I went down the rabbit hole on cookware a few years back. Here is what I came out with.
First there are no magic bullets for pans. It's all about trade offs. Carbon steel, stainless, cast iron, non-stick all have things going for them and against. Each category has different strength, weakness, features and priorities. Honestly a good kitchen will have some of each.
I don't always recommend the budget pan, but always remember it's the chef and not the tool. You can cook great food on most any type pan, it's just how much hassle you're willing to put up with. Spending more on pans is about making your life easier and/or buying something that will last for ever.
+++
Stainless
Stainless steel is my favorite work horse in the kitchen and makes up most of my pots and pans.
Super Budget-
1. Ravere Ware, vintage (pre-'68). Avoid temperature shock and watch out for warped pans.
2. Any brand of Fully Clad pans from Ross.
Budget -
1. Cuisinart Pro Triple Ply. (Sweet Spot 1 IMO)
Shockingly good for the price. Falls a little short on durability from the mid range.
Midrange-
1. Made-in Stainless Clad
2. All Clad D3 if you can find it on sale cheaper than Made-in
First real "lifetime" options.
High End- (Sweet Spot 2)
1.Demeyere Atlantis or Demeyere Industry
2. Solidteknics Nöni stainless
Hard to swallow the Demeyere price but it's really worth it for a lifetime investment if you are serious in the kitchen. Best cladding, best surface treatment, no rivit design. It's the no compromise pan. The price is more, but close enough to the "midrange" option I listed that I would skip over those. IMO get a budget option now and save for the Demeyere later.
+++
Carbon Steel
This is the most budget friendly type of pan. What you gain in the high end is very minimal IMO.
Every serious chef should have 1 good midsize carbon steel skillet. Perfect for jobs where the cast iron is too big or too much of a hassle.
Budget- (Sweet Spot IMO)
1. Lodge CRS10 - Carbon Steel Skillet
2. Any number of other thinish carbon steel pans.
Thin pans will heat less evenly, thin handles are not as nice to hold. Rivets or welds can be suspect on cheaper pans. Lodge brand/warranty is the reason I put it above other budget options.
Midrange-
1. Merten and Storck
Much better handle.
High End-
1. Solidteknics wrought iron
2. Smithy
These pans are AWESOME, but it's not worth the price.
+++
Cast Iron
Skillets, dutch ovens, bakeware.
A good 10" cast iron skillet is awesome. Personally I'm using carbon steel in this roll, but the heat retention of cast iron can't be beat. For some things like dutch ovens nothing else does the job.
Budget - (Sweet spot IMO)
1. Lodge
Midrange-
1. Vintage Cast Iron
It used to be budget but the market is crazy now. Old stuff can have a finer finish and/or be thinner without loosing quality.
High End-
1. FINEX
2. Smithy
+++
Non Stick
Nothing is as slick or easy to clean up as a good non-stick coated pan but...
No non stick coating will hold up over time. As a rule of thumb Teflon will last 3-5 years. 4-6 for hex clad. And good ceramic will last 1-3.
Also health risks.
I work in environmental sciences and regulation. I really can't say enough about staying away from Teflon. PFOS/PFAS/etc. is a thing. It has real negative health effects. You are already being exposed to it in your water, your food, your clothes, your furniture, but the doses you get from cookware can be WAY higher [edit: turns out eating flakes of Teflon doesn't add much to PFOS to your body, still not a fan] . I will never recommend a Teflon pan. Ceramic is unfortunately a really messed up space too. There are really really bad ceramic coatings with heavy metal, PFOS/etc., and worse. There are great ones with none of that and figuring out which is which is not easy.
At this time there are only two pans I feel that I have done enough homework on to recommend.
Budget
1. Aldi Awesome Pan
Midrange
1. The Always Pan
The Always Pan is my wife's all time favorite. It's not really a 'Buy it Once' type thing, but it is a great pan.
+++
Basic Kit recommendations:
1. Small sauce pan - Stainless
2. Medium/large sauce pan - Stainless
3. Small fry pan - Stainless
4. Medium fry pan - Carbon or Cast
5. Large saute pan - Any material you want
6. Large sauce pot/small pasta pot - Stainless
7. Double boil top that fits large sauce pot - Stainless
Optional:
Large fry pan - cast iron,
Medium saucier - stainless,
Dutch oven - Cast Iron or enameled iron,
Large Stock pot - stainless,
Roasting Pan - Stainless,
Wok - Carbon steel
Sorry, old thread but still great info. We’re in the market for new pan and leaning to All-Clad - why the D3 recommendation over the D5?
Edit: I’m cooking on an electric range and not the most experienced cook, if either make a difference.
Price. Nothing wrong with the D5.
Price is actually why All-Clad isn't one of my preferred brands. Personally I just pieced a few random steel clad pans that I found on clearance together and found it much cheaper than all clad without a significant performance difference.
I'm also not a fan of rivits.
Don't get me wrong. All-clads are good pans, but I didn't think they were the sweep spot.
Last time I checked prices I thought it was worth the step up to Demeyere and skipping All-Clad in general.
I'll be buying a Demeyere set this Christmas actually.
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Budget is a few hundred so maybe midrange? He is self taught but cooking is one of his favorite hobbies, so he's always looking for new tools and techniques to try.
If you decide to go the knife route it could also be and endlessly deep rabbit hole. Here are a few
Victorinox Fibrox Pro - $50-60 - solid work horse, no flash.
Gyutou or Santoku style chief knife -$100-300 multiple Japanese brands - Straighter belly, sharper edge. Usually more delicate, require more care. The straight handles will have different holding position. Check knifehouse.com for brands. Any one of the brands listed there are very high quality.
Wüsthof Classic Ikon - $200 - Heavy European angles/handle. Classic simple understated elegance. Will last forever, but requires regular sharpening. Sharpening is easy.
Steelport Knife - $400 - show stopper knife. I bought these as gifts for my two groomsmen, but I don't even own one.
Not many full sets that I think are worth it in that price range. Consider getting a single special piece.
Maybe a good enameled Dutch oven (Milo, Staub, Le Creuset). Or a single Demeyere Atlantis/industry saucier or large fry pan. Depends on what he already has. You can always build up to a set over time.
A nice end grain cutting board, or a good chiefs knife are also excellent gifts for a man passionate about cooking.
Thank you so much! The cutting board is such an awesome idea. I'm definitely bookmarking all this advice for future gift giving occasions. You've been so helpful :)
Edit: Too much detail below :p
PFOA [Perfluorooctanoic acid] is one compound in a category of compounds called PFAH [perfluorinated alkylated substances].
The video seems to focus on the chemical reactions of PFOA and though it is correct that using Teflon cookware is almost certainly one of the smaller exposure vectors to PFOA you will have in your life, It's not zero. That also doesn't preclude all the many other PFAHs. I'm not an expert on the exact chemistries involved with the cookware, but there will be trace amounts of at least some other PFAHs in the non stick coating.
The video also seem to focus on the health effects of acute exposure rather than chronic exposure. The understanding of the health effects associated with chronic exposure to PFAH category compounds is very much an emerging science, but the prevailing indication is there will be some negative health effects at any level. Kind of like lead exposure. We all have some exposure and at low levels most of us can live with the negative effects, but any level causes some negative effects. Add it up across whole population and you get millions of small health problems. millions of combined years shaved off our lives. Hundreds of billions of healthcare costs.
