Restaurant Supply Stores: The Best Place For Pans?

Restaurant supply stores are a great place to buy durable and affordable pans. While these stores are geared towards the restaurant industry, many welcome consumers. You can find a wide range of pans, from stainless steel and aluminum to cast iron and copper, in various sizes and styles. These pans are designed for professional use and can handle high heat and stress cooking. They are a more cost-effective option than name-brand pans and can be purchased individually, so you only buy what you need. In addition to pans, restaurant supply stores offer other kitchen essentials like utensils, cutting boards, and bakeware.

Restaurant supply stores offer a wide range of durable pans at affordable prices

Restaurant supply stores are a great option for those looking to buy durable pans at affordable prices. While these stores are geared towards the restaurant industry, many welcome consumers.

Restaurant supply stores offer a wide range of durable pans, including stainless steel, aluminum, and copper cookware in various sizes and styles. Sauce pots, stock pots, and frying pans are all available at these stores. The pans are designed for high-heat cooking and can handle searing, sautéing, and roasting.

The prices at restaurant supply stores are often much lower than those found at retail stores. For example, a set of three frying pans purchased at a restaurant supply store cost a total of $88, while the same pans were selling online for $274. The pans at these stores are commercial-grade and built to last, making them an excellent investment for home cooks.

In addition to the wide range of durable and affordable pans, restaurant supply stores also offer other benefits. Customers can buy exactly what they need, rather than being restricted to purchasing sets. The sizing is also universal, so lids and pans from different manufacturers will fit each other.

However, it is important to note that restaurant supply stores may not offer stylish or on-trend kitchenware. The items are designed for industrial use and may not be as aesthetically pleasing as those found in traditional kitchen stores.

Overall, restaurant supply stores are a great option for those looking for durable and affordable pans. The wide range of options, commercial-grade quality, and affordable prices make these stores an excellent choice for home cooks.

You can buy pans in various materials like copper, aluminium, cast aluminium, and stainless steel

When it comes to cookware, you have a variety of materials to choose from, each with its own unique properties and characteristics. Here are the pros and cons of four common types of pans: copper, aluminium, cast aluminium, and stainless steel.

Copper Pans

Copper is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, making it a popular choice for cookware. It heats up quickly and evenly, but it also loses heat just as fast. This makes copper pans ideal for delicate dishes such as seafood, sauces, and chocolate. However, copper is heavy, expensive, and reactive with acidic foods. To prevent this, copper pans are usually lined with a thin layer of stainless steel or tin. While this adds durability, it can also make the pan more expensive and less adhesive, causing food to stick.

Aluminium Pans

Aluminium is a lightweight, inexpensive, and highly conductive material, making it a popular choice for cookware. It is good at distributing heat but doesn't retain heat well, so the temperature can fluctuate when food is added. Additionally, aluminium is the softest metal among the four options, so it scratches and dents easily. It is also reactive with acid, so aluminium cookware is usually coated with a non-stick material like PTFE (Teflon). However, these coatings can be scratched off easily and may pose potential health risks.

Cast Aluminium Pans

Cast aluminium pans are made by pouring molten aluminium into a mould, resulting in a seamless, one-piece construction. This gives cast aluminium pans superior durability compared to their stamped or spun counterparts. They heat up slowly and are prone to hot spots, but they retain heat very well, making them ideal for searing thick steaks or slow-cooking dishes. Cast aluminium pans are also porous and can absorb oils, giving them a natural non-stick coating. However, they react with acidic foods, so they are often coated with a ceramic enamel to prevent this.

Stainless Steel Pans

Stainless steel is a durable and low-maintenance material that doesn't rust or oxidise. It is resistant to acid and won't react with acidic foods. However, stainless steel is a poor conductor of heat and has trouble releasing food, causing it to stick. To improve heat distribution, stainless steel pans often have an insert or core made of a more conductive material like copper or aluminium. These multi-layer pans combine the benefits of both materials but can be more expensive.

Restaurant supply stores sell pans in multiple sizes, including standard oven sizes

Restaurant supply stores sell a wide range of pans in various materials, including stainless steel, carbon steel, copper, cast iron, and aluminum. These pans are designed for durability and frequent use in commercial kitchens, making them a great option for home cooks as well.

One of the key advantages of buying pans from a restaurant supply store is the variety of sizes available. Restaurant pans are designed to accommodate different types of dishes, from omelets and pancakes to stir-fries and pasta. This means you can find pans in standard oven sizes, such as half-sheet pans and quarter-sheet pans, which are perfect for baking cookies, roasting vegetables, or toasting nuts.

