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Gourmet Foodie Chefs (home cooks)

Gypsy

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
40,225
I need new pots and pans. We are moving next week. And I just want to throw out the pots and pans and buy new ones.

I would be keeping one stainless stock pot.

We have been, until now, buying 1 nice non-stick saute (straight side) and 1 nice fry (skillet, slanted side) pans and getting a Kirkland non-stick set for the rest. It's worked. But I know that there are a lot of new products out there.

I like copper core non-stick saute and fry pans (don't need it on the sauce and stock pots). I had a couple nice non-stick copper core caphalon ones like that. But the durability is an issue on those.

I don't have the funds to buy a high quality full set.

I can keep two of the smaller sauce pans and replace them later.

So, what I really need is a non-stick large stock pot. Ideally two fry pans (one large one medium). One large saute pan.

Do you guys have any recommendations? I'd like to keep this under 300 if possible. If that means buying less pieces (like not getting one frying pan for now), that's okay.
 
I still LOVE my EmirilWare that I bought back in 2004. Not sure if it is made the same, but the stuff from then was great. Stainless steel with a copper layer on the bottom. I've only had one have issues in that time. I think I paid $129 for the full set (on sale from $199). We cook heavily. Many are used at least once per day. Everything from low heat for long periods to high heat and even in the oven.

Mine came from Bed Bath & Beyond.

Not sure how they are now, but wanted to toss this out there as a possibility!

We did add another large pot and a big skillet from Macy's (each $29 or less) some basic brand. I can look later if you are still interested. More of a one-off piece than a set.
 
I don't have Teflon recommendations, but two "non-stick" frying pans I love are the Lodge cast iron skillets and Demeyere Atlantis/Proline (7-layer clad construction) stainless steel clad fry pans. Cast iron will definitely be within your budget... Demeyere pans may or may not depending on how many you need and what line you purchase. Both brands are very robust- I never worry about them warping or the handles dropping off. HOWEVER, if you are not comfortable with heavy cookware, these pans are not for you.

I like to use cast iron for searingly hot heat applications like browning/roasting meat or making pizza/bread. Once seasoned, it is easy to clean and maintain.

If I need an even spread of heat or the pan to react to temperature changes quickly (it won't be as fast as 2+mm-thick copper), I use Demeyere pans. To prevent sticking, the frying pan needs to be hot enough. Prior to cooking, heat the empty skillet until it is so hot that water flicked into the pan form beads that dance on the skillet surface (Leidenfrost effect).

The Atlantis line (frying pans are called Proline, but they're built the same as Atlantis) has two different ways they make their pots. Straight-sided pans like stock pots, sauce pots, and saute pans have stainless steel sides, and a silver and copper core disc encapsulated in stainless steel on the bottom. Curved pans like sauciers and skillets have a thick aluminum core sandwiched between stainless steel from rim to rim. I find Demeyere cooks much more evenly than All Clad, and the lack of rivets makes it easier to clean. Googling "Demeyere Atlantis layers" in images will show illustrations of their construction. Demeyere also has cheaper lines.

I use a large pressure cooker as my stock pot, but it isn't Teflon either...
 
I don't have any brand recommendations for you, as I use a hodgepodge of cookware, which I've accumulated over the years.

But I would like to suggest that you donate the old pots to a charity(Goodwill, etc.) instead of throwing them into the trash.
Someone else might love them!
 
Skhii|1458895635|4010794 said:
Lodge cast iron skillets
Click to expand...

+1. These are my kitchen work horses. I bought the unseasoned ones and seasoned them myself because I find the pre-seasoned applications very spotty.
 
We do have one cast iron skillet. We are keepiing it. Will look into recommended products, thanks! Keep'm coming please!
 
Hi Gypsy - For stainless steel I use the Sur La Table brand which I find to be equivalent to All Clad. I have had them for about 11 years and they hold up very well as I am a daily gourmet cook. They also carry non-stick pans and I find those to be well made. For stock pots, dutch ovens, sauce pans for even cooking - I use Le Creuset. The Le Creuset holds up very well and gives you even heat. They are pricey however you can find them on sale at Sur La Table and other kitchen shops from time to time. There are so many choices out there and over the years I have gone through many brands. I now simply have these two and they work well for me. I am not interested in constantly replacing my pans.
 
HI:

I love my Le Crueset and Staub. My sauce pans provide so many uses I am sure not (originally) intended! lol But they are work horses and now come in such delightful colors. Difficult not to fall in love with the cuteness and utility.

http://lecreuset.ca/colours/ (oh the bonbon!! :love: )

And I have seen theses brands at Winners. (TJ Maxx in US)

cheers--Sharon
 
canuk-gal|1458924595|4010942 said:
HI:

I love my Le Crueset and Staub. My sauce pans provide so many uses I am sure not (originally) intended! lol But they are work horses and now come in such delightful colors. Difficult not to fall in love with the cuteness and utility.

http://lecreuset.ca/colours/ (oh the bonbon!! :love: )

And I have seen theses brands at Winners. (TJ Maxx in US)

cheers--Sharon
Click to expand...

