Cookware choices?

[ljmorgan]

OK I read through the thread again and have a bit more advice!

1. I would not get a Le Creuset saucier. Cast iron is heavy, and the advantage is that it holds its heat forever -- which you don''t want in a sauce pan! For sauces you need a metal that is responsive, such as copper, aluminum, or steel. The enamel cast iron for sauces (when you will need to change temperatures and have a sauce behave) is not a good idea.

2. Two dutch ovens -- a good idea, but you definitely don''t need a dutch oven for spaghetti. In fact since cast iron takes so long to get hot because of the heft, you will wait forever to get the water boiling. I would suggest going for stainless steel. However, having two ovens is definitely a good idea if you can swing it -- one oval, one round. Ovals are meant for whole chickens and large cuts of meat not best suited for a round.

 

[ljmorgan]

Date: 1/18/2008 7:11:33 PM
Author: ladypirate

Date: 1/18/2008 7:07:19 PM


I've been thinking about going Staub over Le Creuset...I'm still torn on it, though.

I think that the Staubs are beautiful, I really like them. Everyone raves about LC but really... it is plain cast iron with an enamel coating. Just like every other enameled cast iron dutch oven. Truly the Staubs are more functional because they have a metal knob instead of the plastic LC uses. LC ovens can only withstand temperatures of I believe 450, because of that plastic knob. I frequently use my dutch ovens at higher temperatures to make artisan bread. I actually did something rather treasonous -- I took fof the Le Creuset knob and put a metal cabinet knob on it, that I bought from Home Depot

 

[musey]

Thank you thank you, Lindsey, and LP again!! This is helping quite a bit! I'm gonna adjust and re-port my list, please tell me what you think if you don't mind

And lindsey, the knob thing is SUCH a good idea!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I personally love all-clad.
The chemicals in non stick coocern me and I love to cook with butter anyway so I definitely vote non-stick.
My mother was trained to cook by a french chief and I was trained by her. My FI and I agree Stainless steel is the best way to go but we are both "gourmet" cooks so I don''t know how well that would apply to you. If you do decide to be a more high end cook, all clad is the way to go.

 

[musey]

Basics
Ruffoni copper stock pot, 7.5 qt. (I'm goin' for the gold, haha

)
All-clad SS saute pan, 3 qt.
All-clad SS saucier, 3 qt.
Lodge cast iron skillet, 10"
Le Creuset fry pan, 10.25"
Le Creuset oval dutch oven, 6.75 qt.
Le Creuset round dutch oven, 5.5 qt.

Specialty
Le Creuset grill pan & panini press
All-clad SS round-bottom wok (16") with stand


...and we already have a couple nonstick skillets that we'll probably keep around. Does this sound about right? I'm getting confused!

 

[ladypirate]

That sounds good, although you don''t have any saucepans on the list, and you''ll probably need at least one. You may still want to add a SS fry pan as well. Also, if you''re planning on doing Thanksgiving or Christmas at your place, a roaster will come in handy. Are you adding any bakeware?

Good luck! With a list like that, you''ve got an awesome start.

 

[musey]

Oh, shoot. What''s the difference between a sauce pan and a saucier? I''m hopeless, I tell you. You''d never guess that I DO cook. I just don''t know any of the real "rules." I''m like those people who teach themselves to play piano, but can''t read music.

I have pretty basic bakeware on my list. Two 8" round cake pans, one loaf pan, two le creuset rectangular bakers (one large, one small... I already have a pyrex one), and a couple of cookie sheets (I have a bunch but MAN are they pooped out). I already have a LOT of cupcake/muffin pans, and a pie pan.

FI also wants the all-clad pizza set, which we''ll probably end up getting.

 

[ladypirate]

The saucier has sloped sides whereas a saucepan has straight sides. The beauty of a saucier is that there are no right angles, making it easy to whisk sauces. The saucepan is great for making rice and veggies whereas the saucier is better for more delicate sauces.

Also, I found that cooks illustrated thing if you're curious:

www.cooksillustrated.com/images/document/howto/JA05_Cookware.pdf

ETA: I feel you on the pizza set--Kris really wants to get a pressure cooker, which I'll probably end up giving into.

Also, I realized I forgot to add a paring knife to the list of essential knives. it's handy to have the smaller blade for certain things. And make sure not to forget things like cheese graters--the microplane professional series ROCKS.

 

[ljmorgan]

Oh goodness... don't get me started on knives -- my TRUE kitchen passion

I would advise against a block set... they will inevitably have a few knives that you will rarely ever use.

Wusthof and Henckels both can be lovely, they have many types to choose from that vary in price. I would recommend going to Williams-Sonoma and asking the sales help to open the case so that you can handle the knives yourself. It's important that a chef's knife feel wonderful and natural in your hand -- not too heavy or unbalanced. You will probably use your chef's knife more than any other.

For Wusthof I would recommend their Ikon line (although not the exotic wood Ikon, the wood can stain, and then you've just gone and stained very lovely knives.) For Henckel I would look at their pro-S line.

A nice set to build your set would be:

1) 8" and/or 6" Chef knife (preferably both, or two 6" or 8" depending on if one feels much better in your hand
2) Santoku knife
3) Bread knife
4) Paring knife
5) Boning knife (optional depending on how much you'd use it)
6) A super sharp pair of kitchen shears

In addition to the Wusthof and Henckels that I love, I love a newer Japenese line that is CHEAP but ultra-sharp -- Pure Komachi. I bought some for my parents over Christmas and they were literally sold out everywhere. They're great for people who are new to the concept that different knives should be used for different tasks. My mother cuts EVERYTHING with a serrated bread knife and it drives me mad, she wonders why she crushes all of her vegetables. They are color coated for the item that they should be used for. I think they're a nice addition to any collection because of their low cost and their quality. So if you want two chef knives you could have 1 nice heavy Wusthof, and 1 of the Pure Komachi knives. I also keep two santoku knives because I use them often.

