By: Noha Mo’men & Yara El-Hemaily

In the past, when we used to go shopping for a pan or a pot with our parents, we used to find very few choices with limited colors, and whichever house you went to, the pans were all the same. Choosing a pan was an easy and simple task. Now, however, we have so many options that our heads spin when we come to choose a pan set! 

Yaoota decided to help you in this article to choose the suitable pan. The frying pan turned out to be more complex than we thought; this is why Yaoota, in this article, will tell you some detailed points in order to help you understand more about the composition of the frying pan, what your options are and what price to expect. 

*Prices listed in this article are the ones provided at the time of its publication, and are subject to change according to the supply and demand of the market.

Yaoota has established a committee to examine the frying pan closely part by part, and in conclusion, we understood that in order to choose and evaluate a frying pan, you need to evaluate 4 important points:

• The raw material of which the pan is made.
• The surface coating of the pan (the surface you fry on).
• The thickness of the pan.
• The handle of the pan.

And now we will discuss each point in detail.

I – The Raw Material of Which the Pan Is Made

In the Egyptian market, the types of raw materials are:

1. Stainless Steel

• One of the pros of cooking in stainless steel is that it is “non-reactive” with food, is completely healthy in cooking and does not interact with acidic food.
• The stainless steel has a long lifespan and can be washed in the dishwasher.
• One of the biggest cons is that its heat distribution is not the best. Also, the food may stick to it during frying. You can get over that, however, if you choose to use the stainless steel pan with the internal coating. (We will talk about this type later on in this article. It will have a higher price but will live longer.)

When we asked people about their opinion about stainless steel pans, Eman, 32 years old, who is a mother to four children, said, “I always feel safe with stainless steel. I feel it is the healthiest material and I am always hesitant to try anything new.”

Meanwhile, Mai, 30 years old, said, “I know well that the stainless steel is healthy, but it sometimes burns the food and its cleaning is not the easiest task.”

2. Aluminum

• Its pros are that aluminum is a good conductor of heat, its price is affordable and has a light weight.
• Among its cons is that aluminum reacts with acidic and alkaline food. It can also be corrosive with heat and can be blended. This is why another type of processed aluminum was introduced, which is somewhat heavier than the raw aluminum, but it does not react with food and it distributes heat better than stainless steel.

3. Ceramic

• Among the pros of ceramics is that they  are colorful, diverse and add a good spirit to the kitchen.
• They are easy to clean and can be washed in the dishwasher.
• As for the cons, the food might stick to the ceramic; it does not have a long lifespan and there is a health debate about whether or not it has a percentage of iron.

People have different point views about it. For instance, Yara, 28 years old, a pharmacist and a mother of a baby, tells her story with it: “I have the ceramic type and I use it intensively and it was not peeled, thank God!”

Whereas, Manal, 35 years old, said, “The ceramics are very bad and can be peeled easily. I say this out of personal experience”.

4. Granite

• It is the new trend in the household appliances’ world and is considered the most expensive type so far.
• Among its pros is that the food naturally doesn’t stick to it. It heats very quickly, which reduces the cooking time, and it can live for a long time.
• Among its cons is that it is relatively heavy; you may feel concerned that it may fall down and break. Also, like we said earlier, it’s rather pricey.

We asked Dr. Sawsan, 72 years old, about it, and she said, “I almost used all kinds of pans available in the market. The granite is the best thing I ever used and is a good value for money. I clean it myself and I am very cautious with it. The oil slides in it and can be easily cleaned after using. It does not react with the food nor does the food stick to it”.

Marwa, 30 years old, also said, “Granite is wonderful in terms of frying, better than ceramics. It’s my best friend in the kitchen.”

Learn more about Creative Ideas for your Kitchen in this article.

II – The Surface Coating of the Pan

No matter how different the surface coating of the pan is, we cannot use any sharp tools with any of them, in order not to scratch that layer. Instead, we use plastic or silicon tools for stirring the food in the pan and in cleaning. We can always use soft and smooth sponges, not the rough ones that may scratch the surface coating while cleaning it.

The Types of Pan Surface Coating:

1. Regular Non-stick Coating

This is a good type of coating. A famous example for it is Teflon, which reduces your use of oil, as it forms an isolating layer in order for the food not to stick in the pan while frying.

You need to be careful about one thing while using the Teflon coated pans: research has shown that this material breaks starting from a temperature of 250°C and that the smoke resulting from heating it excessively is extremely carcinogenic. Therefore, if you decide to use it, dedicate it for light use only.

A Secret from Yaoota: This coating is very nice and adequate for light-use pans. For example, in the case of small/medium pans dedicated for making eggs, pancakes or breakfast crêpes.

2. Quantum 2

It’s a good type too, distinguished from the previous type with that it’s free of PFOA material, which research has proved to be harmful to human health in case of peeling of the coated part and getting it mixed with food. Therefore, this type is better in terms of health. In addition, this material is scratch-resistant and does not allow the food to stick to it.

A Secret from Yaoota: When you’re shopping, try to look for the PFOA-free sign. 

