Copper Cookware Question

[KQ]

Great ideas. She used to have a subscription to Cook's Country, so Cook's Illustrated will be right up her alley. Digging the french oven you linked, too. Seems very versatile!

Oh and shop around - you can probably get a better price than that . I have a subscription to both magazines and enjoy "Illustrated" much more. Online subscription is good too - you can check it from your smart phone when you are shopping (in case you forgot what ingredients you need to buy - BTDT!)

I'm getting me of of these http://www.crateandbarrel.com/cuisin...236?b=1&a=1552 for Xmas just because I'm so awesome.

Nice!

[irul&ublo]

I sorted making quiche....

Do you sit down to whiz?

[Cruiser]

I've been very happy with a set of Calphalon tri-ply copper pieces that we got as a wedding gift. We added a few open stock pieces when they used to sell them at Crate & Barrel to bring the group up to like 10 different pieces. They've since discontinued the open stock stuff but you can still find the set basic set for a pretty competitive price. FWIW, I cook 6 or 7 days a week for our family of 6 and I have been using this stuff every day for more than 11 years. At one point I considered starting a Mauviel set but in reality I just can't justify it since these Calphalon pieces work great on my gas cooktop and look cool hanging on the wall too.

http://store.calphalon.com/calphalon...are-set/195670

If you're gonna go for the Mauviel stuff then go all the way and get the M'250 pieces instead of the M'150 stuff. When you fondle them both the difference is pretty significant.

[guroo270]

I picked up some fairly nice copper cookware (the Palm restaurant series) at TJ Maxx of all places. I really like to cook with it, but it's tri-metal and cleaning is a pain in the ass because they tell you to let it cool before cleaning so as to not warp the metals since they have different conducting/cooling rates. They look great. Not worth the effort of everyday use, though, and I don't give a fuck about polishing them. I think copper looks best with the well used, weathered look. The girl I'm dating brought her non-stick stuff over for her to cook with it's so annoying to clean. I'm sure this is what happens when you don't fork out the big bucks for the best stuff. Who knows? Not me.

[creaky fossil]

I own some of that ^ and I cook in it regularly. And I could probably have a grand old time attacking the mountain with old wooden skis. But that doesn't mean my current skies were a waste of money, or that the fact I bought them makes me a poseur. Likewise, I own some really nice graphite fly rods, as well as some fine, old (and less fine new) bamboo. Different tools for different things.

yeah, you keep telling yourself that, it makes those $1,000 skillets seem a worthy "investment"

Hope that's not too hard to understand.

hope your smug doesn't prevent you from fitting through the next doorframe your cranium encounters

didn't realize the mere picture of Revereware would send you into Full On Ego Defense posture, but thanks

I'm sure my cereal tastes worse and is worse for me, corporal and emotional health-wise, because I eat it out of a tupperware bowl rather than fine china made from the fired pulverized bones of dead slaves

You are a poor man's Hugh Conway.

you're bad at history, hugh follows me historically

but sweet try at earning Core Bro status, proto-Mag

I use that stuff at my girlfriend's a lot (old waspy hand me downs) and food just sticks all the time.

of course, it's not coated with tetrapolyfluoroethylene laced carcinogenic petroproducts which off-gas at cooking temperatures

I have 2 skillets that work the sticky side of vittles-fixin. one's an omelette pan my parents gave me long ago when setting up my first post-school kitchen, it's a german thing made by Berndes. might be spendy? the other is a grocery store kitchenware aisle special, commercial grade heft and kmart price, I think it cost $18.93 in 1996.

both of them Marion Barry coated

[GeezerSteve]

Le Creuset dutch oven

or a Lodge, just as good at a fraction of the cost

[hutash]

Question: would you want your wife to go to a cooking website and ask advice on what skis to buy her hubby for Christmas?

If she is the cook you say, and I am not doubting it, let her pick out her own cook wear. Maybe just wrap and W/S catalog for under the tree, then tell her she can choose what she wants for there or the local table wear store, or the innertubs....what ever.

That said, copper has too purposes, to look good and to conduct heat evenly. Many/most high end multi-layer cook wear lines have a layer of copper in them to heat the pan evenly, which is important for sauces but not too important for boiling water for ramen. Copper is extremely easy to clean and keep good looking as long as you use a good clean after each use. We have talked about it here before. If you go copper find Kleen King. Wash the pot or pan with soap and water, then sprinkle a small amount inside and out and gently wipe with a sponge. It will shin in about ten seconds, that is all it takes. If you let the oxidation build up it takes a modest effort to bring back the shine, but still not much.

I have had Revere Ware for thirty years, and only broke one handle, but the new stuff I have seen is not nearly as well made, so unless there is a higher end version I would currently not recommend it. Unless your wife plans to hang her pots and pans out in the open, don't bother with copper exterior, it is just more (although not much more) work. Stainless steel inside and out are the best and will last literally forever. Anything coat will eventually break down/scratch. The new nonstick finishes are great, and make cooking and clean a breeze, but they will not last anywhere near what a SS pot or pan will. Again, just let her choose what she really wants, otherwise you might just end up with a nice shaped skis just perfect for the blue groomer at Vail, which they guy at the shop will tell her everybody is buy this year.

