Cookware Opinions
- Thread starter yellowfan
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I didn't buy a complete set. The only draw back to this is that it's not matchy matchy & I don't display it. I keep all my cookware in the cabinets.
I bought what I thought would be the best for my style of cooking & what would work best for it. I have Le Crueset that I use for cooking long periods of time - like marinera sauce, soups that have to simmer for long periods and the like. I have Caphalon stir fry, small pot for shorter cooking sauce & a pot that I cook rice in. I've got the high end stainless (the name escapes me right now) stock pot that I use for pasta & boiled chicken. I have lots of corning ware for quick stove top cooking (sooooo easy to clean) & for steaming veggies & reheating in the microwave. For quick frying of ham, chicken strips, mushrooms, I have three non stick pots from the Costco (all three for $19.00) - when the non stick gets non functional I replace it (lasts at least 5 years though).
I'm unsure what would work best for gas cooktops. Both of my stoves have traditional burners. Perhaps a visit to some kitchen stores are in order as type of stove and type of heat may single out one brand/type over another.
Some swear by tried and true cast iron. I could never get mine to season & it was too heavy.
Whatever you choose - make sure to invest in some good oven mitts & handle covers (for the long handle pots).
I bought what I thought would be the best for my style of cooking & what would work best for it. I have Le Crueset that I use for cooking long periods of time - like marinera sauce, soups that have to simmer for long periods and the like. I have Caphalon stir fry, small pot for shorter cooking sauce & a pot that I cook rice in. I've got the high end stainless (the name escapes me right now) stock pot that I use for pasta & boiled chicken. I have lots of corning ware for quick stove top cooking (sooooo easy to clean) & for steaming veggies & reheating in the microwave. For quick frying of ham, chicken strips, mushrooms, I have three non stick pots from the Costco (all three for $19.00) - when the non stick gets non functional I replace it (lasts at least 5 years though).
I'm unsure what would work best for gas cooktops. Both of my stoves have traditional burners. Perhaps a visit to some kitchen stores are in order as type of stove and type of heat may single out one brand/type over another.
Some swear by tried and true cast iron. I could never get mine to season & it was too heavy.
Whatever you choose - make sure to invest in some good oven mitts & handle covers (for the long handle pots).
aljdewey
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2002
- Messages
- 9,170
Hi, Yellow: Well, picking cookware is like picking a diamond....there is no one right choice for everyone.
Things to consider as you select: How passionate are you about cooking? I am "le artist" in the kitchen and am very passionate about cooking. My mom, on the other hand, is a "functional cook".....tried and true, not really inspired. She cooks more out of necessity to eat, not because it''s a creative form for her the way it is for me.
What''s important to you? Some people are influenced by experience (it''s what I grew up cooking with); some are influenced by ease of use (how easy is it to clean up). Some care how durable it is.
Are you comfortable cooking in skillets that aren''t non-stick? Do you cook things that require your skillets to withstand heat in the oven as well as on the cooktop? What style of food do you cook most often? How many people do you cook for on a regular basis?
I personally stay with cookware that is 18/10 or 18/8 stainless. You really don''t have to get a "set"; it''s more important to get pieces that you''ll use and enjoy using.
For me, must-haves include 1-, 2-, and 4-quart saucepans. I also have to have a 10" skillet (NO nonstick) and a 12" chicken fryer. Rounding out my list is a 8-qt stockpan. The last thing (and it doesn''t typically come with any set) is a pasta pan......it has a steamer insert, lift-out strainer, and outer pan with lid.
When you do pick a brand, try to stay with one that has open stock replacements and a good warranty. I owned an Innova set which I loved.....the riveted handle came off after about 5 years of use. I phoned them, and they promptly (and courteously) sent me a replacement at no cost.
Things to consider as you select: How passionate are you about cooking? I am "le artist" in the kitchen and am very passionate about cooking. My mom, on the other hand, is a "functional cook".....tried and true, not really inspired. She cooks more out of necessity to eat, not because it''s a creative form for her the way it is for me.
What''s important to you? Some people are influenced by experience (it''s what I grew up cooking with); some are influenced by ease of use (how easy is it to clean up). Some care how durable it is.
Are you comfortable cooking in skillets that aren''t non-stick? Do you cook things that require your skillets to withstand heat in the oven as well as on the cooktop? What style of food do you cook most often? How many people do you cook for on a regular basis?
I personally stay with cookware that is 18/10 or 18/8 stainless. You really don''t have to get a "set"; it''s more important to get pieces that you''ll use and enjoy using.
For me, must-haves include 1-, 2-, and 4-quart saucepans. I also have to have a 10" skillet (NO nonstick) and a 12" chicken fryer. Rounding out my list is a 8-qt stockpan. The last thing (and it doesn''t typically come with any set) is a pasta pan......it has a steamer insert, lift-out strainer, and outer pan with lid.
When you do pick a brand, try to stay with one that has open stock replacements and a good warranty. I owned an Innova set which I loved.....the riveted handle came off after about 5 years of use. I phoned them, and they promptly (and courteously) sent me a replacement at no cost.
yellowfan
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2004
- Messages
- 711
Thanks for the replies. The cookware would be for everyday cooking and larger meals when having a group of friends over and for the holiday cooking. I would not display mine. I currently have a high end stainless that is fine and has held up, but im replacing a set of nonstick cookware that didn''t last at all. I also have some of the cast iron but it is so heavy and I only cook with it when making cornbread, treats for the kids, etc. Since ive thrown out the nonstick, im missing the extra sizes I had to go along with the stainless. I was looking into hard anodized or back to nonstick? Any thoughts on hard anodized? Ive never used it before. When looking recently, I noticed that KitchenAid is making a large cookware set, anyone tried it?
