What pot and pans should I buy?

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Originally Posted by gatorboy

Wife told me to buy a new set, as our 9 yr old Anolon set is no longer "non-stick".
Looking at sub $200
Considering ceramic/copper...and will always wash any pot we get by hand.
Need to be oven safe (prefer at least up to 400 degrees).

*will most likely buy from Amazon (for their easy return policy).
https://www.amazon.com/Copper-Pots-P...kitchen&sr=1-4

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If your cookware isn't obviously gouged up from metal implements, it might be worthwhile contacting Anolon about warranty support: https://anolon.com/pages/warranty

Never heard anything about Analon's warranty, but I do know that Calphalon is pretty generous about replacing old cookware that is no longer non-stick as long as the surface is intact (i.e., no metal spatulas).

Personally I have switched to cast iron and stainless for almost everything. I'm not precious about the cast iron either - it gets scoured and washed with soap when it needs it (then put on a hot burner to dry and wiped with some canola oil). Even with my lazy approach to seasoning, I find a hot cast iron+butter works fine for doing eggs. It's not as slippery as a new Teflon pan, but I'm not scared of using it over high heat -- good tradeoff in my book.

eggs in cast iron the key is enough oil/grease and higher heat

I don't wash the cast iron very much, instead I put it under the broiler to burn everything off and season the pan

I make fritta by throwing all the leftovers/eggs/cheese in the pan, crank the broiler to 11, when the cheese starts to smoke a LITTLE the fritta is done so once you get the frittata out put that pan back under the broiler and every thing will burn off leaving you a clean surface

BTW - When I say copper...this is what I'm thinking
Not that expensive stuff hanging from ceiling racks.

Attachment 305443

Dunno if they still carry it, but Costco used to have Kirkland-brand (probably Calphalon inside?) SS set. Set has been bombproof, from my experience.

And despite some old-man claims, SS sears and tolerates high heat just fine.

Make sure whatever SS you get is *heavy*...

I have yet to meet a non stick pan that my wife could not destroy. Didn't matter how expensive it was. They are all junk, IMHO. I finally trained her how to use cast iron. We now have a small assortment of cast iron pots and pans in a variety of sizes and that is all we use. HTH.

Le Creuset pots for sure.
Not sure about their pans.
Heavy as hell, and prolly over $200 for 1, but will last several people's lifetimes.

Cast iron pan for stick-free frying and my mom's old Revere Ware (SS, copper bottom) from the 60s for everything else, which goes in the dishwasher. 50 years of daily cooking, you can't kill that stuff!

(I don't make scrambled eggs, I guess I could see a coated pan for that- seems about the only thing that will stick to cast iron. Fried eggs don't stick.)

just realized this is ceramic...not copper.

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Originally Posted by gatorboy

BTW - When I say copper...this is what I'm thinking
Not that expensive stuff hanging from ceiling racks.

Attachment 305443

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Originally Posted by gatorboy

just realized this is ceramic...not copper.

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Yeah - actual copper cooking surfaces would be bad for you. :D

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Originally Posted by BmillsSkier

I only cook in Arctyrx

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The new boil-in-the-bib with the sous vide pocket is selling like hotcakes.

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Originally Posted by Timberridge

The new boil-in-the-bib with the sous vide pocket is selling like hotcakes.

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Skis vide?

How long for a porter house steak slathered in black garlic with mashed potato and gravy?

Does ir run on those crappy Tesla batteries?

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Originally Posted by skaredshtles

Dunno if they still carry it, but Costco used to have Kirkland-brand (probably Calphalon inside?) SS set. Set has been bombproof, from my experience.

And despite some old-man claims, SS sears and tolerates high heat just fine.

Make sure whatever SS you get is *heavy*...

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The all clad stainless I have says don't use high heat. But I'll give it a try if you buy me a new one if I wreck it. (It's stainless with aluminum core so the laminated construction may be the issue.)
Bartender's Friend is good for cleaning stainless.
The thing I like about carbon steel is that the dirtier it gets the less it sticks. I have had a carbon steel wok for 40 years--it's black on the inside, nothing sticks to it. A quick scrub with water and a plastic scrubber and it's clean.
The think with copper is that a lot of companies put a very thin layer of copper on (Revere ware for example) as a selling point but I don't think it's any better than if the copper wasn't there. Like the difference between gold leaf and 18 carat solid gold. Real copper cookware is uber-expensive.

I wonder what Buttah recommends.

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Originally Posted by iceman

I wonder what Buttah recommends.

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That's predictable and easy: we're all wrong.

The real mystery is what Tedski would cook on.

I'm gonna go with an exhaust manifold.

Had a cooker on the sled pipe, hudge learning curve.

Needs a steady RPM for cooking control.

Ended up ordering two ceramic skillets (8" & 12") and two ss pots (with straining lids).
I plan on using my older Calphalon ss 5 1/2 quart saute pan and 14" cast iron more too....which is nice.

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Originally Posted by The Tortoise

I'm gonna go with an exhaust manifold.

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Damn, that’s probably true.

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Originally Posted by old goat

The all clad stainless I have says don't use high heat. But I'll give it a try if you buy me a new one if I wreck it. (It's stainless with aluminum core so the laminated construction may be the issue.)

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Perhaps...

Seems odd, though, as that would be one of the reasons for getting SS, IMO - the ability to withstand high heat. If yours says don't use high heat, I guess I'd go with the mfg'r.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visions_(cookware)

anybody ever use this Visions stuff ^^ its made out of Calexium Glass which is glass ceramic

its transperant so you could watch the water boil, apparently it peaked in the 80's,

becuz its glass is would break but I still got one pot from a couple of marriages ago

If i remember right stuff would burn or stick more easy

We needed to get some cheap cookware in a hurry, and bought some Ikea 365+, and damn, that stuff works great. Induction friendly, clear lids, etc. Maybe doesn't work as well as our expensive Le Crueset pieces, but I'm not sure.

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Originally Posted by XXX-er

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visions_(cookware)

anybody ever use this Visions stuff ^^ its made out of Calexium Glass which is glass ceramic

its transperant so you could watch the water boil, apparently it peaked in the 80's,

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It looks delicate, as you say, though I see this appealing to the boil a ribeye crowd who also prefer to use glass dinner plates.

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Originally Posted by Timberridge

It looks delicate, as you say, though I see this appealing to the boil a ribeye crowd who also prefer to use glass dinner plates.

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Drew could know the exact moment to pull his filet de cheval out of the water for that perfect well-done finish.

Mostly the Visions stuff was well marketed on the small tube back in the day but it was kinda cool to watch the bubbles if you were stoned eh ?

I got a couple Visions pieces as a sales promotion years ago. That stuff sucked. It held heat so long things would keep cooking/burn after you took them off the burner.

Late to the party here, and haven't read the whole thread, but my $0.02 as someone who cooks a lot is to get a good clad stainless steel stockpot, saucepan, and skillet, a cast iron skillet, and a single cheapish nonstick pan. They'll all last forever except the nonstick pan, which is cheap enough that you can replace it every couple of years. The only things you should be cooking in nonstick are eggs and fish; everything else does fine in stainless or cast iron. If you have money left over and you like to make chilis, stews or braised meats, get an enameled cast iron dutch oven (like a Le Creuset, or a decent knockoff). Oh, and a carbon steel wok is nice if you like to do Chinese food.

I got All-Clad pieces for my wedding over a decade ago and they still look and perform like new. Same with my Lodge cast iron skillet (actually, that one performs better than new since it's well seasoned now). We have two enameled cast iron dutch ovens (got the second one as a gift and liked having two) - one is Le Creuset and one is a knockoff from Marshall's. Can't say I can tell any difference, and both are going strong after 8+ years.

EDIT: My understanding of the All Clad high-heat issue is just that it can cause "rainbowing" where the color of the pan changes a little. It's not a safety issue. I've been using mine over whatever heat I want for a decade and they still look and work like new. (Granted, I don't have a restaurant stove - I suppose if you have a 40K BTU burner you might cause some discoloration.)

