Buyer's Guide

Cooking becomes a lot easier when you've got the right equipment. To find your perfect match, consider how you cook and what hob type you have. From saucepans for induction hobs to a range of pans for every type of cuisine, build a winning collection of cookware to make your favourite meals and enhance your culinary skills, using our buying guide below.

COOKWARE

STOCKPOTS & CASSEROLES

Stockpots are large, deep pots used to make anything from stock, soup, stew, chili, to boiling noodles, pasta, corn, vegetables, and seafood. Commonly made of stainless steel, Stockpots are available in a variety of sizes for general home use and larger sizes for commercial use. There are several different types of Stockpots and pot components and some are made in a multi-pot system of an outer pot that holds a slightly smaller inner steamer pot or strainer. They typically have two grip handles on either side to allow for easy lifting and removing from heat.

The width of many Stockpots will vary so when selecting, consider the value of having a wider rather than narrow width pot. The wider pot will allow for easier stirring, working with food ingredients and for cleaning. Wider widths may also be better for storage rather than having to store a taller standing pot. Materials used in construction of our range of pots are comprised of stainless steel with an aluminum core for efficient an even heat transfer. Aluminum core pots will be heavier in weight and thicker in substance, which will assist with keeping foods from burning easily, a problem that may occur with lighter weight construction.

Casserole Pots are similar to stock pots, but are typically shallower. It is also suitable for use in the oven as well as a serving dish. Usually made from uncoated or enamelled cast iron, they can last for generations, and with excellent heat retention, are your secret weapon when it comes to cooking better for longer

Find STOCKPOTS & CASSEROLES here.

SAUCEPANS

The term "saucepan" encompasses a wide range of cooking pans these days, but in general it is a deep pan, usually lidded and in a variety of sizes and materials for different cooking tasks. It is generally an all-rounder for preparing food - from soups and stocks to searing meat and boiling or steaming vegatables. Saucepans usually have a long handle on one side and can also feature a short grip on the opposite side to allow for easy lifting. Our range of saucepans comprises of a huge variety of shapes and sizes, some of them with detachable handles to allow for oven use and serving. A good quality stainless steel saucepan will have at least one inner core of aluminium to create even and speedy heat conductivity. Copper saucepans are also available.

Find SAUCEPANS here.

FRYING PANS

Frying pans are one of the most widely used and versatile items of cookware in our kitchens - and some use them for everything. But did you know that cooking different things requires different pans? Some materials are more suitable to certain foods and cooking methods than others. In short, the rule of thumb is: If what you're cooking is likely to be sticky (like eggs), and requires a mid- to low heat, then non-stick is the perfect choice. If cooking acidic foods, such as tomatoes or lemons, then stainless steel is the best choice, as it is a non-reactive material. If stearing or frying on a high heat, for examples fot stir-fry dishes, then cast iron or carbon steel are best.

Non-stick pans
In general, non-stick reacts badly to a high heat, so to preserve the life of the coating, use on a mid- to low heat, and remember to always use plastic, nylon or wooden utensils to avoid scratching the surface. Our range of coated frying pans are PFOA-free, meaning they will not give off harmful material into your food. We carry a huge range of sizes and types.

Stainless Steel
Many professional cooks also swear by stainless steel pans – they are long-lasting and hardy, often lighter than cast iron pans, and are completely non-reactive (which is great when deglazing a pan using an acidic substance like wine or lemon juice). If you’re browning meat, cooking on a medium heat, or prefer metal utensils, then stainless steel is your friend. It also creates a fantastic and tasty fond with which to make a pan sauce, which is a big plus.The best stainless steel pans are heavier, as they will have a core of highly conductive metal, like aluminium, sandwiched between the stainless steel. This helps to conduct heat evenly all over the pan, which helps with even cooking. Think stainless steel is hard to keep clean? Think again. The trick with using stainless steel is to heat to a high heat, turn down, and put a drop of oil into the pan and swirl around. Leave it for a minute or so, to cool off the almost smoking point, and then add food, and a little more oil if necessary. This allows the heat and oil to close the microscopic pores in the pan, making it much less prone to food sticking semi-permanently. This should be done every time the pan is used, as cooling and washing will open up those pores again.

