Tableware: what it is, types and choices

It is difficult to imagine the life of a modern person without dishes. What does this concept include and what types of dishes exist? We will understand this difficult question in this article.

A dish is a wide group of items that include products for cooking, serving and eating, as well as food storage. Initially, almost all the dishes were made of baked clay, but from the 6th-7th centuries its metal counterparts appeared, first cast iron, then copper ones. Much later, by the twentieth century, stainless steel products appeared, at the same time, for the first time they started talking about non-stick coating.

The first dishes were made of clay. A special chamotte was used, which withstands heating up to 1000 degrees. Today, there are also pottery and ceramic counterparts. It is intended for cooking in the oven (various pots, baking molds).

However, there are also ceramic pans, however they must necessarily have reinforced metal bottom. Only in this case, you can cook it on the stove.

The following is a list of the most popular types of materials for the manufacture of kitchen utensils.

Such dishes are characterized by a thick bottom and walls, which ensures uniform surface heating and long-term heat retention. In addition, this material has natural non-stick coating, easy to clean, durable. Of the shortcomings - high cost and considerable weight.

Aluminum cookware is lighter than cast iron, but also conducts well and retains heat. The food in it is not oxidized, and therefore the enamel coating is optional. Protect food from burning helps non-stick coating. Aluminum utensils can be stamped and cast, preference is better to give the second as more reliable.

Utensils of steel is also characterized by durability, but it must necessarily have a coating of enamel. If cracks or chips appear on it, the dishes should be replaced with a new one.

The stainless steel is the strong inert material steady against influence of high temperatures, acids. He is almost not afraid of mechanical impact, there are no scratches and chips on the surface.

Copper is made of expensive, usually exclusive utensils. The material heats up quickly and cools just as quickly, not suitable for all dishes. Usually, copper is used to make dishes for open fire, as well as coffee Turks.

Metal utensils usually have protective non-stick coating. The most common option is Teflon. The advantage of such a coating is the possibility of applying it to dishes of any configuration, high non-stick properties, affordability. However, Teflon can not be heated above 200-240 degrees (usually the manufacturer specifies the exact highest heating point for a specific model of their products).

Despite advertising promises, cooking completely without butter in such a pan will not work. Scratches may appear on the surface fairly quickly, in which case the use of utensils should be stopped. The material is also afraid of temperature changes, it is not recommended to wash it in the "dishwasher".

Eco-friendly and reliable coating is ceramic. It withstands heating up to 400 degrees, this utensil is more durable than counterparts with teflon protection.There are frying pans with a ceramic coating applied by spraying and rolling. The first method involves spraying the ceramic layer on the finished coating. The knurling method is the rolling of ceramics on metal sheets, which are then turned into pans and other utensils. Cookware with a ceramic coating is more expensive, however, it will also serve longer.

Stone coating - one of the most durable. To obtain it, combine the polymer composition with granite or marble chips. The resulting mixture is treated with the inside and outside of the pan. Manufacturers position such a coating as superstrong, but this figure depends on the thickness of the protective layer. Optimally, if the thickness of the bottom of the utensil is 4-6 cm, and the stone layer is applied in 4-5 layers.

Such a pan heats quickly and evenly. Meat and fish, as well as other products containing fat, can be fried without oil. If you choose a high-quality model, then it will definitely serve longer than analogs with ceramic or teflon non-stick layers. However, the cost of utensils with stone protection is more expensive. She is afraid of sudden temperature changes, not all models can be washed in the dishwasher.

The most durable and durable (service life - up to 20-25 years) is titanium coating. Despite the fact that the content of this element in the layer of protection is minimal, this is sufficient to provide improved technical characteristics of dishes. The titanium coating is resistant to fading, scratching, mechanical damage. The material does not oxidize, does not change the taste of products.

Not always and not all kitchen utensils have a protective non-stick coating. This may not have aluminum (dishes will be very capricious) and cast iron model. Cast iron has a natural protective layer, but for its appearance it is necessary to ignite the utensils with oil over low heat.

Cast iron and steel pots are usually enameled. It protects products from oxidation, prolongs the life of pans. In an enamel pot it is convenient to cook soups, cook and simmer vegetables and meat. But to boil milk (and products based on it), pasta in such dishes is not recommended. Content will stick to the dishes, burn.

The modern version of kitchen utensils is made of heat-resistant glass and silicone. Glass models are suitable for ovens, microwave. They look quite attractive, but rather capricious in care and more fragile than metal counterparts. Glass molds in most cases are not suitable for baking.

