Comparison Biol KT0600 6 L vs Biol 0706 6 L

- Gosling. The name “duckling” is also found. Thick-walled dishes for stewing, originally used mainly for poultry (hence the name) - the shape and size of goose pans are often designed so that the whole carcass can be placed inside. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Also, of course, it can be used with other products - in particular, with some skill, a duck roaster can replace a cauldron (see below). As for the shape, the standard is either oval or rectangular - this is what primarily distinguishes ducklings from cauldrons. However, round dishes are also found in this category; in such cases, the differences lie either in the material (cauldrons are made of glass) or in the thickness of the walls (for metal cauldrons they are somewhat thinner than for cauldrons).

- Kazan. Another type of cookware for stewing and other “slow” cooking. It is worth noting that there are several types of cauldrons; in this case we mean products that have a flat bottom. The general shape of the dishes can be different: some models taper downward, others are made cylindrical and resemble saucepans, and others are close in shape to hemispherical Tatar cauldrons (see below). However, we emphasize that in any case a flat bottom is mandatory - and thanks to it, the cauldron can be reliably installed on a regular kitchen stove and used effectively on it. Such dishes are considered ideal primarily for dishes of Cent...ral Asian cuisine, such as pilaf and shurpa, although the variety of recipes for cauldrons is very large.

Tatar cauldron. This category includes cauldrons that have a classic hemispherical shape, without a flat bottom - this is their main difference from “regular” cauldrons (see above). This shape is considered optimal, in particular, for cooking over a fire: in such cases, the hemisphere heats up as evenly as possible, providing a taste that is difficult to achieve in a flat-bottomed pan. It is this type of cookware, among other things, that is considered ideal for preparing pilaf and some other dishes of Central Asian cuisine. But Tatar cauldrons are not suitable for use on ordinary household stoves. So, on some types of burners it is simply impossible to stably install such a vessel; and where this is possible, the heating area turns out to be very small, and the cauldron actually turns into a wok frying pan (and using it in this role is much more difficult than a real wok). The situation with ovens is somewhat simpler, but cauldrons and ordinary cauldrons with a flat bottom are also better suited for this application.

The main size of the dishes.

Most often, only one size is indicated here, but which one depends on the shape (see above). So, for round cauldrons, the diameter is given, and for oval and rectangular ducks — the length (the largest of the dimensions). Anyway, this indicator allows you to determine two points: firstly, how suitable is the container for “large-sized” ingredients (for example, a half carcass or a whole carcass of a bird); secondly, whether the dishes will fit on the stove, in the oven, microwave, etc. In addition, other dimensions may be indicated in the notes (for round dishes — height, for other shapes — length), which makes it even easier to estimate the capacity and space occupied.

As for specific values, a size of up to 30 cm is considered small — however, in many cases this turns out to be quite enough, so a lot of such dishes are also produced. 31 – 35 cm can be called an average, 36 – 40 cm is above average, and in the most dimensional thick-walled household dishes, the size can exceed 40 cm. It should be noted that the volume (see below) also depends on the width and height of the product, so there is no direct connection between the capacity and the claimed size: for example, dishes for 7-10 liters are found among all the categories mentioned above — from " up to 30 cm” to “more than 40 cm”. Thus..., when choosing, it is worth not only taking into account the indicated size and volume, but also specifying specific dimensions.

The thickness of the walls of the goose or cauldron (see "Type").

Thick walls provide uniform heating and allow the dishes to accumulate more heat. Both are extremely important for stewing, languishing, and other similar cooking methods, for which thick-walled dishes were invented at one time. Therefore, from this point of view, we can say that the thicker the walls of the dishes, the better. On the other hand, a large thickness significantly affects the weight, especially when it comes to capacious containers, and such models are much more expensive.