Cast iron
Need a good sear? Cast iron is your man as it transfers heat very efficiently and is therefore great for cooking steaks. Cast iron is heavy, and heats evenly. It transfers heat extremely efficiently, and holds heat for longer periods. Because it is so efficient, it should also be used at a mid- to low heat, and will sear a steak beautifully – just allow time for the pan to heat first, and add food when it is hot. The cast iron doesn’t react particularly well with acids, like wine, so if you plan to deglaze, use a stainless steel pan instead. To clean after cool, scrub with a sponge and natural abrasive, like salt. Store with a light film of cooking oil to prevent rust spots from forming.Very important for cast iron, is that your pan is properly seasoned (or enamelled). There are many ways to season a cast iron pan – some say you should cook only bacon in a new pan for the first year, or bake it covered in fat several times before use. To season an old pan, scrub away any rust and crusted on food, and allow to dry completely. Rub with a thin layer of oil and put into a cold oven. Turn the heat to 180°C, with the pan inside. Allow to bake at 180°C for 30 minutes, and cool in the oven. When cool, wipe dry with paper towels, and the pan is ready for it’s first use. The non-stick patina will increase every time oil or a fat is heated in the pan, and will get better and better, provided the pan is not scrubbed with water. If a thorough washing is required, re-season. Seasoning like this can be done as many times as you like, and will only improve the surface of the pan. So whenever you have the oven on for something else, put the pan in at the same time. All this is, of course, not necessary for enameled cast iron cookware – just the plain cast iron.

Carbon Steel
Like cast iron, carbon steel pans become increasingly non-stick over time, without the need for special coatings during manufacturing. In use, carbon steel pans are thinner and lighter than cast iron pans and are also more responsive to temperature changes. Just like cast iron, carbon steel pans require a first seasoning before use. For instructions on this, please check our Materials Buyers Guide.

Find FRYING PANS here.

WOKS

Woks are incredibly versatile cooking pots, originating in China. In Japan the wok is called a chukanabe (literally “Chinese pot”). It is one of the most common items of cookware in most of East and Southeast Asia and is fast gaining popularity in Western homes, as more people enjoy cooking oriental food.

A traditional wok is round-bottomed, which is ideal for cooking over an open fire pit. However, models with flat bottoms are prevalent in the West where more homes have electric or induction hobs with flat glass surfaces.

Woks are ideal for stir-frying, steaming, pan frying, deep frying, poaching, boiling, braising, searing, stewing, making soup, smoking and roasting nuts – anything you could think of!

Variations of styles we offer at The Japanese Home include models with one long handle (to avoid burning hands when stir frying and tossing over a very high heat), one long handle with a short grip on the opposite side (for easy handling of larger sizes), and models with short grips on both sides (ideal for steaming, braising or making soups). They also come either with or without pouring spouts.

Find WOKS here.

GRIDDLES

A griddle pan, where the pan's base has raised ridges, will provide beautiful char marks; unlike the oven, it will flash-fry steaks and veg in no time.

You'll want something with deep troughs and tall peaks, which provide greater char marks and allow the fat to render into the grooves, ensuring your food isn't cooked directly in it. Shallower grooves lead to faint char marks, or even none at all, and a greasier end product.

Griddle pans fall in two main categories: cast iron and non-stick, usually on an aluminium base. There are pros and cons to each, though overall we would recommend cast iron griddle pans.

Cast iron pans are usually made of one lump of moulded iron. Some are enameled, which means they are easier to clean and a little more 'nonstick'; while others aren't, and require seasoning (basically they always need to be dried and oiled after use).

Cast iron pans are have great heat retention, far better than the nonstick ones, but they take longer to heat up. It's worth waiting, however, as your steak will cook evenly and quickly once it's in the pan.

As for the ridges, cast iron pans tend to offer higher ridges than nonstick. This is because nonstick pans are normally made of a sheet of a single aluminum sheet, which can tear or deform if the ridges are too high. As a consequence, cast iron, because it's hotter and has bigger ridges, provides much better sear marks – look for peaks of about 5mm or more.

Find GRIDDLES here.

SAUTE PANS

A saute pans is a specialist pieces of kit, but one you will use regularly. They have a large flat bottom and tall straight sides, allowing more efficient heat evaporation. Usually used with a lid, they are perfect for slow frying when you want to preseve moisture. It is one of the most useful pans in your kitchen, so its worth investing in one that will last. Our range of saute pans is made from the highest quality stainless steel with inner cores of aluminium for greater and even heat conductivity. Available in both uncoated and non-stick coated. They are also available in copper.

