induction pans - ProWare Kitchen

Toad in the Hole by Brad Carter

September 6, 2022 8:52 am Comments Off

Kicking off the 2022 British Food Fortnight, organised by Love British Food, is this amazing Toad in the Hole by our friend and top chef Brad Carter.

We asked Brad what makes food ‘British’ for him and what his favourite British dish would be. This is what he said:

“My dish would be Toad in the Hole, it’s the ultimate British comfort dish in AW! I love the simplicity of it & the overwhelming feeling of comfort in every bite, it’s dependent on the best sausages you can afford & a well cooked yorkie batter – I cook mine on pork lard for extra flavour & add an extra egg white or two for extra rise!”

Brad has very kindly shared this amazing recipe with us so you can enjoy it too! Brad used our Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Roasting Pan, Copper Tri-Ply Saucepan and Copper Tri-Ply Stockpot for this recipe. He’s a big fan of all our ranges so check out the website for the best copper cookware, copper base cookware, and stainless steel cookware in town!

Written by Eliza

Serves: 4

Ingredients

6 Tamworth Sausages
150g Tamworth back-fat, rendered
For The Yorkshire Pudding Batter
3 large free-range eggs
2 large free-range egg whites
450ml whole milk
225g plain flour, sifted
8-10g salt

For The Gravy

500ml beef stock
300ml your favourite beer
4 onions, sliced
2 sprigs thyme
1 tbsp Coleman’s French Mustard
1 tsp Coleman’s English Mustard

Equipment

Copper Tri-ply 16cm Saucepan to serve
Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Roasting Pan to cook the Toad in the Hole
Copper Tri-Ply Stockpot for the onion gravy

Cooking Method

Set the oven to 200c.
To make the Yorkshire pudding batter start by adding the milk to a large jug & add the eggs & egg white, whisk until incorporated.
Add the flour in 3 stages & whisk well, then add the salt & whisk until you have a nice smooth batter. Pass the batter through a fine sieve to remove any last lumps, this can stop the batter rising, rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.
Heat a saucepan & add 50g of the rendered fat, add the sliced onions & the thyme then lower the heat, cook the onions, stirring constantly for around 15-20 minutes until golden & caramelised
Turn the saucepan containing the onions back up to high & add the beer, bring to a boil & reduce the beer until it’s half of its original volume.
Next add the beef stock, reduce the heat a little & bring the beef stock to a simmer for around 15 minutes or until reduced & thickened to a gravy consistency.
Add the mustards & stir thoroughly check the seasoning, add salt if need be & set aside for the toad in the hole later.
Take a roasting tray that is approximately 30cm x 25cm, if your’s is a little bigger or smaller don’t worry, the toad in the hole will work it will just be taller or flatter.
Add the remaining rendered fat to the roasting tray & place in the oven for 10 minutes to heat up the fat.
Remove the tray from the oven, carefully add the sausages, turn them over a few times, be cautious as they may spit, then put the tray back into the oven for 5 minutes.
Once the sausages have been in for 5 minutes & started off cooking pour over the yorkshire pudding batter, also taking care as the batter will spit & bubble, that’s exactly what we you are looking for the get the ‘rise’.
Add the toad in the hole to the oven & cook for around 25-30 minutes until we’ll risen & roasty brown.
Rest the toad in the hole for 5 minutes then carve onto plates distributing the sausages evenly.
Warm a little of the gravy & spoon over each plate, enjoy the toad in the hole with any seasonal vegetables you have, welcome to flavour town!

Induction Cooking – Sheer Magnetism

March 2, 2018 3:00 pm Comments Off

Following the success of the Copper Tri-Ply and Copper Base ranges, and with the growing popularity of induction cooking we decided to put our heads together and develop a range that could be used with all hob types to make ProWare accessible to all. The Stainless Steel Tri-Ply range was what we came up with and we couldn’t be happier with it.

Su Sutton, from esteemed bespoke kitchen maker My Father’s Heart, estimates that induction hobs account for around 90% of their hob-top sales. This is frankly an astonishing figure. So what has prompted this sudden surge in popularity? Let’s find out.

Where did it all start?

Much earlier than you may think with the first patents outlining the principle of induction cooking dating back to 1909. Following some exposure at technology fairs in the 1950’s, induction hobs as we know them today were the result of work carried out at the Westinghouse Electric Corporation Research and Development Centre near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the early 1970’s. The first commercially available induction hob was Westinghouse’s Cool Top 2, launched in 1973 priced at $1500 ($8260 in 2017 dollars).

Westinghouse Electric CT-2 1973 (image: Westinghouse Electric Corporation)

How does it work?