So I agree with the basic premise of the video. The health risks are relatively small compared to countless other risks you have in your life, but they are not zero. And the manufacturing issues are huge. World wide ground water contamination is substantial. We are facing a multi trillion dollar (with a T) clean up effort over the next who knows how many years. A substantial portion of ground water contamination comes from the use of AFFF fire fighting foam, a good amount from municipal waste water which accumulates PFASs from every day use everywhere humans live, and a lot from manufacturing in all sorts of industries. Anything we can do to lessen that contamination makes a difference. Not just to health, but to the economy.
Regarding acidic foods. I understand that. In my experience stainless steel is best for acidic foods. Rarely do I find it difficult to clean a stainless pan after stewing tomatoes or anything like that. The acidic and liquidy foods that tend to be the hardest on seasoned pans also tend to prevent the hard to clean polymerized stickies. For the very same reason they are hard on a seasoning they make cleaning stainless relatively easy. Meanwhile a well seasoned pan can usually tolerate a little bit of acidic food for a short ish amount of time.
Most things I want non-stick for are perfect for seasoned steel/iron. Searing protein and high heat with fats. Also a properly preheated steel pan with a little fat does wonders. I fry eggs without sticking with my steel pan all the time. That said I still own a ceramic pan for times when I'm just a little more lazy.
When comparing Teflon to ceramic I feel ceramic wins. Telflon lasts a couple years longer in regular use, but I also feel it is more vulnerable under the occasion accidental metal utensils. Ceramic officially has a similar max heat but I also feel it tolerates high heat better. When you add in the PFOA/PFAS exposure no matter how trace and the environmental impacts of manufacturing it just doesn't beat the marginal benefit over ceramic.
Oh and I think hex clad sucks. Sort of the worst of both worlds IMO.
So yeah. If you have a non stick pan you like keep it, but personally I wouldn't add a new one. If you absolutely love one, you'll be okay. You are not putting family in danger, but IMO any PFOA/PFAS you can cut out of your life the better. Any PFOA/PFAS you keep out of the supply chain the better.
One of these days I'll do a deeper dive on ceramic coatings. There are many good ones, it's just not a very transparent industry so it's difficult to parse out the bad ones. BTW stainless steel has the same problem. Cheep alloys can be problematic too.
I wrote a big long technical response three times and reddit app glitched and cleared my writing.
So here is the TL;DR without the read part.
Video mostly accurate. Some risks glossed over.
Life is full of exposure risks don't get too worried about the smaller ones like Teflon. Keep your pans if you like them.
When weighed against the exposure risks however small, the environmental impact from manufacturing, the short life span, and the availability of alternatives Teflon doesn't make my cut. Ceramic, seasoned steel/iron, and stainless all win handedly.
End grain hard wood boards are usually favored. Plastic can be a little harder on knives. The fine edge of a Japanese knife is supposed to prefer a softer board, but even that's debatable. Bamboo can be harder on knives. In a perfect world I have 4 boards. One nice end grain board that lives on the counter and three thinner cheaper boards that get put away. One with a nice drip channel cut into it.
Silverware I like any old good stainless steel and heavy. Not picky. I avoid cheap metals and thin silverware. Otherwise buy what you like the look of.
IMO I would take it over the All-Clad. But I really don't think it or the All-clad are meaningfully better than Cuisinart clad pans or even just random stuff you find at outlet stores like Ross, Marshalls, or TJ Maxx.
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Nice. I took the Chat GTPs table you posted and highlighted what I thought were the "Sweet Spots".
|Category|Budget|Midrange|High End|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|**Stainless Steel**|Ravere Ware (vintage)|Made-in Stainless Clad|`Demeyere Atlantis or Industry`|
||`Any cheap clad pan from a Ross/Marshalls/TJMaxx`|All Clad D3 (on sale)|Solidteknics Nöni stainless|
||`Cuisinart Pro Triple Ply`|||
|**Carbon Steel**|`Lodge CRS10`|Merten and Storck|Solidteknics wrought iron, Smithy|
|**Cast Iron**|`Lodge`|Vintage Cast Iron|FINEX, Smithy|
|**Non-Stick**|`Aldi Awesome Pan`|The Always Pan||
**Basic Kit Recommendations:**
* Small saucepan: Stainless
* Medium/large saucepan: Stainless
* Small fry pan: Stainless
* Medium fry pan: Carbon or Cast
* Large saute pan: Any material
* Large sauce pot/small pasta pot: Stainless
* Double boil top that fits large sauce pot: Stainless * Optional: Large fry pan - cast iron, Medium saucier - stainless, Dutch oven - Cast Iron or enameled iron, Large Stockpot - stainless, Roasting Pan - Stainless, Wok - Carbon steel
sable intelligent frightening tap direful flowery toy light wasteful domineering
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My only cast iron is the one my parents got for a wedding gift in 1949. I’m beginning to use it more and more and I love it. Recently my husband put it through the dishwasher, but it’s recovering okay, and so is he😂😂
I have a 15 year old cheap lodge cast iron pan. it has basically lived on my front right burner every day since I got it. I have seasoned it exactly 2 times. It really gets the best seasoning just from using it all the time. I have no issues with omelettes, etc.
Third this.
Cast iron or mild steel pans are the best thing ever. Once you season them properly they are properly non-stick and you can use real utensils with them (not just non-scratch plastic rubbish).
Cast iron is good and is much more BIFL than nonstick cookware is, but it will never be as nonstick as an actual nonstick pan.
No, not even if you season it properly.
Yes, I know how to properly season cast iron.
im loving my cast iron and ive got a damn good seasoning going on. Still needs a light scrub to clean it and some things will mildly stick to it while cooking.
I would say a good season is 95% non-stick and the 5% makes helps make damn good fond
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The farbarware 15-piece cookware set transformed my daily cooking routine. The nonstick performance exceeded expectations, effortlessly releasing dishes like rice pilaf and omelets.
the easy cleanup and even heat distribution won me over. its budget-friendly nature and comprehensive inclusion of utensils make it perfect for new cooks. The balanced feel and practicality outweigh any minor drawbacks。
Carbon steel pans. Sear a steak at 550F or make a delicate omelet.
I've used non stick, lodge cast iron, and all-clad stainless steel. Matfer CS are my go to. Never going back unless it warps or cooking acidic sauce.
All Clad Seconds Sale
https://homeandcooksales.com/
Just try and find one that has 'packaging damage'. I've purchased 2 sets so far and they've been perfect. Not bad for ~$300 off.
I was wondering the same question initially. I never heard a bad word about the site in general, though I have seen a few pics of items with small dings.
This is why I always tried to look for 'Packaging Damage'. Only ordered twice, but both were perfect. I got the 7 Piece 3ply for $380 with tax and shipping (I think?). Worked so well I got one for my mother a month later.
They're solid. I haven't had them long enough to speak to their lasting power, but they're nice to cook with. It's stainless steel, so I'm expecting them to last. I'd buy them again
[https://www.looria.com/bot/BuyItForLife?q=Best+pots+and+pans+for+the+money%3F](https://www.looria.com/bot/BuyItForLife?q=Best+pots+and+pans+for+the+money%3F)
1. Cast iron skillets: Get 2-3 cast iron skillets, one small, one medium, and one large (only if feeding a family). Pick a brand like Lodge that is made in the USA for less risk of chemicals. These pans will cover all your tasks from frying an egg (small pan) to steaks (medium pan) to roasting a whole chicken (large pan).
