John Myers
Regardless of the material used, a good pan has certain quality features: it is stable and distributes the heat evenly. In addition, the base must lie flat on the hob when heating. Otherwise, the pan will get too hot in one place while not giving enough heat to the food in another.
So that you can see before buying a pan whether you are dealing with high-quality goods, pay particular attention to the base. If it curves outwards, you should refrain from buying it. Such a frying pan wobbles on the stove and does not sit properly. You don’t have to worry if the bottom curves inwards slightly: it only straightens out when it’s heated.
You can recognize good panhandles by the fact that they are stable and not too short. Also, pay attention to how they are assembled: riveted handles can loosen over time, while bolted handles are easy to tighten again. It is practical if you can remove the handles and attach replacements if necessary. Then you don’t have to buy a new frying pan just because the handles are worn out.
Also, make sure that your new pan fits your stove. For induction cookers, for example, special cookware is often required. That being said, the pan size should also match that of your hotplates. Otherwise, if the plates are too large or too small, you risk warping the frying pan when it is heated. Traditionally, for example, a heavy cast-iron pan that can withstand high heat is used to prepare our Lyoner pan recipe from Saarland.