In the most thin-walled modern goose and cauldrons, the wall thickness is about 3 – 4 mm — this is quite enough for the dishes to cope with their task normally. However, more demanding and sophisticated cooks are advised to have a thicker wall. At the same time, one should not forget that the performance characteristics of dishes also strongly depend on the material (see below), and only models made from the same material can be compared with each other in terms of wall thickness.

The material from which the product is made.

In addition to traditional cast iron, aluminum is very popular in modern thin-walled cookware, and models made of special glass have become noticeably widespread among casserole dishes. Other materials, such as steel and ceramics, are noticeably less common. Here is a more detailed description of each of these options:

- Cast iron. “Timeless classic” of thick-walled cookware. Cast iron has been used since ancient times and still does not lose popularity: even today, many specialists in oriental cuisine prefer this material. This is due to a number of advantages. Thus, cast iron walls are excellent for “slow” cooking: they heat up evenly and retain heat well (especially since such walls are usually made quite thick, including to ensure the necessary strength). The surface of such cookware is quite easy to clean, and if certain rules are followed, it itself acquires non-stick properties and does not require special coatings (see below). On the other hand, cast iron products are noticeably more expensive than aluminum ones; they have more weight, which is especially critical for large volumes; and the exploitation of cast iron requires compliance with some specific rules. So, when using for the first time, the product must be calcined and washe...d to get rid of dirt and bring the surface into working condition; and it is undesirable to leave food in a cast iron container for a long time (more than a day), since oxidation may begin and the taste of the contents will deteriorate. In light of this, cast iron cookware today, although used quite widely, is inferior to aluminum in terms of prevalence.

- Aluminum. Aluminum alloys have emerged as a modern alternative to the cast iron described above. The main advantage of this material is its low weight, making dishes made from it quite light even with a large volume. True, aluminum is still inferior to cast iron in terms of heat capacity and differs in heating characteristics; therefore, principled adherents of traditional recipes do not accept such utensils, believing that they cannot provide full simmering. However, in an ordinary home kitchen, an aluminum cauldron or a roasting pan can well serve as a replacement for a heavy cast-iron container. But among the obvious disadvantages of this material, it is worth noting the lack of non-stick properties - in the end you either have to put up with difficulties in cleaning, or buy dishes with a special coating (see below). We also note that aluminum cauldrons with relatively thin walls are considered unsuitable for preparing classic pilaf, and storing food in uncoated containers is undesirable - prolonged contact leads to oxidation of the metal and deterioration of taste.

- Glass. Special heat-resistant glass can be found mainly among ducklings. For a number of reasons, such cookware is considered suitable mainly for ovens, although some models can be used on burners without problems (usually dishes with this feature are round in shape and differ from cauldrons only in material). Be that as it may, the glass heats up fairly evenly and retains heat well; it is quite easy to clean and can withstand even “harsh” abrasives without problems (although formally it does not have non-stick properties); and the transparency of the dishes allows you to control the condition of the dish to a certain extent without opening the lid. Among the key disadvantages of such products, one can note, first of all, incompatibility with induction burners. In addition, glass is considered a fragile material; however, this moment is compensated by the large thickness of the walls, and breaking such dishes is not as easy as it might seem. But it is advisable to protect it from sudden changes in temperature - otherwise there is a possibility of cracks and even destruction.

- Ceramics. A material that is in many ways similar to the glass described above - with the exception of transparency. Thus, ceramic cookware has good heat capacity, heats up evenly, is easy to clean and is durable enough for everyday use; on the other hand, such products are not suitable for induction heaters, and also do not tolerate sudden temperature changes. As for appearance, the opacity of this material is to some extent compensated by the fact that it can be given different colors and even designs. The main disadvantage of thick-walled ceramic cookware is its high cost; That is why it is not particularly popular these days.