Ceramic forms and pots, as well as tableware can quickly heat up and retain heat for a long time. Kitchen ceramics are usually coated with glaze, which prolongs its life, but if you want to cook dishes that are as authentic as possible in a pot, choose models of utensils without glaze. So on the surface of the utensils are saved pores, through which excess steam is removed.

Dishes for serving can be made of ceramics, earthenware, various types of food grade plastic, metals. Tea, coffee sets, tureens, salad bowls are usually made of porcelain, glass, earthenware, and ceramics.

Ware from porcelain is a grace, small weight, the increased indicators of durability and rather high price. By the way, the most expensive is always thin-walled china. It is also characterized by a smooth glossy surface. In some cases, the bottom of such dishes may have roughness, which is not a marriage. This results from the fact that it adjoined to the furnace shelf during roasting.

Such dishes are inferior to the porcelain counterpart in elegance. It is thicker and rougher, has a higher rate of absorption of moisture. To level this feature allows the application of glaze.

Very durable material, superior in strength to porcelain 6 times.Glassware is transparent and opaque, in most cases suitable for use in the microwave. The best option in terms of balance between price and quality.

Glasses, glasses, dishes for alcoholic beverages are made of glass, which can be ordinary, crystal, heat-resistant. Of the new products should be distinguished products from double glass, which allows to maintain the temperature of the drink and not letting the hands feel the heat or coolness of the drink.

Plastic dishes are disposable and reusable.. The first one is often used on picnics, it serves dishes in snack bars, pastry, fast food places. Such dishes should not be reused. Reusable counterparts are usually multicolored translucent plastic dishes that can be washed and used for hot dishes.

Wooden dishes today - it is rather a decorative element. Also on wooden boards, plates can be served meat, cheese, bread and pastries. However, it is worth remembering the high hygroscopicity of the tree. It quickly absorbs fats, juices, odors.

All variety of dishes can be divided into groups. The basis of this classification will be the scope of its use.

Traditionally allocate kitchenware, or for cooking. First of all, this group includes pots, pans, kettles, baking molds, as well as auxiliary appliances for cooking - ladles, skimmers.

Cooked food is laid out in a bowl, which is put on the table and from which food is eaten. These are so-called serving devices - tureens, plates, salad bowls, glasses, cups, and also tableware - knives, forks, spoons. In a word - this is all the dishes that are used for table setting.

Special food is used to store food. These are all kinds of cans, containers, oilers, containers for sauces and vegetable oil. This group includes all products that are suitable for storing raw or cooked food.

In addition, ancillary dishes are sometimes distinguished, including champagne buckets, napkin holders, and spice kits.

Let us consider in more detail each of the varieties.

From the name it is clear that this group includes utensils in which food is prepared. As a rule, it is made of metal, characterized by strength and durability. Kitchen utensils can have different capacities - from the volume for two to the multi-liter items for a large company.

All the variety of kitchen utensils, again, can be divided into subgroups depending on its appearance and functionality.

Utensils designed for frying on the stove and baking food in the oven. It is a metal heat-resistant dishes usually round or square in shape with small sides. For convenience, the pan are equipped with lids, handles.

Frying pan for every day can be called universal. It is quite large, with a round bottom and walls of medium height (there are straight or slightly beveled). Be sure to have a non-stick coating. The most popular among the latter is Teflon, but it is also the most capricious. The maximum temperature of heating Teflon coating - 200-220 degrees. There is also a ceramic coating - more resistant, withstands heating up to 400 degrees.

Considered the most durable titanium non-stick coating, although the cost of such a pan will be high.

For stewing meat and vegetables, baking them in the oven is suitable chafing dish It is a deep pan with two handles and a metal lid. It has thick walls and bottom, and therefore is optimal for cooking cabbage rolls, meatballs, stuffed peppers.

Wok pan provided for cooking Asian dishes - primarily noodles with vegetables. Such a frying pan is easily recognizable by its convex bottom and thick walls.Due to the design features of the pan, maximum heating occurs in its lower part, which is why it is important to use special thin noodles in it, and to cut vegetables finely. In addition, the dishes must be stirred all the time.

For those who want to fry without oil and prefers healthy food, we can recommend grill pan. It is easily recognizable by ribbed bottom. Thanks to this form, hot air rises from the pan and the food is prepared without the use of oil. Besides, fat released from food flows through the ribbed design to the bottom of the pan, which means food is no longer in contact with either. The grilled dish also looks very attractive - it has crispy strips.

If you often cook chicken tobacco or other dishes that require a press, then it makes sense to buy a special frying pan. It's massive thick-walled utensils with a press, which food is pressed down to the bottom of the pan.

