Cooking with Different Pans: What Does It Mean?

[pamperedcntrycookin]

I heard about this at conference and being a newbie to PC i am totally confused.
It was something about placing an ice cube in the stainless and nonstick pan and then one in stoneware. what does this do and what does it tell us? Also is it true you can thaw meat faster sitting it in a pan then on the counter. Thanks for your patience :blushing:

 

[babywings76]

You can watch someone do this demo on the Cooking Shows in Action DVD (they have the clips viewable on CC) I personally don't like doing it because I have cookware that's not PC and it does the same thing, I felt like it was a bit gimmicky. But others swear by it. As far as thawing meat that way, I know some people do that, but I thought it wasn't safe food handling to thaw food at room temperature. (Best if it's microwave or in the fridge) But I'm not an expert, I can be totally wrong on all accounts. :blushing:

 

[Crystal Patton]

You can watch someone do this demo on the Cooking Shows in Action DVD (they have the clips viewable on CC) I personally don't like doing it because I have cookware that's not PC and it does the same thing, I felt like it was a bit gimmicky. But others swear by it. As far as thawing meat that way, I know some people do that, but I thought it wasn't safe food handling to thaw food at room temperature. (Best if it's microwave or in the fridge) But I'm not an expert, I can be totally wrong on all accounts. :blushing:

I'm with you. I did this demo ALL the time and it was very impressive, until a host's husband pulled out his non-PC frying pan and the ice melted at the same rate.
Thankfully he didn't do this during the show, but later after all the guests left.

However - to each his (or her) own!

 

[babywings76]

I feel that our cookware is impressive on it's own, I don't need to do the ice trick to get ooh's and aah's. People can tell. They feel it, they know. And if they see it used at a show, that helps to convince them. I tell them PC looks at the best of the best out there and sees what they can do to be just as good or even make it better and then give a lifetime guarantee so you can buy with confidence. Seriously, I love it better than my Viking cookware, so many style pros that just win me over.

 

[Chefgirl2]

I don't do it so much for the fact that the ice is melting fast, but for the fact that the whole pan is evenly chilled. I purposely try to keep the cube in one corner as I do my talk. Then I wipe off the cookware and pass it around for everyone to feel how evenly cold it is and it will even distribute the heat while cooking. You no longer will have cold spots when frying your chicken.

 

[Melissa78]

I heard about this at conference and being a newbie to PC i am totally confused.
It was something about placing an ice cube in the stainless and nonstick pan and then one in stoneware. what does this do and what does it tell us? Also is it true you can thaw meat faster sitting it in a pan then on the counter. Thanks for your patience :blushing:

Janelle - It was very nice meeting you at NC on the bus ride to HO. Did your mom enjoy herself? Best of luck with your cookware demo.

 

[Chefgirl2]

As for the meat melting faster on our cookware than on a counter...it is true. Years ago there was an infomercial selling a meat defrosting pan that cut defrosting time. I was talking to someone at HO about it and they said the inventor Begged Pampered Chef to sell it. They said no because our Gen2 square griddle was virtually the same thing. It also was aluminum and when you have air flowing around it all frozen meat defrosted the same. I would tell my customers to sit their pan on a cooling rack if their microwave was busy!

 

[AnnieBee]

The ice does melt faster on our cookware when compared to a cheap pan. So if someone already has some good quality cookware it probably won't be faster, but if you put an ice-cube on a thin, cheap pan there would be difference.

I have seen people do the demo comparing the ice melting on a PC pan to in a prep bowl, but that is not really a fair comparison - glass is an insulator not a conductor, so it will melt more slowly than any pan... Same goes with using stoneware, not a fair comparison.

 

[chefjeanine]

I don't do it so much for the fact that the ice is melting fast, but for the fact that the whole pan is evenly chilled. I purposely try to keep the cube in one corner as I do my talk. Then I wipe off the cookware and pass it around for everyone to feel how evenly cold it is and it will even distribute the heat while cooking. You no longer will have cold spots when frying your chicken.

Exactly! It's not about melting, it's all about the conducting of heat (or in this case cold) evenly around the bottom AND sides of the pan.

 

[AnnieBee]

Exactly! It's not about melting, it's all about the conducting of heat (or in this case cold) evenly around the bottom AND sides of the pan.

Yes, but the reason it melts so fast is because it conducts the heat from the air into the pan and into the ice. if the pan didn't conduct well, one little spot would be cold near the ice-cube, the rest would be room temperature, and the ice-cube wouldn't melt much once it had take the heat from the spot it was sitting on...

 

[chefjeanine]

Yes, but the reason it melts so fast is because it conducts the heat from the air into the pan and into the ice. if the pan didn't conduct well, one little spot would be cold near the ice-cube, the rest would be room temperature, and the ice-cube wouldn't melt much once it had take the heat from the spot it was sitting on...

Sure, but what our guests understand is that the entire pan is cold. That means that there are no hot (or cold) spots when you are cooking. No places where one pancake or grilled cheese burns and another spot where they take forever to brown. They FEEL the pan and know it's cold all over.

 

[chefcharity]

Thanks for the take on the ice cube demo. I'll leave it in the corner of the pan and talk about even heating/cooling. I appreciate it! Still hadn't quite worked on that presentation.

As for defrosting meat on the counter or in a pan, you should either defrost it in the refrigerator, microwave or under running cool water. Just sitting out can lead to bacteria. I am sure it would defrost fast sitting in a pan, that doesn't mean we should do it. The rules for food safety change a little each year. Differnt studies show different things. So, for those of us who grew up with mom thawing meat on the counter, we are just lucky. Rather be safe than sorry.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Tried this at my show. Unfortunately, it was an outdoor show so it didn't make the pan cold! But I saved it by saying, "Normally, the whole pan gets cold, which just shows that you don't have any cold spots and it tranfers heat evenly." My host testified that the cookware is really good. (However, I didn't sell any.)

 

[smstrks]

I did this at my last show and nobody was really impressed. Heck, only a couple of them came over and actually felt the pan!

Stephanie

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I did this at my last show and nobody was really impressed. Heck, only a couple of them came over and actually felt the pan!

Stephanie

It might help to actually pass the pan around as the ice cube is melting, and let everyone feel and see it for themselves. Have another ice cube sitting in a prep bowl, so they can see the difference between the two.

 

[chefjeanine]

Absolutely, you need to pass the pans around. I melt a cube in both the stainless and the executive saute pans and pass them both (after I throw out the water and give them a quick dry)

 

[smstrks]

Well I did it at the end of the show and hardly anyone was paying attention at that point...it was a wild bunch of women let me tell you!! Plus, from what they all bought, it wasn't a crowd in the market for pans or that could afford them really....

Stephanie

 

[cookwithtiffany]

Just quick couple of tid-bits on thawing meat...

#1:
If your meat is packaged the way you pull it out of the freezer to thaw, you are not introducing any NEW bacteria to it. Any bacteria it has been exposed to prior has most likely been killed by the cold. If not see #2.

#2:
There is not bacteria or food contaminate known to man that cannot be killed by cook at 160 degrees. Make sure your meat is cook at 160 degree for at least 5 minutes and you will have been sure to kill any bacteria that could possibly contaminate your food.


Oh and on the ice demo, I would not demo the ice on stone, just because it gives your guests a false since of security when they put a frozen item on the stone then toss it in the oven... this is a really quick way to break your stones. Been there done that :blushing: