Recommendations for Pots and Pans?

[seaurchin]

Well my colorful Le Creuset is adorable sitting on the stovetop but not always so great to use. The enameled bottoms easily scorch instead of the food browning (not sure how that happens but it does). The larger pieces are also pretty heavy to lift.

So, what's better? A little pricey is okay but I am not a zillionaire! I would like something with a lot of available pieces. That's because I also want to get some for my grown kid, possibly one piece at a time.

Thoughts?

 

[pearlsngems]

Do you need to be able to use an induction cooktop? If so, the pots must be magnetic. (All Clad, for example, is magnetic).

 

[seaurchin]

Do you need to be able to use an induction cooktop? If so, the pots must be magnetic. (All Clad, for example, is magnetic).

Ah, good point. I plan to move in a couple of months and don't know what type of cooktop my new house might have. So maybe I should wait.

 

[Kim N]

I bought an All-Clad copper core set about 20 years ago, and it's still going strong today.

 

[kenny]

Another LeCruset guy here , but I also love my All Clad!

AC's three best lines D3, D5, and Copper Core are all made in USA.
I found a legit website for AC factory seconds, and saved $$$$ over retail.

They are discounted only for things that don't impact the function if the piece.
That means cosmetic imperfections, which includes very minor scratches and dents.

But don't listen to me; their website spells this out in exhaustive detail.

https://homeandcooksales.com/

Example:



To get into their site and view what's offered for sale, they require your email, and agreeing with their exhaustive terms.
Basically, there are no returns. Period.

I think their terms and conditions state you must agree to arbitration if you feel you have a legit complaint.
FWIW, I can only speak of my experience, but every piece I've bought (around 14) have been fine.
On some I can't find any imperfection at all.

They have two levels of discount ...
1. The highest % discount is for pieces with minor imperfections, a small dent or scratch, etc.
2. A lower discount % for damaged packaging when the piece itself isn't damaged.
You may not even receive that original damaged box.

Exactly what they have in stock varies over time.
I was collecting pieces, one by one, over a few years.

I love my AC!

And since I learned about the Leidenfrost effect (more about that later) I now know how to make a stainless steel pan just as non-stick as teflon (which I don't use because it can give off fumes that are highly toxic to birds).
Also research how chemicals from non-stick cookware can leach into your food, and other downsides of non-stick, like it lasting only a couple years whereas quality AC clad SS pans can last generations if you take care of them.

I bought mostly Copper Core, but also a few D3 and D5 pans, if I had to start over they would all be D5.
One reason is the D5 lid handles are much nicer than those of D3 or Copper Core.

Also, as America's test kitchen states, the best 'value' is AC's D3 (3 bonded layers) stainless steel fry pan including a lid (which you don't get on 12" fry pans from their D5 or Copper Core lines).
I have two 12" Copper Core, but I'm tempted to buy one D3 just to get that lid.

 

[SparklieBug]

And since I learned about the Leidenfrost effect (more about that later) I now know how to make a stainless steel pan just as non-stick as teflon...

Is it "later" yet? Curious to know how you do this non-stick effect on stainless. I watched a video (and neglected to bookmark it) where a chef used oil (don't recall what kind) on a hot pan to make it non-stick.

I think I may have accidentally done this, heating oil in a weensy pot to pour over hot-spicy chilies to make a sauce.

A sales associate told me that olive oil, when heated to a higher temperature, forms a polymer coating on pans.

 

[Avondale]

There was a time when I used to focus on "quality brands" but not anymore. The truth is you can recognise a quality pot just by handling it and taking a good look at it. Here's my list of must-haves when buying:

1. A thick bottom. You can see how it looks here:



A thick bottom slows down the transfer of the extreme heat from the stove top to the food. Slow and even heat distribution is how you prevent food from burning.

2. The top of the pot , the side wall should have a "lip", the sides need to curve outwardly, like this (it's also a second example for a thick bottom):



compared to this which you do not want:



The "lip" prevents food from dripping down the outer side and towards the bottom. Especially important for pans. Every pan without a "lip" I've had needs its bottom cleaned with an oven cleaner on a regular basis or it will just form a thick layer of charcoal given enough time (as happened with one of my grandfather's pots that was never salvaged due to this).

3. If whatever pot or pan you're using has a lid, you want the lid to have this short side wall extending downwards, to not be completely flat, kinda like this:



As opposed to this:



This tiny extra detail helps create a seal of a sort during cooking, so steam doesn't escape the pot as easily. Both energy efficient and moisture preserving.