Find SAUTE PANS here.

STEAMERS

Steamer pots are similar to stock pots, but include a tiered system of insets with holes in the bottom. Steam rising from boiling water in the base pot will allow your food to be gently cooked for a perfectly tender and flavourful dish. It is perfect for cooking vegetables and fish.

Find STEAMERS here.

BARBEQUES

Japanese Konro grills are one of the most iconic items of cookware. Usually either ractangular or round in shape, these clay barbecues are predominantly used in traditional indoor spaces, making them the perfect choice for a spectacular Yakitori dinner party. Using either skewers or a metal mesh, they are suitable for cooking a huge variety of vegetables, meat and seafood. By using traditional Binchotan coal, which is largely smoke free, they create an unmatched flavour. Please see the product information or contact us for directions for use.

Find BARBEQUES here.

OMELETTE PANS

The Japanese Omelette Pan is perfect for tamagoyaki, a Japanese rolled egg omelet commonly eaten in bento boxes or as nigiri sushi. The traditional rectangular shape allows for a perfectly shaped roll. They are typically made from carbon steel.

Find OMELETTE PANS here.

DONABE

Donabe (literally “earthenware pot”) are pots made from a traditional Japanese clay for use over an open flame. Traditionally, food is often cooked at the table, such as shabu-shabu. Donabe pots are usually glazed on the inside and porous on the outside. Unlike a lot of earthenware cookware, Donabe pots can be used over an open flame as well as in the oven (ensuring that the outisde of the pot is dry and the pot is gradually preheated beforehand). With proper use, these pots can last for decades, some even surviving for centuries. A newly acquired Donabe pot should be used to boil and simmer water for a few hours and thoroughly dried before being used for cooking. They are available in small sizes for individual use as well as large sharing sizes. It is said that rice cooked in a Donabe pot is better than any other cooking method.

Find DONABE here.

ALUMINIUM

Aluminium is a popular material for cookware and comes with many benefits, such as excellent thermal conductivity, affordability and being lightweight than most other cooking pots. However, like copper, aluminium is highly reactive to alkaline or acidic foods. It is also a comparatively soft material, causing it to warp in high heat, so is not suitable for cooking with intense heat, such a flash frying. It also scratches easily, meaning it won't last as long as its competitors.

To avoid some of these downsides, aluminium pans can also be anodized whereby the pans is treated with an electro-chemical process that hardens the material, making it a far superior option. Adonized aluminium will take a little longer to heat up, but retains its high heat conductivity, while also being less prone to scratching. It will be slightly more expensive than raw aluminium pans.

They are often enamelled on the outside and can have a non-stick coating on the inside.

Find ALUMINIUM here.

CARBON STEEL

Carbon steel is traditionally used to make woks and French-style skillets. The chemical composition is very similar to cast iron, sharing much of the same qualities, but being a more lightweight alternative. While it heats up quiker than cast iron, it does not retain heat as well. It also doesn not conduct heat as evenly. Like cast iron, carbon steel requires seasoning and becomes increasingly non-stick over time.

Find CARBON STEEL here.

CAST IRON

Popular and extremely durable, cast iron has been a favoured cookware material for centuries - some pans even being handed down over generations! The main advantage of cast iron is its excellent and even heat retention, making it perfect for slow cooking, simmering and browning. If seasoned properly, it also becomes increasingly non-stick with use.
On the downside, it is a reactibe material, meaning it is not suitable for alkaline or acidic foods. It is also generally quite heavy. However, at The Japanese Home, we offer an innovative range of super-lightweight cast iron cookware.

To maintain your cast iron pans in perfect condition and make them last for longer, they require thorough seasoning. Before use, scour your pan in hot slightly soapy wwater, making sure not to use a metal scour, and then dry thoroughly. Spread a thin layer of melted butter or oil over the pan using a cloth. Then bring it to a high heat and let it cool again. Voila!
After each use clean your pan with slightly soapy water, wipe clean and dry thoroughly. Never let it soak in water. If stubbonr crusty bits remain in the pan, bring the pan to very high heat, then wipe out while still warm and wip it out again with melted butter or oil. Some people even swear by never washing their cast iron, only wiping it clean, drying thoroughly and oiling it.

Find CAST IRON here.

CERAMIC

In the past, people have to rely on the Teflon coating for non stick cookware. But as technology advances, the coatings for non stick cookware have also developed rapidly. Ceramic cookware has fast become a popular alternative to toxic Teflon coatings - and for good reason!

