures, there will be no benefit from such a dish. A worn out or damaged non-stick coating can cause great harm to a person, therefore, such dishes should be bought only in trusted stores and give preference to well-known brands.

Enamel-coated dishes have been loved by many housewives for several decades. The enamels were specially invented to protect products from metal ions that can be released during heat treatment. Combining with food, they form harmful salts, dishes become dangerous to humans. Since the enamel serves as a barrier between food and harmful metals, but it is necessary to monitor its integrity - the surface of the coating must remain smooth and glossy, the use of utensils with chips, cracks, signs of dullness and oily is not allowed.

As we have already mentioned, depending on the features of use, dishes for food and non-food use are distinguished. The first category includes containers for storing and transporting food and other household needs. The classification of metal food utensils includes the following elements:

• items for heat treatment of food;
• utensils for table setting and cold dishes;
• containers for storing food products.

Cookware used to cook hot foods usually includes items such as:

• pots;
• pans;
• baking pots;
• boilers for cooking over a fire;
• ducklings, as well as gosyatnitsa and rybnitsa;
• heat-resistant baking sheets;
• teapots and teapots;
• baking dishes;
• tanks for sterilizing cans.

The cutlery for serving cooked meals includes the following:

• dishes of different sizes;
• bowls;
• flowerpots for sweets, bread and fruits;
• mugs;
• buckets for cooling drinks;
• creamers, as well as bowls;
• caviar dishes;
• gravy boats;
• vases for pastries and cakes;
• trays;
• cheesecakes;
• sugar bowls.

The range of products used for the transportation and storage of food consists of the following elements:

• buckets;
• cans;
• bowls;
• tanks for liquid.

A separate place in the classification is occupied by non-food utensils, it includes such elements as:

• containers for washing;
• basins and baths for bathing;
• cans;
• all kinds of canisters;
• troughs for moving non-food products.

Due to the variety of shapes, as well as sizes, decor items, the arrangement of handles, lids and board types, the maximum breadth of the assortment is achieved. So, handles are cast, hollow or stamped. Covers for kitchen utensils are onboard, as well as overhead or insert. There are also different ways of decorating dishes - the most popular are stencil and decal.Engraving and coverings are widespread. Forged and cast utensils are distinguished according to the production method.

When choosing metal cookware there are several recommendations to take into account.

• Pots intended for an electric stove must necessarily have a thick bottom - not less than 2 mm. The bottom of such dishes is usually in close contact with the surface of the burner, so it should not be less than its diameter.
• It is not recommended to buy dishes with such defects as a violation of the smoothness of the coating, unevenness, tubercles, bubbles and gaps in the enamel, as well as "fish scales". But the defects of drawings in decorated kitchen utensils (blurred contours, slight burnout, paint washout) do not affect the operational properties of kitchen appliances.
• In accordance with quality requirements, the inner enamel can be blue, white, black, beige or grayish blue. All other dyes used to create the enamel coating create high concentrations of potassium and manganese salts. On contact with hot food, they pass into food, leading to serious illness.

Metal dishes are unpretentious to clean. To keep her original shine at home, you should adhere to the following rules:

• it is very simple to return the shine to tarnished aluminum dishes - for this you just need to boil water with vinegar or apple peel in it; if the product has turned black, it can be poured overnight with milk whey or brine;
• nickel products are cleaned with solutions of apple cider vinegar and salt, taken in a 1: 1 ratio;
• tarnished stainless steel appliances must be placed in a potato broth for a quarter of an hour, then wiped dry;
• rust on knives is perfectly removed by ordinary laundry soap;
• new baking sheets are greased with vegetable oil and calcined in a hot oven - thanks to this treatment, a thin fatty film forms on the surface, which will further protect the material from corrosion;
• a burnt pan should be soaked overnight in a concentrated saline solution - in the morning all carbon deposits can be easily cleaned;
• after washing, metal dishes must be wiped dry with a rag or soft towel.

For more information on the features of metal cookware, see the next video.