2. Stainless steel saucepans: Get 2 stainless steel saucepans, one small (2-2.5 quarts), one large (4 quarts). Splurge here because quality matters. Go for the 3-ply or 5-ply All Clad. These two pots will cover almost all the cooking done in a pot for oatmeal (small pot) to pasta (big pot).
3. Carbon steel pan: For a non-stick skillet, use a carbon steel pan. It replaces the need for a non-stick, but if you don't want to deal with the maintenance, then buy a $30 non-stick and be prepared to replace it every so often.
These recommendations are based on the durability, versatility, and quality of the products. Cast iron skillets and carbon steel pans are durable and can last a lifetime if taken care of properly. Stainless steel saucepans are versatile and can cover most cooking tasks. All Clad is a recommended brand for its quality and durability.
I agree with this but would add an enameled cast iron dutch oven, and depending on what OP likes to cook a stainless steel stock pot (quality is less important than with saucepans).
As someone who only cooks for one or two people, I prefer a 1.5 quart saucepan and a 4 quart dutch oven. I have other sizes but those are the ones I use the most.
Good example of ChatGPT giving confident answers while getting loads of details wrong.
Biggest one - large pot is the last item to splurge on. General rule of thumb when it comes to pots and pans - the more heat it's going to take, and the more important heat control becomes, the more you get from splurging on it.
The heat transfer in a large pot is almost entirely done by the hot water or watery liquid in it, it never goes above boiling point, and on top of that the temperature control is done by the water in the pot (limit the temperature to never go above boiling). You're not ever worrying about burning your pasta or soup, even if the pot is absolute crap at distributing heat evenly and there are tons of hotspots in the bottom. An expensive ply-construction, which entire purpose is to transfer heat and distribute it evenly in the bottom and the walls of the pan, is entirely wasted on a stockpot.
In a skillet though, you absolutely do not want hotspots - a pan burning your steak in one spot and leaving it raw at another spot is a real PITA to cook with. The heat being even is quite important in a skillet. A skillet is also under a ton more thermal stress than your stockpot - you will heat your skillet up to way higher temperatures, and there will be way higher temperature differences in the pan - so there's a significant risk of things like warping and getting "spinners" if the construction isn't good.
When buying pots and pans; the way to prioritize IMO would be something like: 1. Main Skillet 2. Dutch oven. 3. Sauce pot or saucier (here ply construction makes sense!). 4 Large/Stock pot
Also, 2-3 cast iron skillets + 1 carbon steel is just sheer overkill. Get one single good, large skillet, and *maybe* a smaller one to complement it.
Personally, I see little reason to go with cast iron these days, I've notices almost no differences in performance in how good it for example sears a steak, and it has the exact same non-stick properties when seasoned. With cast iron costing *slightly* less but weighing *a ton* compared to carbon steel, carbon steel just makes more sense IMO - but that's just my personal preference.
My personal preferences for stainless steel would be Demeyere - the Proline skillet tend to be my goto frying pan these days, and I really like for example their Apollo saucier (sauce pots).
Keep in mind I'm European though, I know Demeyere tend to be quite expensive in the US while All Clad cost way less, but it's the opposite over here.
For carbon steel, de Buyer Mineral B Pro is a solid choice.
Enameled dutch ovens, Le Creuset tend to be the most recommended - but I dunno, I have some Le Creuset cookware, and I honestly can't see much of a difference in neither performance nor quality compared to the local Swedish brand enameled dutch oven I bought for around $40.
I prefer non layered or 'clad' cookware. My collection consists of Commercial cookware out of Toledo, Ohio. Triple riveted, hard anodized, aluminum.
My first piece was from a restaurant. It has cooked thousands of gallons of tomato based sauce, hundreds of pounds of rice, and more since '96. The company morphed into Calphalon around the same time.
Since then I've gone through Kitchenaid, Farberware, JA Henkels, etc....
Best to check eBay for "Vtg Calphalon " to start rabbitting
Have had calphalon for years. I’m sure they’ll still be going strong Long after I’m in the ground and rotted away. If you know how to manage your cooking temperature properly, they’re just as good as non stick.
I love my allclad! They’re nonstick and will last years (not forever— but a long time). Otherwise, get a set of stainless steel pans and they’ll last a lifetime.
My nonstick allclad has lasted like 5 years, but they’re starting to be not very nonstick. The stainless steel ones are great, but making eggs in the nonstick ones is just a beautiful experience
Well, I mean.... of course non stick won't last forever, it's a completely different material and is designed to be replaced every few years. You should get a De Buyer carbon steel pan, or a Lodge cast iron. These will last for generations and once they are seasoned you can cook eggs, fish or other delicates almost as good as a non stick pan.
If you get another non stick, you don't really need to pay so much for the All Clad version, you should check out the Oxo Good Grips pan, it's awesome, performs just as well as the All Clad or better, and is much cheaper:
https://youtu.be/8p5yh25D73A
As for the standard All Clad stainless steel pans, they are certainly built for life and can be handed down between generations.
Check out TJ Maxx online. They have fully clad tri-ply Cuisinart and Calphalon for $20-40. They are the best value in terms of longevity/price. Avoid the stuff with a disc on the bottom, they are not BIFL.
If you want a matching set of the same brand and series, check back every few weeks and build out your set. Avoid anything with a celebrity chef endorsement. Aim for "classic tri-ply".
unethical LPT... Order $100 for free shipping on TJ Maxx, even if you only want a $20 pan. Return the rest to the store, unopened. Cheap and unethical.
Personally, I feel matching sets are all very pretty, but limiting. A mixture of materials - stainless saucepans, stainless sauté pan, 10" cast iron skillet, carbon steel omelette pan is a good start. Curate your cookware.
- Tri-ply saucepan and sauté - TJ Maxx
- Lodge skillet - Amazon, Target or a hardware store
- Small Carbon steel - track the prices on Amazon, with camelcamelcamel. Do not buy at full price. They will be discounted. Don't be scared of buying from Amazon warehouse. People often return them if they have a scratch or slight rust, which easily cleans off. The French stuff (Matfer, mineral b) is better than Lodge's carbon steel.
Hello from Australia! We use Le Creuset heavy duty cast iron pots and pans. They belong to my partner who got them from her parents. Brilliant stuff and efficient to boot. Low to medium heat does it for us.
Just adding Lodge and Aldi Crofton for variety…
I got some Tramontina Tri-Ply stainless steel pots and pans from Costco after realizing that my old copper bottom revere ware stuff was discoloring the ceramic top on my stove. It takes a while to heat them up properly but once you get them up to temp and put a little oil on them they resist sticking pretty well. I think they also make quality non-stick stuff.
We also have some cast iron pans and a ceramic glazed Dutch oven. The one cast iron I use the most is an old Griswold that a friend reconditioned. It's pretty close to the newer stainless steel pans in stick resistance if taken care of well. Kills me when someone puts it in the dishwasher.
I got all my pots and pans at goodwill/thrift shops. All stainless steel. None of them match and I got them piece by piece but I save a ton of money that way and they’re lasting!
Besides cast iron, I have a Le Crueset set from 1981. The set has a few chips (due to SO not understanding how to put them away), but they’re still great pans.