Yes, I love my LC cookware as well. A dutch oven is a must-have IMO. I've also seen them on Amazon for reasonable and randomly they'll pop up at Home Goods.
 
I have a bunch of mismatched stuff.

My current favorite non-stick pans are my seasoned De Buyer carbon steel. Very cost effective (no single piece was over $50) and they will last forever. I'm very against anything with a non stick coating, I would rather build up my own.
 
Gypsy

I do very little cooking in non-stick cookware, mostly eggs, omelettes, crepes, etc. that are too delicate and you don't want to brown. I've found that if you use the pan correctly, most pans are non-stick when they need to be and turn out better food. It's hard to get a good caramelization in non-stick cookware without using higher heat, and that's generally a no-no for the longevity of both the pan and the cook. And I love, love, love glass lids because I like to see what's going on without having to pick up the lid. So my recommendation is based on that, and may not be what you want or how you cook

Costco has a Cuisinart set with glass lids on sale right now for $199. I think only Costco has the glass lids set. I bought a smaller version of this set for the weekend house and like it a lot. It's nice quality without spending a fortune. I did buy a larger saucepan that was wider and shallower to supplement because Cuisinart saucepans tend to be on the taller, narrower side and sometimes I want that different shape.

Many people swear by All Clad. They are very nice, but they are also pricey and test drive the handles first because you'll either love them or hate them depending on how you pick up your pans. I hate them because they feel like they're upside down to me, and it would drive me crazy on a pan that can be heavy. I have one small All Clad saucier and I like it, but that's only because it's small.
 
I have no recommendations as I have not purchased anything in years after acquiring my set of SS pots and pans, except for non-stick frying pans.

I do not like to spend too much on non-stick frying pans as I found even the most expensive ones will need replacement eventually.

I like ceramic-coated frying pans, however, I would advise against one that is light in colour (mine is cream), as it is very difficult to wash all the carbon residue off the pan.

A bit of TLC is required, like not to plonk my SS pan on top of it while it was soaking in the washing bowl, and chipped the surface, DOH!

Never had a saute pan, and can't say I miss not having one. Got a few frying pans and a couple of woks though to make up for it.

Good luck with your purchases, how exciting (I love buying things for the house).

DK :))

P.S. Good luck with the move, and I hope it goes smoothly!
 
rainwood said:
Gypsy

I do very little cooking in non-stick cookware, mostly eggs, omelettes, crepes, etc. that are too delicate and you don't want to brown. I've found that if you use the pan correctly, most pans are non-stick when they need to be and turn out better food. It's hard to get a good caramelization in non-stick cookware without using higher heat, and that's generally a no-no for the longevity of both the pan and the cook.

Many people swear by All Clad. They are very nice, but they are also pricey and test drive the handles first because you'll either love them or hate them depending on how you pick up your pans.
Click to expand...

I second all this.

After some research, I recently bought 2 fry pans by Anolon for eggs, omelettes, etc.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/anolon-reg-nouvelle-copper-8-1-2-inch-fry-pan-and-10-inch-fry-pan-set/1017260219?mcid=EM_triggeredem_orderconfirm__allpromos

This is PFOA-free and tri-layer Signature 2 Teflon (confirmed by Anolon themselves). I am very happy with them so far.

And a stainless steel pan by Calphalon

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/calphalon-reg-tri-ply-stainless-steel-12-inch-omelet-pan/1017468278?mcid=EM_triggeredem_orderconfirm__allpromos

Compared to my All-Clad, this is EXTREMELY light and easy to handle. It doesn't have the super heavy high quality feel of the All Clad, but it IS tri-ply, so cooking-wise they may yield the same results, not sure. I love that I can make like 5 or 6 turkey burgers all at once.

ETA: You're moving? I hope you're excited/it's a good move! (even though I know the PROCESS of moving sucks of course).
 
Le Creuset.

Greenpans for safe nonstick cooking. (Buy at Target).
 
How exciting, the move is happening! I hope everything goes smoothly and you love your new locale and digs!!

Count me amoung the Le Creuset crowd. I have been using their stainless steel pots, cast iron fry and saute pans, and enamel pots. The stainless steel are workhorses and solid, and the cast iron I just love. I have their 8qt enameled stockpot and pasta always sticks to the bottom no matter what I do (add salt, oil, etc). I'm not a gourmet cook though, and I cook on an induction cooktop.

Oh, and there's an LC outlet near me which helps with pricing, and I have seen random pieces at Home Goods and TJ Maxx. LC is currently having 20% off SS cookware via their website.
 
My dh is another LeCreuset fan and we get our LC pots and pans from the outlets where they often have 40% off so it is a good deal at that price. The last LC purchase was under $100. The non stick 12 inch pan and my dh uses it for everything. He said it is the best pan you have ever used. Nothing else even comes close. His exact words.

Adding a not great pic but the only one I can find.

lecreusetinaction.jpg
 
Another vote for LC! I have a nonstick deep fry pan and a stainless fry pan. And like others, I buy when it's on sale locally (20% off) and I have picked up a lot of more random pieces of stoneware from TJ Maxx. I even have their mugs now--I like the colors, and I like the weight/size more than Fiesta.

