SAUCEPAN - TOOLS

Good - quality Pots and Pans made of the right materials really can improve cooking.

Good heat conductors, such as copper and aluminum, are responsive to temperature changes. They'll do what the heat source tells them to do - heat up, cool down - almost instantly.

For cookingacidic foods, such as tomato sauces, wine sauces, and fruit fillings, a saucepan lining should be nonreactive. Stainless steel, enamel, and anodized aluminum won't react no matter what they touch, while plain aluminum can discolor white sauces and foods that are acidic, sulfurous or alkaline. It can even make those foods taste metallic. Eggs, vegetables in the cabbage family, and Baking soda are some of the other foods vulnerable to aluminum's graying effect.