[MrDirt]

Alternatively, unless you want to have sweet cookware as a wall decoration, you could buy an induction cooktop.

Induction will evenly and precisely heat any pot/pan no matter what thickness, material (as long as its ferrous), or construction. All cookware becomes equal, and you can get great performance out of cheap cookware that you wont mind beating the shit out of. It's science.

[farmer]

I dont have any opinion on one brand vs another, but as a copper miner, I highly support your purchase.

[hortence]

If ever this board needed BROCK BRONSON this might be it. Yeah I have a post in it, but the brushing with egg whites, just frikken' cracks me up.

[GeezerSteve]

no matter what . . . material (as long as its ferrous)

Like Henry Ford offering the Model T is any color so long as it's black?

[MrDirt]

Like Henry Ford offering the Model T is any color so long as it's black?

Haha, I'm sure that sounds kind of restrictive, but probably 95% of home cookware isn't made of copper or aluminum. Anything stainless or cast iron, from the WalMart special Paula Deen and Lodge to wallet shredding Mauviel and Le Creuset will work and give you the same performance.

[hortence]

Oh yeah, want it to stop sticking? Turn the heat down and open another beer. don't be in such a hurry.

[creaky fossil]

jesus, that is some sensible advice right there, but my ego's telling me that my penis gets smaller the less impressive my cookware

[MontuckyFried]

Ok, ok. So I can get great performance at a fraction the price, BUT this is also kind of meant to be an extravagant Christmas present. Some ladies want diamonds. Mine would prefer a fine piece of kitchenware. No joke. Do I need a Porsche 911 Turbo to get from point A to point B? Obviously not, but I sure would like to have one! Not that I'm getting one any time soon, but just trying to make a point. Do women NEED to have precious jewelery? Nope, but sometimes it's fun to buy them something kind of extravagant and nice. Even better when that gift is the gift that gives back to you in the form of awesome food!

I'd leave it totally up to her, but that would ruin the surprise. If she wants an alternative, we can just exchange it. And Hutash, I totally get your point about asking something in an unrelated forum, but I've always been pretty impressed with the amount of random knowledge I've learned from this crowd! Lots of interesting and surprisingly knowledgeable folks around here, whether we're talking about snow science, cars, woodworking, or cookware.

[KQ]

Oops - made a mistake on the amount of flour for the pie crust recipe - should be 1.5c All Purpose Flour

[BmillsSkier]

or a Lodge, just as good at a fraction of the cost

I do like Lodge. We have a few of the Lodge square small cast iron pans to do egg bakes in just like at Broders in PDX, best things ever.

I am preferential to the Le Creuset though for the ceramic interior lining, just a bit more versatile for my uses.

[irul&ublo]

I do like Lodge. We have a few of the Lodge square small cast iron pans to do egg bakes in just like at Broders in PDX, best things ever.

I am preferential to the Le Creuset though for the ceramic interior lining, just a bit more versatile for my uses.

Lodge also makes ceramic coated, lot cheaper than La Creuset, and very heavy.


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[Cruiser]

@Bmills Lodge does enameled cast iron just like the frenchies. My 7qt dutch oven is fantastic and was like $65 shipped on amazon a while back.

[BmillsSkier]

Nice, I'll have to keep that in mind fellas, didn't know! TGRforums delivers again!

[brice618]

Ahhhh gotcha - I was thinking you bought the crust that comes in packages and you unfold it. Is it frozen? Might have something to do with how it cooks.

I have an uber easy pie crust recipe you can make in 30 secs if you have a food processor. It's not a fancy super flaky crust but it is easy to work with and gets the job done - it is especially good for single crust applications. This recipe makes two crusts - you can easily cut it in half for one. It will require rolling but it rolls easy.

1 stick butter
1.5 c all purpose flour
4.5 tbl sour cream

combine all ingredient in food processor - process until it rolls into ball. That's it!

Freeze the butter before making the crust. Use a cheese grater to cut it into easy to mix pieces. Melting fats is bad news for pies and biscuits.

[MrDirt]

Love my enameled 6qt Lodge. I found it on clearance at Wally World for $40 a few years back.

[papapoopski]

OP - If your wife will be the one cooking and cleaning, I would suggest skipping the copper. Care of the copper adds more work to the kitchen. Thick stainless steel with handles riveted through the pan make for a great workhorse. Can't stand the pans that have a thick metal plate slapped on the bottom attached to thin metal at the sides. Good cookware is nice to work with but copper is overdoing it IMO.

Skip the copper option and have money left to get your wife a cooking lesson with a chef (although you mentioned La Cornue Château, jesus fucking christ). Many culinary schools offer recreational cooking classes with beginner to advanced options. Some restaurants offer cooking classes on the side.

[Mazderati]

poopski - How's business? You on the other side of all that shit?

[detrusor]

Bought the wife a couple mauviel copper sauce pans and a sauté pan last Christmas. Cooks great, very non stick and I kinda like the patina.

Of note I too am a la creuset fan. Wood urn outlet mall south of Portland has killer deals from time to time and will ship.


Killing it with the 3-5 year old crowd!