Help me buy new pots & pans

[twobabes]

I need to replace my pots and pans... I have Calphalon - the anondized with non-stick surfaces - most are about 13 years old. I don't love them, and I got lazy and put some in the dishwasher (tsk, tsk!) so now they are white on the outside and the nonstick interior is getting a little gross (some were the cheaper "pots & pans" line and the nonstick may be wearing off and that worries me a little for health reasons).

I'm thinking of Le Creuset (I have one baking dish and love it) or a stainless set. Can someone tell me the pros/cons? And what do you use for eggs/pancakes/sticky things?

Thanks for any help!

[justincase]

We're in the process of doing this right now, under similar circumstances. We are still using our wedding cookware and it is time! A lot of research I did advised against buying a set because different brands excel at different things. Of course, it's more expensive that way, so we're going to do it over time.

First up -- big skillet / frying pan -- we just two days ago got our brand new All Clad stainless steel frying pan. That was the first on my list to replace and I was willing to spend a bit on it because it's the size/type we use the most often and the worn-out non-stick surface of my old one was really scaring me. We also have a big Lodge cast iron skillet. I used it tonight for the first time and was impressed. It's heavier than I expected, feels solid, cooked well, and was not hard to clean up.

If you want to get something non-stick for eggs, etc. you can get a cheaper line because you are going to want to replace them sooner than a not-non-stick as the surface breaks down. We have two Simply Calphalon ones that are still going strong because they don't get as much use as a skillet, so they are not on my list to replace yet.

I haven't looked into saucepans much yet. After that frying pan purchase I am going to have to make do with everything else for a while. I'm sure someone else will chime in.

Le Creuset makes the best dutch ovens, but gosh, the $$$. There's a knock-off from Tramontina that gets good reviews but is much lower in price.

HTH! It's fun...

[brittone2]

We don't use teflon. We use a lot of mix and match stuff because that's what suits our needs.

I have two large cast iron skillets (one Lodge, one ancient and wonderful hand me down). They are 10-11 inches in diameter.

I have a smaller cast iron (8inches maybe?) skillet

For pancakes, bigger breakfasts, etc. we have a two burner Lodge cast iron griddle (there was a bit of a learning curve for me with this, but now I love it!).

We have a big cast iron "fish pan" from Lodge that works as a roasting pan for me (I can fit two chickens side by side, or a large turkey)

I have stainless stockpots (2), a small stainless skillet, 2 stainless saucepans, and one or two other stainless pieces (mostly Cuisinart from our wedding registry years ago, so nothing spendy)

I have a pampered chef stoneware muffin pan, and then the rest of my baking stuff is mostly Pyrex (glass)

2 stainless cookie sheets


I'd still like a Le Creuset or two...a bigger and then a medium sized enameled dutch oven, but i'm waiting for DH to wrap up grad school first ;)

I cook a *lot* and the above meets my needs really well right now.

(eta: I'd like the enameled cast iron (Le Creuset) as tomatoes and really acidic foods can strip the seasoning on cast iron. Also, once cast iron is really well seasoned (takes some time) it is pretty non stick w/ just a dab of oil, butter, etc.0

[jent]

We're still going strong with our All-Clad set that was a wedding gift. Well, everything except the nonstick frypans-- the nonstick is pretty crappy on those (and yes, we cared for it properly). But the saucepans/pots and chef's pan are all great.

We have a 2-burner griddle I got a few years ago from a specialty kitchen store. It's heavy like cast iron but has a nonstick surface. So far it has held up well. The label says "Wisconsin Aluminum".

[ncat]

We have a Cuisinart Multiclad Stainless steel set and really like it. Very reasonable compared to All-Clad if you catch it on sale from Amazon. One con is having to remember not to use them on high heat.

We use our cast iron skillets (one Lodge and one ancient Griswald) and two burner cast iron griddle (Lodge) for most routine cooking including pancakes. I still use non-stick for eggs, but not really anything else.

[cestkaren]

We use All-Clad and love it. We also have a nonstick Emeril saute pan (made by All-Clad, but not in U.S.), it has held up pretty well. We've had it for 3 years and I'm thinking we'll need to replace in another year, but we use it all the time. The stainless steel All-Clad is going strong. I love our LeCreuset dutch oven, but it is heavy. I think their pots are on the heavy side, too. Not a problem for cooking, it is the washing were the heft bothers me (although they do clean up easily).

[kristac]

We have a wolfgang puck stainless set that we got at Sams Club for $99. We've been very happy with them and use them for everything.

[lowrioh]

I have a Kirkland brand Stainless Steel set from Costco and I LOVE it. If you go over to the cooking forum at GardenWeb you can get a lot of information.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11257108&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|89|56625|54916&N=4017652&Mo=28&pos=1&No=3&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=54916&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC10598-Cat56625&topnav=

[boolady]

We have a mishmash of things that I am very happy with-- at this point, I don't have a "set." We have an All-Clad stainless frying/saute pan and an All-Clad stainless deeper saute/braising pan with lid. We have a Lodge two-burner/two-sided grill/griddle. We also have an enameled (like LeCreuset, but a rip-off brand) large Dutch Oven.

[bklyn_trini]

I worked PT at Williams Sonoma so I know all about pots....The best ones are stainless steel- I've never liked the Calphalon. They're great pots but not big on the anondized look. I own All-Clad Stainless- they conduct heat quickly and evenly and have cool touch handles. I started with a 7 piece set and got a couple other pieces as time passed. I do own Le Creuset as well, however, they are EXTREMELY heavy and this is an annoying characteristic. Most likely your pots are under the counter and the lifting/bending to lift one of those pieces is torture. In their line, get a grill pan, baking dish and of course a Dutch oven for stews and such. Advantage to LC: you can use in the oven and the stovetop.

