Need recs for knives and cookware

[BDKmom]

We need new kitchen knives. Ours are aweful and won't cut anything. I don't know much about knives, but I've asked my dad to sharpen them and he says they are beyond help. So looking to buy a new set. What brands to you guys like? Don't want to break the bank, but willing to spend a little to get good quality.

Also need new cookware (pots/pans). Using a hodge podge of hand-me-downs. Same thing with this...don't want ultra expensive, but willing to spend a little to get something decent.

TIA for any thoughts/suggestions!

[liz]

All I know is that I LOVE my santoku knife. Best style of knife ever.

[elbenn]

I have just upgraded our cookware to stainless steel. I bought some All Clad (expensive) and some Multi-Clad (close to quality of All Clad but less expensive) and some Chef's Classic. All Clad and Multi Clad have an aluminum core that goes all the way up the sides which is why they are more expensive. Chef's Classic only has the aluminum core on the bottom. Amazon has some of the Multi-Clad and Chef's Classic on their 4 for 3 promotion. I have heard good things about Wal-Mart's version of multi-clad cookware. I think if you are going for very good quality, but don't want to pay the All Clad price, then Multi Clad, or Walmart's version of it, would be a great choice.

[crl]

I really like my Henckels. They are pricy, but I'd rather have fewer and have them all be good. You could probably get just the chef's knife, a paring knife and a serrated bread knife.

For cookware, I think Costco usually has a stainless set that gets good reviews.

Catherine

[kaharris83]

I just bought the Emerilwear Pro-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless set. It is made by All Clad and the Pro-Clad set is tri-ply up the sides. They also have an Emerilwear set that is not tri-ply up the sides so if you are looking for all tri-ply make sure you look at the Pro-Clad set. When I compared it to All Clad it felt exactly the same and was not as expensive. When I did a little research I found out that the difference between regular All Clad and Emerilwear Pro-Clad is where they are made. Emerilwear is made in China. I got the entire set plus a 12 inch skillet and cast iron skillet as bonus gifts for less than $300. They have a lifetime warranty. We're very happy with them so far. I ordered from here. If you like them on Facebook they'll send you a coupon code you can use to bring the price down.

http://www.factorydirect2you.com/clad-emerilware-cookware-set.html

[froggert]

...I'd rather have fewer and have them all be good. You could probably get just the chef's knife, a paring knife and a serrated bread knife.

:yeahthat:

i'd recommend henckels, wusthof or shun depending on what fits your hand and cutting style best. they're pricey, but should last a long time and will be cheaper over the long run than replacing knives every few years.

[Tondi G]

love our Henckels knives. They are awesome! Got a set as a wedding gift in 1999 and they are still going strong.

we have a set of stainless cuisinart pots and pans and they are ok. I use a mix of stainless, cast iron (lodge) and have one small non stick pan for eggs (cause nothing else works for me)!

[BDKmom]

Thanks for the suggestions. We have been looking at the Henckels knives for a while...glad to know y'all like them. I told DH last night to pull the trigger when he sees a good price.

The cookware will take a little more research, but glad to have some recs on what to look at.

[Pepper]

A word about Henckels knives - we have some that my hubby bought when we were dating, circa 1993? I love them and finally had to break down and buy a new chef's knife last year, because I'd sharpened the old one too many times and it had lost its shape/balance. (I cook a lot, lol!)

If you can find it, I'd recommend the "Professional S" series of Henckel's knives. The tang (I think that's the right word!) goes all the way through the handle, so it makes the knife more stable/last longer. It's been a while since I looked at knives but I remember that the Four Star line didn't have the full tang. (If the handle has rivets in it all the way to the end, and you can see the piece of metal that forms the blad all the way to the end, then the knife has a full tang). Also the Four Star was supposed to be a never-needs-sharpened kind of knife, which in my opinion is not a good thing.

I agree with PP's that a chef's knife (8" is probably long enough for you, unless you are very tall), paring knife, bread knife and possibly a utility knife are all you really need. Hubby bought my replacement chef's knife at Bed Bath & Beyond and used a 20% off coupon that we got in the mail.

For cookware, I have Cuisinart stainless steel stockpots and pans and I love it. It was sort of the poor man's All-Clad back when we got married in 1995 :-) I do have 10 and 12" nonstick All-Clad skillets, but lately I've been using my cast iron skillets even more than the All-Clad. It depends a lot on what you want to cook!

FYI a really great budget option is Victorinox, the same folks who make the famed Swiss Army knives. You can't sharpen the blades, but they make a decent paring knife for under $20 and I think the Chef's knife is under $50.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Knives- Global and henkles are good. I look for ones that I can put in the dishwasher if I really want to (I know it's never ideal though).

I like my knock off La Creuset. I am also happy with what we got for our wedding- stainless steel. No idea if they are safe or not but they hold up beautifully and go through the dishwasher.

Beth

[bubbaray]

I have a Lagostina cookware set from Costco which works well for me. I believe that they now sell the same set under the Kirkland brand.

I have Chicago cutlery knives, they are just OK. If I were buying now and was willing to spend the money, I would get Henkels or Wustof professional grade and get a chef's knife and paring knife. I have a serrated bread knife from some grocery store, but it works great.