Cookware

In general, what affects the durability and performance of a non-stick aluminium pan is mainly the thickness of the bottom and the quality of the coating. As already mentioned, the quality of aluminium cookware is given by its thickness and this applies to both bare aluminium and non-stick utensils: applying a quality coating to a thin pan could still lead to the formation of hot spots that will compromise the performance of even the best coating; while a sufficiently high thickness of the metal bottom guarantees greater durability of the coating.

• before first use it is advisable to wash the vessel with water and precondition it by lightly greasing the inside with oil or butter and then rinsing it thoroughly; this procedure will waterproof any micro holes and clean away any residual dust;
• use 'eco' dish washing cycles at low temperatures in particular for ceramic coated pans as the micro abrasions which commonly occur in dishwashers can partially remove the coating;
• after use wash the pan with water and neutral soap, rinse thoroughly and leave to dry; never use excessively abrasive sponges for cleaning the pan; finally, wipe the pan down with a piece of kitchen paper soaked with a little oil before putting it away;
• avoid the use of pointed or sharp metal utensils that could scratch the inside of the pot/pan (do not mix sauces with a metal whisk or turn an omelette with a metal spatula). Always use wooden or silicone utensils;
• for ceramic-coated frying pans: avoid cooling them down too quickly after use as aluminium tends to shrink when it cools and not in the same way as the ceramic coating which may crack as a result of stress;
• always use heat sources of an adequate size for the bottom of the pan.