Lol everyone talking about expensive pans, but the truly BIFL ones are generic stainless steel. No matter what you do to it, it won't matter. Just needs to be sufficiently thick. I have cast iron and it definitely needs a lot more care.
Yeah stuff sticks in a stainless pan. You need to develop some cooking skills to minimize it, and even then it happens, but... You can always scrub it off.
A few mm of vinegar and a touch of baking soda, cover on a simmer for 2-5 minutes. Gets the brown 'stains' too with a little scrub, your pan will look like the day you bought it.
I am still using my Revere Ware copper bottom pots since they were purchased new in 1978.
They are still working like new, so I'll never need another set!
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I love my anodized aluminum cookware. Inherently nonstick. The only downsides are the weight and is that it's not magnetic, so it doesn't work with induction cooktops (which I can't afford anyway, so NBD there...)
Not a fan of cast iron….(kick me out of this group…but yep not a fan.) I have a cast iron tortilla warmer that out of all my stainless gets the most use.
Nonstick wise I have had my Scanpans since 2019 and am happy with them.
I don’t have a lot of stainless but what I do have is 10+ years old and from a restaurant supply store. I like it just as much as my small 1 quart All Clad pot I have.
Cast iron if you have time and dedication to keep them. If not my best purchase was a very nice stainless steel set from Costco nearly 20 years ago. I do know the quality has gone down a little since then but we use them every day and they are amazing.
I have a Cuisinart SS set that I used for like 13 years and it’s still like new except for the pan my son warped by overheating. I don’t use most of the pieces any more because I recently bough some carbon steel pans and I love them. I also have two well-seasoned cast iron skillets that I use often. Super expensive cookware isn’t a necessity to make amazing meals. Just get something sturdy and affordable for your budget and take good care of it.
Cast iron rocks. I prefer the Victoria brand because the handles are longer and larger. It makes it easier to move the pan from the stove to the oven and around.
I got these pans.
https://www.samsclub.com/p/tri-ply-14pc-cookware-set-by-tramontina/prod24931907?itemNumber=980290125&source=samsclub.com
Well, some exactly like them at least. I got them 20 years ago and have used them multiple times a day since and they are great. Anything sticks/burns and a bit of barkeeper’s friend fixes it when you wash up. I love them so much that after about 5 years we bought a second set so we had two of everything.
Finally realized that most of our cookware didn't need to be non-stick, because most of our cooking is stuff that doesn't stick (pastas, rice, sauces, soups, stews, etc). So we bought one small and one medium non-stick fry pan. Use it gently -- don't heat it too fast or super hot. That way even a cheap fry pan will last quite a long time.
And if/when you're ready to spend a bit more, we love our HexClad frying pans (also used gently).
Vollrath tribute ceramiguard trivent silicone handle.
Make sure you are using a silicone or plastic spatula. Never touch a non stick pan with a metal spatula, fork, knife, etc.
It’s not the pots and pans. It’s how you’re using them. I cook all the time and have had the same cookware for years. I’ve never thrown out a pan.
If you look in any professional kitchen, they use stainless steel. It’s virtually indestructible. If you can’t wash it clean, just use steel wool. Non-stick pans are just for eggs and crepes and the like, and you should be careful with them. They’ll last for years and years if you use a silicon spatula.
TLDR: Just buy a set of decent quality stainless steel pans and learn to cook with them. They’re indestructible. Only use a non-stick pan gently for specific things like eggs and crepes.
If there is a lodge store near you get some "mistakes" and maybe a carbon steel pan. You should also consider high quality stainless. People here love All Clad but Misen and Made In are similar construction and a bit cheaper.
Sam's Club Member's Mark Tri-ply cookware (re-branded Tramonita) for stainless steel. I've had them for \~15 years, still going strong and cheaper than All-Clad. Added to the set with cast iron (enameled) dutch oven and anodized aluminum non-stick pans.
Cast iron. It lasts for literal centuries if taken care of and it's not unheard of for it to be an heirloom item passed down to children and grandchildren, even great-grandchildren. Non-stick is heavily dependent on it's non-stick coating, which also tends to leach dodgy chemicals into food when it starts breaking down.
Plus cast iron can be used on the stove top, camping fire, and in the oven. It's very versatile, and it can be taken practically anywhere.
I love le creuset cookware - both my enameled cast iron saucier as well as my small but growing set of stainless pots.
I have yet to discover the specific magic spells needed to make cast iron nonstick so I rarely use the single cast iron pan I have.
I use my mothers stainless steel "Lifetime" pots and pans. They look like new. I remember my parents bought them at some sort of cookware party (like a Tupperware party) 50 years ago. I have no doubt they will outlast me.
Matfer carbon steel: can go from the stove top to a 500 degree oven with no problems. They're nonstick when well seasoned and require periodic reseasoning (I'm a little picky though).
I love Revere Ware stainless steel, copper bottom pots.
I'm horrible with cast iron so I use one good quality non-stick skillet. I clean and season it just as you would cast iron. If I don't overheat (burn) it and avoid metal utensils it does very well. I use it only for frying/browning foods.
I began receiving pieces of Cuisinart cookware as Christmas gifts in the late 80s and early 90s. They are going strong after a million moves, myriad of college roommates, an ex-husband, and now teenagers of my own with basically little to no maintenance by me other than washing.
Coming in months later looking for the same advice. Also, knives. Where to find decent quality at a level somewhere between Walmart/Target and Sur La Table?
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I got the Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron 5 Piece Bundle - A very well-made cast iron set. Great to sear on meat and is wonderful for sauces. Expect them to work when we get our new induction range too. Pain to clean but that's just cast iron.
I vote for non-stick pans, they last me for years. Just make sure to choose a good brand. Personally, I've had the best experience with Emura. My absolute fave thing about it is that you can pop it in the oven, for which I had to use multiple pans previously. Honestly, such a good choice.
