VeggieBoards banner

Cookware

2K views 18 replies 14 participants last post by  pic 
#1 ·
Hello everyone!

I'd like to ask for advice when it comes to cookware. I went to a store yesterday and it was pretty overwhelming. So many choices!!!!

Should I go with stainless steel or non-stick? Titanium? Any particular brand? Are there materials to avoid?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
#2 ·
I've used heavy stainless steel Cuisinart cookware for over 20 years now, and I love them. They've got solid copper bases, sandwiched between stainless steel. The company has since changed the design, but I still recommend 18/10 stainless cookware with a solid base (aluminum, copper) for its ease of care and even cooking. I make sure the pan and oil are well-heated before adding other ingredients, and haven't had problems with food sticking. (I can't say the same about the anodized aluminum skillet that sits on a shelf and rarely gets used in my kitchen.)
 
#4 ·
heavy stainless steel pans are great! my mum has some that are 26 years old, have been used daily, and still look like new! they do take a while to heat up, but they retain heat really well too- we cook potatoes in them by putting in the teeniest amount of water, (like 1/2 an inch!) bringing it to a boil, then putting the lid on, switching off the heat, going off to do something else, and coming back in 30 minutes, and they're done. its very good, lol. they aren't non stick, but i agree, stuff only sticks if they aren't hot enough- and i'd be concerned about eating bits of teflon anyway, from a non stick pan.

i'm hoping to buy a whole set of stainless steel pans when i can afford it, and a few heavy cast iron ones too- with the cast iron pans they're easy to care for, last forever, you get extra iron in your diet every time you cook, and a workout for your arms when you lift them, lol.
 
#5 ·
I would NOT choose non stick as eventually it all comes off and your left with flaky stuff in your food. We got some Teflon pots and pans as a wedding gift and things burned and were hard to clean because you couldn't scrub or the coating would come off. Well the coating came off anyway and it was BLAH. Give me stainless steel anyday where I can scrub with a scouring pad or brush if need be (and very rarely do i need to.) Cast iron would be nice but we have the kind of glass topped flat hob (no idea what they are called--it came with the house) that clearly says don't use cast iron as it may scratch the hob. But I hear those are great and add iron into the food you cook (don't recall where I heard that) ---Oh DUH! I heard it in your above post. Sheesh--no wonder it sounded so familiar. *blushing*
 
#6 ·
There are a lot of cookware choices!

I never use non-stick pans. Dupont will be phasing out Teflon over the next nine years. I just fear the non-stick coating ending up in my food....don't think that's organic!


I really love my Allclad pans. They are pricey, but I have found a place on line that sells Allclad seconds and the savings is remarkable (http://cookwarenmore.com). All of my Allclad skillets and pots have come from there and they are all fine with very small cosmetic defects that don't affect the performance.

I also love my Le Creuset dutch oven. Wonderful for making a big pot of chili, stew, beans etc. Again, pricey, but if you do some research online you can find great deals.
 
#7 ·
I'll jump on the stainless bandwagon. I will never own non stick pans!

Honestly, unless you're seriously under lubricating your pans or overcooking your food, you shouldn't have a sticking issue. Sometimes things like potatoes or rice get a little sticky in the pan but after I empty it out, I just soak the pan for about 30 minutes in hot, soapy water and all just rinses out. I don't own a really well known,super expensive brand either. Mine's a Belgique Classique set I got at Macy's because I worked there and got a discount.
A month later they started carrying the copper bottoms. Grrrrrr.....

Honestly unless you have gobs of money sitting around that you're just dying to spend on something (which you may, I don't know, if you do good for you!) just buy a nice sturdy stainless set from the department store. All clad and Calphalon are top of the line, and nice I'm sure, but having compared them side by side to the "lower" sets like mine and Cuisinart, they're really just sturdy stainless pans with an expensive name and hefty price tag. You don't want to go Walmart but you don't necessarily *have* to go for the $500 set either.

Go someplace, like Linens 'N Things, Macy's, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc where they have the pans out, on display, and pick them up. Hold them by the handles, move them around. You really want to make sure the handles are comfortable and easy to grip. Last thing you want is to try to move a pan of frying food only to have the handle slip and red hot dinner is all over you and your kitchen floor.


