Prospective pan gets 3rd degree

— Cookware comes in brilliant blues, rowdy reds and pretty purples nowadays. It’s easy to get so distracted by what looks attractive and to forget about functionality and longevity. Here are a few questions to ask before buying that skillet with the rainbow swirls or those racy, red saute pans.

Is it sturdy?

“Gauge is very important on cookware,” says William Ginocchio, an instructor at the Pulaski Technical College Arkansas Culinary School in Little Rock. “Your cookware needs to be fairly heavy gauge because you’re more likely to scorch sauces with a thin gauge pan than you are with a heavy gauge pan.”

Is it oven-safe?

“We like to find pans that can go from the stove right into the oven,” says Lou Rice, chef in residence at Northwest Arkansas Community College. “If I’m going to cook a chicken breast, I can’t get the middle done before the outside gets overdone using high, direct heat [on a stovetop].”

Will the handles stay cool?

Look for soft grip handles, Rice says. “Some you can even put in the oven,” he says. “They’re good up to 450 degrees.” Likewise, look for handles with large rivets, Rice says. “When you see pans that have handles that have been soldered on, it’s not a good thing because those eventually break,” he says.

What kind of utensils can be used?

Metal utensils can be used on many higher-quality nonstick and uncoated pans these days, according to Suzanne Murphy, vice president for marketing at the Meyer Corporation, but it never hurts to be sure. There are still inexpensive brands being sold that will scratch and peel if a metal utensil is used.

Does it come with vented or tempered glass lids?

Vented lids are an amazing thing, allowing you to release steam from dishes without taking the lid off and spoiling the flavors, according to Diane Jackson, a media representative for Swiss Diamond. Tempered glass lids do much the same thing without the vents. Rice recommends both lids with vents and lids that fit as snugly as possible to keep juices in and reduce waste.

Is it induction-friendly?

Induction ranges are becoming more widely used in homes, Ginocchio says. Induction works by using electromagnetic waves to heat food. That means pans must be made of stainless steel or have a flat stainless-steel bottom to work properly, Ginocchio says. Pans made of low-magnetic metals like aluminum or copper generally won’t work.

HomeStyle, Pages 38 on 04/14/2012

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