Which cauldron is better to choose?

Since ancient times, food was cooked in hemispherical vessels in Central Asia. Pilaf and shurpa were extremely tasty. Now such dishes are extremely popular in Europe and America. They prepare not only traditional oriental dishes, but also soups, fries, cereals. Which cauldron is better to choose and where to see their reviews and company rating? This will be discussed in our article.

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Where are you going to cook?

The question is far from idle, because the form of your cauldron depends on it. Prepared in such dishes:

• at the stake;
• on a gas stove;
• in the oven;
• in the Russian stove.

Important! In ancient times, Asian nomads were cooked, of course, at the stake. Therefore, their cauldrons were in the form of a hemisphere, without a flat bottom. If you are going to follow their example, you will need a vessel of exactly the same shape.

In all other cases, the bottom should be flat. You can’t put another on the stove or in the oven.

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Cast iron cauldron - which manufacturer is better?

Semicircular vessels with thick walls are now produced by many manufacturers of kitchen utensils. Among them there are very famous, whose products are pretty decent. In many cases, it is the brand that plays a decisive role in the selection, but buying a cauldron is an exception.

Which cauldron is better to choose:

• The best hemispherical dishes are made where they have been used since ancient times, that is, in Central Asia. And the most reasonable option is to buy a cauldron, on the stamp of which it is written that it was made in Tajikistan or Turkmenistan.
• Such dishes are also produced in Russia. You can buy fairly cheap products from little-known Tatar or North Caucasian manufacturers.
• But Chinese cauldrons are inexpensive, but do not differ in acceptable quality. Therefore, if you are counting on the long-term use of such dishes, it is better to choose a cauldron from the first two manufacturing countries.

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Which cauldron is better?

The answer to this question is simple - best of all is the cauldron in which the most delicious pilaf is prepared. Yes, but how to find him? A round boiler can be bought in almost any convenience store, as well as where they sell goods for summer residents and tourists.

The choice is large enough, but there are characteristics that you should definitely pay attention to:

• material;
• Wall thickness;
• volume;
• bottom;
• the presence of a cover.

We will deal with all this in more detail to understand which cauldron is better to choose.

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Material

The choice of material is the most important moment! The fact is that different metals have different thermal conductivity. They differ in other qualities:

• strength;
• ability to deform;
• ability to oxidize.

Important! From ancient times, eastern peoples made dishes from cast iron. And now these are the best cauldrons, possessing all the necessary qualities for cooking pilaf or roast.

But on sale you can find products from other materials:

• copper;
• aluminum;
• enameled steel;
• non-stick materials.

Cast iron

This metal heats easily, retains heat for a long time. If the walls are thick enough, the food cools very slowly. In cast iron dishes, the contents are heated evenly. In addition, if there is a reliable lid, steam is intensively used in cooking, which usually cannot be achieved in another container.

Cast iron has only a few flaws:

• fragility;
• heavy weight;
• ability to rust;
• not very elegant appearance.

You can deal with many nuances:

1. When handled well, cast-iron utensils serve not even for years, but for centuries. To this day, archaeologists find the sites of ancient nomads, where there is such dishes, and it is quite possible to use it. But it is necessary to store cast-iron boilers carefully so that massive objects neither fall from above, nor squeeze from the sides.
2. As for the appearance, it is not at all necessary to expose such a boiler to the sideboard. It can be completely stored in the closet, showing itself to the guests strictly at the right time. But if the kitchen is decorated in an oriental ethnic style, such dishes will become a very worthy decoration of the interior.

Important! Cast iron, unfortunately, rusts. But this can be avoided if it is properly prepared for its first use, and then regularly processed in a special way on fire.

Copper

Copper utensils are now used relatively rarely. This material is susceptible to corrosion, and all copper compounds are toxic. Therefore, copper utensils must be regularly and thoroughly cleaned.

As for the advantages of a copper cauldron compared to a cast iron one, there are almost none. This material, of course, warms up faster, but it keeps the temperature worse. So it’s not possible to rotate the contents well.

Aluminum

Lightweight and very cheap material. For this, he is mainly appreciated mainly by those who often have to go hiking. There are no other advantages of aluminum cauldrons.

Important! This metal, like copper, conducts heat remarkably, that is, it heats up very quickly and cools quickly. For oriental dishes, this is contraindicated.

In addition, aluminum holds its shape very poorly. The slightest pressure - and now the cauldron has not a hemispherical shape, but is a kind of crumpled bucket.

Enamelled steel

Steel is close in its properties to cast iron. True, the dishes are made of enameled steel, and the enamel is very poorly able to withstand too much heat. It begins to crack and exfoliate, which in no way contributes to the quality of the preparation.

This material has other disadvantages:

• quite a lot of weight;
• where the enamel is damaged, rust appears;
• the use of steam is difficult due to too good thermal conductivity.

Non-stick coatings

It would seem that this miracle of technology can make any boiler perfect. But everything turned out to be completely wrong. In such dishes, of course, the food does not burn. But exposure to high temperatures for a long time leads to damage to the coating itself. It begins to exfoliate, the pieces go into food, which in no way contributes to the improvement of taste.