Conventional hobs work using thermal convection. In other words they use a heat source, whether it be with a gas flame, a radiant ring or a halogen filament to heat up your pots and pans.

Induction hobs work slightly differently. Instead they use magnetic induction to directly heat the vessel in which you are cooking. An alternating electric current is passed through a coil of copper wire located within the hob beneath your pot (1). This creates an oscillating magnetic field (2) which produces eddy currents within the pot. The pot’s resistance against these currents is what causes it to heat (3).

An induction hob

Why choose induction?

Perhaps the main attraction to a society that is becoming increasingly aware of energy consumption and it’s environmental impact is efficiency. Test carried out by the US Department of Energy found induction cooking to have an average of efficiency of around 75%, compared with 70% for electric coil and 44% for gas (read more here). This can be largely attributed to the significantly higher ambient loss attained with cooking methods that use a flame or heating element; compared to induction, which heats the pot directly.

Safety is another factor which falls in its favour. The absence of a direct heat source is of great appeal to families with young children, or for that matter, absent minded adults. Of course your pots and pans will get hot during cooking (that’s the whole point) but the hob-top itself does not emit heat. It will warm up due to heat transfer from your hot pan so caution is still recommended but it doesn’t pose the same risks as a naked flame or hot plate. In fact, Raymond Baxter once demonstrated on the BBC series Tomorrow’s World, that it was possible to cook through a slab of ice (don’t try this at home!).

In addition, many induction hobs are a single flat piece of glass. This means food being burnt on or getting stuck in nooks and crannies doesn’t really happen, so keeping them clean is a doddle. Also, being aesthetically very neat they appeal to those with contemporary tastes.

Are they still expensive?

Yes and no. If you are thinking of installing an induction hob in your new kitchen, it’s true that an entry level one will set you back around double that of the equivalent gas hob. This difference becomes less defined as you increase in spec level. The disparity in initial outlay may not sit well with your wallet, but you may notice benefits in the long run thanks to the increased efficiency of induction. Generally speaking however, they have reduced in price significantly since their introduction. You can get small portable hobs for as little as £30.

Another factor to take in to consideration is whether the cookware you have (or want) is induction compatible. If it isn’t, this will be an added expense in making the transition, which brings us on to our next point.

Are there any drawbacks?

A reliance on magnetism to heat your pans means that almost all induction hobs require the cooking vessel to be made of (or at least contain) a ferromagnetic metal such as cast iron or some stainless steels. Cookware made of copper, glass, non-magnetic stainless steels or aluminium does therefore not work on an induction hob. There are ways around this with the availability of discs that you place on your hob allowing it to function as a conventional hot plate, on which non magnetic cookware can be used. You will, however, forfeit the efficiency gained by opting for induction.

Induction hobs can be noisy. The source of this noise is two fold – it can be generated by the cooling fans housed withing the hob itself; they can also produce an audible electromagnetic noise as a result of cookware being exposed to a high magnetic field. This normally manifests itself as a humming or buzzing but most users find this to be minor and something grown quickly accustomed to.

ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Induction Hob

ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply 16cm Saucepan on a BORA induction hob with integrated downdraft technology

What is next for induction?

It would be fair to say that thanks to their efficiency, cleanliness and good looks, induction hobs are here to stay. We asked Su her thoughts on the future of induction and where she sees it going in coming years;

“Leading the way now in terms of induction is downdraft.”

Downdraft refers to a type of extraction system that draws air down and out as opposed to the conventional hoods which draw it up and out.

“BORA is our best-selling hob-top brand with internal extraction within the induction cook-top. They are a relatively new company – being only about 8 years old – but they have changed the way people think about extraction and offer several different models of induction cook-tops that are well-engineered and designed. They are, definitely, one to watch.”

This revolutionary technology doesn’t come cheap with prices starting around £3,000. It does however give us a glimpse of how we all may be cooking in years to come.

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7 Things We Love About Our Stainless Steel Tri-Ply

February 8, 2018 3:00 pm Comments Off

Last December we were delighted to launch our Stainless Steel Tri-Ply range. We have now had a couple of months to live with them and see how the pans perform in the real world. The team here at ProWare have had a discussion about what they like most about them and this is what we came up with, we hope you agree!

1 Efficiency

A totally flat base ensures excellent hob contact

These pans are designed with a perfectly flat base to ensure maximum contact with flat hobs and reduce ambient heat loss. This means they are very responsive to changes in heat, quickly achieving a rolling boil or settling down to a simmer. The Tri-Ply construction allows them to perform at their best on all hob tops (find out more here).

