So this is what DH is requesting for Father's Day... New pots and pans. We've had the nonstick Calphalon set for 4 years and it's all scratched up.
-
We had the Calphalon pots too, but slowly I've been replacing them with the T-Fal ones. The nonstick is just so convenient and they are lighter!
-
Do you want them to be non stick?
If a mix: I'd suggest all clad (you will never have to replace them as long as you live unless you warp them)
Plus a small and large t-fal nonstick fry pan. They are really highly rated and can go in the dishwasher too. But they won't last forever (no nonstick will, really. -
All-Clad! just the stainless is great, I wouldn't bother with the copper core or anything.
@Littlebit7: All-Clad has new, re-designed non stick frying pans that are *awesome*. Their old ones were terrible and they knew it and have really fixed the problem. just FYI
-
@LCTBQE: ahh interesting. I typically don't spend too much on my non sticks since I try to replace them every 2-3 years. But that's good to know! Thanks!
-
@gingerbebe: @Littlebit7: @LCTBQE: Ok so I barely cook; is non-stick really important?
-
I have a stainless set but I use my cast iron Le Cruset more than anything. They are a pretty good deal if you have an outlet near you.
-
@snowjewelz: I dont use them much, mainly for eggs, sometimes delicate fish, pancakes, stuff that you reaaaaallly don't want to stick or you don't prefer to use a ton of oil or butter. But you won't develop a lot of fond (brown crispy tasty bits, say if you are browning meat or something)
-
@Littlebit7: Cause I guess our set did last 4 years... So getting a middle price set that lasts 4 years isn't that bad really...
-
I wouldn't recommend a set if you truly want the "best". Different materials do certain tasks better than others. Personally, I don't like nonstick but I do love my Lodge cast iron griddle. It just takes a bit of work at first and then it's better than nonstick, IMO. I'm planning to get a 10" Lodge skillet when my current one wears out, too. If I was going to buy another nonstick pan, though, I'd go with the ceramic kind like GreenPan. For saucepans, I really like Sur La Table's tri-ply stainless steel. They're a little less expensive than All-Clad and I like the feel of the handle better (I've never liked All-Clad's handles). For a Dutch oven, I like enameled cast iron like Le Crueset or Staub.
-
For a mid-price option, I've been using my Anolon copper core (non-stick) for about 5 years and have absolutely no complaints. I cook almost all our meals at home so they've had heavy use. We got our initial set roughly 1/2 off from Macy's and I've seen similar deals every now and then since then.
-
We have all clad and love our pieces. We have some regular and non stick pieces.
-
@youboots: We have a stainless set too, but almost exclusively use our cast iron pans as well,
-
We use our lodge cast iron way more than anything else. Second would be all-clad SS, but that's a distant second in use to the cast iron
-
I wouldn't recommend getting a whole set either. I would probably invest in one or two quality pieces that you could literally have for the rest of your life. You really only need one non-stick pan. Non-stick pans have a limited shelf life and then you'll have to buy all new ones in a few years. I would def not recommend buying non-stick pots.
These are the pieces that I think are pretty essential: cast iron Dutch oven, cast iron pan (I just got an enameled cast iron pan from le creuset as a Mother's Day gift and it is the bomb.com. I think it's actually going to replace my regular cast iron and non-stick pans.) One non-stick pan. Stainless steel saucepan and pasta pot.
-
The Pioneer Woman's line (exclusively sold at Walmart) is fantastic for the right price.
This is the consumer reports article that convinced me to purchase them.
http://www.consumerreports.org/kitchen-cookware/pioneer-woman-cookware-is-no-frontier-folly/
-
All Clad stainless steel or Le Creuset for Dutch ovens and stock pots. We don't use any coated non-stick products because it inevitably gets damaged and comes off in your food. Both All Clad and Le Creuset are on the more expensive side compared to $150 non-stick multi-pot sets but you won't be eating plastic crap and they last forever!
ETA: Lodge cast iron skillets are great and not too expensive!
-
We have a full set of All Clad, but we have a few Le Crucet pieces as well. We cook a lot and think they are totally worth it.
-
I couldn't believe how much le creuset cost when I first saw them, but I have a couple of their pieces now and they are really the best. I know I will have them forever. I think Lodge makes an enameled cast iron piece for quite a bit less that may be a decent substitute. I have a couple of stainless steel pieces but mostly use the enameled cast iron.
-
@snowjewelz: I'm going to echo what others have said and tell you not to buy a set. I also like All-Clad, but what I'd look for is something that's like a tri-ply aluminum core for even heating. You want something that's heavy and won't scorch, and that doesn't have a plastic handle so you can put it in the oven. I think my most-used pieces are my 12-inch stainless frying pan, a 3 or 4 qt saute pan (with lid), my 4 qt sauce pan with lid, and my 5.5 qt Le Creuset dutch oven. I have owned the Lodge equivalent, and it performed fine, but it chipped pretty easily. If you have a Le Creuset outlet, check there. If I had to have one nonstick piece, I would probably pick a 10-inch fry pan. Personally I would rather invest in a nice piece of cookware here and there that will last me forever than to have to replace a set every few years.
-
Another All-Clad fan. I have a SS set and love it, it's about 8 years old and is still going strong. We only have one nonstick pan, I can't remember the brand but it's an eco-friendly one. As for Dutch ovens, I have one Le Creuset and one Staub. In my opinion, Staub is superior to Le Creuset because they are even more robust and the lid has nubbies that help self-baste the food.
