How to choose a cauldron?

Kazan is an integral part of eastern culture. Without it, it is impossible to imagine cooking the right pilaf, shurpa, lagman and many other dishes of Central Asian cuisine. How to choose a cauldron for home use? Is there a difference between utensils made from different types of metal?

To find answers to all these questions, it is worthwhile to study in more detail the features of this type of cooking containers. In addition to the classic models, there are camping pots with a rounded bottom, models with the function of duckweed or woks used in Southeast Asia. All of them have advantages and disadvantages.

When choosing a cauldron for cooking oriental dishes, it is worth paying attention to the size and shape of the product. It is these factors that determine how many servings at a time can be prepared and what cooking methods can be used. How to understand which cauldron is better: with a round bottom or flat? Does the family need a 10-liter option or is it enough for a five-liter?

It’s worth starting with the size and capacity. Orientation to the following proportions will help you choose a cauldron: 1 liter of volume per person. That is, for a big holiday it is better to stock up on the most capacious 12-liter option. But for a family dinner there is enough capacity for 3-5 liters. In an ordinary home kitchen, using dishes of more than 8 liters is inconvenient, it is difficult to achieve the desired temperature.

For a summer residence, a country house, where there is an open hearth, you can purchase models with a volume of 18–20 liters. They are most convenient for preparing pilaf for a large company, are massive, complemented by heavy cast lids.

The shape of the cauldron depends on the method of cooking. The classic version used in Asian countries has a hemispherical shape and resembles a giant bowler. It can be used only on coal or wood stoves with special recesses or complete with a tripod on which the tank is located.

In a conventional kitchen, cookware with a rounded bottom cannot be used. They use specialized cauldrons with a flat bottom - It can be connected to the classic version and look like an adapter stand. This is what woks provide for home use.

In addition, the so-called cauldrons-pans with a flat bottom, round or oval, ducklings are produced, allowing to ensure proper cooking on an electric or gas stove. For induction cookers are available special product lines with a ferromagnetic disk at the bottom.

The right choice of cauldron begins with determining the right material. Today, dishes for the preparation of pilaf and other oriental dishes are produced in the factory, by casting or stamping. The second method is used mainly when creating budget or camping utensils, for which low weight is an advantage. Cast aluminum and cast-iron cauldrons are thick-walled, durable, and have no connecting seams.

The most popular version of dishes for pilaf is cast iron. This alloy is characterized by the ability to retain heat for a long time, has a porous surface, as the dishes are used, it is filled with oil and undergoes additional hardening.

How to choose a cast iron cauldron? First of all, it must be massive and heavy - metal weighs a lot, and the thicker the wall, the higher the mass of the product will be.

A good cast-iron cauldron has the shape of a hemisphere and allows you to cook dishes with a multilayer composition, providing optimal heat treatment for all ingredients. The food in it does not burn, it languishes for a long time, gradually saturated with bright, saturated tastes and aromas. The wall thickness of a good cast iron cauldron should be more than 0.5 cm, for electric and induction cookers it is better to purchase models with a flat bottom.

Aluminum-based alloys are also very popular in the manufacture of cauldrons. Cast metal containers have thick walls, are durable, weigh less than their cast-iron counterparts. Camping aluminum cauldrons are more reminiscent of pots and are most often produced by stamping. Aluminum cauldrons are characterized by higher requirements for the choice of temperature, in the absence of a special coating, food can burn.

Inside this container, as it is used, a special film is formed that prevents the oxidation process. But you should not store food in such a container for a long time. Aluminum cauldrons are not suitable for use with induction cookers.

Classical for the countries of the East copper cauldron today can be found in China and India. Its manufacture is most often done manually - on an industrial scale, such dishes are not made. The copper roaster has thinner walls and warms up faster. For pilaf and other dishes, this factor is not too good. But it is suitable for use as a container for the preparation of many meat dishes, poultry.

European manufacturers do not appreciate cast iron as a material for making dishes. Most often, cauldrons here are made of stainless steel, coated with enamel or a special non-stick composition.

Premium products are ceramic coated. Cauldrons of this type are similar to cast iron only in shape - in fact, it is a pan or roasting pan used for stewing in the oven. Often such a solution is used as a ducklings.

For a wood and charcoal stove with upstairs burners, a classic cauldron or WOK with a rounded bottom is still the most preferred option. Here, the heating intensity can be controlled by varying the number of rings attached. In addition, there are special adapters for woks used on conventional open fire cookers.

But more often than not, in order to properly prepare pilaf or other types of dishes of Central Asian cuisine, it is enough to simply purchase a special version of a cauldron. For gas and electric stoves, the most common option with a flat bottom is suitable. But for induction hobs we select special models with a bottom made of ferromagnetic alloy.

Russia has its own manufacturers producing high-quality and durable cauldrons. Nevertheless, products manufactured in Central Asia are considered canonical, where this type of cookware is traditionally popular. When choosing and buying, you should pay attention to the name of the company - the most famous brands are increasingly faked. The production located in China is a good reason to refuse to purchase a cauldron, it is unlikely to be of high quality and durable.

Among the companies that deserve attention, the following can be distinguished.

• Kukmara. Russian nonsense from Tatarstan, producing woks and cauldrons from cast iron or aluminum castings. The products are distinguished by a variety of sizes, average volumes - from 4 to 12 liters, thick walls and excellent workmanship. The plant is well known in the CIS countries; product prices are average in the market. There are also assortment of modern models with non-stick coating.

• Vari - Russian brand producing the LITTA series: cast dishes with non-stick coating, which is applied by spraying. The company has a modern line of equipment to create a reliable and safe protective layer.

• Mayer & boch - A German manufacturer that produces cauldrons with a glass lid, as well as enameled models made of cast iron. There are also modern series of aluminum cauldrons with glass-ceramic coating. The assortment of products includes cauldrons, pots, cauldrons, ducklings, and versions with a grate for steaming. The price range of products can be attributed to the budget category.

• Forester - Upeco products from Russia. A distinctive feature of the brand are branded cauldrons with lid-pans and cauldrons-woks from cast iron. The models are adapted for use on electric and gas stoves, an open fire, are durable, the price is slightly above average.

• "Kama tableware." The enterprise produces mainly cast iron cauldrons with aluminum covers. The assortment includes products of different capacities, with a thick bottom and walls. Massive tableware looks solid, lasts a long time, is made by casting. But such cauldrons require preliminary preparation for operation, are not cheap.

In addition, in the North Caucasus and Tatarstan, you can find many private factories where cauldrons are created, focused on the proper preparation of oriental dishes. The price for them is often very low, but this factor does not affect the quality of the product.

For those who prefer cast-iron cauldrons, the options produced by the Russian manufacturer will be interesting "Balezino", the Belarusian Polotsk plant. The release of high-quality dishes for pilaf is also established in Ukraine. The Ekolit plant stands out here, which produces products with a quality close to that of premium European brands.

See the video below for tips on choosing a cauldron.