Pan with different branches convenient for roasting several products at the same time. The important point is the more cooking zones there are, the smaller the portions will be.

Waffle iron - Another type of pan, which has a special ribbing, thanks to which Viennese waffles and similar desserts are obtained.

For the preparation of traditional Italian paella dishes use a special frying pan. it round thick-walled utensils with a thick bottom, low sides and handles on both sides.

For pancakes is also better to buy a separate pancake pan. These are round utensils with low sides and a thin bottom.

Metal sheets with small sides used for baking dishes in the oven.

Helpers to bake pies, bread, make cakes. Characterized by a variety of shapes and sizes, set the desired configuration test.

Deep utensils designed for cooking soups, vegetables, and some second courses. The main requirements for pots - heat resistance, rather high walls. The pans differ in a variety of criteria - material, diameter of the bottom and height of the walls, capacity.

Small pots with a capacity of 1-3 liters, suitable for cooking small portions. They are convenient for boiling eggs, cereals, boiling milk.

Pots with a volume of 5 liters will be needed for a very large family, as well as for cooking compotes, salting cabbage, preparing blanks for the winter.

The “transitional” utensils between the pan and the pan can be called a stewpan. This low pan or frying pan with high walls and a thick bottom is suitable for stewing vegetables, cooking soups, mashed potatoes.

Cauldrons and kettles intended for the preparation of oriental dishes - pilau, stewed vegetables, meat dishes. Please note that for cooking on the stove, this type of utensils should have a flat bottom, analogues with a convex bottom - exclusively for cooking on an open fire.

If you often cook porridge, consider buying double bottom pots. Water is poured into the space between the bottoms, which, when heated, contributes to the cooking of the cereal. As a result, porridge does not burn, reminds one that is cooked in a Russian stove.

Steamers and Mantovarki designed for cooking on a pair and represent a double pan with a grid or tiers. Water is poured down and food is spread on tiers. The latter is prepared under the influence of steam.

Buckets - small pots for boiling water or other liquid. Sometimes used for boiling eggs, vegetables, cereals.

Roasting pots, cocottes - dishes, allowing to cook second dishes, vegetables, juliennes in the oven. Usually, the same utensils “wander” into the serving room, since the dish in it is served on the table.

Kitchen utensils also include colander (bucket with perforations at the bottom), various ladles, spatulas, mortars, graters and grinders, bowls, chopping boards.

Table setting usually begin with the arrangement of plates. Dinner plate can be designed for the first (deeper) and second (flatter) dishes. Snack plates serve for serving both hot and cold snacks. The diameter of the diner plates can be 20-30 cm.

Under the pies, croutons, bread served patty plates, and for desserts, a dessert version with a diameter of 20 cm is provided. You can also put fruit in them.

The fish plate can be recognized by its elongated shape. In Soviet times, they were also called herrings. Small flat dishes - for caviar. A deeper, in the form of a shell is designed for oysters, seafood, as well as salads from them.

A plate, similar to the dining room under the second, but with sides, served under eggs and scrambled eggs, omelets. Under the partitioned dish mean plates with a separator. They can serve dishes immediately with sauces.

Small (up to 10 cm in diameter) deep plates are called sockets, and they are intended for jam and jams. Creamers serve jelly, berries and fruits. They have a slightly smaller diameter than the outlet, and a deeper bowl.

For drinks use cups - tea, coffee. The standard cup volume is 250 ml. They are served with a saucer. Coffee cups descend externally with tea, but their volume is usually 150 ml. Smaller cups (75 ml) are provided for strong coffee. Larger (200-250 ml) - for cappuccino.

The analogue of a teacup is a mug, however it exceeds the tea-cup by volume. Used in everyday life for tea and coffee, but not served at the table as serving dishes. For broths, it is customary to serve bouillas - this is a deep bowl with two handles. Piala is an eastern analogue of cups, but without handles, of spherical shape.

Alcoholic drinks are served in glasses, glasses, wine glasses. Virtually every drink and even its subspecies has its own dishes for serving (for example, wine glasses for white and red wine, according to modern etiquette, should differ). Juices, compotes, water is usually poured into glasses. They can be high and low, with walls expanding upwards.

Table setting involves using cutlery. They are divided into basic (intended for individual use) and auxiliary (used to shift part of the dish from the common plate to the individual).

The minimum set of cutlery - a spoon, fork, knife, as well as a teaspoon or dessert spoon. However, here you should take into account which dishes will be served, as there are fish fork and knife (tongs), salad fork and snack bar, dessert fork and knife, stand-up, fruit, seafood products.