- Steel. Food-grade stainless steel is highly durable and reliable: even with a relatively small wall thickness, it can withstand falls and strong impacts. On the other hand, in the case of thick-walled cookware, this material is in many ways inferior to cast iron. Thus, steel walls do not heat up as evenly as cast iron walls and cool down faster; this is especially noticeable in light of the fact that the thickness of such walls is usually small - otherwise the dishes would turn out to be unreasonably expensive. In addition, steel does not have non-stick properties - this requires the use of special coatings; and products without such a coating are difficult to clean. So, products made from this material are rare and fall mainly into two categories: inexpensive cookware without a non-stick coating or fairly advanced pans with an additional coating, similar in shape to sauté pans (a type of frying pan with high sides).

The material of the cap supplied with the product.

In this case, the same materials are used as for the dishes themselves (see above). At the same time, metal lids (cast iron, aluminium, steel) are almost guaranteed to be combined with containers made of the same material. But glass ones can also be used with metal utensils — so that you can see the contents without opening the lid and without disturbing the cooking mode. Otherwise, this parameter is usually of secondary importance. However, there is an exception to this rule — the so-called pan lids, which can be used as separate cooking utensils. Here are the main nuances that are relevant for such accessories:

— Cast iron. Like a cast iron cookware, a frying pan lid made of this material heats up slowly and cools slowly. Cast iron tolerates strong heat well, does not require non-stick coatings, but is quite demanding on care (otherwise the non-stick properties are lost).

— Steel. Steel is strong enough, reliable and does not react with food, but it heats up unevenly, does not have non-stick properties (which, however, can be solved by using special coatings) and is quite sensitive to overheating.

— Aluminium. In the case of frying pans, aluminium is considered a low-cost option: it is light, durable, relatively inexpensive, but it does not heat up very evenly and is easily deformed when overheated. In addition, food tends to burn during cooki...ng, and when stored in a dish for a long time, its taste may deteriorate due to metal oxidation (although these shortcomings become irrelevant with a non-stick coating).

— Compatible with induction. The possibility of using cookware on electric stoves with induction type heaters. Such heaters, in accordance with the name, use the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction. Their advantage is that during operation, it is not the surface of the stove that is heated, but the dishes "directly" — this is considered very safe and effective. However, not all cookware can work normally with induction burners — this requires certain materials. Therefore, if you buy a goose dish or a cauldron for such a stove, you should separately make sure that this possibility is available.

— Dishwasher safe. The ability to safely wash dishes in the dishwasher. The features of the work of modern "dishwashers" are such that some materials (and even utensils made of suitable materials, but inappropriate shapes) are not compatible with them. Therefore, if the possibility of washing in a car is important to you, you should choose products in which this possibility is directly stated.

— Use in the oven. Possibility of safe use of dishes in the oven. The mode of operation of the oven differs from cooking on the hob in that the heating temperature is relatively low, but hot air is in contact with all external parts of the dishes. This can create problems, for example, if there are rubber grips on the handles. Therefore, for cooking in the oven, it is w...orth purchasing only those dishes that were originally designed for this.

— Multi-layered bottom. The presence of a multilayer bottom in the design of dishes. The alternation of layers of different materials makes it possible to provide a combination of strength, uniformity of heating and resistance to temperature changes in one product. The disadvantage of such classic models is the high price. Note that a multi-layered bottom is found mainly in caterpillars (see "Type"), cauldrons, for a number of reasons, this feature is not required.

— Lid-frying pan. The presence of a special lid in the delivery set of dishes, which can be used as a full frying pan. The advantage of such a kit is obvious: it can be used both as a goose or a cauldron, and as a frying pan. However note that in some recipes a closed lid is critical, and it will not work to use both elements of the kit at once (the main container and an additional frying pan). However, anyway, an additional item of utensils may be useful. About the features of the use of frying pan lids made of different materials, see "Lid Material".

— Hook for hanging. The presence of a bow for hanging in the design of dishes. This feature is intended primarily to ensure that the goose or cauldron can be hung over a hearth, fire or other similar source of heating. Accordingly, this opportunity will be appreciated primarily by lovers of nature trips, adherents of traditional cuisine and other users who use an open flame for cooking.