AC has many lines though: brushed stainless: looks scratched and is handwash
stainless: the best
AC LTD2: LTD is their version of Calph except with a stainless insert. Be aware there are 2 types of LTD- LTD1 is handwash only. WS no longer carries it but other retailers might. LTD2 is machine washable.

To clean your AC Stainless, use BarKeeper's Friend- a powder cleanser that is sold all over. It's like Ajax for Stainless Steel. For hard to remove residue: Just sprinkle a little, add a dash of water to create a paste. Leave for a minute or two, and then Wash with sponge.

Hope this helps! Good Luck.

[twobabes]

Thanks for all the advice!
I went to a Le Creuset outlet and found some good deals, but got a little overwhelmed. Part of the problem is I was shopping the store at the same time as a woman who was clearly a gourmet cook. I realized with two toddlers, my cooking is more mac & cheese than gruyere. ;) That said, I need to replace what I have and I want stuff that will last.
Can someone advise on "essential" pieces. Not sure there was a mac & cheese pan in the Le Creuset line.... ;)

[zag95]

I have 2 pieces of Le Creuset for dutch ovens, but would find it heavy for everyday use.

We have a Farberware Millenium Stainless Steel set- which I really like- it isn't as heavy as some- and you can run it through the dishwasher, etc. We've had it almost 9 yrs- We have a 1 qt, 3 qt, small, med and lg pots and a fry pan that is "deep"- for lack of better descriptions!

I would only get stainless because I worry about those non-stick finishes leeching into food (we have a non-stick fry pan but don't use it too often)

Happy hunting!

[brittone2]

For those who find the Le Creuset dutch ovens heavy, you might want to start weight lifting if you ever buy the Lodge fishpan I have LOL. That sucker is HUGE and heavy, but I loooooove it and I love how it cooks anything I put in it. So I deal...or make DH take it in/out of the oven if he's around LOL.

[MmeSunny]

I have a various Le Creuset pans that I've purchased over the years--some even from thrift shops--is in awesome condition. I expect to never have to buy pots again. Yes, they are heavy--but they are guaranteed for 100 years. I can pass them down to my children.

Mine hang from a pot rack in the middle of the kitchen. The pot rack is made from an old iron grate and chandelier chains from a huge centerpiece chandelier at a local hotel. It's bolted into the roof crossbeams, ie through the ceiling. It ain't going anywhere, I love it and it displays them beautifully. I would worry about hanging that many LC from a regular potrack.

If anything burns in them, I fill the pot with water, add 1/4 c of baking soda and let simmer for a while. All the crud comes right off.

That said, I do have one large Calph covered deep skillet. Le Creuset didn't have anything large enough with a tight cover for my needs. It is wonderful, but not the same. It works, but I don't love it.

I also have one el cheapo 6" non stick skillet from Big Lots for things like eggs. It serves it's purpose surprisingly well.

I would not recommend getting a prepriced/assembled "set". You tend to pay for a lot of pots you don't use. Most people can get by with three pots--a large dutch oven/pasta pot, medium saucepan and medium/large skillet. Anything else is gravy. I would invest in those three first and get the best you can afford, add other pieces as you need them/have the money, etc.

[icunurse]

We bought the Emerilware set from BB&B several months ago and really like it. Very heavy, sturdy, and it has clear lids (which I require - I need to see my food LOL). It has received good reviews from every site that I checked out. And BB&B is clearancing it out right now, so combine it with a 20% off coupon and it's an even better deal! All we had to add to it for our needs was a stock pot, which was also on clearance (I make lots of soups).

We also have two cast iron pans and a really nice non-stick Calphalon that I have barely used and can't bear to throw out (the foos sits on a SS rack, so no contact with the lining). Oh, and I haven't found a nice SS chicken-fryer pan yet, so I'm hanging on to my old non-stick for now.

I really want a two-burner griddle for pancakes, but I'm waiting to find a good deal....

[Piglet]

We just bought new pots. I ended up with a 12" cast iron skillet, a 6 quart Tramontina dutch oven (rated #2 on Cooks Illustrated ranking behind Le Crueset) and the rest are all Tramontina tri-ply stainless steel from Wal-mart (again rated #2 right behind All-Clad).

[twobabes]

I have a various Le Creuset pans that I've purchased over the years--some even from thrift shops--is in awesome condition. I expect to never have to buy pots again. Yes, they are heavy--but they are guaranteed for 100 years. I can pass them down to my children.

I would not recommend getting a prepriced/assembled "set". You tend to pay for a lot of pots you don't use. Most people can get by with three pots--a large dutch oven/pasta pot, medium saucepan and medium/large skillet. Anything else is gravy. I would invest in those three first and get the best you can afford, add other pieces as you need them/have the money, etc.


I like the idea of a few "good" pieces - but the medium saucepan is throwing me off - is that the non-Le Creuset pan? I don't know what Le Creuset piece would meet that criteria? Maybe this is the place for a stainless 3 or 4 quart??

[MmeSunny]

Medium sauce pan is just a common sized "pot" about 8" across 4-5" deep with a lid. I used to make mac n cheese, warm up soup, rice, couscous, etc. Mine are Le Creuset, but I have more than just one--3 or 4 of various sizes, but it's that midrange one that gets the most use.

[traciann]

I also have the Wolfgang puck set. Its wonderful especially for the price. I admit I have not mastered eggs/pancakes or grilled cheese so I use my electric skillet for that.