In general, in the manufacture of hemispherical boilers for cast iron there is so far no alternative. Therefore, the question is not “how to choose a cauldron”, but “how to choose a cast iron cauldron”.

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Volume

How to choose a good cauldron for a large, or - on the contrary, a very small company? On sale you can find boilers of the most different sizes:

• miniature;
• medium;
• large;
• giants.

We choose a suitable cauldron, based on our goals:

• The smallest models are designed for 3-7 liters. In them, you can cook, for example, porridge, sweet pilaf or make roast for a couple of people.
• Medium-sized dishes - from 8 to 15 liters. This is already enough to cook pilaf, say, for three or four.
• A large vessel - from 15 to 20 liters, a giant - 25 liters.

There are more, but they are not used at home, but in cafes or restaurants of oriental cuisine.

Important! How to calculate the size? If you need to choose the best cauldron to prepare pilaf for the company, multiply the approximate number of people by two and add a couple more liters so that the contents of the boiler can be freely mixed. Thus, a group of eight people will need a cauldron with a volume of at least 18 liters, but preferably 20 liters.

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Wall thickness

How well the dish will languish depends on this characteristic.There is only one criterion: the thicker the wall, the better.

Important! On sale you will find not very high-quality Chinese models with a thickness of 3 mm, or even less. This option will definitely not suit you, the cauldron is obtained almost from foil.

Real Central Asian dishes have a wall thickness of at least 4-5 mm. This is an ideal option: it’s convenient to cook, and the boiler is not too heavy. Thicker walls can improve the quality of the dish, but the cauldron can become simply too heavy.

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Be careful!

And now you have chosen the best cauldron, which seems to suit you completely - and its shape is suitable, and the size is perfect, and made of the highest quality cast iron that can ever be found in the world. But take your time getting the money. Do not be lazy and inspect the surface, and carefully.

Cast iron - uneven material. There are always roughnesses on the surface, slight bulges, etc. But something should not be there:

• large dents;
• cracks;
• scratches.

Important! If you notice them, it means that the dishes were stored or transported incorrectly, and during the calcination or even the first cooking you will have extremely unpleasant surprises.

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Cover and other quirks

The lid is an absolutely necessary thing. Better if it is included. However, if in all other respects the cauldron is satisfied with you, but there is no cover for it, do not worry. It can be bought separately - for example, transparent. They may be:

• glass;
• silicone.

Important! In fact, such lids are designed for pans, but if necessary, are suitable for a cauldron.

It’s better to buy it in the same store, because this thing will have to be tried on:

1. The lid must close the boiler tightly.
2. It can be either slightly larger in diameter or slightly smaller.

Important! A fashionable option is silicone caps, which are designed for 2-3 sizes. It is important for you to ensure that steam does not escape from the boiler during cooking, and silicone is just perfect for this.

Better if the cauldron is equipped with two covers. One is placed upstairs, the other, if necessary, somewhere in the middle.

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Other “accessories”

You probably have the kitchen utensils necessary for preparing oriental dishes. If for some reason you have not gotten it yet, it's time to take care of it. In addition to the cauldron itself, you need:

• cutting boards;
• sharp knives;
• metal slotted spoon;
• wooden tongs.

There should be several chopping boards. This is required by basic hygiene rules.

Important! Raw meat cannot be cut on the same board as boiled or vegetables. Identical boards are best marked.

There should be several knives in the house. Of course, a chef knife is suitable for everything, but it is more convenient if there is a knife with a long thin blade and a short one.

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Preparing a Cast Iron Cauldron

And so the desired vessel was bought. Is it possible to start cooking the long-awaited pilaf right away or is it necessary to do something else? First of all, be patient. It will not take so much.

The cauldron must be calcined in this way:

1. Wash the boiler with warm water.
2. Remove the plaque - it will depart by itself, and in extreme cases, it can be removed with a soft sponge.
3. Put the cauldron on low heat.
4. Wait for the smoke to dissipate and the hiss to end.
5. Pour in sunflower oil - approximately 0.5 l, if the vessel is large.
6. Heat until cast iron begins to redden.
7. Tilt the boiler so that the oil is evenly distributed over all walls.
8. Remove the vessel from the heat and let cool.
9. Pour out the oil, remove the residue with a napkin.

Important! This procedure must be repeated periodically. They do nothing of the kind with cauldrons of other materials:

• copper - periodically cleaned:
• enameled, aluminum and non-stick - wash with mild detergents.

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Caring for a Cast Iron Cauldron

Such dishes do not need any special care. Of course, after each cooking, the cauldron must be washed. You can not use:

• hard washcloths;
• abrasive pastes;
• knives and other sharp objects.

In tearing burnt food, there is absolutely no need. Firstly, in such a boiler, food burns out only if you left it on high heat for a very long time. And secondly, even burnt crusts are removed in a completely different way - in a very simple way:

1. Fill a cauldron with water.
2. Wait a couple of hours if there is a lot of residue stuck.
3. Pour out the water and wash the boiler with a soft sponge.

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That's all the wisdom regarding how to choose the best cauldron and in the future properly look after it in order to enjoy aromatic food. Use these tips in practice, and then it will be very simple for you to become a real chef of oriental cuisine.