Cookware?

ReneePruitt

ReneePruitt

Cathlete
Hi
What has been the best produts for pans, sauce pots, baking dishes?
Im so tired of buying pans and such for an arm and a leg, just to have them last a short time.

Id love to hear what you use
and find has lasted along time. Thanks!
 
I have the same problem. I use my nonstick pans for practically every meal. They wear out super fast. This is what I'm planning on getting soon, it's the same pot Rachael Ray uses to make soups and many other things in her large pot.

It's a pan with enamel over a type of metal. You probably have casserole dishes that have a non-stick surface, those have enamel on them too.

Cookware and bakeware - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Enameled cast iron
Enameled cast iron cooking vessels are made of cast iron covered with a porcelain surface. This creates a piece that has the heat distribution and retention properties of cast iron combined with a non-reactive, low-stick surface.
[edit]Enamel over steel
The enamel over steel technique creates a piece that has the heat distribution of carbon steel and a non-reactive, low-stick surface. Such pots are much lighter than most other pots of similar size, are cheaper to make than stainless steel pots, and do not have the rust and reactivity issues of cast iron or carbon steel.[citation needed] Enamel over steel is ideal for large stockpots and for other large pans used mostly for water-based cooking. Because of its light weight and easy cleanup, enamel over steel is also popular for cookware used while camping.
[edit]

Here's an example of what I'm talking about from amazon:
Amazon.com: Lodge Color Dutch Oven, Island Spice Red, 6-Quart: Kitchen & Dining

They also have other pot sizes, it's just an example. Everyone needs a good soup pot.
I've also heard of non-stick stainless steel, but I think I would eventually wear that out too. Just my thoughts, hope it helps. I'm sure many more people have advice too.
 
I have a lot of Rachael Ray's porcelain enamel cookware. I also have a full set of Cuisinart cookware and Calphalon Unison omelette pans. I've owned a full set of Calphalon and thought it was a total waste of money. I will be repurchasing the Unison pans because they are great for sauteing. I'm in the market right now for a full set of cookware and on the fence about which brand to purchase.
 
Different pans for different purposes. Also depends on your own usage. Casual cooking or are you more of a foodie? I buy high end - not Target/BBB mass produced stuff. Crate & Barrel, Wiilliams Sonoma,etc. Love my Le Creuset, Cuisinart, old school Calphalon (the newer mass prod stuff is not so good).
 
I've read that is most economical to figure out what pan/pot sizes you use the most. Buy the "best" you can afford that works for you in those sizes and fill in the other sizes with less expensive brands. It will save you from buying an entire set of top shelf cookware when you really only use a couple of pans frequently.
 
I've used my Pampered Chef stuff for years, and I love it. A little pricier, but I got it by asking for Pampered Chef gift certificates for my birthday and Christmas. :)
 
My regular pans are a mixture. I have some old school calphalon, All-clad (my fav saute pan), Le creuset (my fav. dutch oven), and some cast iron. For my non-stick I go for a cheaper one because the non-stick coating is going to wear off regardless of how much you pay for your pan (especially if you have others in your family that use it with metal utensils). You still want to get one with decent weight so the heat is evenly distributed but dont go by a $300 non-stick pan thinking you will have it for the rest of your life, cause it isn't going to happen (I had a all clad non-stick). I really like Cooks Illustrated recommendation for cookware and bakeware because they do take price into account. Their recommendation for an inexpensive one was a T-fal one, I cant remember the specific line but I do have a omelet pan that gets used everyday and have been happy with it for a year now. If your interested in the line of t-fal let me know and I can find out :)

Sarah
 
mom2kttj said:
My regular pans are a mixture. I have some old school calphalon, All-clad (my fav saute pan), Le creuset (my fav. dutch oven), and some cast iron. For my non-stick I go for a cheaper one because the non-stick coating is going to wear off regardless of how much you pay for your pan (especially if you have others in your family that use it with metal utensils). You still want to get one with decent weight so the heat is evenly distributed but dont go by a $300 non-stick pan thinking you will have it for the rest of your life, cause it isn't going to happen (I had a all clad non-stick). I really like Cooks Illustrated recommendation for cookware and bakeware because they do take price into account. Their recommendation for an inexpensive one was a T-fal one, I cant remember the specific line but I do have a omelet pan that gets used everyday and have been happy with it for a year now. If your interested in the line of t-fal let me know and I can find out :)

Sarah
Click to expand...

