Let's talk cookware

I have a cast iron le creuset casserole dish, and a Tefal omelette pan (both French made, they seem to rule the roost here in great kitchenware).

Both have USA websites:

http://www.lecreuset.com/

http://www.t-falusa.com/

Le Creuset is what I like but affording it is another question. Its heavy and well made. Wish I had more of it.

In addition to a motley assortment of cookware from through the ages, I have a set of pots, pans, and skillets from Anolon:

http://www.anolon.com/cs/Satellite/Page/anolon/1177513656235/Page/HomePage.htm

My wife and I had this stuff for enough years that they no longer sell exactly what I have, but it most closely resembles what they now call "Anolon Advanced". Always been perfectly happy with it. It is made overseas, if that's an issue.

As far as knives go, I absolutely insist on really sharp knives in the kitchen. What I've used for many years, and always been very pleased with, are Chicago Cutlery.

http://www.chicagocutlery.com/

+1 for your and her money.

We have a glass top electric range. The instructions said no aluminum or copper pots. I think that cast iron would be ok but it's heavy and my wife is afraid that she will drop a pot on it and break the top, I agree. So we use Meyer thick bottom, (three layer I think) stainless cookware augmented with small and larger Teflon/ stainless frypans from Wearever. The meyer SS pots and pans are great for us, as log as they are pre-heated very few things stick and the heat distribution is fine. I use the SS more often than the Teflon.

My wife's former boss was canned from his job and sold Cutco for a while. Felt obliged to buy a set, he hired her. The most expensive knives that you'll ever buy, but they are good.

I've been working for a while on La Creuset. I love it, and I cook. I will tell you that if I'm frying bacon, it goes into the cheapo frying pan, usually cast iron. Cleaning high fat splatters off of that stuff is torture. Oh, and the teapots are awesome, but don't let water sit in them. They will rust inside.


I've got the usual mish mosh of pots and pans. Hand me downs, etc.



My other favorite is the "Guardian Service" pieces I have from my great grandmother. I love that stuff. Holds up like nothing else.

What kind of cooking are you into? Basic or advanced? That will determine a lot on what to get and how much to spend. For me:

My go-to items are a set of henkel knives and my cast iron skillets. A good stock pot with baskets is a must have too. I have t-fal nonstick pans for eggs and simmering and they are OK and relatively inexpensive. Couple cheapo small pots that don't get a lot of use.

Nothing beats a wicked hot cast skillet for meat and veggies though. I don't cook a lot of "delicate" stuff however.


Oh yeah, the cooktop type (gas or electric) may play into your decision too. Those smooth surface electric need a heavier pan to keep the heat even, IMO.

My wife does more of the cooking but we both prefer stainless steel pots and cast iron pans. Le Creuset are nice but can be even heavier than straight cast iron.
I'll take a well seasoned cast iron skillet over anything with a non-stick coating. They last forever and are amazingly non-stick so long as you keep em oiled (seasoned). I do like to have one enameled iron dutch oven type pot to sauté, then simmer in the same pot, like for stews & soups. Cast iron is not the best for that as flavors from the pan will come out during simmering.
Stainless steel sticks like crazy, but for pots I don't care about that. We've have All Clad pots for a few years now & expect them to last longer than us.

I have had the Calphalon commercial hard anodized cookware for 13 years. I love it. It is not dishwasher safe though, but I rarely use my dishwasher since it is only 2 of us here. They are tough, real tough. They are oven and broiler safe so you can sear something and throw it right in the oven.

No non-stick anything for me because I have a bird and have heard stories of them dying from fumes given off when the cookware gets up to a certain temperature. I am not about to test that out.

I also love my cast iron skillet....no kitchen should be without one.

Good SS fry pans rarely pose a sticking problem. Get them pre-heated - med to med high - then add a bit of oil or butter enough to just coat the bottom and they won't stick. I just made scrambled eggs and they just slid off the pan.

When I can afford it, I get nothing but Henckle knives, bowls and cookware. Great warranty, amazing service and most items will last you a lifetime.
Some of their new cookware have WITH THERMOLONâ„¢ GRANITE coatings which are heat resistant to 500C (yes C, not F).
Lots of nice goodies on their website.

http://www.zwilling.com/en/home.html

I bought a big set of All-Clad factory seconds. Stainlesss/aluminum sandwich so they can go in the dishwasher. I would stress oven-ready, which comes in real handy for dishes that start on the cooktop and finish in the oven. After 10 years and some pretty brutal treatment they are in near perfect shape, HOWEVER, on a smooth-top stove the fry pans are a little wobbly (SOMEBODY dumped water over a very hot pan), and doing saute work is a little aggrivating but that the nature of smooth-top stoves. If you've got a gas stove then forget it. Any cheap set will work. I looked at a good dutch oven but my wife's weapon of choice is the electric crock pot. I'd like to try some wood stove cookin', maybe get a pan for that.

As far as knives go I've had a set of Henckels for over 15 years. The brass rivets have been disolved a bit by the dishwashing soap since I stopped babying them 10 years ago, but they still work as knew after I sharpen them (which is almost never). My favorite knives are the cheap commercial set of odd-balls I got at a yard sale. Cheap stainless with a plastic handle, light and you just rip an edge and to to work. The yellow and white handles remind me of being young with my girlfriend, back before the child came along and I had to start cooking special orders for the picky little brat.

But I digress.

Retired Guy said:

Good SS fry pans rarely pose a sticking problem. Get them pre-heated - med to med high - then add a bit of oil or butter enough to just coat the bottom and they won't stick. I just made scrambled eggs and they just slid off the pan.

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This works for me but not for my wife. I can slide an egg out of a pan while she will glue it.

Bought a small kitchen ceramic knife a couple of months ago. Sharp as the devil.