Thanks!
Lori/yellow
Thanks!
Lori/yellow
Hard anodized is Caphalon? If so, it''s really how you cook. I have both the anodized & the non stick. I like the non stick for quick sauteeing, frying, etc. I don''t like it for Stir fry or cooking that requires longer cooking time. I use the caphalon for that.
longtimelurker
Shiny_Rock
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2003
- Messages
- 238
IMHO, All-Clad Stainless is the best. I received one frypan & fell in love & then replaced pretty much all of my other pots & pans. I mean I literally lusted after it until I bought it and I couldn''t be happier two years later.
The stainless is way more "non-stick'' than the calphalon frypan I had. I even threw away all my non-stick frypans (the cheap ones you replace when it starts to stick). The only drawback is some of the bigger saucepans/pots are HEAVY, especially when full.
I have a gas cooktop, if that matters.
The stainless is way more "non-stick'' than the calphalon frypan I had. I even threw away all my non-stick frypans (the cheap ones you replace when it starts to stick). The only drawback is some of the bigger saucepans/pots are HEAVY, especially when full.
I have a gas cooktop, if that matters.
hoorray
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- May 16, 2003
- Messages
- 2,798
I have the All-Clad LTD, with a few misc other pans. I love the weight -- very solid but not as heavy as cast iron, and great heat distribution. The lid handles get hot, but the pan handles do not, which is nice. I have the All-clad stainless small frying pans (1-2 eggs). They cook much better than the non-stick of the same style. I've filled in a few pots with the Emeril line which is made by All-clad and very good but not as expensive. My husband's favorite pan is a 39.99 large saute pan from Costco. He is a great cook, and likes the glass lid so that you can watch it as it cooks. A couple of my Emerial sautee pans have glass lids also. One pet peeve -- my 4-quart All-clad pan (very expensive) does not have a handle on the opposing side of the pot so it it difficult to pour from since it gets heavy. I think the newer ones might have the handle, but i learned that little things like that make a big difference.
All-Clad seems to be priced the same everywhere, but they do run sales on a pot here and a pot there at a big discount. It is a great way to fill in if you can wait and just keep your eyes open.
Be sure when buying a set that the pans in the set are the ones you need and use or you aren't getting that great of a deal. I find that many sets include pans that aren't very useful to me. (I don't use frying pans very often -- I use sauce and sautee pans along with a stock pot, griddle, and wok.)
All-Clad seems to be priced the same everywhere, but they do run sales on a pot here and a pot there at a big discount. It is a great way to fill in if you can wait and just keep your eyes open.
Be sure when buying a set that the pans in the set are the ones you need and use or you aren't getting that great of a deal. I find that many sets include pans that aren't very useful to me. (I don't use frying pans very often -- I use sauce and sautee pans along with a stock pot, griddle, and wok.)
One thing I have found that I get a ton of use out of is my George Foreman healthy cook fryish pan with a top that conducts as well. When my parents bought it for me - all I could think was - saw it and knew I didn''t have it kind of gift. I am amazed how much I use it. Here, we have a grill top. In the other house, we don''t. Sometimes it''s too cold or inclement to grill out. I use this pan as an alternative. I really does distributes the heat & cooks as close to a grill in the stove top.
I have to say, all in all, except for my stir fry pan - I''m not a big fan of my Caphalon. It was new fangled & hip when I replaced many of my older pots. The test of time hasn''t proved it to be all that and a bag of chips. It does cook evenly - but is sticky.
I really like my lecruest stir pot. And, call me old fashioned - LOVE LOVE LOVE my corning ware.
I have to say, all in all, except for my stir fry pan - I''m not a big fan of my Caphalon. It was new fangled & hip when I replaced many of my older pots. The test of time hasn''t proved it to be all that and a bag of chips. It does cook evenly - but is sticky.
I really like my lecruest stir pot. And, call me old fashioned - LOVE LOVE LOVE my corning ware.
Rank Amateur
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2003
- Messages
- 1,553
I like our Calphalon pots, but not so much the Calphalon non-stick air-in-the-middle bakeware. It is very non-stick, but things don''t seem to brown properly. More recently we were given a non-stick Calphalon deep sauce pan (the non-stick is kind of nubbly, not smooth) and it works great. I am philosophically opposed to buying a cheap non-stick plan and planning on throwing it away when it goes bad. Plus those thin ones don''t distribute the heat well - driving the cook batty when making pancakes for the kids.
As pointed out previously, with the "regular" Calphalon you can go right from the cooktop into the oven - a big plus - except when you forget and grab the handle with your bare hand. Yeowch!
Cast iron is excellent, but when cooking for a family of six a cast iron pan large enough his HEAVY.
I''ve never used the fine copper/tin pans. They seem to be the choice of the pros.
R/A
As pointed out previously, with the "regular" Calphalon you can go right from the cooktop into the oven - a big plus - except when you forget and grab the handle with your bare hand. Yeowch!
Cast iron is excellent, but when cooking for a family of six a cast iron pan large enough his HEAVY.
I''ve never used the fine copper/tin pans. They seem to be the choice of the pros.
R/A
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