I also keep a set of T-Fal fry pans around as backup and for when I fry falafel and green tomatoes and other messy stuff, and for when my husband decides to get creative in the kitchen--it's so cheap I don't care if it gets ruined, and if anything happens to my "good stuff" I have a replacement at the ready. (I have a separate set of dollar store baking pans and cookie sheets that I let OTHER PEOPLE use instead of my good ones as well, ha ha.) My only issue with these is that the larger one's handle has come loose a couple times. It's a simple matter of grabbing a screwdriver and tightening the screw but it's still bothersome. Target and Macy's carry them. $30 for a pretty durable set, keeps costs down at least.
 
Thank you all. After move is done I will research recommendations. We have a Le Creuset Outlet so that might be in the cards for a field trip.
 
Hope your move goes smoothly!

Do you mind sharing what area you are moving to? (I can hope it is to the PNW!)
 
We staying in the Bay Area. Just a move across the bay. So we are pacific and west. Just not very far north.

We move every 2-3 years. It sucks but it has been necessary. And we've managed to accumulate a lot of crap from successive moves because we kept getting great deals on large apartments (long long story), instead of smaller ones.

So we're trying to 'right size' things with this move. The new apartment is smaller, which is really what is right for us. So I'm happy about that. We've donated a ton of stuff and thrown out just as much stuff. I think I was developing hoarder tendencies and since we had room to store it all, I just kept it all. We have some great charities locally so it was really nice to be able to downsize and also help them out.

Moving sucks though, any way you cut it.

We do cook a lot though, and a lot of kitchen stuff was showing significant wear. So we're just tossing or donating some of it out and replacing it as we go.

I've never been a fan of LC though. I had some of their casserole dishes. They cracked. I had a couple of their kettles. Rusted. I just don't have good luck with them and feel they are overpriced for the quality.

So when I was looking for a dutch oven I chose to go for a Lodge one instead of LC. And I've been happy with it. Have a cast iron Lodge pan I've been really happy with as well.

I'm keeping the existing sauce pans, they are in better shape than I thought. So I think I'll go for just three pieces now, all non-stick. And then save up for a couple nice Demeyere Industry5 pieces like this: http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-1691427/Demeyere+Industry5+Saute+Pan+with+Lid+4+Quart

That way I can keep the non-stick pieces affordable and splurge on a nicer quality stainless later on.

I like the Sur La Table non-stick pieces, someone mentioned. They are well priced.
http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-1483668/Sur+La+Table+Dishwasher+Safe+Hard+Anodized+Nonstick+Skillets
http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-1483635/Sur+La+Table+Dishwasher+Safe+Hard+Anodized+Nonstick+Saute+Pan

And that gets me everything I need for the short term for $120. Considering I just realized tonight we need a new kitchen trash can ( :$$): ) and a new mini prep AND a new mandolin ( :$$): ) that is the most practical solution.

And I can easily make do without a second stock pot since I have the stainless one. And my dutch oven is large enough that it I can use it more. It's just heavy, so I tend to not use it as much as DH.

In a couple months, if all goes well I get a Demeyere larger sautee pan and maybe a fry pan from them too.

As for the stock pot. I'll see how it goes. Maybe I won't need another one at all.

Thanks guys!
 
You might also want to check TJMaxx/Marshalls/Home Goods if you have those. I've seen sur la table there and have seen (and purchased) le creuset there as well.

You might even find some copper sauce pans. I think fall is a popular time for copper, I remember seeing it last year a bit.
 
I have a couple Le Crueset stock pots, and two Chantal pots-a huge deep stock pot with a strainer insert and a 6-10 quart smaller pot also with a insert but a smaller one. Should I want to steam something that is the pot I use, also for pasta. I replace my non stick skillets often- with all-clad or calphalon. I have two stainless steel sauce pots that I very seldom use. I also have a cast iron skillet that I use mostly for bacon- most everything else I grill.

These have served me well for quite a while. I cook every day.

I would tailor your cookware to the kind of cooking you do rather than what you can find in a set.

I like enamelware cookware as I find it easier to clean than stainless steel.
 
I still love my All Clad for stock pot, dutch oven and sauce pots. Even if something sticks and that rarely happens, I can use the Barkeeper's Friend and it comes right off. I recently bought one of their non stick skillets and love it too for eggs and omelets. I have gotten all of them on sale which takes some time to accumulate but I know these things will be around long after I'm gone - lol!

I have also seen them sold at Home Goods and Marshall's so you can get them discounted or on sale and the price doesn't sting as much!
 
Just an FYI that Williams Sonoma has a lot of cookware sales going on right now if you want quality pieces at a good price. I just bought two French all-clad SS skillets, two WS SS sauce pots (2 & 4 qt), and a 6qt all-clad SS pasta pot (stock pot with strainer) ... All for <$400. I have a ton of cast iron cookware also that I use. There are non-stick items available also on sale.

I like piecing my cookware together vs buying sets because that way I get pieces I use in sizes I need vs having unnecessary items I don't.
 
I love my all clad, and also all my cookware from cutco
 
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