In addition to the above I always pay attention to the handles (want them sturdy and comfortable to grab, and especially love it when the handle is shaped in such a way as to allow you to prop the lid on it) and the overall feel, thickness and quality of the material.

Everything else I find to be personal preference. You can find quality in every material, but sometimes it takes personal experience and some trial and error to discover what you like and don't like. I used to have an iron cast pan (you know, the holy grail of pans) and hated using it so I eventually gave it away to someone who doesn't mind the maintenance and operating something so heavy. My main set of cookware is steel and I'm second generation using it, it's about as old as I am. Probably gonna outlast me. For pans I love my marble wok, but there are still a couple of teflon flat pans that mostly serve for making crepes these days. But I don't want to replace them because they're very light and comfortable to maneuver.

 

[dk168]

Stainless steel, except for frying pans and woks!

I would look for induction-ready stainless steel saucepans and cassaroles.

Mine are Paderno Grand Gourmet Series 1100. I had my first ones - a set of 3 saucepans, a low 28cm stock pot, a 28cm cassarole and a couple of stainless steel frying pans in 24cm and 28cm, back in late 1990s and they are still as new.

I seldom use the frying pans as I prefer to use non-stick ones due to food sticking, most like my fault for not using enough oil.

I have added more pieces to my collection since then as I love the range so much!

I joked with my ex-husband when we bought the first lot for our new home at the time that if we were to part company, I would take the pans with me, and I did!

For woks, I prefer traditional carbon steel ones as I have gas at home. However, I have bought a non-stick wok for use with my portable induction hobs when I was doing pop up kitchen events.

Another range I would recommend is the Tefal Ingenio Stainless Steel range with removable handles which is space-saving.

I lusted for a set after seeing them in real life in France some years ago, however, I could not justify getting a set, until I started to do pop up kitchen events. I carry the smaller pieces in my RV and use them when I go camping.

I don't like cast iron Le Creuset pans as they are way too heavy for me!

Other brands that I would recommend for stainless steel saucepans, cassaroles and stockpots etc. are (in no particular order):

Matfer Bourgeat (arguably the best of France can offer)
WMF

The following cheaper ones I had bought as house-warming presents from an UK catering supplier, and I would recommend visiting catering suppliers so that you could have a feel of the pots and pans and check out their build quality:

Nisbet's Essential Range
Vogue

Link to Nisbet's: Nisbet's UK shop - Induction compatible cookware

Link to Paderno in Italy: Paderno Grand Gourmet Series 1100

Link to Tefal Ingenio: Tefal Ingenio UK

Hope the above helps.

Lastly, I have found non-stick frying pans will stick eventually sooner or later. The more expensive ones lasted a bit longer, that's all!

DK

 

[MissGotRocks]

Love my All Clad D5 pots and pans! They are a dream to clean up with a little Bar Keeper's Friend. No scorched bottoms or grease residue inside the pans. Cooking in these pans gives you even heating without hot spots. Highly recommend!!

 

[kenny]

Is it "later" yet? Curious to know how you do this non-stick effect on stainless. I watched a video (and neglected to bookmark it) where a chef used oil (don't recall what kind) on a hot pan to make it non-stick.

I think I may have accidentally done this, heating oil in a weensy pot to pour over hot-spicy chilies to make a sauce.

A sales associate told me that olive oil, when heated to a higher temperature, forms a polymer coating on pans.

I'll post more later, and start a new related thread to avoid threadjacking this one.

 

[Mreader]

I was going to also say all clad. I have gotten a few pieces at really good prices from TJ Maxx and marshall ha ha.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Williams-Sonoma has sales sometimes too!

 

[newtojewels]

I'm seconding @kenny's factory sale suggestion! That's where I've gotten my All Clad. I try to just find ones with a damaged box.

 

[seaurchin]

I'll post more later, and start a new related thread to avoid threadjacking this one.

Up to you of course but I don't think it would be a threadjack.

 

[AdaBeta27]

I had a shoulder injury that prevented me from lifting heavy cookwear. I've always had to use two hands and also choke up on the handle to heft those pans and skillets with the long skinny handles because I'm small and I have short arms. So, I went to a thrift store and bought old Farberware and Revereware stainless cookware like people received as wedding gifts in the '50s. And I've been quite happy with it. It's lighter weight and it has the correct weight distribution that allows an ordinary petite woman to lift it with one hand. Pricescope never likes my economy solutions to everyday life. But I believe there's such a thing as good-enough, and everything doesn't always have to best or trendiest. It only needs to be *functional.* Just be sure to set a used pan on the floor or a sturdy metal shelf and try to rock it to see whether the bottom is warped or flat. They tend to curve after years of use on hot gas burners. My mother the home ec teacher used to have the high school metal shop flatten them out somehow. But I'm not sure how that was done, or who you would get to do that.

