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Life is all about learning. Why do we go to school, college, university, or any other educational institution? The answer is, to learn. But are we able to learn everything from these institutions? No. No matter how many degrees you have achieved still, there would always be something missing out. Something, that is left to learn and this is why it is said that there is no better teacher than life. Life teaches you in different ways. You might learn things from experiences, you might come across somebody who knows something, that you do not, and you can learn about that from that person. The point is, at every stage of your life you should be open to learning new things. Never settle for things you know. The hunger to learn can make you earn. Imagine, you met your friend at a café, and she told you, she bought the best electric skillet, a day before and you went imagining, “what it is?”. Well, it is although advisable to ask your friend about it but some people are hesitant to do that, and if you are among those then this space is for you.
The best you will do is to search for it on-line, and it will take you to some very informative articles, just the way it took you here. The technology these days have simplified things to the extent, nobody would have imagined 80 years back. So, now that you are here, you will get to know everything that you need to, about this appliance- an electric skillet.
A skillet is basically an electricity-driven, kitchen appliance that has made millions of life easier than before. It is faster than conventional stoves and is easy to use. It is usually squared shape or circular with walls or sides high enough to prevent the food being cooked from spilling out. This is the reason why these appliances can be used for meals which are initially in liquid form. They can be used for a variety of dishes, for instance, burgers, scrambled eggs, pork chops, make sauces, steaks, stir-fries, cook rice, etc. It has a flat surface and cooks food at an even temperature. Its heat settings usually range between 175 degrees Fahrenheit to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 79.44 degrees celsius to 204.44 degrees celsius. It comes with a lid that helps to keep the moisture intact and thus, is good for boiling purposes as well. If you are looking for the best electric skillets, the best here would generally relate to the best brand and with it, you will get all fancy features, but if you are not going to use the appliance frequently, then it is advisable to look for a cheap electric skillet. It would have all the basic features required, and your meal will still be delicious even without the fancy features. These appliances come in two forms, one is dishwasher-safe, so you can easily put them in your dishwasher to clean, while the others have to be cleaned by hand. You may choose any of the form depending upon the availability of a dishwasher in your kitchen and number of uses. There are few skillets which come with a removable tray, it makes it easy for you to clean as you can remove the tray after every use, and put it in the dishwasher to clean. The cooking capacity of skillets is less when compared to an electronic griddle, but skillets occupy less space and are thus, good for people with limited space in their kitchen. These appliances are an amazing option when you have a relatively big party and you need an extra burner to save time and cook food quickly. There is a drawback of this appliance and it is, that it can be used where you do not have the power cord as it is electricity-driven.
Using a Skillet
As mentioned above, skillets can be put to various uses. They can be used for Saute’ing, which means a method that uses less quantity of oil and cooks at medium to high heat. It is a quick way of cooking certain meals. Skillets can be used for braising which is a method in which the meal is cooked in a small quantity of grease after the ingredients being browned first. Also, you can use the appliance for pan-broiling, i.e. cooking food fast without oil or browning the ingredients first with less quantity of grease or oil. An electric skillet is the best in the summer season when you want to save yourself from the heat and warmth of stoves or oven. Skillets can be used in motel rooms or anywhere where you do not have access to the kitchen but have a power supply with a power socket where you can plug-in the skillet’s wire.
When looking, electric skillets for sale on-line, you might find its price ranging between $30 to $99. This price range would include all the skillets with basic features to advanced features. For example, there are many manufacturers that provide you with electric skillet accessories that would also allow you to steam or grill your meals.
A skillet might not be essential equipment in your kitchen but since this appliance heats up quickly and the cleaning process is also easy (depending upon the type of skillet you have chosen) having it in your kitchen is a good option. Thus, it is often favored and preferred by home cooks or chefs.
Few Tips for Longer Life of Your Skillet
- If the skillet which you have is a non-stick model, it is advisable to use a wooden spatula. To protect the coating, using wooden utensils will help while if you use metal utensils, you may end up with scratches on the appliance after which, when you will cook the food next time, it will stick to the pan.
- After every use of the appliance, do not immediately put it for cleaning, first, let it cool down on its own. If you immediately put it for cleaning, there will be a sudden change in the appliance’s temperature, and this can harm the metal coating. Thus, reducing its life.
- If your skillet is non-stick, never use harsh detergents on it. It should be cleaned with mild detergents only. If even after cleaning the skillet several times, the stains do not go, then you may soak the appliance overnight. This will help you clean the skillet the next morning quickly and the stains will also vanish away.
Remember: Never put your skillet in a dishwasher, if it is not the non-stick model.
- Before greasing the skillet, you should pre-heat the appliance on a low setting for about 5 minutes. This you should not forget in the case of a non-stick model. After pre-heating, you can put oil in it and set the heat to medium flame. Doing this you will be making sure that your meal after the cooking process is over, is evenly cooked.
Some of the electric skillets which are the best of 2020 are mentioned below and if you are planning to have one in near future, you can definitely take them under consideration. Here are a few top picks for you:
- Presto-11 inch Electric Skillet– It’s a 1200 watt skillet with 11×11 inch size. Its sidewalls are high enough to give you room for cooking. It is made up of heavy aluminum which provides greater heat conduction. The temperature controls are adjustable. It’s interior is non-stick so your meal would not stick and cleaning will be easy. It is also, dishwasher safe.
- Zojirushi EP-RAC50 Gourmet d’Expert 1350-Watt- It has quality material, offers you a wide range of heat control, and can be used for various purposes. A drawback of this skillet is that it can only be hand-washed, and is not dishwasher-safe. It has a glass lid with a knob handle, so it makes it easy to look at your meal being cooked. It is best for casseroles, soups, sauces, grilling burgers, cooking French toast, etc.
- Continental Electric Max 6 Inch Electric Skillet- This is the best small range of electric skillets. They are perfect for cooking small quantities. Not at all expensive but its heat control is variable which does not give exact temperature. Also, it is meant for hand washing only. It has 600 Watts of power so it will not heat much as other larger models would.
There are many more to list but I would leave it to you to search as per your needs and requirements. Do not forget the pointers and notes to remember above because they will help you to make the right choice at the time of purchase. Also, they will help you to understand how you are supposed to use your skillet. An important point to remember:- Read the manual thoroughly after you purchase your appliance it will give you a good hang of the dos and don’ts. Do read the safety instructions and if it mentions wearing a microwave mitten while using the skillet then, do purchase one. So, that you do not burn yourself.
Conclusion
Now that you know almost all the basics of an electric skillet, you may flaunt your knowledge in front of your friend, and trust me she will be amazed that how deeply you know about this appliance. So, how do you feel after having learned something new? An addition to your existing knowledge is like sharpening your ax’s edge. You could use this knowledge to make people aware of this appliance and they would bless you for making their lives simpler than before.