Mary
 
#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by pic View Post

Are there materials to avoid?
Yes. Anything labelled "non-stick" should be avoided. I like stainless and enamel myself.

I inherited an old electric frying pan from the 50's or maybe 40's..? Anyways it's aluminum I think which will probably eat holes in my brain if it doesn't electocute me first, but I love it. Thing is friggin' HUGE. I can make four pancakes at once if I want. Or saute about five onions.

Yeah so get a giant electric frying pan. From this decade though.
 
#9 ·
Another vote for stainless steel, but you do not need to buy All-Clad.

There are many mid-range brands that will hold their own quite well, for less than half the price. All-Clads are great... but so are BMWs, and you don't find either around my place (unfortunately!).

They might sound cheezy, but I did some research and the "Celebrity" brands of cookware are actually quite good. The Emirl line is actually made by All-Clad, and the Wolfgang Puck line is considered by some to be the best bang for the buck.

If you REALLY want non-stick, look into anodized-aluminum (ie Calphalon-One) which has no negative health effects that I am aware of.
 
#10 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeff_veg View Post

If you REALLY want non-stick, look into anodized-aluminum (ie Calphalon-One) which has no negative health effects that I am aware of.
Calphalon One is hard anodized aluminum impregnated with a nonstick material made with the chemical trademarked as "teflon" by Dupont. So it will kill your birds if you overheat like any other nonstick pan but teflon is inert up to 500 degrees and won't hurt you if you eat it.
 
#11 ·
Thanks a lot for all your tips.

Sounds like non-stick is a no-go. I thought that non-stick allowed using less oil, that's why I asked.

I also remember reading that aluminum is really bad choice for cookware. All-Clad and few other brands I saw said on the labels that it was made out of aluminum and coated in something else.

Should I still get it or did I misread the labels?

All your help is much appreciated.
 
#12 ·
pic said:
Thanks a lot for all your tips.

I also remember reading that aluminum is really bad choice for cookware. All-Clad and few other brands I saw said on the labels that it was made out of aluminum and coated in something else.

All Clad is aluminum wrapped with stainless steel. The aluminum really holds the heat, but it never touches your food.
 
#13 ·
i have a nice set from a department store that love--stainless with a heavy bottom (saffron form jcpenney)...my advice would be: you don't necessarily need a whole set--i have a set of 6 or 8 pans, but i consistently use the same 3 while the rest are collecting dust and taking up space...
 
#14 ·
I've had a stainless steel brand set from a department store since we got married (which was longer ago than I'd like to admit
). Anyway, it's held up GREAT. Very happy. Ditched my Pam'rd chef non-stick stuff after I read how absolutely horrible teflon is and how much ends up in our systems. (But that's fodder for another thread in a different part of this forum.)

Lately, I'm aching to get a good iron pan like my mom has had for years and years. She's got two, actually. Extremely well seasoned. Hmmm... wonder if I could mooch one from her - LOL!
 
#15 ·
I got a set of Sur La Table's house brand of stainless a few months back. It's wonderful! I have the giant covered chef's pan, a smaller version, a saute pan, and a medium, covered pot. It sure looks and feels a lot like All-Clad, but it's about half the price.

I've found that since I'm only cooking vegetarian things, I don't have sticking issues - with the exception of tofu occassionally. The trick to stainless is to let it, and the oil you are using, heat up for a few minutes before you add your food - then virtually no sticking!
 
#18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by pic View Post

One more question


I saw some All-Clad stainless steel pans with a non-stick layer inside. Still a no-no?
All nonstick has the same health issues. All non stick is inert below 500 degrees and becomes toxic above. Frankly I think calphalon makes better nonstick and I am an all-clad guy.

Quote:
Does non-stick cookware allow for using less oil/fat when cooking?
Not really, you can use a teaspoon of oil in a regular pan for most foods which for a dish that serves 2-6 is negligible. You will need oil in the nonstick pan if you want to brown food. In fact, it is harder to brown food in a nonstick pan regardless of how much oil you use. The advantage to nonstick is that it is easy to clean even if you don't clean it in a timely fashion.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top