As an avid home cook, I believe the type of cookware you use is as important as the food quality and ingredients used in your meals. Having the correct type of cookware ensures a dish is cooked to perfection and means a dish you can feel good about eating. I’ve even convinced my grandparents and parents to ditch their nonstick cookware recently — which is no easy task for an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” type of crowd.
A recent study has suggested that even a tiny surface scratch in Teflon cooking pans can shed over 9,000 microparticles and nanoparticles of plastic into your food. If you ask me, this is reason enough to switch to stainless steel cookware free of PFAS (also known as forever chemicals) that build up in your body and cause adverse effects on your health and the environment. I recently tried an 11-inch pan by Hestan NanoBond cookware, which has made the switch to stainless steel pans a breeze. Here’s why I think this pan is perfect for any home cook.
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Even heat distribution
Emily Caldwell / The Manual
For those like my grandma, the most common argument against giving up traditional nonstick cookware is that stainless steel cookware doesn’t distribute heat the same way. Many argue that food doesn’t cook relatively as evenly in these types of pans, which can be a barrier to making the switch. Meanwhile, I haven’t had this issue with the Hestan NanoBond titanium stainless steel pan.
The NanoBond technology of this pan creates a patented, multilayer structure of titanium-based alloys that bond directly to stainless steel for an even cooking surface that is also resistant to scratching and staining. Unlike other pans I’ve tried, the handles don’t get hot while cooking either, helping to ensure your safety as you cook. Although there are dozens of brands to go with when shopping for stainless steel cookware, Hestan’s NanoBond offers something different by bonding titanium-based nanolayers into stainless steel. I’ve cooked everything from seared steaks to scrambled eggs in this perfect, everyday pan. The 11-inch size is a great “medium” size that isn’t too big or small for most basic meals.
The quality of this pan feels like something every avid home cook deserves. Its sturdy construction is made to last even with everyday use. I like the feel of these pans and their durability, which is a bit better than my HexClad Cookware pans. Handcrafted in Italy with exquisite detailing on the handle, you get what you pay for with these quality pans. If you’re not used to cooking with stainless steel cookware, there is a learning curve. You’ll want to figure out how to preheat the pan to avoid cooking incorrectly. The learning curve isn’t difficult (regardless of your skill level as a home cook) and is worth it in the long term.
Chemical-free cookware
Hestan Culinary
While I love how the Hestan NanoBond pan cooks my food, the health-conscious factor of these pans is most important to me. If you’re cooking quality food daily, it’s worthwhile to do so in a frying pan that is 100% nontoxic and free of PFAS. I also like that it is a dishwasher-safe and nickel-free (good for anyone with nickel allergies) pan. Simply put, my meals just feel “cleaner” coming from high-quality cookware like this.
Just in time for the holidays, Stranahan’s is releasing its oldest whiskey ever
In recent years, more brands have been making American single malt whiskey because it’s finally a recognized category. But one brand has been crafting award-winning single malts long before it became popular: Stranahan’s. The number one American single malt whiskey brand recently announced the launch of its oldest expression to date.
Orphan Barrel is releasing a whiskey Inspired by Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Doomsday”
Fans of both well-made, long-aged whiskey and superhero movies will love Orphan Barrel’s newest release. That’s because this brand, known for releasing whiskeys made up of forgotten, long-aged whiskey, is releasing an expression inspired by Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Doomsday.” The movie releases in theaters on December 18th, but the whiskey will be available starting next month.
If you don’t think the IPA is a great beer for autumn, it’s probably because your only experience with this hoppy style is the piney, bitter West Coast IPA, the light, crushable session IPA, or the hazy, juicy New England-style IPA. But fall is the perfect time of year for the Imperial IPA for a variety of reasons.
In my years writing about alcohol, I’ve spent a lot of time tasting and rating IPAs. While it might seem like you need to finish off all your lighter beers (including IPAs) as the days get shorter and colder, that is not the case with Imperial IPAs. In fact, I believe that there aren’t many beers better for cool fall weather than this boozy, hoppy beer style.
