Not asked, but would like to share.
I never used Teflon regularly. I did buy them because it was modern and seemed to make life easier. But I never liked how it smelled at high heat. I am trained as a professional chef and have been cooking for decades now. I rely on my sense of smell for everything.
These are my preferences in no particular order...and materials I have used over the years
stainless steel: My go to in the kitchen. It has to be thick and heavy. All Clad is great. But IKEA doesn’t disappoint either.
Cast iron: for skillets. Heavy..you need strong wrists. Never wash them. They have to be conditioned.
Copper bottomed stainless steel: I used this for a while and I like it because copper spreads heat evenly.
Copper: when I have to be fancy and serve in the same dish as I have cooked. Like with sauces because it has to cook evenly and at low temperature.
Also for serving. My grandmother kept a glass of water in a copper jug with a couple of leaves of tulsi leaves soaked overnight. She would drink it first thing in the morning.
Silver: only for serving. Hot liquids are really really hot in it. Will tarnish. There is some religious or cultural significance to it in south India. The older generation always ate on silver plates and had a silver tumbler. They’d also eat from banana leaves so I know it’s not a vanity thing. But I know there was some significance to it. I will find out.
Tinware: this is traditional cookware from India. It is used to make exactly one dish..a soupy item called rasam. This is handed down from generation to generation. My grandmother taught me how to cook in this and as a young bride, I was gifted one by my mother in law who handed it over to me with confounding reverence.. as though it was made of gold and studded with emeralds and rubies.
It is supposed to create a unique taste profile to the rasam(tamarind based broth soup with spices, tomatoes, lentils and herbs.) I was warned again and again not to use over high heat because it would ‘melt’. My mother explained to me later that at high heat, it would become a molten mess and that it can happen quickly. She also assured me that it’s ok. She herself has had her eeyum-chombu melted and there were tin smiths(?) who will remake it back to the shape you want in the kitchen.
I did my best rasams in that tho’..could have been the story. I was always excited when it came out without me melting dinner. I guess it’s the vegetarian south indian housewife version of ‘puffer fish’ syndrome. So there’s that. I thought I will pin it here.
Clay: I recently started cooking with this. I also make yogurt in it. And use small clay cups to serve tea. It’s a little tricky. Can’t use soap. Have to be soaked. I can use it only for one dish at a time. Because the odors stick around. It does make chai and yogurt taste out of the world or rather, ‘earthy’. I guess it’s an acquired taste. I like it. Don’t like the cleaning part. It will break. And pick up mold if it’s not dried out in the sun.
Brass/bronze: I could never tell what it is. I had a ton of stuff that I inherited from my grandmothers. It’s really heavy. It won’t work well with modern stoves. They have antique value now but were also used to cook.
Iron: I have a couple of ladles. I don’t use them.
Aluminum: some houses use these to cook for large crowds like events etc. to make rice or tea for 100 people etc. I don’t own them but we had a couple of utensils like this in the attic for family functions. As kids, we’d play hide and seek by crouching inside one of the giant utensils. Good times.
Glass: a lot of baking trays are aluminum. Some might even be Teflon coated. But Pyrex is awesome. But aluminum and coated with something nonstick(I never found out what it was ..maybe Teflon?) and silicone is still the way to go for cookies and quick order baking. I don’t bake a lot these days.
‘Stone’: I don’t know what kind of stone. My grandmother used to make only certain dishes in this. It was black and I think it’s soapstone. While copper is a good conductor. Soapstone was a good insulator. Super heavy.
Silicone: for the modern kitchen. In the oven, stovetop or for microwave. It’s very Meh. I don’t know what to make of it. I use a lot for cooking. Silpat baking sheets etc. I don’t know how to do any of my modern French culinary baking stuff without these materials. Like patisserie work or sugar work or working with chocolate etc.
I use many of these on a daily basis because I cook both traditional indian as well as classical French. They all conserve energy. The right material means you don’t use heat too much or that you don’t have to stick everything in the refrigerator.
You have to choose the right material for the right cuisine. You have to match the energy source you have with the cuisine and the material. Now we have electric stoves and induction and convection and ovens and gas stoves. So the cooking utensil material is meant to match those criteria. It is not a fad or a cost or a looks thing. It is about utility. And ultimately cooking with an energy source that is most efficient. It’s about controlling heat. A home cook doesn’t need all this. Stainless steel would do for a gas stove.
I am sharing this info because cooking brings me great joy. So just putting this out there.
Finally: Instant Pot. My absolute favourite. I mean. If you are starting out or an expert cook, this is a game changer. One pot electric pressure cooker. Changed my life in the kitchen during the pandemic.