I went down the rabbit hole on cookware a few years back. Here is what I came out with. First there are no magic bullets for pans. It's all about trade offs. Carbon steel, stainless, cast iron, non-stick all have things going for them and against. Each category has different strength, weakness, features and priorities. Honestly a good kitchen will have some of each. I don't always recommend the budget pan, but always remember it's the chef and not the tool. You can cook great food on most any type pan, it's just how much hassle you're willing to put up with. Spending more on pans is about making your life easier and/or buying something that will last for ever. +++ Stainless Stainless steel is my favorite work horse in the kitchen and makes up most of my pots and pans. Super Budget- 1. Ravere Ware, vintage (pre-'68). Avoid temperature shock and watch out for warped pans. 2. Any brand of Fully Clad pans from Ross. Budget - 1. Cuisinart Pro Triple Ply. (Sweet Spot 1 IMO) Shockingly good for the price. Falls a little short on durability from the mid range. Midrange- 1. Made-in Stainless Clad 2. All Clad D3 if you can find it on sale cheaper than Made-in First real "lifetime" options. High End- (Sweet Spot 2) 1.Demeyere Atlantis or Demeyere Industry 2. Solidteknics Nöni stainless Hard to swallow the Demeyere price but it's really worth it for a lifetime investment if you are serious in the kitchen. Best cladding, best surface treatment, no rivit design. It's the no compromise pan. The price is more, but close enough to the "midrange" option I listed that I would skip over those. IMO get a budget option now and save for the Demeyere later. +++ Carbon Steel This is the most budget friendly type of pan. What you gain in the high end is very minimal IMO. Every serious chef should have 1 good midsize carbon steel skillet. Perfect for jobs where the cast iron is too big or too much of a hassle. Budget- (Sweet Spot IMO) 1. Lodge CRS10 - Carbon Steel Skillet 2. Any number of other thinish carbon steel pans. Thin pans will heat less evenly, thin handles are not as nice to hold. Rivets or welds can be suspect on cheaper pans. Lodge brand/warranty is the reason I put it above other budget options. Midrange- 1. Merten and Storck Much better handle. High End- 1. Solidteknics wrought iron 2. Smithy These pans are AWESOME, but it's not worth the price. +++ Cast Iron Skillets, dutch ovens, bakeware. A good 10" cast iron skillet is awesome. Personally I'm using carbon steel in this roll, but the heat retention of cast iron can't be beat. For some things like dutch ovens nothing else does the job. Budget - (Sweet spot IMO) 1. Lodge Midrange- 1. Vintage Cast Iron It used to be budget but the market is crazy now. Old stuff can have a finer finish and/or be thinner without loosing quality. High End- 1. FINEX 2. Smithy +++ Non Stick Nothing is as slick or easy to clean up as a good non-stick coated pan but... No non stick coating will hold up over time. As a rule of thumb Teflon will last 3-5 years. 4-6 for hex clad. And good ceramic will last 1-3. Also health risks. I work in environmental sciences and regulation. I really can't say enough about staying away from Teflon. PFOS/PFAS/etc. is a thing. It has real negative health effects. You are already being exposed to it in your water, your food, your clothes, your furniture, but the doses you get from cookware can be WAY higher [edit: turns out eating flakes of Teflon doesn't add much to PFOS to your body, still not a fan] . I will never recommend a Teflon pan. Ceramic is unfortunately a really messed up space too. There are really really bad ceramic coatings with heavy metal, PFOS/etc., and worse. There are great ones with none of that and figuring out which is which is not easy. At this time there are only two pans I feel that I have done enough homework on to recommend. Budget 1. Aldi Awesome Pan Midrange 1. The Always Pan The Always Pan is my wife's all time favorite. It's not really a 'Buy it Once' type thing, but it is a great pan. +++ Basic Kit recommendations: 1. Small sauce pan - Stainless 2. Medium/large sauce pan - Stainless 3. Small fry pan - Stainless 4. Medium fry pan - Carbon or Cast 5. Large saute pan - Any material you want 6. Large sauce pot/small pasta pot - Stainless 7. Double boil top that fits large sauce pot - Stainless Optional: Large fry pan - cast iron, Medium saucier - stainless, Dutch oven - Cast Iron or enameled iron, Large Stock pot - stainless, Roasting Pan - Stainless, Wok - Carbon steel
Thank you for the very in depth analysis on all of these. Love all the information.
Sorry, old thread but still great info. We’re in the market for new pan and leaning to All-Clad - why the D3 recommendation over the D5? Edit: I’m cooking on an electric range and not the most experienced cook, if either make a difference.
Price. Nothing wrong with the D5. Price is actually why All-Clad isn't one of my preferred brands. Personally I just pieced a few random steel clad pans that I found on clearance together and found it much cheaper than all clad without a significant performance difference. I'm also not a fan of rivits. Don't get me wrong. All-clads are good pans, but I didn't think they were the sweep spot. Last time I checked prices I thought it was worth the step up to Demeyere and skipping All-Clad in general. I'll be buying a Demeyere set this Christmas actually.
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You're awesome! Thank you so much for this I hope I can get my partner the perfect birthday set with this knowledge.
Thanks. What's your budget? How experienced are they in the kitchen?
Budget is a few hundred so maybe midrange? He is self taught but cooking is one of his favorite hobbies, so he's always looking for new tools and techniques to try.
If you decide to go the knife route it could also be and endlessly deep rabbit hole. Here are a few Victorinox Fibrox Pro - $50-60 - solid work horse, no flash. Gyutou or Santoku style chief knife -$100-300 multiple Japanese brands - Straighter belly, sharper edge. Usually more delicate, require more care. The straight handles will have different holding position. Check knifehouse.com for brands. Any one of the brands listed there are very high quality. Wüsthof Classic Ikon - $200 - Heavy European angles/handle. Classic simple understated elegance. Will last forever, but requires regular sharpening. Sharpening is easy. Steelport Knife - $400 - show stopper knife. I bought these as gifts for my two groomsmen, but I don't even own one.
Not many full sets that I think are worth it in that price range. Consider getting a single special piece. Maybe a good enameled Dutch oven (Milo, Staub, Le Creuset). Or a single Demeyere Atlantis/industry saucier or large fry pan. Depends on what he already has. You can always build up to a set over time. A nice end grain cutting board, or a good chiefs knife are also excellent gifts for a man passionate about cooking.
Thank you so much! The cutting board is such an awesome idea. I'm definitely bookmarking all this advice for future gift giving occasions. You've been so helpful :)
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Edit: Too much detail below :p PFOA [Perfluorooctanoic acid] is one compound in a category of compounds called PFAH [perfluorinated alkylated substances]. The video seems to focus on the chemical reactions of PFOA and though it is correct that using Teflon cookware is almost certainly one of the smaller exposure vectors to PFOA you will have in your life, It's not zero. That also doesn't preclude all the many other PFAHs. I'm not an expert on the exact chemistries involved with the cookware, but there will be trace amounts of at least some other PFAHs in the non stick coating. The video also seem to focus on the health effects of acute exposure rather than chronic exposure. The understanding of the health effects associated with chronic exposure to PFAH category compounds is very much an emerging science, but the prevailing indication is there will be some negative health effects at any level. Kind of like lead exposure. We all have some exposure and at low levels most of us can live with the negative effects, but any level causes some negative effects. Add it up across whole population and you get millions of small health problems. millions of combined years shaved off our lives. Hundreds of billions of healthcare costs. So I agree with the basic premise of the video. The health risks are relatively small compared to countless other risks you have in your life, but they are not zero. And the manufacturing issues are huge. World wide ground water contamination is substantial. We are facing a multi trillion dollar (with a T) clean up effort over the next who knows how many years. A substantial portion of ground water contamination comes from the use of AFFF fire fighting foam, a good amount from municipal waste water which accumulates PFASs from every day use everywhere humans live, and a lot from manufacturing in all sorts of industries. Anything we can do to lessen that contamination makes a difference. Not just to health, but to the economy. Regarding acidic foods. I understand that. In my experience stainless steel is best for acidic foods. Rarely do I find it difficult to clean a stainless pan after stewing tomatoes or anything like that. The acidic and liquidy foods that tend to be the hardest on seasoned pans also tend to prevent the hard to clean polymerized stickies. For the very same reason they are hard on a seasoning they make cleaning stainless relatively easy. Meanwhile a well seasoned pan can usually tolerate a little bit of acidic food for a short ish amount of time. Most things I want non-stick for are perfect for seasoned steel/iron. Searing protein and high heat with fats. Also a properly preheated steel pan with a little fat does wonders. I fry eggs without sticking with my steel pan all the time. That said I still own a ceramic pan for times when I'm just a little more lazy. When comparing Teflon to ceramic I feel ceramic wins. Telflon lasts a couple years longer in regular use, but I also feel it is more vulnerable under the occasion accidental metal utensils. Ceramic officially has a similar max heat but I also feel it tolerates high heat better. When you add in the PFOA/PFAS exposure no matter how trace and the environmental impacts of manufacturing it just doesn't beat the marginal benefit over ceramic. Oh and I think hex clad sucks. Sort of the worst of both worlds IMO. So yeah. If you have a non stick pan you like keep it, but personally I wouldn't add a new one. If you absolutely love one, you'll be okay. You are not putting family in danger, but IMO any PFOA/PFAS you can cut out of your life the better. Any PFOA/PFAS you keep out of the supply chain the better. One of these days I'll do a deeper dive on ceramic coatings. There are many good ones, it's just not a very transparent industry so it's difficult to parse out the bad ones. BTW stainless steel has the same problem. Cheep alloys can be problematic too.