Dishes for storage are primarily manifold containers. Today they are made mainly from food-grade plastic, silicone. Glass analogues are also suitable. However, you can not store food in a glass container in the refrigerator, and then in it heat the contents in the microwave. Due to the temperature difference the glass will crack.

Small enameled saucepans can also be called ware for storage. Due to the enamel layer, oxidation processes do not occur in them, but this is true only while maintaining the integrity of the enamel.

Today, few people will surprise with dishes of unusual shape. As for pans and pots, it is usually round dishes. Pans and baking molds can be square.

Among the plates are also popular circle and square shapes. In addition, on sale you can find dishes for serving in the form of leaves, flowers, complex geometric shapes. When buying such products should be remembered that they can cause difficulties with storage, taking up a lot of space.

There is dishes for a certain celebration. Most often you can find kits in the New Year or Christmas style. Children's tableware is also always themed - the images on it are dedicated to the hero of cartoons and fairy tales, you can also find themed birthday kits for children.

Dishes in the classical or Romanesque style are usually massive ceramics, simple geometric shapes, pure solid colors (white, beige, ivory).

Gothic sets - This is an unusual, but at the same time, quite simple in the form of dishes, a combination of wood, metal. A sign of high-tech will be glass, plastic.

For products Japanese style apply ceramics, porcelain, clay. Objects look original, demonstrate the historical features of the country, are stylized as ancient national dishes.

But chinese dishes, unlike the Japanese, is characterized by a large number of ornaments, patterns. The forms here are more elegant, and the dishes themselves are more elegant.

Country style - this is wood, ceramics, clay. Mandatory element - picturesque ornaments with floral and floral motif. Dishes in Spanish style - translucent, bright, often combining several contrasting colors within one set. Scandinavian cuisine is dominated by wooden and ceramic dishes of white and purple hues. Stylish simplicity and conciseness of forms - these are the features of this style.

French style - These are transparent and translucent objects, vases and wine glasses from matte porcelain, color restraint.

In the kitchen, it is desirable to have 3 pans. Volume - 5-7 liters (for making soups and stewed fruit), 3-5 liters (for the second, side dishes) and 1-2 liters (reheat food, make porridge). However, for cereals and sauces it is recommended to get a stew pan.

If there is not much space in the kitchen, Choose a set of pans. It is convenient to store them, placing each other. If you buy utensils separately, such a “matryoshka” may not be formed.

At least 2 pan required - more (for meat, stewed vegetables, side dishes) and smaller (for the morning fried eggs or scrambled eggs). Conveniently, if a large pan can be used both on the stove and in the oven. However, for the oven it is recommended to acquire at least one baking dish.

The number of cutlery, glasses, cups and plates - deep and under the second, is usually calculated by the number of households. On average, this figure is multiplied by 2-3. A small family will need 2-3 soup ladles, the same number of skimmers, spatulas.

When choosing dishes for the home is important to consider its purpose. When choosing a pan should pay attention to the thickness of the bottom and wall. The optimum bottom thickness is 4-6 mm, walls - 2-4 mm. Thinner utensils quickly deformed, the dishes on it will burn. Thicker bottoms and walls will warm up for too long, which can affect the taste of the finished dish.

When choosing a grill pan, preference should be given. square product, especially if you plan to fry on it steaks from meat or fish, entrecotes. The square shape will be more capacious - you will be able to fry 4 servings at once.

Another criterion for the selection of kitchen utensils - matching its type of stove. The most demanding in relation to the choice of dishes - induction stove. Utensils must have a ferromagnetic bottom, otherwise it will not heat. The bottom of the dish should be thick (for frying pans it is not less than 5 cm), in diameter - not less than 12 cm.Otherwise, the magnetic coil is not activated. It is important that the bottom of the utensils is smooth, otherwise uniform heating will not be obtained.

Glass ceramic plates require dishes with a completely flat and smooth bottom. As a rule, well-known brands treat the bottom of such utensils with a special dark compound that improves the thermal conductivity of the product and reduces the risk of scratches.

Any kitchen utensils regardless of the type of stove, if possible must have the same bottom diameter as the hotplate. The wider the pan (provided that its diameter matches the size of the burner), the more convenient it is to stir the food. However, A high saucepan is also very useful in some cases, for example, when cooking spaghetti.

It is more convenient to purchase kitchen utensils with a lid. It can be from the same material as the utensil itself, or from heat-resistant glass. The latter are convenient because they allow to observe the process.

On what kind of dishes and how to care for her, see below.