New Cookware

metalspinner · November 14, 2011, 03:54:35 PM

It's time for some new cookware. After 14 years, the set we recieved as a wedding present is at the end of its life. This set was aluminum with a non-stick surface. The non-stick surface went away a loong time ago. I hate it.

We do have a nice selection of cast iron, but for every day use like heating up a can of soup or veggies I think other materials are easier to deal with.

I think I want a stainless set. After a brief search online, it was recommended to buy a set with an aluminum or copper core in the base for even heat. I poked around a local department store and was amazed a the selection.

Before I clunk down a few hundred bucks I wanted to ask you guys and gals for your opinions on the matter.

Do you have a favorate brand you currently use or something I should stay away from?

Radar67 · November 14, 2011, 04:40:28 PM

We have a brand by the name of Townecraft. It has served us well for over 25 years and still just as durable as when we bought it. It has a lifetime warranty. I will warn you, it is pricey.

T Red · November 14, 2011, 04:47:39 PM

Just happened to catch this episode this weekend. Seemed like good info.

http://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment-reviews/detail.php?docid=25947

Norm · November 14, 2011, 06:06:31 PM

Best there is but you pay for it. I wouldn't buy a set though, just the pieces you use most.

All Clad

zopi · November 14, 2011, 07:25:29 PM

Most expensive cookware is overrated, and too bloody expensive...I use the tramontina restaurant cookware you get at Sam's club....cheap and effective...and it lasts pretty well.
I also hunt through the kitchen stuff at every thrift store I go in...looking for cast iron, but I pick up some nice pieces of cookware that way too.

D Hagens · November 14, 2011, 07:29:58 PM

I still cook my eggs in the hubcaps off my old 73 Chevy pickup, turn the eggs upside down and there's a Chevy symbol there :D 8)
2 grand for pans :

Go down to the scrap yard, much cheaper there 8)

Norm · November 15, 2011, 06:32:34 AM

I use restaurant quality pans I get through a commercial restaurant supply house. They're fine for cheap fry pans but their stock pots and such are junk. For non-stick fry pans the quality is ok and last about as long as a name brand.

My all clad set is going on 20 years and gets used every day.

thecfarm · November 15, 2011, 06:49:39 AM

I bought one copper bottom pan,I wanted a big one. It's kinda of a bother,the copper part, to keep clean, or I mean to keep that shiny copper look.We use the special cleaners and lemon on it to keep up with it. Just glad that's the only one I bought her.We mainly use gas,but do have electric too. I would go without the copper bottom.We have ours hanging in the kitchen on a hanging rack. I brought one set as a display model.No box,but what a deal I got on it. That was a Jamie Oliver cookware.We have just about all stainless steel. I myself try to keep away from that teflon coating stuff. We do have a big griddle we use when we have alot of people for breakfast.Probably some good ones out there,but we don't have any.If going with SS it is not cheap,probably had ours for 10 years now and still looks new. My wife does ALOT of cooking so she has 2 sets and some special pots and pans too. One set is a Cuisinart. No big name,but has held up good for us. Both sets is 18/10 SS.Makes for great Christmas presents too. She has just about every SS cooking utensils too.Seems like I paid around 200 for one set. Kinda like buying tools. A good one will last you through the years.

thecfarm · November 15, 2011, 07:54:23 AM

Here's my wife set up,

This shows the rack

I'm trying to show the storage of the lid over the handle,

I guess I will have to do it this way to show the lid over the handle.

This makes it handy to find the lid. Some pans the lid will not fit over the handle. If I had to buy another set or pan,I would really want this fixture. She probably has 10 pans. Much easier to do it this way than search for a lid.

LeeB · November 15, 2011, 08:47:27 AM

Lindy likes the Wolfgang Puck cookware and has bought 2 sets. She wa skinda ticked with the last one though. It is now being made in China.

Chris Burchfield · November 15, 2011, 08:48:45 AM

All-Clad, I purchased mine from a Williams Sonoma outlet on Spotswood here in Memphis. With the $'s I spent, I got an additional 30% off. They are individual pieces from box sets that were damaged somewhere down the line. Most have no flaw at all, some a little ding here or there. Cooking with stainless is different than cast iron. I've seen and held in my hand the Emeril L., Ratchel R., Paula D. and Puck's cookware and they are not the same quality or weight as the All-Clad. I looked at the other major $$ brands and made my selection. It was a Christmas gift for my wife and I she knew nothing about. If you go with stainless I strongly suggest using "Bar Keepers Friend" for cleaning stains and cooked on with a stiff plastic brush. It's a powder like Comet but does a much better job. Good luck with your decision, it's about as difficult as deciding on which mill to buy. There are a lot of good ones out there. :D :D :D

thecfarm · November 15, 2011, 08:55:56 AM

Yes,we use Bar Keepers too. All Clad was,is out of my price range,darn it.

chevytaHOE5674 · November 15, 2011, 09:17:32 AM

We use calphalon cookware at this house and I love it. It holds up well and cooks nice. Also the nonstick surface is great and cleans easy even after you burn stuff to it 8)

metalspinner · November 15, 2011, 09:43:14 AM

Chevy,
The Calphalon is what I have now. I hope your non-stick lasts longer than ours did.