Ceramic pans are oxicf-free, made from natural minerals including sand, which (counter-intuitively!) helps to create its non-stick properties. Ceramic's slick and smooth surface allows for easy non-stick cooking without using oil, making it the perfect choice for healthy cooking. They are also easy to clean and maintain - simply wipe out after use and dry. Generally, ceramic pans are a more affordable option than non-stick coated stainless steel. However, they don't share the same longevity and will need replacing sooner. They are not safe for use in dishwashers or with metal utensils and work best over a low to medium heat.

Find CERAMIC here.

COPPER

For many, chosing cookware materials comes down to a choice between two options - steel or copper.
Copper was the first metal to be worked by human hands, and that history goes back a long, long time—about 11,000 years. That makes the human relationship with copper about as old as agriculture, though for several millennia we didn't do much with it beyond shaping it into decorative objects.
Compared to steel, copper might seem like a serious investment, as they usually much higher in price. However, this is compensated for by, aside from its visual appeal, its incredible longevity and excellent heat conductivity. This allows for nimble cooking with a high reactivity to changes in heat. This is perfect for cooking delicate sauces, as the heat can be removed almost instantly, preventing the sauce from burning.

Because copper is a reactive material, meaning it reacts to alkaline or acidic foods like vinegar or tomatoes, it comes with a lining - usually tin. This allows for a completely inert surface, as well as increased non-stick qualities. However, tin has a low melting point of around 230 degrees Celsius. For this reason, copper pans should never be pre-heated empty and is not suitable for high-heat searing. Tin is also comparatively soft and can be worn away over time. With care, a tin lining can last many years, but eventually most copper cookware will require re-tinning. And, unless specially treated, most traditional copper pans are not suitable for use on induction hobs.

Find COPPER here.

GLASS

Whilst still a relatively rare cookware material, glass pots are on the rise. Aside from their visual appeal and novelty, they also have some very particular advantages. The main pro is an obvious one - you can see through it. This allows you to see what's happening inside while you are cooking without needing to lift a lid and letting the heat escape. Many are also made for transfer straight from the hob to the oven and are also usually microwave safe. They are very energy-efficient and will continue to retain heat long after removal from the heat source. Finally, glass is one of the most inert materials, meaning it will not react with alkaline or acidic foods (as, for example, cast iron).

However, there are some drawbacks to glass cookware. Again, mainly the obvious - they break sometimes. Perhaps more than with any other cookware material, it is therefore important to ensure you purchase a good quality pan.

Find GLASS here.

STAINLESS STEEL

Stainless steel is one of the most common materials for cookware, and with good reason! They come in a huge variety of shapes, size and uses - but also of qualities. The best stainless steel pans will have at least one layer of aluminium or copper lining sandwiched between the layers of steel. They are therefore generally slightly heavier than cheaper stainless steel pots and pans. These layers, however, allow for superior heat conductivity, allowing food to be cooked evenly. They react quickly to temperature changes, making them a nimble cooking tool.
Stainless steel is also one of the most inert materials, meaning it will not react with alkaline or acidic foods (as, for example, cast iron does). They are also generally dishasher safe and easy to maintain.

On the downside, stainless steel can be relatively sticky, necessitating more oil in the cooking process. However, this can be mitigated by both using a high quality stainless steel pan and not overheating it. Generally, it should be used at about a third of the maximum hob setting. Many non-stick stainless steel pans have linings, which release toxic particles into the food. However, at The Japanese Home, all of our non-stick coated pans are certified PFOA free.

Find STAINLESS STEEL here.

NON-STICK

While non-stick properties are not a material in themselves, different types of cookware have varying degrees of "stickiness". One of the most obvious types is a pan, usually stainless steel, with a specific non-stick lining. While these are generally very widespread, the majority contain lining, which release toxic particles into foods during cooking, especially at high temperatures. However, at The Japanese Home, all non-stick lined pans are certified PFOA-free!

Other materials also have non-stick properties - namely cas iron and carbon steel, which when properly seasoned and maintained, become increasingly non-stick with use. They can also withstand cooking at higher temperatures.

Ceramic lined pans also have a smooth and slick non-stick surface and are often a more easlity affordable option. However, compared to its competitors, ceramic pans are not as durable and are more prone to scratching and cracking, especially when used on a high heat.

Find NON-STICK here.