Frying Pan

A frying pan is a pan used for frying, searing, and browning foods. It is typically a 20 to 30 cm diameter (8 to 12 inch) flat pan with flared sides and no lid. Traditionally, frying pans were made of cast iron. Although cast iron is still popular today, especially for outdoor cooking, most frying pans are now made from metals such as aluminium and stainless steel. Cast iron frying pans must be seasoned before use and periodically after wards.

Many traditionalists maintain that a cast iron frying pan should never be washed but rather wiped clean after each use. Washing destroys the anti-stick finish that forms through use and can promote rust and other problems.

Frying pans made from copper will require polishing to remove tarnish. Aluminium and stainless steel frying pans generally do not require much maintenance. Frying pans with non-stick coatings should not be overheated (such as using for searing) or else the coating will melt. The fumes from melted non-stick coatings are toxic to parrots and other pet birds.

Like deep-frying, pan-frying depends on conduction and convection. In pan-frying, a layer of oil has four functions: it lubricates the surface; increases contact between the food and the pan; reduces cooking time; and increases flavor and color.

When frying battered fish or chicken, the oil covers the pan but not the food, but when frying pancakes, the oil is but a thin film to keep the batter from sticking. Asian cooks fry rice with all kinds of meats, seafood, vegetables, and nuts. Chinese fried rice is pan-fried in a skillet or wok with very little oil, perhaps one tablespoon per cup of rice. The challenge of pan-frying thick items such as chicken parts is to cook to the center without burning the surface. The Chinese have effectively solved this problem by slicing foods thin enough so the surface and interior cook in the same time.

Refrigerator

A refrigerator is a cooling appliance comprising athernally insulated compartment and a heat pump - a mechanism to transfer heat from it to the external environment, cooling the contents to a temperature below ambient. Refrigerators are extensively used to store foods which deteriorate at ambient temperatures; spoilage from bacterial growth and other processes is much slower at low temperatures. A device described as a "refrigerator" maintains a temperature a few degrees above the freezing point of water; a similar device which maintains a temperature below the freezing point of water is called a freezer. The refrigerator is a relatively modern invention among kitchen appliances. It replaced the icebox, which had been a common household appliance for almost a century and a half prior. For this reason, a refrigerator is sometimes referred to as an "icebox". Freezers keep their contents frozen. They are used both in households and for commercial use. Most freezers operate around minus 18 °C (0 °F). Domestic freezers can be included as a compartment in a refrigerator, sharing the same mechanism or with a separate mechanism, or can be standalone units. Domestic freezers are generally upright units, resembling refrigerators, or chests, resembling upright units laid on their backs. Many modern freezers come with an icemaker.

Commercial fridge and freezer units, which go by many other names, were in use for almost 40 years prior to the common home models. They used toxic ammonia gas systems, making them unsafe for home use. Practical household refrigerators were introduced in 1915 and gained wider acceptance in the United States in the 1930s as prices fell and non-toxic, non-flammable synthetic refrigerants such as Freon or R-12 were introduced. It is notable that while 60% of households in the US owned a refrigerator by the 1930s, it was not until 40 years later, in the 1970s, that the refrigerator achieved a similar level of penetration in the United Kingdom.

Microwave cooking

When you cook food using a microwave, the most important thing is to make sure the food is cooked thoroughly to destroy any food poisoning bacteria that may be present.

Foods that you can cook in the microwave include rice, pasta, meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, potatoes and any pre-cooked microwave meals. Fruits and vegetables in fact, retain more nutritional value because less water and a shorter cooking time is needed.

To cook food in the microwave arrange items evenly in a covered dish and add some liquid if needed. Cover the dish with a lid or plastic wrap; loosen or vent the lid or wrap to let steam escape. The moisture created from the heat will help destroy harmful bacteria and ensure even cooking.

Try not to cook large cuts of meat on high power (100%). Large cuts of meat should be cooked on medium power (50%) for longer periods. This allows heat to reach the centre without overcooking the outside.

To avoid cooking large food items, cut food so that pieces are about the same size. This helps to cook your meal more evenly.

Stir or rotate food midway through microwaving to eliminate cold spots where harmful bacteria can survive, and for more even cooking.

Meats, fish and poultry can be cooked in the microwave, but it is important to check that it has been cooked until the inside is no longer pink or bleeding. Foods keep cooking after the microwave is off, so allow standing time.

Kitchen Stove

A kitchen stove is a kitchen appliance designed for the purpose of cooking food. Kitchen stoves rely on the application of direct heat for the cooking process and may also contain an oven, used for baking.

The fuel-burning stove is the most basic design of kitchen stove. In the developing world, such stoves are still the most common cooking appliances and new, more fuel efficient and environmentally sound biomass cook stoves are being developed for use there. Modern kitchen stoves may use alternative methods for heating food. Gas and electric stoves are the most common today in western countries. Both are equally mature and safe, and the choice between the two is largely a matter of personal preference and preexisting utility outlets: if a house has no gas supply, adding one just to be able to run a gas stove is an expensive endeavour. In particular, professional chefs often prefer gas cooktops, for they allow them to control the heat more finely and more quickly. On the other hand, some chefs often prefer electric ovens because they tend to heat food more evenly. According to EnergyGuide labels on appliances sold in the U.S. and EnerGuide labels in Canada, natural-gas-fueled appliances are more cost-efficient for the duration of their life. Today's major brands offer both gas and electric stoves, and many also offer dual-fuel stoves combining gas cooktops and electric ovens.

Modern kitchen stoves have both burners on the top and, as noted, an oven. A cooktop just has burners on the top and is usually installed into a countertop. A drop-in range has both burners on the top and an oven and hangs from a cutout in the countertop (that is, it cannot be installed free-standing on its own).