About cooking techniques

Blanching
is briefly boiling food and then immediately plunging it in cold water? This cooking technique is mostly used for fruits or vegetables, like tomatoes, to be able to peel them easily.

Braising
is a cooking technique used to tenderize meat or vegetable? First you brown your meat/vegetables in some kind of fat and then you cook it very slowly at low heat in a closed pot in a small amount of liquid.

Grilling
is putting food on a grill, over a heat source? Usually it is done over coals in the open air, but today grill pans are becoming very popular too because it is a healthy and fat free cooking method.

Poaching
is cooking something in a liquid that is not boiling, but simmering,

Sautéing
is frying food quickly in some hot oil or butter? This is often done in a skillet. The food is turned a lot until it is brown.

Searing
is a cooking term used for browning meat quickly on all sides in a hot pan? It has to be done quickly because the juices and flavour have to stay inside the meat.

Simmering
is gently cooking your food in a liquid, without letting it boil?

Steaming
is cooking food over boiling water in a covered pan? This way, the food's texture, flavor and its vitamins and nutritional values are preserved very well. It is therefore a very healthy and light cooking method.

Stewing
is cooking your food slowly in a pot with a lid, in just enough liquid to be covered?

Ergonomic handles on BEKA cookware

All handles on Beka cookware are designed to fit perfectly in your hand. An oven glove is recommended for use with stainless steel handles.

How do I know my cookware is induction suitable?

Simple: by holding a magnet to the bottom of the pan. If the magnet sticks, it is induction compatible.

How does an induction hob work?

Unlike a gas or traditional electric stove, induction cookers are incapable of producing heat. More specific: the cooktop itself does not produce any heat whatsoever. It works by generating a magnetic wave above the surface of the glass top. If you place an aluminium pan or glass pot, piece of paper, etc. on the surface, nothing will happen. But when you use a pan with magnetic metal, the magnetic wave generated by the cooktop immediately excites the magnetic molecules in the pan and this will result in instant, precise, very controllable heat.

Small sized cookware and induction suitability

In case of induction suitable cookware, it can occur that a small diameter (5.5 inch), needs to be put out of the center of the induction hob, in order to function perfectly.

Tea

That different kinds of tea require different water temperatures? Green and white tea only need temperatures of 140 - 158°F, while black and pure teas need temperatures up to 203°F.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of cooking on induction hobs?

Fast: a quart of water on a 3500 watt hob wil boil in less than 3 minutes.

Safer: there is no open flame, red-hot coil or other radiant element.

Cleaner: cleaning is simple, the surface is smooth and cooler.

Cooler: the heat of the pan will warm the glass, however, the cook-top will remain substantially cooler to touch than other hobs.

Expensive: induction hobs still cost a lot more than other cooking-tops.

What is a non-stick coating?

A non-stick layer is a coating on the inside of a pan, which consists of a thin film of a specific polymer. This film can consist out of 1 or more layers. The more layers there are, the more durable and resistant the coating will be.

The most important advantages of non-stick cookware are:

• fast heating
• even heating
• less risk of burned food, as it requires only medium temperatures and the food never comes into contact with an overheated surface
• allows cooking with less fat and therefore makes every dish lighter and healthier
• easy to clean, as it prevents food from sticking

Nowadays BEKA has 7 different top quality coatings on its cookware:

• Teflon Select
• Teflon Platinum
• Teflon Platinum Pro
• Bekadur Essential (2 layers)
• Bekadur Plus (3 layers)
• Bekadur Expert (3 layers, PFOA-free)
• Bekadur Ceramica (PTFE- and PFOA-free coating)

When to use a non-stick fry pan?

A fry pan with a non-stick layer is best suited for preparing food that has a high protein level, such as fish or eggs. The non-stick layer will prevent the food from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Wok

The word 'wok' actually means 'cooking utensil'? The Chinese have been using the wok for over 2000 years. It used to be the only cooking utensil of Chinese farmers, who could not afford pots and pans.