 

[jcrow]

this is what we have:

9" le crueset skillet
7.25 quart le crueset round french oven
3.5 quart le crueset buffet

2.5 quart Calphalon Contemporary Stainless Steel double boiler
3.5 quart Calphalon Contemporary Stainless Steel boiling pot


i want to get a smaller calphalon ss pot for smaller things like cooking corn or beans or something. but other than that this has been working well for us.

i love love love that the LC''s can go all over including in the dishwasher.
we were going to get a smaller french oven but we are sooo happy we got the larger size. better to have more room than too little!

i was concerned in the beginning that the LC''s are heavy, but i''ve just changed the way i do things i guess because i don''t really notice it.

also, LC makes handle covers for the skillets that i really like. we got one red one to match our red pots for i think $9.

 

[jcrow]

as far as knives, we have the following wusthof culinar knives and love them!!
i'm sure we will add a couple more types eventually.

paring knife
utility knife 4.5"
oriental cook's knife 6.5"
wusthof steak knife presentation sets
wusthof kitchen pull apart shears

 

[marcy]

I have the Cuisinart stainless and love it. The All Clad are really nice too and it was a toss up between the 2 brands when we bought them.

 

[sumbride]

I didn''t like the way All Clad felt in my hands. There''s something about the handles that just didn''t work for me, plus they are really heavy. Then I found the Calphalon Contemporary Stainless. LOVE THEM. LOVE THEM. I can''t say it enough. LOVE THEM. Plus Calphalon does pretty good "Registry Rewards". We got a few things free just for having $500 worth of Calphalon products on the registry, and then more when they were bought. They sent us a free skillet, a free muffin pan, some spatulas, a knife, etc... Very pleased.

I have a couple of smaller calphalon anodized (non-stick) pans for eggs and crepes and such too but I tossed out all the coated pans. I wanted a LC dutch oven but then I saw the ones that Calphalon makes. Much the same but no plastic, all metal, or rather Enameled Cast Iron. It is very heavy and I couldn''t fathom having all my cookware made out of that. But the enameled cast iron means it is really easy to wash. The one we have is actually dishwasher safe, which is a major plus in our house. Also, the Calphalon stainless steel is too, whereas All Clad said using the dishwasher would VOID the warranty. We also have a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet that I like a lot. I even baked a pumpkin pie, with crust, in it at Thanksgiving. It was lovely.

I prefer Wusthof knives to Henckels but we have a set of both. I just like the Wusthof handles better. A lot of these things depend on your personal preferences so get out there and handle stuff and see what you really prefer.

 

[jcrow]

sumbride - i agree about the all clad. everyone raves about them, but i just couldn''t get past handles. for me, they are just not comfortable period.

 

[appletini]

I love my all clad stainless steel! I do also have a few all clad non-stick skillets for cooking eggs and various things. In additon I also have a le creuset french oven, and some le creuset stoneware baking dishes.

 

[EricaR]

I''m kind of a kitchen geek, and there are a few things that I really couldn''t live without.

First - Calphalon is made at the same factory with the same materials as Anolon, and Anolon tends to be a little cheaper. I absolutely love my Anolon hard-anodized cookware. I have an actual set of stainless which I do use, but for every day I tend to reach for the following items over and over:

Anolon Stock Pot
Mine has a different lid with perforations so if I am boiling potatoes or pasta I can drain the water without using a separate colander.

Anolon 5.5qt Braiser
Love that I can use this on the stove top to sear a roast then move it right to the oven.

Anolon 5qt Saute
This is probably my most used piece of cookware. Everything cooks so evenly and the size is perfect for every day use. I

this pan.

I am really really lucky in that my parents live in the next town over from the Caphalon and Anolon factory and every year they hold a "End of Year" clearance. I always send my parents a long list and get lots of goodies for Christmas.

 

[musey]

From my future kitchen, I thank you all

My registry has made some important changes, I SO appreciate all of the suggestions and testimonials you've given for your favorite and less-favorite products.

I wanted to ask some further advice: I was talking to my mother about all the changes, and she's pushing for copper over stainless. She said that they won't stay as "pretty" long-term as the SS, because they're very hard to keep looking bright and shiny (I likened this to platinum's patina, she had no clue what I was talking about) but that if I want to really invest myself in great cooking, copper is better.

I know it's much pricier than SS, but she suggested I use it for just two key pieces: the saucier (W-S calls it a "chef's pan") and the sauté pan. I had already been planning on the 7.5 qt. copper stock pot, because hey, everyone needs a "just because I love it" item on their registry

Anyway, what do you all think about copper vs. stainless, specifically for those pieces or just in general?

 

[ljmorgan]

Musey, I say if you can afford it, copper for the saucier and saute pan is a wonderful idea. Copper for a stockpot won''t really do anything, but if it''s because you love the look of it, go for it! She''s right that copper won''t stay pretty very long, unless you are diligent about caring for it. There are special cleaners for it, and it can also oxidize and discolor rapidly, so you should try to use them frequently. However, a copper saucier and saute pan will be superior to all else. Enjoy!

 

[musey]

Thanks, lindsey!!