5 Factors to Consider When Buying Homeware
Whether you recently bought a new house or had renovations done, obtaining new homeware and cookware sets is probably the next thing you want to do. Or perhaps you want to upgrade your old utensils, pans, or bowls into stylish and modern pieces to suit your new kitchen theme.
Whatever the situation is, this is a great time to look for kitchenware sets ideal for the new recipes you just discovered or parties you are likely to throw in the future.
Purchasing a homeware set isn’t simple. Each time, it seems like new brands are being introduced in the market that come with various styles, colors, designs, and materials: cast iron, stainless steel, copper, and aluminum. With all these in mind, while keeping it within your budget, you simply don’t know which ones to get.
What to Look for When Buying Homeware Sets
Durability
Some types of homewares, like barware, tableware, and kitchen utensils, last longer while keeping their good looks. Stainless Steel has this attribute. Also, it does not react with alkaline or acidic foods. The best thing about it is it does not pit or scratch easily. It is even shiny and easier to clean, so you don’t need any special care methods.
Another common durable material is aluminum. It’s lightweight, attractive, less costly, and a jack-of-all-trades. Even though it requires extra attention to keep it shiny and clean, it provides an even heat distribution at any heat temperature, which is ideal for cooking.
Price
Some inexpensive kitchen products aren’t as high quality as the pricey ones. But like other home decor items, there’s an exception. While purchasing stuff for your kitchen, like trays, bowls, stainless steel cocktail shaker, and other dinnerware, the rule of thumb is to buy what you can afford.
Materials
Know the homeware materials you are buying. Each piece in your kitchen or house is designed for a particular job in cooking, preparing meals, and dining. That’s why these utensils and tools are made up of different materials, having advantages and disadvantages.
For instance, glass is excellent for baking but not practical on surface or top cooking. Cast iron is another material that is undeniably sturdy but is high-maintenance to avoid rust. To last longer, you can rub salad oil without shortening or salt inside and outside before allowing it to dry. Prior to use, remember to wash it with soap, not detergent.
Maintenance
If you believe you do not have extra time to shine your kitchenware every night to keep them looking good, you may want to reconsider buying aluminum and cast iron materials. You do not need to pamper the sensitive coat to stop peeling or period to prevent rust. Though stainless steel is more costly than these two, many use it because it’s low-maintenance. You don’t have to pamper the fragile coat to stop peeling or season to avoid rust.
Safety
Unfortunately, some kitchenware are not safe for some food ingredients. For instance, non-anodized and uncoated aluminum cookware can leach metals into food during the cooking process. Unknown to many, acidic foods increase leaching. Although studies revealed that the amount of leaching is minimal at a tolerable level, it still contributes to your overall metal intake.
Heat Conductivity
Some materials are better heat conductors than others. For instance, copper is known to be a good heat conductor but not stainless steel. When it comes to cooking, the better the heat conductivity, the more your food will be evenly cooked. Also, when you turn the heat up and down, copper cookware reacts more quickly to temperature change than stainless steel.