 

[dk168]

I forgot to mention, if you are a member of Costco, it is worth popping in to see if they have any special buys on offer.

DK

 

[HGar]

I “bought” some heavy duty stainless Gordon Ramsay by Royal Doulton cookware close to 20yrs ago using frequent flyer points. Best cookware I have ever used, heavy but not too heavy and still looks as beautiful as the day we received it.

My husband prefers Lodge cast iron and I do have a few pieces of Le Creuset but I only use them for either braises or in the case of my husband’s Lodge, when I cook steak.

 

[lala646]

I had a shoulder injury that prevented me from lifting heavy cookwear. I've always had to use two hands and also choke up on the handle to heft those pans and skillets with the long skinny handles because I'm small and I have short arms. So, I went to a thrift store and bought old Farberware and Revereware stainless cookware like people received as wedding gifts in the '50s. And I've been quite happy with it. It's lighter weight and it has the correct weight distribution that allows an ordinary petite woman to lift it with one hand. Pricescope never likes my economy solutions to everyday life. But I believe there's such a thing as good-enough, and everything doesn't always have to best or trendiest. It only needs to be *functional.* Just be sure to set a used pan on the floor or a sturdy metal shelf and try to rock it to see whether the bottom is warped or flat. They tend to curve after years of use on hot gas burners. My mother the home ec teacher used to have the high school metal shop flatten them out somehow. But I'm not sure how that was done, or who you would get to do that.

More than 50 years later, the Revereware set my parents got for their wedding is still going strong!

 

[MissGotRocks]

I had a shoulder injury that prevented me from lifting heavy cookwear. I've always had to use two hands and also choke up on the handle to heft those pans and skillets with the long skinny handles because I'm small and I have short arms. So, I went to a thrift store and bought old Farberware and Revereware stainless cookware like people received as wedding gifts in the '50s. And I've been quite happy with it. It's lighter weight and it has the correct weight distribution that allows an ordinary petite woman to lift it with one hand. Pricescope never likes my economy solutions to everyday life. But I believe there's such a thing as good-enough, and everything doesn't always have to best or trendiest. It only needs to be *functional.* Just be sure to set a used pan on the floor or a sturdy metal shelf and try to rock it to see whether the bottom is warped or flat. They tend to curve after years of use on hot gas burners. My mother the home ec teacher used to have the high school metal shop flatten them out somehow. But I'm not sure how that was done, or who you would get to do that.

The downside to All Clad is that they are heavier than some others. I had Revereware for years but unfortunately, they did start rocking on the ceramic electric stove burners. Using the heavier pans made me realize that even though the Revereware had their infamous copper bottoms, the heat was not as uniform as it was in heavier cookware. There are trade offs for everything I guess, and while I understand your good enough approach, you often get what you pay for in terms of quality. Just depends on how fussy you are and where you want to spend your money. Fortunately, there are lots of options out there to fit every person and budget!

 

[pearlsngems]

My 5-ply clad pots and pans set that I love have lasted me these 32 years, and are going strong, but they are a discontinued brand (Neova, made by Vita Craft and sold by VitaMix). They are not magnetic and thus will not work on induction cooktops, but my stove has electric coils burners, so I don't care.

The one All Clad pot I own and love is the D5 stainless steel 8 quart stock pot. I bought it at Marshall's for several hundred dollars off the list price at Williams Sonoma-- and I found one for my daughter, too. I use it frequently and it was worth every penny. I can fit an entire large bag of chopped collard greens in it, or several heads of savoy cabbage, shredded. It's great for ratatouille, chili, soups, stews, pot roast, you name it. I particularly like that it's short and squat so it fits easily in the oven. It is magnetic.

Marshall's and T J Maxx often carry All Clad. Just be sure you like the handles. Some of the traditional All Clad handles are uncomfortable for me-- the ones that are concave on top. They now have styles with more comfortable handles.

 

[ShinyPink]

I have several Le Creuset, but I also have a Green Pan and a Ninja pan that I love! I tend to read Consumer Reports and America's Test Kitchen before these types of purchases to see what's new.

 

[AdaBeta27]

The downside to All Clad is that they are heavier than some others. I had Revereware for years but unfortunately, they did start rocking on the ceramic electric stove burners. Using the heavier pans made me realize that even though the Revereware had their infamous copper bottoms, the heat was not as uniform as it was in heavier cookware. There are trade offs for everything I guess, and while I understand your good enough approach, you often get what you pay for in terms of quality. Just depends on how fussy you are and where you want to spend your money. Fortunately, there are lots of options out there to fit every person and budget!

