Costco Connection - August 2010

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Kirkland Signature
cookware is hot
Kirkland Signature™
13-piece stainless
steel cookware set

IRIDIO PHOTOGRAPH Y

BuyingSmart

Consumer reporter Pat Volchok gives a behind-the-scenes look at Costco products and services. Send your questions about this article to: buyingsmart@ costco.com.

GREAT POTS AND PANS take the heat and come back for more, as proven by my 10-year-old Costco Kirkland Signature stainless steel and hard-anodized nonstick aluminum cookware sets.

With the latest generations of both sets available in warehouses and at Costco.com, and my soon-to-be daughter-in-law asking for kitchen-out;tting advice, it seems like the perfect time to see what’s cooking in Kirkland Signature cookware.

Cookware contents

;e vast majority of cookware continues to be made of either aluminum or stainless steel.

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Aluminum is the most common cookware material. It is fast to heat and maintains a consistent temperature throughout the cooking process.

Within this category, the favorite is hard-anodized aluminum cookware. It is two times harder than stainless steel and does not react with food.

And if a nonstick coating is applied to hard-anodized aluminum, the result is a nonstick surface that lasts, on average, three times longer than plain nonstick aluminum. Little, if any, oil is required for cooking. Cleanup is simple, with just soap and water.

Nonstick, hard-anodized aluminum is a great choice for casual or novice cooks as well as for busy professionals (such as my daughter-in-law-to-be) and parents who relish fast meals and easy cleanup.

Stainless steel cookware is beautiful, strong, non-

60 ;e Costco Connection AUGUST 2010

reactive to acidic foods and dishwasher safe. Quality is determined by the amount of nickel and chromium in the stainless steel. Nickel adds brightness, durability and rust resistance, and can range up to 10 percent. Chromium is an added rust protector.

;e best stainless steel pots and pans are 18/10, meaning 18 percent chromium and 10 percent nickel.

Stainless steel by itself doesn’t heat food uniformly. ;is is why the addition of heat-conducting aluminum and even-heating copper discs sandwiched on the bottoms of stainless steel cookware is imperative. (Some branded sets appear to have a copper disc, but it’s a thin, decorative veneer.)

I’m a foodie, so stainless steel is my cookware material of choice. I appreciate the intricate food ;avors created by “sucs” (the browned bits that stick to the bottom of the pans), the need to add only a little oil or butter so food doesn’t stick, and the ability to cook hot and fast.

Other cookware features to consider include weight, as a heavy hard-anodized pan distributes heat better and a heavy stainless steel pan is more durable and will not warp. Snug-;tting lids and comfortable, heat-resistant, riveted stick handles should also be on your radar.