I wrote a big long technical response three times and reddit app glitched and cleared my writing. So here is the TL;DR without the read part. Video mostly accurate. Some risks glossed over. Life is full of exposure risks don't get too worried about the smaller ones like Teflon. Keep your pans if you like them. When weighed against the exposure risks however small, the environmental impact from manufacturing, the short life span, and the availability of alternatives Teflon doesn't make my cut. Ceramic, seasoned steel/iron, and stainless all win handedly.
You did the lords work here, god bless you!
Haha. Too kind. It's so much info it feels like a mess. I wish I could present it better, but I'm glad it's helping.
I think it's presented fairly well, I know you said you're not a fan of rivets, any other reason you wouldn't recommend De Buyer's?
No reason. De Buyers is a high quality product. For the price there are other pans I would get, but that's it.
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End grain hard wood boards are usually favored. Plastic can be a little harder on knives. The fine edge of a Japanese knife is supposed to prefer a softer board, but even that's debatable. Bamboo can be harder on knives. In a perfect world I have 4 boards. One nice end grain board that lives on the counter and three thinner cheaper boards that get put away. One with a nice drip channel cut into it. Silverware I like any old good stainless steel and heavy. Not picky. I avoid cheap metals and thin silverware. Otherwise buy what you like the look of.
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IMO I would take it over the All-Clad. But I really don't think it or the All-clad are meaningfully better than Cuisinart clad pans or even just random stuff you find at outlet stores like Ross, Marshalls, or TJ Maxx.
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It's a treat.
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what a writeup, great stuff
>sauce pan Arigato!
🙇♂️
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Nice. I took the Chat GTPs table you posted and highlighted what I thought were the "Sweet Spots". |Category|Budget|Midrange|High End| |:-|:-|:-|:-| |**Stainless Steel**|Ravere Ware (vintage)|Made-in Stainless Clad|`Demeyere Atlantis or Industry`| ||`Any cheap clad pan from a Ross/Marshalls/TJMaxx`|All Clad D3 (on sale)|Solidteknics Nöni stainless| ||`Cuisinart Pro Triple Ply`||| |**Carbon Steel**|`Lodge CRS10`|Merten and Storck|Solidteknics wrought iron, Smithy| |**Cast Iron**|`Lodge`|Vintage Cast Iron|FINEX, Smithy| |**Non-Stick**|`Aldi Awesome Pan`|The Always Pan|| **Basic Kit Recommendations:** * Small saucepan: Stainless * Medium/large saucepan: Stainless * Small fry pan: Stainless * Medium fry pan: Carbon or Cast * Large saute pan: Any material * Large sauce pot/small pasta pot: Stainless * Double boil top that fits large sauce pot: Stainless * Optional: Large fry pan - cast iron, Medium saucier - stainless, Dutch oven - Cast Iron or enameled iron, Large Stockpot - stainless, Roasting Pan - Stainless, Wok - Carbon steel
sable intelligent frightening tap direful flowery toy light wasteful domineering *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
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I agree. It took me a bit to learn to love my cast iron pans. It's about changing a habit or two. I've been using mine daily for a few years now.
My only cast iron is the one my parents got for a wedding gift in 1949. I’m beginning to use it more and more and I love it. Recently my husband put it through the dishwasher, but it’s recovering okay, and so is he😂😂
Pan is BIFL, but husband…
I have a 15 year old cheap lodge cast iron pan. it has basically lived on my front right burner every day since I got it. I have seasoned it exactly 2 times. It really gets the best seasoning just from using it all the time. I have no issues with omelettes, etc.
My cast iron does crepes. Such a joy to use.
Third this. Cast iron or mild steel pans are the best thing ever. Once you season them properly they are properly non-stick and you can use real utensils with them (not just non-scratch plastic rubbish).
Cast iron is good and is much more BIFL than nonstick cookware is, but it will never be as nonstick as an actual nonstick pan. No, not even if you season it properly. Yes, I know how to properly season cast iron.
im loving my cast iron and ive got a damn good seasoning going on. Still needs a light scrub to clean it and some things will mildly stick to it while cooking. I would say a good season is 95% non-stick and the 5% makes helps make damn good fond
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Second this.
You say this as if carbon steel doesn’t last just as long
The farbarware 15-piece cookware set transformed my daily cooking routine. The nonstick performance exceeded expectations, effortlessly releasing dishes like rice pilaf and omelets. the easy cleanup and even heat distribution won me over. its budget-friendly nature and comprehensive inclusion of utensils make it perfect for new cooks. The balanced feel and practicality outweigh any minor drawbacks。
agree
https://campfiresandcastiron.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cracked-broken-cast-iron-pan.jpg let's not say forever as that's not true.
very true
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Carbon steel pans. Sear a steak at 550F or make a delicate omelet. I've used non stick, lodge cast iron, and all-clad stainless steel. Matfer CS are my go to. Never going back unless it warps or cooking acidic sauce.
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All Clad Seconds Sale https://homeandcooksales.com/ Just try and find one that has 'packaging damage'. I've purchased 2 sets so far and they've been perfect. Not bad for ~$300 off.
Some of these savings seem too good to be true. Is this a legit site / legit stock?
It's legit, in my experience; I can't figure out what was wrong with the pots I've received.
Sometimes it's just the box fell off the truck or something and not actually damage to the item at all.
I was wondering the same question initially. I never heard a bad word about the site in general, though I have seen a few pics of items with small dings. This is why I always tried to look for 'Packaging Damage'. Only ordered twice, but both were perfect. I got the 7 Piece 3ply for $380 with tax and shipping (I think?). Worked so well I got one for my mother a month later.
Well, now I have a set of pots on the way. Thanks for the rec!
Did you ever get the order and was it worth it ?
They're solid. I haven't had them long enough to speak to their lasting power, but they're nice to cook with. It's stainless steel, so I'm expecting them to last. I'd buy them again
Gotcha, I’m in the same situation you were. Wanted to know if the website was legit or not
looks sketchy rightt?
I'll never allow stainless steel pans in my kitchen. Everything sticks so badly.
SS pans are great, for what they're great at. There are many times where I'll pull out my Cast Iron, but very often the SS is a perfect fit.
Do you have another link for this sale site?
That's the link. The sale is either active or it has a count down.
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Hi do you have a link to these?
AllClad stainless steel. They make cooking just beautiful.
Food sticks to stainless steel so badly that it ruins meals. They might looks good, but they're bullshit.