I would trust her Renee. She is ONE HELL of a cooker/baker!

As for myself, I have always used assorted T-Fal and they have lasted me a long time. I also have a griddle pan and omelet pan from Starfrit, and like those as well.

Natasha
 
Sarah, Thats not the t-fal u see at kmart? I am not,sure but i think i have one from my moms collection she had it was heavey but im not sure whers she got it. It has held up well but she isnt here to tell me ware to go.
Id love more info.... Thanks!
 
That's exactly why I the other type of pan with enamel. I don't think those wear out nearly as fast as the T-fal type of non-stick. I can wear out a non-stack pan in 6 mo or less. Of course it does depend how much cooking you do, and how much you eat away from home. I almost always eat at home, so it wears out super fast.

The T-Fal my mom swears by, who isn't on this forum, came from QVC, but that line might not be exclusive to them, and she bought it decades ago. She had it for many years, although after my sisters and I left, they weren't used much.
She has since replaced it with Pampered Chef and Caphalon.
 
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Make your non-stick pans last longer by keeping cooking sprays away from them. "Pam" type sprays will gunk up your pan and turn a non-stick pan to a stick pan in no time!

I have some non-stick Food Network pans from Kohl's that have lasted me a year so far and seem to be going strong.
 
T-Fal Professional non-stick, is the line name. I do hand wash all my pans. I do use cooking spray also, because my husband wont part with it :( I have used it for eggs probably 5-6 days a week for almost a year and its still is going strong. Cooks Illustrated only complaint was the handle was a little wobbley after all their tests which were very thorough. They say if your a daily egg eater that you should be able to get about 1 1/2 years of life out of this pan for 34.99 for the 12" size. $50.00 was their price limit. Testing was done in 2010.
They also put it up against there previous expensive winner All-clad non-stick and it still outperformed even though it is cheaper.

I also wanted to touch on the new "green" skillets. Cooks Illustrated felt like all the green skillet they tested weren't good :(
If you would like to know more just let me know. Are you looking for more than just a non-stick skillet?

Sarah
 
I have 2 cast iron skillets and one cast iron covered dutch oven (old style not coated) and I use them every chance I get. As long as you take care of them properly they are non stick. In addition, I have 3 different sized stainless sauce pans, a stock pot, and 2 stainless frying pans (one big, one small). I've spent big bucks in the past on large sets of expensive pans and they never are worth the money I paid for them. The one's I got as a wedding present lasted 2 years and I threw then out. I finally decided to buy pots/pans individually, based on what I use them for. The ones I have (excluding the cast iron ones) were all purchased at Marshalls/Homegood for under $20 each. 2 of my cast iron pans are 40+ years old, and the dutch oven was purchased at Costco for less than $25. I have 4 small children and cook 3 meals a day and they have lasted me many years.
 
I never buy cookware sets because they never match my specific needs and wants. I prefer to have a mix of stainless steel and non-stick.

For stainless steel, I have been quite happy with Cuisinart.

For non-stick, I have been happiest with Calphalon (just don't use cooking sprays like PAM, and always handwash).

I have a good number of pieces, but I mostly use my 2qt Cuisinart stainless steel saucepan, my Cuisinart stainless steel deep saute pan, my 4qt Calphalon non-stick saucepan, and my Calphalon 12inch omelete pan with lid.
 
I agree about staying away from sets, as well, unless the specific items included meet your specific needs. Just buy what you actually need/use. You may not need one of the pieces, but need two of something not included, for example.
 
If looking for stainless steel, I think you want to look for pieces that are 18/10. My MIL got us a set 18 years ago and it has held up beautifully. The brand is Lynns. I have a small Calphalon pot that is heavier and it is holding up really well also. My skillets are all Calphalon and I never use Pam on them.

I feel I cook a lot and can't complain about any of my pieces. I wash them all by hand also, but my husband throws everything in the dishwasher when he is cooking.

Lisa
 
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