Norm,
I don't think we are good enough cooks to spend that much money on the All-Clad. :D

My intent is to use this as a Christmas gift for Susie. So I have a bit of time to look for the right product and deal. While at the dept. store, there was a big difference in the heft and feel of the pots. I've always assumed that heavier is better for cookware. That way the pot will retain more heat more longer periods of time?

thecfarm,
That's quite a collection you have there! Your wife must be a great cook. ;)
I'm afraid if my guests came in and saw such a display, their expectations would rise beyond my ability to deliver. :D

DHagens,
Chevy symbols in your eggs... :D :D :D

It's interesting how all the TV experts have their own brand. I wonder if Emeril's set will make me a better cook. Is the BAM! a factory installed option, or can I get that as an after-market add on?

Chris Burchfield · November 15, 2011, 11:04:38 AM

I showed this in another thread, I have a couple of cheap non sticks I use also. The following link is taken from the WS Outlet on Spotswood in Memphis. It's a better price than you'd get at other Name Brand stores: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/cookware/cookware-all-clad/?cm_type=gnav

I "Bam," clang, bang, ding and Dang when I cook. I also clean up as I go. I don't throw salt over my shoulder. I've been blessed from the day I was born, so I don't need luck. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I eat turnip greens and grits cause I like them. Wife had been diagnosed with Type II diabetes. I knew we'd be needing to cook more and pay more attention to the contents of what we were putting in our mouths. We had a very old set of cookware we'd gotten as a wedding gift. The bottoms had rounded out and would not sit flat on the new flat cooktop of our stove. It would develop hot spots when cooking and we'd burn or scorch thing. Hope the link helps.

Yoopersaw · November 15, 2011, 04:49:59 PM

Quote from: chevytaHOE5674 on November 15, 2011, 09:17:32 AM
We use calphalon cookware at this house and I love it. It holds up well and cooks nice. Also the nonstick surface is great and cleans easy even after you burn stuff to it 8)

The made in the U.S.A. stuff is the best. The China made ones are garbage.

fstedy · November 17, 2011, 11:56:01 PM

Emerilware is hard to beat for the price its everybit as durable as All-Clad. I've had a set for about 8 years and it gets used very hard and has been an excellent product. I don't know if its true but have heard its made by All-Clad.

metalspinner · December 16, 2011, 08:56:59 AM

Santa left a package at the door yesterday! Well, maybe it was the UPS guy.

I decided to go with the real deal - a 7 piece set of Al-Clad with a copper core. I also added an 8" omlett pan. This set was on sale at the Food Network sight. In addition, we received an employee discount, so that brought the set down to a reasonable price.

I'm tempted to cook me up a breakfast with it right now then wash it and stick it back in the box. :D

BTW,
Cudos to Jeff on the new picture uploading procedure! 8) There is no way anyone can ever complain again about uploading pics.

Norm · December 16, 2011, 09:04:24 AM

Quote from: metalspinner on November 15, 2011, 09:43:14 AM
I don't think we are good enough cooks to spend that much money on the All-Clad. :D

Seems someone owes me an apology....but I'll take an omelet instead. :D

Raider Bill · December 16, 2011, 09:40:23 AM

Quote from: metalspinner on December 16, 2011, 08:56:59 AM
Santa left a package at the door yesterday! Well, maybe it was the UPS guy.

I decided to go with the real deal - a 7 piece set of Al-Clad with a copper core. I also added an 8" omlett pan. This set was on sale at the Food Network sight. In addition, we received an employee discount, so that brought the set down to a reasonable price.

I'm tempted to cook me up a breakfast with it right now then wash it and stick it back in the box. :D

BTW,
Cudos to Jeff on the new picture uploading procedure! 8) There is no way anyone can ever complain again about uploading pics.

Oh ye of little faith...... I bet there will be some...... ;)

Chris Burchfield · December 17, 2011, 09:35:07 AM

Congratulations MS. I know she'll love it. I made our rack from a grocery stores end of isle rack. I just bent it, cut it to length to fit and welded stubs with washers to mount on the cabinet. Then I forged the hooks so the pots and pans could be hung. It would take up a lot of space in the cabinets, scratch and ding em up I'm sure. I have to take a couple of extra steps from the stove to access them but the kitchen is small and I didn't want to be bending over looking up in a hole, shuffling stuff out to get to what I wanted. We'll be looking for pictures of the Christmas morning breakfast. You don't have to be a chef to cook like one! ;D

Chris Burchfield · December 17, 2011, 06:16:22 PM

One thing I forgot to mention, use wood or plastic spoons and spatchulas. I use wood because they are more stiff. Beside spoons, I'll use one that has like a curved end and one that is a flat end spatchula. These are good for browning ground beef to scrape the bottom of the pan without scratching metal to metal. The wood is stiffer than the plastic kind. I've got a pot of chillies going right now. And, don't forget the "Bar Keeper's Friend." I can get it at W-Mart or Kroger. Great for maintaining a new appearance.

metalspinner · December 20, 2011, 01:30:16 PM

Thanks, Chris for the tips.