3. Excalibur

It is somewhat better: anti-scratch and reinforced with stainless steel in its composition. This increases its tolerance.

A Secret from Yaoota: As the coating features improve, the prices increase, and the more you take care of your health, the longer the pan will live with you. 

4. Power Coat 2

This type is much better, composed of two coats, reinforced with ceramics and is environmentally friendly.

5. Steal Coat

It is one of the best types of coating, reinforced with steel and consists of three layers, so it lives longer. The food also slides on it quickly, so you won’t even need to push it down or aside with a spoon.

III – The Thickness of the Pan

The thicker the pan’s material, the better it is. However, naturally, everything has its pros and cons.

Pros:

• It becomes more stable.
• It distributes the heat evenly.
• It often has the “Induction Cooking” feature. (We will talk about this feature in the next point.)

Cons:

• It becomes heavier.
• It is more expensive.

A Secret from Yaoota: “Induction cooking” is a new features in pans where the base is made of steel or iron and where magnetic energy is used to distribute the heat on the pan as a whole not only the part directly exposed to the fire, which leads to better heat distribution and less energy consumption.

“Induction Cooking” is written on the pan.

Also read Fundamentals in your Kitchen.

IV – The Pan’s Handle

Yaoota tells you that when the handle has a part of a rubber or a heat insulating material, it will help you of course not to get scalded while cooking and it will properly insulate heat. However, at the same time, you cannot put it in the oven, so it’s all up to what you intend to use it for.

Now that you’ve read what Yaoota‘s consortium has found regarding pans, we will now present you some types of frying pans in order to choose the best one suiting you. Don’t forget to check for the previously-mentioned 4 points of choice criteria.

Nouval Aluminum Frying Pan

It comes in various sizes and is made of aluminum. Its handle is made of stainless steel. You will need to be cautious not to get scalded while you hold it over the stove, but at the same time, it can be used in baking inside the oven.

Check out Nouval Aluminium Frying Pan here.

Dessini Aluminum Double Fry Pan

A double frying pan made of aluminum. It has a Teflon layer to make it easier to clean and to prevent the food from sticking to the pan. It has a higher distribution of heat; hence, cooking is faster.

Kholoud complained about it, saying it was “hard to clean in the sink because of its size”.

Check out Dessini Aluminum Double Fry Pan here.

Zahran Stainless Steel Fry Pan

Zahran is a company with a big and historic name in Stainless steel industry and it continuously innovates its products to suit the change in tastes.

Zahran frying pan with the golden handle looks elegant, but Raghda, 28 years old, said, “The color of the handle changes and it becomes less shining with repeated use and cleaning. The pan uses oil normally, which needs good cleaning.”

Check out Zahran Stainless Steel Fry Pan here.

Truval Deep Fry Pan

This pan is made of aluminum and is coated with a layer of Teflon to prevent food adhesion. This type of pan is deep in order to handle a big amount of oil to cover the food it fries, like French fries, for instance.

Check out Trubal Deep Fry Pan here.

La Vita Fry Pan

A frying pan of granite and lead and is PFOA-free, makeing it healthier to use. As a result of the material used, the pan quickly heats over fire, reducing the total time needed to fry. It is made in Tunisia and is available in beige color.

Check out La Vita Fry Pan here.

Lock and Lock Ceramic Fry Pan

A ceramic frying pan available in attractive designs and bright colors, equipped with a heat insulating handle and an ergonomic design.

Saly Hamdi praised Lock and Lock ceramic fry pan and described it as a “professor of cooking”.

Check out Lock and Lock Ceramic Fry Pan here.

CEM Forge Stone Set

A granite pan that is a part of a two-piece set: a pan and a granite pot with a glass lid. The pan is thick, relatively heavy and easy to clean.

Check out CEM Forge Stone Set here. 

Ceramic Frying Pan with Glass Lid

The pans’ raw material is made of aluminum and are coated with ceramic layer. They are easy to clean and wash in the dishwasher.

The nice thing about this set is that each piece has a glass lid that is very suitable for covering the food during frying. This reduces the spread of frying vapor on the stove and at the same time keeps the food hot after frying is concluded.

Check out Set Ceramic Frying Pan here.

Simple Interesting Tips for Cleaning & Taking Care of Frying Pans

Yaoota will give you some tips to care for fry pans to ensure longevity:

• Don’t ever leave an empty fry pan over the fire.
• For safety reasons, in order to extend the lifetime of the fry pan and in order not to be peeled off, leave it to cool down completely before cleaning it.
• Always wash it with soap and water with a soft sponge, and if you use the dishwasher, make sure the soap used is safe and can be applied to different metals.
• Of course, do not forget to use silicon or wooden tools only when flipping.
• Don’t forget that olive oil cannot be fried.

We hope that Yaoota’s Consortium for Fry Pans has been useful for you and has helped you make a proper choice and get more excited about cooking and the kitchen!

Read also in this article Yaoota’s Perfect Guide for Selecting Pots and Dishes.