2 Versatility

ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Frying Pans Non-Stick

ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply 24cm with and without non-stick

When developing the Stainless Steel Tri-Ply 14cm Milk Pan and 24cm Frying Pan, we decided to offer the choice of non-stick or not (read more about the benefits of each here). Each has its pros and cons. Consequently, each perform some tasks better than others. If you’re going to use you frying pan for fried eggs and crepes, go for non-stick. Conversely, if you intend to make lots of sauces using a metal whisk, a 14cm saucepan without non-stick would be preferable. Another bonus is that the entire range is oven safe!

3 Durability

Our stainless steel rivets are secured with 200 tonnes of pressure

When we develop a new product, the approach we take when deciding on a specification level is to ask ourselves ‘what would we want in our own kitchen?’ With a wall thickness of 2.5mm and cast stainless steel handles, these pans both look and feel extremely robust. In addition, our handles are secured using stainless steel rivets pressed with 200 tonnes of pressure. Most manufacturers use more cost effective aluminium rivets however, these are softer than stainless steel and can deform if repeatedly banged causing handles to loosen. We offer a lifetime guarantee on every element of the cookware with the exception of the non-stick coating.

4 Aesthetics

Hanging loops mean these pans don’t have to be confined to the cupboard

We have established that there is more to these pans than just a pretty base (get it?…anyone?), but we couldn’t talk about our Stainless Steel Tri-Ply without acknowledging just what handsome devils they are. Classic yet contemporary design combined with the non-tarnishing properties of stainless steel means these pans will come out of the dishwasher looking almost as good as the day you bought them for years to come.

5 Thoughtful Design

ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply saucepans efficiently nest

We have incorporated several design aspects in to these pans to make them not only beautiful but dynamically functional. A steep arch in the handle makes the items easier to handle; it keeps the handle away from the heat source; and, allows the pans to nest efficiently in cupboards or drawers. An eyelet where the handle meets the pan body disperses heat to ensure handles don’t get too hot and a hanging loop enables the pans to be elegantly displayed in your kitchen. We also know that larger pans can be very heavy when full. That’s why we have added helper handles to the 18cm and 20cm saucepans, and the 24cm sauté pan.

6 Induction Compatible

ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Induction

Cooking on induction is now possible with ProWare

This is the first complete range we have produced that can be used on an induction hob. The popularity of induction is increasing rapidly due to its wide appeal as a clean, efficient method of cooking.

7 Roast to Perfection

ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Roasting Pan

In February 2018 we launched something entirely new for us. The latest member of the Stainless Steel Tri-Ply family, our 35cm Roasting Pan has the same three-layer construction as the rest of the range meaning it will work on an induction hob too. This stunning piece makes oven-to-table dishes that much more appealing and it is built to last so will see you through decades of roast potatoes!

We would love to hear from you!

If you think we have missed anything or have any feedback about our Stainless Steel Tri-Ply (or any of our other products), please get in touch.

Non-Stick vs. Stainless Steel – The Test

January 24, 2018 4:25 pm Comments Off

The Test

To compare the results achieved from stainless steel alongside non-stick we have devised simple experiment. Heck sausages are a favourite among ProWare staff. Not only are they a lunchtime saviour for us at The GoodFood Show, their range of meat and vegetarian sausages truly has something for everyone. In recent times, they have also ventured out in burgers, veggie balls and even sauerkraut.

It is with great pride that I can announce that Heck’s Chicken Italia sausages will serve as yardstick in this highly scientific endevour!

The sausages were cooked as follows;

Proware Stainless Steel Tri-Ply 28cm Non-Stick Frying Pan
Hob – 30 minutes, medium/low heat

ProWare Stainless Steel 28cm Frying Pan
Hob – 5 minutes, medium/high heat
Oven – 25 minutes at 180°C

NB – Both of our Stainless Steel Tri-Ply frying pans are oven safe, however, the non-stick pan is only safe up to 200C, we therefore decided to exploit the advantage of the former for the purpose of this test and used the non-stick pan on the hob only.

Proware Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Frying Pan Oven

The Results

The end results did show a difference between the two pans but in all fairness it was perhaps not as obvious as we had anticipated. The sausages in the stainless steel pan certainly did brown better which gave them a better caramelised flavour; and should you be making bangers and mash, you could have made a stonking onion gravy with the sticky juices left in pan. It would also be within the realms of possibility to add some Yorkshire pudding batter, sling it in the oven and make a toad in the hole.

In the face of this, the non-stick pan performed admirably and held its own. Whereas the final result may not have been quite as good, for those wanting a speedy clean up and to use less oil, this would be the pan to choose.

ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Frying Pans Results

Non-Stick vs. Stainless Steel – Which is Better?

2:17 pm Comments Off

It has been over 60 years since non-stick cookware was first introduced, and since then its popularity has continued to be widespread and significant. You would likely be hard-pressed to find a household in the UK that doesn’t have at least one non-stick pan. The promise of pancakes gliding effortlessly on to your plate; the prospect of never again being stood at the kitchen sink chiselling burnt food off your favourite frying pan. The appeal was, and still is, obvious. There are some strong arguments, however, in favour of the more traditional stainless steel pans that beg the question – which is better, non-stick or not?

ProWare Copper Tri-Ply 24cm Non-Stick Frying Pan

Whatever your feelings are toward non-stick pans, it is difficult to deny their virtues in the realm of frying eggs and making pancakes. The ease with which you can produce perfect fried eggs with nothing but a drop of oil and a delicate touch make them (in our view) worth having, if just for this task alone. Also, cleaning non-stick pans is often a breeze. If you get a decent one sometimes just a wipe with a paper towel does the trick.

ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply 26cm Non-Stick Frying Pan

ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply 24cm Non-Stick Frying Pan

Unfortunately, they do have their limitations. The main one, which every keen cook will race to share, is that when using a non-stick pan, you cannot achieve that lovely golden colour when searing meat or caramelising. For this purpose, stainless steel pans are invaluable. Another area in which stainless steel reigns supreme is the making of gravy and pan sauces, an essential part of some dishes. All the juices that are released during cooking stick to the pan, allowing you to deglaze with the desired liquid.

ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply 26cm Frying Pan

ProWare Stainless Steel Tri-Ply 24cm Frying Pan

Aside from culinary matters, there are also some very practical reasons why stainless steel pans are favourable. Firstly, they are generally considered to be far more durable than their non-stick counterparts due to non-stick coatings often being easily damaged and requiring careful handling (find out more about looking after your non-stick here). To ensure the longevity of our pans we use Teflon Platinum Plus, a market leading, ceramic reinforced coating that we test rigorously (check out the video below). In addition, non-stick pans can’t be preheated in the way a stainless steel one can. This is due to good non-sticks being made up of multiple layers and when a pan is heated while empty the heat has nowhere to be transferred to which can lead to the layers deteriorating.

Many people are deterred from cooking with stainless steel because they think everything will immediately stick, burn and it will all end in a charred, greasy disaster. What they don’t know is that it will only take a bit of confidence, some practice and the right pan for it to become a walk in the park.

A great place to start is buying a quality pan. Pans that are very thin (some basic ones are as thin as 0.4mm), are likely to develop hot-spots and will not heat evenly. It is this which leads to food being burnt in one place and underdone in another. Our ProWare 24cm Stainless Steel Frying Pan has a three-layer construction – two layers of stainless steel sandwiching a core of aluminium. The overall thickness of the pan is 3mm, resulting in a wonderful robust feel and an ability to heat very evenly. It also means, like the rest of the range, this pan is oven safe.

Once you have your pan, the easiest way to ensure effortless, stick free cooking is to season the pan (it is worth noting that this is not essential if you are willing to use oil a bit more liberally). Seasoning will produce a thin layer on the surface of the pan which will allow you to cook without the addition of more oil, and most importantly, without your food sticking. This is how you do it:

Seasoning Stainless Steel

Ensure your pan is thoroughly clean and over a medium heat, allow the pan to heat up for 2-3 minutes.
Add a tablespoon of oil (rapeseed works very well) and swirl around the pan to evenly coat the inside.
Heat the oil until it begins to smoke. Once smoking, remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool completely.
Pour out the oil and wipe the inside of the pan with paper towel.
Your pan is now seasoned and ready to use.

Another useful tip when it comes to cooking with stainless steel is take your time! Do not rush and resist the temptation to constantly move your food around the pan. For example, when cooking meat, if the pan is properly preheated and the oil is hot when the steak is added you need not move it again until it is time to turn it. The meat will seal beautifully and you will be able to lift it from the pan easily, if you try to move it too soon you run the risk of tearing the flesh.

ProWare Copper Tri-Ply 24cm Frying Pan

The Verdict

A conclusion we can draw in the argument of stainless steel versus non-stick, is that they both have their merits and drawbacks but it really depends on what you intend to use it for. For the more ardent cooks amongst you, we would actually recommend having one of each. Use your non-stick for things like eggs, crepes and delicate fish; and the stainless steel for just about everything else.

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