I have several spatula type utensils that I made over the years rom cherry. One is especially long to help with the deep chili pot. ;) I do need to pick up the Bar Keeper's Friend, though. That will make a good stocking stuffer. :D

Your post on hanging the pots reminded me of a corner of our kithchen that doesn't have a use yet. I designed the kitchen on-the-fly and ended up with a 12" space between the oven and a gang of cabinets. Up to now, I couldn't figure out what to do with it. I think it is large enough to hand the skillets and sauce pans.

Chris Burchfield · January 08, 2012, 09:13:21 AM

Metalspinner, how'd it go? Any pics of her opening the boxes? Pics of the Christmas breakfast you cooked for her, with her Christmas presents?

metalspinner · January 08, 2012, 02:32:26 PM

They were a big hit! No pics of Christmas morning, but I will get some with them hanging in the kitchen.

One pot that was not part of the set that we will need to get is a saucepan in the 3-4 quart size.

Getting used to no non-stick is going to be tough.

Chris Burchfield · January 09, 2012, 11:12:29 AM

It took a while for me to get across to the wife, you have to cook a little slower. Not so high a temp. Beans, sauce or chillies take a little longer at a lower temp.

Clam77 · January 09, 2012, 10:12:09 PM

Being a guy, I've even managed to burn stuff to a non-stick pan. You're right Chris - not so high temp is the key for most things.

Also, never had a stainless or especially cast iron pan do it, but the stuff with non-stick on it seems to be thinner metal - had a couple warp in the middle on me. hard to cook stuff when it rolls away from the middle of the pan.. :D

5quarter · February 06, 2012, 11:08:09 PM

Metalspinner...I'm a little late to the party, but I'll offer up my 2 cents worth... ;)

I've used both All Clad and Calphalon professionally for years. Both held up well under heavy daily use and high heat conditions. Both maintain their stick resistance fairly well, although I'd recommend keeping your skillets seasoned. they will perform as well or better than teflon if cared for. One real nice thing I liked about the All clad sauce pans are their rounded transitions which allow a wire whip to get to 100% of the pan. Also, there is not much difference between the 3 and 5 ply lines...neither will warp and both have excellent conductivity.
I bet your wife fell out when she saw those.

metalspinner · February 08, 2012, 09:06:39 AM

QuoteI'd recommend keeping your skillets seasoned.

How do I season a stainless skillet?

LeeB · February 08, 2012, 03:25:58 PM

I kinda wondered that myself. :D

Chris Burchfield · February 09, 2012, 08:32:33 AM

Not sure he was talking about SS. Just making the comment to season your "cast iron" skillets. I have a couple of cast iron skillets I use just for bread. I don't use them to fry in, clean up would remove the season.

LeeB · February 09, 2012, 08:39:52 AM

I love cast iron. Best non stick around when properly cared for. Lindy bought a 7 piece assortment the other day off one of her online yard sales for $60. what a steal. The guy even seasoned it all before she picked it up.

metalspinner · February 09, 2012, 02:39:24 PM

Mom just called me yesterday to ask if I was interested in a set of 4 Lodge cast iron skillets. "Heck, yeah!"

Dad is a scrap buyer and these came in on a load. He always has something interesting to show and tell. 8)

Chris Burchfield · February 09, 2012, 06:57:31 PM

Well seasoned and batter poured in after the grease is hot, I flip my cornbread and catch it to be sure it did not stick. Yea, I've had to run a spatchula around under it when I didn't let it get hot enough.

SPIKER · February 09, 2012, 08:38:00 PM

I most always FRY in Cast Iron, I have a few nice ones (one of the best I had was stolen out of the house when I was moving out & new buyers were moving in..) >:( The seasoning is easy and even cleaning them if done correctly is no big deal we hardly ever worry about a full on seasoning in the oven. maybe a NEW pan but the ones we have are all about as old as we are :D One bad thing is Olive Oil in them is not all that good for cast or food cooked in it. better for natural fats/greases & vegetable oils are farther down on the list. we also deep fry in our 12"deep pan maybe doing some fish in there tomorrow even.

Sure miss my old cast one it was made in England (UK) Imperial Cookware & cast company or something like that. It could fry an egg and roll it over-easy and slide out without breaking the yoke or using a spatula. the sides were rounded/dished and not a flat/squared sides. It had a 14" wood handle that was oval fit well... When I got it was Teflon Coated for some dumb reason I glass bead blasted it and seasoned it up have not seen one since then.

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