-
What kind of stove do you have, gas or electric?
-
@snowjewelz: We also like All-Clad. Our old set of non-stick was Calphalon and it didn't last long at all (although no non stick will). So DH bought me a new set of stainless try-ply All-clad with an additional set of omelette/frying pans in non-stick, the new All-clad non-stick. They are great!! We cook pretty heavily for home cooks--like we use several pots and pans every single day, and so far they are really holding up.
-
@looch: We have gas.
So we do have one cast iron skillet, it seems like DH doesn't use it as much; our stock pot, medium/large sauce pan. and wok gets the most use.
And yes def not buying a whole new set... For immediate replacement I need a stock pot and sauce pan. Stock pot is super scratched up and DH said the sauce pan somehow got warped on the bottom.
I am furiously reading all your comments and looking at prices!!
@Anagram: So, so far All Clad nonstick is way better than Calphalon nonstick?
@petitenoisette: @azjax: What do you use dutch oven for? We don't have anything like that... Maybe DH has just been multi-using the stock pot? We also have an Instant Pot, so I don't want to overdo it in the pots and pans department...
-
@snowjewelz: lucky! I have electric and I think you do need to be more selective about the pans.
I like Cuisinart pans, they're a decent price point. In addition, if you have a Costco, they have a Kirkland branded set that is supposedly produced in the same factory as All Clad.
I like to have a stock pot, 2 small saucepans, 1 larger saucepan and a frying pan. I also cook a ton using the oven, so I like to have a few sheet pans and a ceramic 9x13 pan with high sides. I don't use much beyond that.
I do have an enameled cast iron pot with a lid, I like to use it to bake bread, of all things.
-
@looch: DH is picky and will only cook on gas stoves. When we were house hunting he would not consider a house either without gas or cannot convert to gas
-
@snowjewelz: yes! I like it a lot. I also have 1 circulon flat griddle pan, and 1 older T-fal non stick grill pan, and the ALL-Clad pans are heavier and seem nicer than those.......but time will tell about the non-stick finish. I just happen to use griddle pans/grill pans less often but have had those years and they are still okay. I use the frying pans/omelette pans daily so they see heavier use--we'll see.
eta: after our Calphalon pans because unusable so quickly, DH and I have both vowed to be super anal about enforcing the nylon-utensils only rule when using the pans. Sometimes we used to forget and grab whatever metal spoon was nearby, and so do our mothers when they visit. But no more.
-
i love my enameled le cruset pan for things that I would otherwise use nonstick for (it is awesome for eggs!)
-
Oh, for frying pans, I use either a GreenPan or those hard andondized ones from Calphalon.
-
I have a giant SS All-Clad pan and a non-stick Anolon that are great. Just keep in mind that your non-stick pans are not forever items. They will eventually need to be replaced. I have a non stick Kirkland Signature set and I love it, but I've been throwing out the pieces one by one because they don't last forever. KS is great for the price and Cook's Illustrated gave it high ratings.
-
I love the All Clad ss pans. I do have a cheaper nonstick pan I use for a few things but they are not meant to last forever so you shouldn't be spending much on them. Definitely buying a set of nonstick pans is a terrible idea. I have some le creuset that I love but haven't tried their pans out yet. On my list to eventually get is a pan and a dutch oven. And then I think I will have everything I need lol.
-
We have a calphalon triply stainless one set, a few random all clad stainless, and a 8" and 10" non stick. I prefer the stainless cause I never have to worry about scratching them, and find that the clean up is just as easy. I only use the non stick for a small quicky job like frying an egg.
-
@snowjewelz: so if you need a super giant stock pot, I'd go cheaper for that. We have a cuisinart one that fits the bill. Heat dispersion/retention isn't really that important for stock pots so there isn't much need to spend the big bucks.
but if you want to multitask, I'd get a larger heavier bottomed pot, either Le Creuset (will be super heavy and $$$) or all-clad.
You can use them for browning, braising, baking (you can actually bake bread in the Le Creuset), big batches of soup, sautéing a lot of stuff. Really true one pot cooking. Stove top straight to oven as well. For those uses heat retention and/or heat transfer is more important.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/le-creuset-signature-round-dutch-oven/ this will be very heavy. But you can put it in the dishwasherhttp://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-stainless-steel-tri-ply-saute-pan/?pkey=e%7Call%2Bclad%7C149%7Cbest%7C0%7Cviewall%7C24%7C%7C66&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH lidded sauté pan. I use this a TON.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-stainless-steel-stock-pot-12-quart/?pkey=e%7Cstock%2Bpot%7C107%7Cbest%7C0%7Cviewall%7C24%7C%7C13&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH this is a nice size (6 qt, comparable to the Le Creuset). Its not GIANT. As in, you can't make chili for 20 people in it. But its a perfect size for a family. can be used for browning, braising, soups, cooktop to oven, etc
-
@Littlebit7: Oo , thank you for this~ It helps a lot to have visuals and explanations!
-
I'm another voice for a Le Creuse frying pan. I have only stainless steel and cast iron pots and pans. I do 90% of my cooking in my cast iron frying pan. Other than that I probably use the 2 quart sauce pan the most next. Cleaning up cast iron is a breeze, even more than stainless steel or non stick pans.
http://a.co/3YLCj24
Reply
Subscribe to our newsletter
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite1
34 comments