In addition to standard sizes, restaurant supply stores also offer sheet pans in larger sizes, such as full-size and even gargantuan pans, which are ideal for sheet pan dinners or baking projects. The availability of multiple sizes ensures that you can find the perfect pan for your specific needs, whether you're cooking for a large family or hosting a dinner party.

Restaurant supply stores also offer pans with different wall heights. Short-walled pans, such as paella pans, are great for warming bread, while tall-walled pots, like stock pots, are perfect for cooking soups and stews. Sauté pans, with their tall straight sides and wide bottoms, are excellent for searing, poaching, and deglazing.

Furthermore, restaurant supply stores provide pans suitable for various cooking methods. For example, cast iron pans can handle very high temperatures and are great for deep frying, roasting, and baking. Stainless steel pans offer superior temperature control and are non-reactive when cooking acidic foods. Carbon steel pans are durable, heat up quickly, and distribute heat evenly, making them a versatile option for any chef.

Overall, restaurant supply stores offer a diverse range of pans in multiple sizes, including standard oven sizes. The durability and affordability of these pans make them a smart choice for both commercial and home kitchens.

The pans are designed for heavy-duty use and will not buckle or warp

When it comes to kitchen gear, it's important to have a good mix of form and function. While it's nice to have aesthetically pleasing items in your kitchen, it's also important to have durable, heavy-duty items that can withstand the rigours of daily use. This is especially true for pans, which are essential for a wide range of cooking tasks, from frying and browning to roasting and baking.

Restaurant supply stores are a great place to find heavy-duty pans that are designed for commercial use. These pans are made from durable materials such as stainless steel, carbon steel, and aluminium, which can withstand high temperatures and frequent use. They are built to last and won't buckle or warp over time.

For example, you can find sturdy aluminium fry pans/skillets in various sizes, from 8-inch to 14-inch. These pans are commercial-grade and often feature a non-stick coating, making them perfect for frying, searing, or browning foods. Additionally, you can find heavy-duty stock pots, sauce pans, and brazier/braising pots made from stainless steel or aluminium, ideal for simmering soups, boiling pasta, or thickening sauces.

Restaurant supply stores also offer a range of sheet pans, also known as baking sheets, in various sizes. These pans can do it all, from baking cookies to roasting vegetables. They are designed for heavy-duty use and won't buckle or warp, even with frequent use. You can find half-sheet pans that fit standard ovens and quarter-sheet pans that are perfect for smaller tasks like toasting nuts.

Investing in high-quality, commercial-grade pans from a restaurant supply store will ensure that you have the durability and performance you need for all your cooking endeavours. These pans will last for years and provide you with the same reliable performance that professional chefs depend on in their kitchens. So, whether you're a home cook or a professional chef, consider adding some restaurant supply store pans to your collection.

You can buy individual pans instead of being limited to sets

When it comes to buying cookware, there are a few things to consider. Your top priorities are cost, quality, and material. Aesthetics, or how things look, are also important. In a perfect world, these three things will align in harmony. Generally, you get what you pay for. However, even those on a budget can find great quality cookware at a reasonable price.

The question of cookware sets versus individual items depends on the cook. Buying a set can save you money and time on decision-making. However, you may end up with items you don't need and miss out on things you do need. For example, a stainless steel set may not include a non-stick skillet, which is essential for cooking certain foods.

When buying a set, consider the following:

• What's included? Ask yourself if you need similar pots or pans in different sizes.
• What's missing? If you love making soup and stock, you'll need a stockpot, which is not usually included in sets.
• Are you falling into the trap of 'X-number' of items included? Sets are often counted by the number of pieces, including lids. Think about what you need and will use.
• What material is the set? If you plan to cook certain foods, you may need a non-stick skillet or a cast-iron pan.

The bottom line is to consider the usage of each item in the set. It may not be cheaper than buying individual items if you factor in the cost of additional pieces you need.

• You can buy only what you need: When you buy individual pans, you can choose exactly what you need and avoid spending money on items you won't use. This saves money and storage space.
• You can choose the best quality for your budget: Instead of settling for a set with varying quality, you can select each pan based on its quality and how it fits your budget.
• You can choose the right material for your cooking needs: Different materials, like cast iron or non-stick, are better suited for different types of cooking. When buying individual pans, you can choose the material that best suits your cooking style.
• You can replace pans as needed: Individual pans allow you to replace only the pans that need replacing, rather than having to replace an entire set.
• You can take your time to build your collection: By buying individual pans, you can take your time to curate your collection, adding pieces as you need them or as your budget allows.

Frequently asked questions