Soup pot. Need to know what to buy.

Coriolanus

Yah, I know, retarded but I'm stumped. I bought a thing that looked like it'd be grand to cook soup in but... it's burning the soup when I leave it on to simmer.

So it's a pot, metal, rolled steel I guess? Anyway, same thickness bottom and sides and I think what's wrong is that the bottom isn't thick enough or something cause this kind of thing never happened when I was in a position to rob my ma's creuset stuff.

So, to stop this from happening, what do I need to look for, or am I just screwing up the simmering part? (I really don't think I am. Srsly. I r cooker and stuff.)

And yes, the minestrone was gorge, other than the bits that turned black.

olaola

Are you adding in a thickening agent too early in the process?
It should boil away happily without burning until it gets to a certain consistency.

rocknchef

are you using flour to thicken the soup? what cooker are you using gas or electricty?

keep stiring the soup.

Seaneh

rocknchef wrote: »

are you using flour to thicken the soup? what cooker are you using gas or electricty?

keep stiring the soup.

Make sure you deglaze the pan properly before adding asll your stock if you are adding flour to thicken after you sweat your suffrito. I'd generally use a heavey bottomed pan when making soups myself too.

Coriolanus

Yep, deglazing the pan properly after sweating the onions and garlic in butter.

I didn't use any thickening agents since I was letting the carrots, pasta etc cook in the broth/pasata mix and I prefer my minestrone brothy rather than leakandpotatoey.

Was cooking on a cooker, hobs like, not gas or induction.

It wasn't ruined thankfully, caught the burning in time but I guess I'll know to keep stirring more regularly in future.

Thanks all.

The Sweeper

Turn the heat down.

You should always put the pot on a ring/flame/heat source that's appropriate for the size of the saucepan. With a hob, that means choosing a heat source the same size as the base of the pan. On gas, it means the flames shouldn't come up around the sides of the pot, they should stay under the base.

If, on an appropriately sized hob, the soup burns, even when you have turned the heat to the lowest setting for a simmer, then transfer the pot to a smaller ring and turn THAT flame down low.

Simmering doesn't have to be the rolling bubble of a boil. Additionally, putting a lid on the pan effects the temperature inside, so lid on tight will produce a more fierce simmer than lid off and heat down low.

A liquid soup with no thickening agents, made from scratch, shouldn't be burning unless you don't have enough liquid and you're nuking the bejesus out of it temperature-wise.

If you want a soup pot, buy a large 18/10 gauge stainless steel of around 4-5 litres - they usually come with double grip handles, as opposed to one long handle - with a well-fitting lid. Doesn't have to be a paticular brand - you want something with a good guarantee, handles that are attached well and a lid that doesn't rattle all over the place and isn't light. If you want immaculate heat diffusion, try one with a copper sandwich base.

Le creuset enamelled cast iron is great for stews, because its heat conductivity means that with the heat down the lowest setting and a lid on, you can get a great slow simmer point that's marvellous for long cooking, but it wouldn't be my first choice receptacle for home-made soup.

Coriolanus

That's why I was wondering what I was doing wrong, it was liquid from scratch, stock and pasata at least and no flour or whatever to thicken it since I like it brothy.
It was on 3/12 heat wise but I was getting that rolling bubble but it definitely wasn't boiling, was bearable for my finger at least. <<
I'll knock it down to 1/12 for simmering in future.
I'm used to cooking at home, which is gas and with the creuset, so I guess that makes a difference somehow. gas + creuset doing the exact same thing wasn't burning, electric and steel was.

Thanks again. Haha, I'll be back. This forum has already been a Godsend.

How do you measure the gauge? Is that 18/10 gauge 1.8mm for example?