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Originally Posted by skaredshtles

Perhaps...

Seems odd, though, as that would be one of the reasons for getting SS, IMO - the ability to withstand high heat. If yours says don't use high heat, I guess I'd go with the mfg'r.

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I’ve seen this advice across the board with quality SS cookware. It’s to avoid warping the bottom at high heat. My guess is that it’s because of the aluminum interior layer.

For frying pans, we got a couple of these at costco and when the non-stick wore out we thought they were good enough value that we replaced them via amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Tramontina-80...garden&sr=1-30

We also have a set of Belgique pots that have held up really well for 15 years. There's one hell of a sale right now at Macy's. Unfortunately, these ones appear to be non-stick, which I agree for a pot is a stupid idea.
https://www.macys.com/shop/product/b...cys?ID=2877773

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Originally Posted by XXX-er

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visions_(cookware)

anybody ever use this Visions stuff ^^ its made out of Calexium Glass which is glass ceramic

its transperant so you could watch the water boil, apparently it peaked in the 80's,

becuz its glass is would break but I still got one pot from a couple of marriages ago

If i remember right stuff would burn or stick more easy

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Way back when I had a roommate or two, there was a nice large vision stewpot on the shelf. In the fall at cattle processing and hunting season, I would cook up fresh tongue. You start by boiling the whole muscle until the skin can be removed, then slice as desired before browning slightly in whatever sauce and additions you want in the frypan. Delicious. But the roomies would gag at the sight of that tongue floating around that nice clear stewpot!

fucking snow flakes eh ?

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Originally Posted by BCMtnHound

Way back when I had a roommate or two, there was a nice large vision stewpot on the shelf. In the fall at cattle processing and hunting season, I would cook up fresh tongue. You start by boiling the whole muscle until the skin can be removed, then slice as desired before browning slightly in whatever sauce and additions you want in the frypan. Delicious. But the roomies would gag at the sight of that tongue floating around that nice clear stewpot!

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There's a thread somewhere with cow tongue pastrami. Sounds really good.

La Lingua

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Originally Posted by evasive_MT

I’ve seen this advice across the board with quality SS cookware. It’s to avoid warping the bottom at high heat. My guess is that it’s because of the aluminum interior layer.

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Do they define "high heat"?

Is it 1000F? I guess maybe that would be a problem...

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Originally Posted by riser3

There's a thread somewhere with cow tongue pastrami. Sounds really good.

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In a show I’m watching (“The Last Alaskans”), they rave about how good moose nose, or caribou head is. I think they must taste a whole lot better when you are starving.

On the stainless vs non-stick issue, like I posted earlier in the thread, I’ve got a couple all-clad hard anodized non-stick pans that I like a lot and use all the time. They don’t brown quite as well as the stainless pans that I still have, but they do a pretty good job. And yes, you can deglaze the pan to make a sauce from the fond.

And, of course, they clean up MUCH easier. I noticed that last night when I used the stainless pan to cook some burgers. Much more of a hassle to get the remaining stuck bits of meat off the bottom of the pan.

I suppose if I were really serious about this, I’d shell out for a solid copper pan with tin lining. Maybe some day.

What kind of pots do you think the Peloton woman will register for when she finds her new husband?

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Originally Posted by skaredshtles

Do they define "high heat"?

Is it 1000F? I guess maybe that would be a problem...

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Not that I’ve seen, but there might be somewhere. I’ve just read recommendations not to go higher than med-hi.

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Originally Posted by evasive_MT

Not that I’ve seen, but there might be somewhere. I’ve just read recommendations not to go higher than med-hi.

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What's medium high, giving the range in BTU's of stoves these days? (While we're at it--what is a clove of garlic, the big cloves on the outside or the little ones on the inside. Not that it matters. I always use more than the recipe calls for.)

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Originally Posted by old goat

<snip> I always use more than the recipe calls for.)

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You are a scholar and a gentleman, sir! Well done...

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Originally Posted by XXX-er

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKPpKkQPrh0

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this stuff will cook SS