The heavier cookware isn't scaled to a small woman with a short forearm. Those long handles on most of that upper end cookware often seems built for a man's long forearms and a man's forearm strength. I had some All-Clads, and cast iron pieces, and the stress on my forearms was really bad, unless I used both hands and choked up on it. So down the road those went, because they just weren't suitable for me. The old, old Farberware made in the Bronx and the older Reverware pieces do seem to have thicker bottoms that don't warp or develop hot spots. I asked my mother how the metal shop flattened the bottoms out for Home Ec Dept., but she doesn't know. I'm cooking on coil electric and gas burners, and slightly concaved bottoms really aren't much of a problem for me. If I pan developed a hot spot, I just went to the thrift store and bought another that looked to be less used. I had my pick of nice old pieces 12 years ago in Pittsburgh and Canonsburg, PA thrifts, for $2-$4 per pan, $1 for lids. I have boxes of it. I think what turns up in thrift stores largely depends on the demographics of an area, and how wealthy or aged it was/is, and when it was at its peak.

 

[MissGotRocks]

The heavier cookware isn't scaled to a small woman with a short forearm. Those long handles on most of that upper end cookware often seems built for a man's long forearms and a man's forearm strength. I had some All-Clads, and cast iron pieces, and the stress on my forearms was really bad, unless I used both hands and choked up on it. So down the road those went, because they just weren't suitable for me. The old, old Farberware made in the Bronx and the older Reverware pieces do seem to have thicker bottoms that don't warp or develop hot spots. I asked my mother how the metal shop flattened the bottoms out for Home Ec Dept., but she doesn't know. I'm cooking on coil electric and gas burners, and slightly concaved bottoms really aren't much of a problem for me. If I pan developed a hot spot, I just went to the thrift store and bought another that looked to be less used. I had my pick of nice old pieces 12 years ago in Pittsburgh and Canonsburg, PA thrifts, for $2-$4 per pan, $1 for lids. I have boxes of it. I think what turns up in thrift stores largely depends on the demographics of an area, and how wealthy or aged it was/is, and when it was at its peak.

Oh, I get it about the heaviness. My All Clad does have long handles but has a small handle on the other side as well. Sometimes that is not helpful either if the pot is hot! I do love cooking with them but can see where they might become too cumbersome to use. They are also very expensive - I have been able to hit sales and even bought a couple of pieces brand new on eBay. I am sure you are right about things in the thrift shops - I have been told by others of finding brand new items of clothing with the tags still on them! It amazes me that folks buy things that they never even used!

 

[Karl_K]

Find a local restaurant supply store.
Triple layer stainless sauce pans and stock pots with lids. (stainless outside,aluminum heat spreader on bottom between layers, then the inner layer of stainless.)
Heavy gauge stainless fry pans.
Bring magnet if your stove is induction.
1 large turkey roasting pan. Stainless from supply store or enameled from amazon/walmart.
Then:
2 lodge cast iron fry pans large and smaller.
1 lodge cast iron dutch oven. Your pick of enameled or not.

That said we have en eclectic collection of stuff my mom had and stuff from the salvation army plus a lodge fry pan(mine) and enameled dutch oven(Wifey's pick).
Wifey uses a large non-stick 5qt jumbo cooker a lot but I dont like it as you can not get it hot enough without damaging it.

 

[kenny]

... I think what turns up in thrift stores largely depends on the demographics of an area ...

True of course.
Not much LeCruset or All Clad is likely to be donated in lower-income areas.
But on the other side of the same coin, the workers at thrift shops in those areas may be less likely to recognize certain high end items.

I'm speaking from experience.

I've found pieces of solid sterling flatware for next to nothing thrown in with run of the mill spoons & forks ... but of course never a set in its own case.
I've also found crystal stemware from Lalique, Orrefors, Baccarat, Waterford, and Edinburgh for 0.95 cents a stem, even though the fancy brand is plainly etched into the base of each piece.
Clearly they don't know about this.

(All you have to do is pull a pinch to lip with your thumbnail and fingernail and listen to the ring.:
Thud = glass
Beautiful sustained ring = some good stuff.
When shopping there I must be a hoot to watch.
... am I a flaming gay guy, or what?

... and if the price tag happens to be 'today's color', it's 50% off.
I loves me my treasure hunts.

So, it can work both ways.

 

[dk168]

Shameless show off, sorry, however, here is a pic of my collection of Paderno Grand Gourmet Series 1100 pans, this lot cost me a small fortune!

And my collection of Tefal Ingenio pans.

DK