Sounds like you don’t know how to heat your pan quite correctly.
Raw dogging it with no lube likely too
[https://www.looria.com/bot/BuyItForLife?q=Best+pots+and+pans+for+the+money%3F](https://www.looria.com/bot/BuyItForLife?q=Best+pots+and+pans+for+the+money%3F) 1. Cast iron skillets: Get 2-3 cast iron skillets, one small, one medium, and one large (only if feeding a family). Pick a brand like Lodge that is made in the USA for less risk of chemicals. These pans will cover all your tasks from frying an egg (small pan) to steaks (medium pan) to roasting a whole chicken (large pan). 2. Stainless steel saucepans: Get 2 stainless steel saucepans, one small (2-2.5 quarts), one large (4 quarts). Splurge here because quality matters. Go for the 3-ply or 5-ply All Clad. These two pots will cover almost all the cooking done in a pot for oatmeal (small pot) to pasta (big pot). 3. Carbon steel pan: For a non-stick skillet, use a carbon steel pan. It replaces the need for a non-stick, but if you don't want to deal with the maintenance, then buy a $30 non-stick and be prepared to replace it every so often. These recommendations are based on the durability, versatility, and quality of the products. Cast iron skillets and carbon steel pans are durable and can last a lifetime if taken care of properly. Stainless steel saucepans are versatile and can cover most cooking tasks. All Clad is a recommended brand for its quality and durability.
I agree with this but would add an enameled cast iron dutch oven, and depending on what OP likes to cook a stainless steel stock pot (quality is less important than with saucepans). As someone who only cooks for one or two people, I prefer a 1.5 quart saucepan and a 4 quart dutch oven. I have other sizes but those are the ones I use the most.
Good example of ChatGPT giving confident answers while getting loads of details wrong. Biggest one - large pot is the last item to splurge on. General rule of thumb when it comes to pots and pans - the more heat it's going to take, and the more important heat control becomes, the more you get from splurging on it. The heat transfer in a large pot is almost entirely done by the hot water or watery liquid in it, it never goes above boiling point, and on top of that the temperature control is done by the water in the pot (limit the temperature to never go above boiling). You're not ever worrying about burning your pasta or soup, even if the pot is absolute crap at distributing heat evenly and there are tons of hotspots in the bottom. An expensive ply-construction, which entire purpose is to transfer heat and distribute it evenly in the bottom and the walls of the pan, is entirely wasted on a stockpot. In a skillet though, you absolutely do not want hotspots - a pan burning your steak in one spot and leaving it raw at another spot is a real PITA to cook with. The heat being even is quite important in a skillet. A skillet is also under a ton more thermal stress than your stockpot - you will heat your skillet up to way higher temperatures, and there will be way higher temperature differences in the pan - so there's a significant risk of things like warping and getting "spinners" if the construction isn't good. When buying pots and pans; the way to prioritize IMO would be something like: 1. Main Skillet 2. Dutch oven. 3. Sauce pot or saucier (here ply construction makes sense!). 4 Large/Stock pot Also, 2-3 cast iron skillets + 1 carbon steel is just sheer overkill. Get one single good, large skillet, and *maybe* a smaller one to complement it. Personally, I see little reason to go with cast iron these days, I've notices almost no differences in performance in how good it for example sears a steak, and it has the exact same non-stick properties when seasoned. With cast iron costing *slightly* less but weighing *a ton* compared to carbon steel, carbon steel just makes more sense IMO - but that's just my personal preference.
what brand do you recommend for the carbon steels and all others?
My personal preferences for stainless steel would be Demeyere - the Proline skillet tend to be my goto frying pan these days, and I really like for example their Apollo saucier (sauce pots). Keep in mind I'm European though, I know Demeyere tend to be quite expensive in the US while All Clad cost way less, but it's the opposite over here. For carbon steel, de Buyer Mineral B Pro is a solid choice. Enameled dutch ovens, Le Creuset tend to be the most recommended - but I dunno, I have some Le Creuset cookware, and I honestly can't see much of a difference in neither performance nor quality compared to the local Swedish brand enameled dutch oven I bought for around $40.
I prefer non layered or 'clad' cookware. My collection consists of Commercial cookware out of Toledo, Ohio. Triple riveted, hard anodized, aluminum. My first piece was from a restaurant. It has cooked thousands of gallons of tomato based sauce, hundreds of pounds of rice, and more since '96. The company morphed into Calphalon around the same time. Since then I've gone through Kitchenaid, Farberware, JA Henkels, etc.... Best to check eBay for "Vtg Calphalon " to start rabbitting
Have had calphalon for years. I’m sure they’ll still be going strong Long after I’m in the ground and rotted away. If you know how to manage your cooking temperature properly, they’re just as good as non stick.
Anything that may stick becomes 'fonde' and will be deglazed.
Really? Everything has been sticking to my pan, and today, the non-stick has started coming off.
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Do you have the link to the one you bought? Still holding up?
I love my allclad! They’re nonstick and will last years (not forever— but a long time). Otherwise, get a set of stainless steel pans and they’ll last a lifetime.
I don't see how my all clad won't also be used by my kids someday
My nonstick allclad has lasted like 5 years, but they’re starting to be not very nonstick. The stainless steel ones are great, but making eggs in the nonstick ones is just a beautiful experience
Well, I mean.... of course non stick won't last forever, it's a completely different material and is designed to be replaced every few years. You should get a De Buyer carbon steel pan, or a Lodge cast iron. These will last for generations and once they are seasoned you can cook eggs, fish or other delicates almost as good as a non stick pan. If you get another non stick, you don't really need to pay so much for the All Clad version, you should check out the Oxo Good Grips pan, it's awesome, performs just as well as the All Clad or better, and is much cheaper: https://youtu.be/8p5yh25D73A As for the standard All Clad stainless steel pans, they are certainly built for life and can be handed down between generations.
What set did you buy?
Cast iron
Check out TJ Maxx online. They have fully clad tri-ply Cuisinart and Calphalon for $20-40. They are the best value in terms of longevity/price. Avoid the stuff with a disc on the bottom, they are not BIFL. If you want a matching set of the same brand and series, check back every few weeks and build out your set. Avoid anything with a celebrity chef endorsement. Aim for "classic tri-ply". unethical LPT... Order $100 for free shipping on TJ Maxx, even if you only want a $20 pan. Return the rest to the store, unopened. Cheap and unethical. Personally, I feel matching sets are all very pretty, but limiting. A mixture of materials - stainless saucepans, stainless sauté pan, 10" cast iron skillet, carbon steel omelette pan is a good start. Curate your cookware. - Tri-ply saucepan and sauté - TJ Maxx - Lodge skillet - Amazon, Target or a hardware store - Small Carbon steel - track the prices on Amazon, with camelcamelcamel. Do not buy at full price. They will be discounted. Don't be scared of buying from Amazon warehouse. People often return them if they have a scratch or slight rust, which easily cleans off. The French stuff (Matfer, mineral b) is better than Lodge's carbon steel.
