HELP - What is the best material for cookware

[zhuzhu]

I just read the All-clad thread and it hit me that I know NOTHING about different types of cookware/material. What I am using now are really old no-name brand non-stick pans for grilling and frying, and no-name stainless steel pots for boiling pasta and cooking stew. I would like to upgrade to something nicer that will last at least 5 years yet not crazily expensive.

I prefer something that is not too heavy, relatively-non-stickish, and easy to clean in sink and dish washer.

What would you recommend for me?

Thank you!

 

[JulieN]

zhuzhu,

there is no ONE best material. different material have different properties, and different methods of cooking will tend to be better with a certain material.

Some suggestions based on your post are:

grilling and frying: for grilling and frying, cast iron is tops in terms of even browning/searing and heat retention. However, this is heaviest (though relatively non-stick and easy to clean.)
Stainless steel if you tend to use wine or tomatoes (although I can't imagine using wine or tomatoes in most grilling/frying purposes,) or if this is your most "all-purpose" pan.
Otherwise, 1 aluminum and 1 non-stick aluminum might be good for you.

Saute pan: this is one of my more all-purpose pans, and I cook with wine and tomatoes, so this one has to be SS for me.

Boiling pasta: I've found that salt in the water makes my Al stockpots look weird, so I'd go with 2-ply stainless steel with aluminum bottom (cheaper than 3-ply) OR non-stick Al.

Cooking stew: preferably, enameled cast iron. It's pretty nonstick, easy to clean, and generally can go in the DW. However, it's quite heavy. Italian glazed terra cotta also works well, and the advantages are it does not
rust and it's lighter than cast iron.

The cheapest way to do this is to go to a restaurant supply store.

 

[movie zombie]

only you know what your cooking style requires. i found that the step up opened up doors that never existed with my old whatever set. the other thread has all the recommendations you need to start.

movie zombie

 

[zhuzhu]

Thanks!

Given the possible association between aluminum and Alzheimer''s and other chronic illness, does any of you have concern about using aluminum-based products? If not, which brand makes the safest products?

Julian, did you graduate from UCLA? How have you been doing post graduation?

 

[JulieN]

The basis that there is correlation between Alzheimer's and Al is based on the observation that the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers had more Al than non-afflicted people.

1. is there a correlation? ok, I will buy that. However, Al is the most abundant metal, and the third most abundant element (after O and Si.) They could have picked it up anywhere.

2. it was not determined that the Al found in their brains came from cookware.

3. most sources say that cooking with Al is safe.

I have no concerns about avoiding Al, other than the fact that clad stainless cookware is more versatile (but much more expensive.)

Culturally, steel is THE American metal. It symbolizes modernization (railways) and wealth (Andrew Carnegie.) The US was the largest producer of steel in the early 1900s, ensuring our place as a world power. Other countries don't have that idea. In Italy, Al is the metal that represents modernization and industrial revolution. I have not yet heard that Italy has higher rates of Alzheimer's than other countries.

Haven't graduated, as I'm taking a few extra classes that are part of a teacher preparation program.

 

[cara]

If you are concerned about aluminum, do not use it as a cooking surface. Calphalon in particular has a lot of anodized aluminum cookware. Aluminum has some attractive material properties for cooking but reacts with acidic foods, hence JulieN''s recommendations regarding tomatoes and wine. Clad pans often use aluminum (or copper = $$) and ''clad'' them in stainless for a nonreactive cooking surface. Stainless steel has less desirable thermal properties, hence using a different material for bulk in the ''clad'' pans.

I personally would start off with one nice 12" fry pan with a stainless surface - All-Clad, or Calphalon Tri-Ply, or superpricy Demeyere, but I do a lot of skillet cooking. The non-stick coating interferes with one''s ability to brown meat and properly make sauces, and I had no idea until we switched! Non-stick does have a place, but now I use nonstick skillet way less than stainless ones.

And then one enamel-coated cast-iron stew/soup pan, such as Le Creuset 5 Qt Dutch Oven. Bigger if you cook for lots of people.

See if you like those and see what other upgrades would make a difference in your cooking.

We also noticed a big difference in ability to not burn things when we upgraded to All-Clad saucepans, but as we use those less it has had a lesser impact on our cooking.

 

[AmberGretchen]

One other thing I''d like to throw out there - if you do a lot of low-fat and/or vegetarian cooking, having at least one nonstick is really important, IMO. I find that for sauteeing veggies without using a lot of oil, nothing works better than a nonstick skillet, and I use mine all the time.

I tend to get really cheapy ones though, because they all scratch, and once they are scratched I get rid of them.

 

[movie zombie]

my anodized calphalon does not react with tomato. sauces stay nice and red....unlike cooking with a cast iron pot!

movie zombie

 

[Gailey]

Le Creuset - last you donkey''s years and throw away non-stick Ikea frying pans.