It's said that a workman is only as good as his tools but sometimes there's no getting away from the sub-par equipment you have at hand. That's certainly the case in my new flat, where I've been cursed with an electric hob that seems to only have two modes: far too hot or not providing heat at all.
As Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor tasked with the lucky job of testing cookware at home, this has proved a real challenge. The only pan that's saved the day? My HexClad frying pan, which is on sale right now at Amazon down from £129 to £109.65.
This pan has long been in our guide to the best frying pans, ever since our expert Home Economist and reviewer Helen McCue called cooking in it 'a joy' in her 5-star review. And now I've tried it for myself, I can see exactly why. Here's why this is a deal worth snapping up.
With a hob that's playing up, I've been in desperate need of a pan that distributes heat evenly and doesn't allow foods to stick – even when subjected to high heat.
As my cooktop essentially has to be on the highest setting to provide any heat, I am actually going against the recommended usage from HexClad. Their official advice is to only ever use medium-low to medium heat and to let the aluminium core of the pan do the heavy lifting.
Even in these trying circumstances I've found this pan to be so efficient at heating and resistant to allowing foods to stick. And even in situations where the heat is a little too high, there's no lasting damage to the honeycomb-embossed surface – everything comes right off during handwashing.
My understanding is that HexClad's tri-ply layers are the thing saving my bacon when it comes to my rubbish electric hob. Due to the construction of this pan, which consists of careful layering of stainless steel, aluminium and a non-stick (but PFA-free) coating, even though it's being blasted with too much heat it's capable of distributing it across the surface rather than creating hot spots.
Of course, having a pan with such a premium construction comes at a hefty price. Even with the Amazon discount applied, paying over £100 for a pan is a huge investment. But as the old adage goes: buy nice or buy twice. Between this pan and my ultimate favourite ever piece of cookware, Our Place's Titanium Pan, I've found that sometimes you have to pay a little more for a product that you'll use for years and years.
If you're a super savvy shopper, it might be worth holding out for Amazon's big shopping event of the year, Amazon Prime Day, to make a saving on cookware. I've listed my favourite cookware picks below which I'm hoping will be subject to some big discounts on the 23rd to the 26th of June.
INDESTRUCTIBLE Our Place Titanium Always Pan Pro
I test cookware for a living and this is my favourite ever pan. Every trial I've put it through has been no trouble for it – it comes out of the dishwasher as good as new.
For a hearty stew or dinner party recipe, you can't beat a Le Creuset. It helps that it's the ultimate kitchen status symbol too.
Our expert Home Economist recently tried this pan and loved it – her review has the full details.
If you're in the market to upgrade your cookware then HexClad is a brilliant brand to look into. And you can take it from me that it even works on a less than impressive hob, too!