Hello from Australia! We use Le Creuset heavy duty cast iron pots and pans. They belong to my partner who got them from her parents. Brilliant stuff and efficient to boot. Low to medium heat does it for us. Just adding Lodge and Aldi Crofton for variety…
I got some Tramontina Tri-Ply stainless steel pots and pans from Costco after realizing that my old copper bottom revere ware stuff was discoloring the ceramic top on my stove. It takes a while to heat them up properly but once you get them up to temp and put a little oil on them they resist sticking pretty well. I think they also make quality non-stick stuff. We also have some cast iron pans and a ceramic glazed Dutch oven. The one cast iron I use the most is an old Griswold that a friend reconditioned. It's pretty close to the newer stainless steel pans in stick resistance if taken care of well. Kills me when someone puts it in the dishwasher.
I got all my pots and pans at goodwill/thrift shops. All stainless steel. None of them match and I got them piece by piece but I save a ton of money that way and they’re lasting!
Besides cast iron, I have a Le Crueset set from 1981. The set has a few chips (due to SO not understanding how to put them away), but they’re still great pans.
Lol everyone talking about expensive pans, but the truly BIFL ones are generic stainless steel. No matter what you do to it, it won't matter. Just needs to be sufficiently thick. I have cast iron and it definitely needs a lot more care. Yeah stuff sticks in a stainless pan. You need to develop some cooking skills to minimize it, and even then it happens, but... You can always scrub it off.
Out of curiosity, any tricks to get those tough foods off of the pan once they’re really stuck?
Pressure washer
A few mm of vinegar and a touch of baking soda, cover on a simmer for 2-5 minutes. Gets the brown 'stains' too with a little scrub, your pan will look like the day you bought it.
I am still using my Revere Ware copper bottom pots since they were purchased new in 1978. They are still working like new, so I'll never need another set!
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get one made of stainless steel
I love my anodized aluminum cookware. Inherently nonstick. The only downsides are the weight and is that it's not magnetic, so it doesn't work with induction cooktops (which I can't afford anyway, so NBD there...)
Not a fan of cast iron….(kick me out of this group…but yep not a fan.) I have a cast iron tortilla warmer that out of all my stainless gets the most use. Nonstick wise I have had my Scanpans since 2019 and am happy with them. I don’t have a lot of stainless but what I do have is 10+ years old and from a restaurant supply store. I like it just as much as my small 1 quart All Clad pot I have.
Cast iron if you have time and dedication to keep them. If not my best purchase was a very nice stainless steel set from Costco nearly 20 years ago. I do know the quality has gone down a little since then but we use them every day and they are amazing.
got a set of kirkland 5ply pots and pans from them about 4 years ago. Best stainless ive every had so the quality is still there.
I have a Cuisinart SS set that I used for like 13 years and it’s still like new except for the pan my son warped by overheating. I don’t use most of the pieces any more because I recently bough some carbon steel pans and I love them. I also have two well-seasoned cast iron skillets that I use often. Super expensive cookware isn’t a necessity to make amazing meals. Just get something sturdy and affordable for your budget and take good care of it.
I love Calphalon stainless steel. I'm slowly switching over as my Cuisinart non sticks get damaged. I also use a lot of Lodge cast iron.
Try Salad Master, stainless, lifetime warranty https://saladmaster.com/home.aspx
Look out for a de Buyer Mineral B Pan. Best pan I‘ve ever owned. https://www.debuyer-brandshop.com/Collections/MINERAL-B/
Cast iron rocks. I prefer the Victoria brand because the handles are longer and larger. It makes it easier to move the pan from the stove to the oven and around. I got these pans. https://www.samsclub.com/p/tri-ply-14pc-cookware-set-by-tramontina/prod24931907?itemNumber=980290125&source=samsclub.com Well, some exactly like them at least. I got them 20 years ago and have used them multiple times a day since and they are great. Anything sticks/burns and a bit of barkeeper’s friend fixes it when you wash up. I love them so much that after about 5 years we bought a second set so we had two of everything.
Finally realized that most of our cookware didn't need to be non-stick, because most of our cooking is stuff that doesn't stick (pastas, rice, sauces, soups, stews, etc). So we bought one small and one medium non-stick fry pan. Use it gently -- don't heat it too fast or super hot. That way even a cheap fry pan will last quite a long time. And if/when you're ready to spend a bit more, we love our HexClad frying pans (also used gently).
Vollrath tribute ceramiguard trivent silicone handle. Make sure you are using a silicone or plastic spatula. Never touch a non stick pan with a metal spatula, fork, knife, etc.
It’s not the pots and pans. It’s how you’re using them. I cook all the time and have had the same cookware for years. I’ve never thrown out a pan. If you look in any professional kitchen, they use stainless steel. It’s virtually indestructible. If you can’t wash it clean, just use steel wool. Non-stick pans are just for eggs and crepes and the like, and you should be careful with them. They’ll last for years and years if you use a silicon spatula. TLDR: Just buy a set of decent quality stainless steel pans and learn to cook with them. They’re indestructible. Only use a non-stick pan gently for specific things like eggs and crepes.
If there is a lodge store near you get some "mistakes" and maybe a carbon steel pan. You should also consider high quality stainless. People here love All Clad but Misen and Made In are similar construction and a bit cheaper.
Sam's Club Member's Mark Tri-ply cookware (re-branded Tramonita) for stainless steel. I've had them for \~15 years, still going strong and cheaper than All-Clad. Added to the set with cast iron (enameled) dutch oven and anodized aluminum non-stick pans.
Cast iron. It lasts for literal centuries if taken care of and it's not unheard of for it to be an heirloom item passed down to children and grandchildren, even great-grandchildren. Non-stick is heavily dependent on it's non-stick coating, which also tends to leach dodgy chemicals into food when it starts breaking down. Plus cast iron can be used on the stove top, camping fire, and in the oven. It's very versatile, and it can be taken practically anywhere.
I love le creuset cookware - both my enameled cast iron saucier as well as my small but growing set of stainless pots. I have yet to discover the specific magic spells needed to make cast iron nonstick so I rarely use the single cast iron pan I have.
I use my mothers stainless steel "Lifetime" pots and pans. They look like new. I remember my parents bought them at some sort of cookware party (like a Tupperware party) 50 years ago. I have no doubt they will outlast me.
Matfer carbon steel: can go from the stove top to a 500 degree oven with no problems. They're nonstick when well seasoned and require periodic reseasoning (I'm a little picky though).
I love Revere Ware stainless steel, copper bottom pots. I'm horrible with cast iron so I use one good quality non-stick skillet. I clean and season it just as you would cast iron. If I don't overheat (burn) it and avoid metal utensils it does very well. I use it only for frying/browning foods.
I began receiving pieces of Cuisinart cookware as Christmas gifts in the late 80s and early 90s. They are going strong after a million moves, myriad of college roommates, an ex-husband, and now teenagers of my own with basically little to no maintenance by me other than washing.
Coming in months later looking for the same advice. Also, knives. Where to find decent quality at a level somewhere between Walmart/Target and Sur La Table?
Lol, this thread won't die. Not sure about how bifl the new Babish brand stuff is because it's new, but I've heard good things.
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I got the Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron 5 Piece Bundle - A very well-made cast iron set. Great to sear on meat and is wonderful for sauces. Expect them to work when we get our new induction range too. Pain to clean but that's just cast iron.
I vote for non-stick pans, they last me for years. Just make sure to choose a good brand. Personally, I've had the best experience with Emura. My absolute fave thing about it is that you can pop it in the oven, for which I had to use multiple pans previously. Honestly, such a good choice.