[MikeD]

Who's got what?

We've been using cheapish non-stick stuff for years, the kind of stuff you get in Macy's for $50-80 a set; looks nice, works well. While generally fine for our needs, it's been absolutely thrashed over 2 years in the third world. Our cook's great but doesn't quite understand proper care and use and washing...not doing well for the coating!

So when we're back in the States, I'm considering finding some serious, high-quality, traditional cookware to invest in. Something that can stand up to less-than-skilled use and care or washing and take a beating year after year as we move around the world.

Other option would be to find average, cheap-ish stainless steel stuff and just count on replacing it every few years. If it's trashed, people in the 3d world are always glad to take manufactured goods as a parting gift...

Even if the stuff is hard to clean, we'll likely have cook or housekeeper to do that for us...and they tend to do it well, if harshly...

Preferences for handle type? I doubt I'm skilled enough to make a metal handle worth going for... Is simple hard plastic, maybe silicon best for us hacks?

Thoughts? I'm not really brand-conscious in the cookware world...

MD

 

[binary visions]

people in the 3d world are always glad to take manufactured goods as a parting gift...

Woah.

Is the parting kind of like this, but in reverse?

 

[MikeD]

Grrrrrr! Nerrrrrds!

(Plus, that's the 3D world, not the 3d world...)

 

[OGRipper]

The thing with sets is that you're stuck with one kind of pan. Hit a restaurant supply store and pick up some good quality cast iron and stainless pots and pans, along with a couple cheap non-stick pans that you can replace periodically. You can pick individual items rather than take what you get with a set, and other than the non-stick stuff, it will last forever. I have some heavy stainless stuff that I picked up in Paris years ago. The restaurant stuff is built to take some serious abuse. You can also get good quality, cheap knives at the supply stores.

 

[MikeD]

Yeah, that's what I was sorta planning on after some research.

Some Le Creuset or the much cheaper and supposedly quite good US-made Lodge ceramic-coated cast iron stuff would be cool for dutch-oveny pieces, in addition maybe to some cast iron skillets and stainless saute pans, pots, etc.

Should be fun while on break and training this summer/fall to find a cool restaurant supply place. 'Course, my dad is working at Crate and Barrel, too, so if I get him to buy stuff for me, I get a big discount.

Any brands you prefer in the stainless stuff? Or is any brand's 18/10 steel going to be fine?

 

[BikeMike]

Any decent-looking stainless should do. The two things I'd check are 1) that handle looks like it will stay firmly attached, and 2) that the bottom of the pot/pan is good--as in thick, and possibly copper containing. Copper is nice and conductive, so helps to spread heat. But it's often $$ and rather too thin to make a huge difference. Any pot that doesn't get bad hot spots will make cooking much nicer.

Cast iron is sweet and will last forever, provided you don't hurl it against a rock or drop a hot pan into an icebath.

Other notes: It is nice to have at least a small non-stick pan. For a wok, a cheap carbon steel one is the way to go, and round bottoms are better (as long as you're not cooking on electric elements).

 

[JRogers]

I have a stainless pan I got at Target a while back. Metal handle, thick bottom, pretty nice, didn't pay that much for it, so it's probably a fairly generic type. It has held up fine. My mom (a great cook) uses All-Clad, which she really likes. Obviously, that will cost a good amount.

I'd recommend cast iron, though, for most things. The ceramic coated stuff is nice, but the standard Lodge (or probably almost any other brand) skillet is great. I use that for about 90% of my stovetop cooking and for some things in the oven. It sears things and gives flavor better than non-stick, is just about as non-stick as non-stick, can take higher temperatures, lasts decades and isn't hard to clean. I also find it easier to cook with than stainless- less sticking and easier temperature control (even for All Clad, not just my cheap ones). Using cast iron really turned me away from non-stick stuff, especially lower end pans. They seem like a bit of a scam when cast iron is cheaper, works better, lasts longer and isn't a potential health hazard (fumes, coating coming off, overheating the pan, etc). And most people tend to overstate how careful you have to be with cast iron; you can break the "rules" quite a bit without anything bad happening.

 

[MikeD]

Thanks for the advice!

Amazon.com: Kinetic Stainless Steel Cookware Sets: Kitchen & Dining@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31rIGTtPI4L.@@AMEPARAM@@31rIGTtPI4L looked like pretty good cheaper stainless stuff. Welded handles, Al in the base (I know, gives a less compliant ride...). If I can't find anything at a restaurant supply store, I'll start with one of these small sets as a base.

I'll get some Lodge skillets and one or two of their enameled pots/dutch ovens/roasters and we should be set. Lodge makes a dutch oven that looks like an apple, which my wife has already gone nuts over.

 

[Damo]

When it comes to pots, just get stainless steel cheapos with ss handles and heavy bottoms. Easy to clean is the thing you want here, not non-stick or whatever gadgetry. The only thing about cheapos is the handles can get hot. No biggie really, just remember. I get my pots from Ikea (their 365+ series if I remember). Not bothered about pots really.

Pans, I get from restaurant supple stores. I get 1x huge, 2x large and 2x small pans that will cost me about 200 euros or so for the lot. They are non-stick, SS and have SS handles. I replace them every 2 years as the non-stick becomes stick. I want non stick in a pan because I hate things sticking. I would rather buy expensive non stick and replace them every now and then than buying other materials.

Always get metal handles. They can go straight from the gas top into the oven.

 

[OGRipper]

That stainless stuff SOUNDS good but it seems far too cheap to be of decent quality. I guess you can return it if it feels like crap when you get it, but I always want to handle this sort of thing before I buy since quality is really all over the map.

Enameled cast iron is great but since you mentioned that coated pieces take a beating I still say go stainless and regular cast iron, along with a couple cheap non-stick items you can replace when they get shredded. An enameled dutch oven and maybe a casserole/lasagna pan are great but anything that will see lots of stirring and sauteeing will get messed up pretty quick under hard use.

 

[gonefirefightin]

jetboil

 

[SkaredShtles]

I went with this stainless set. The only pan that doesn't get used much is the small skillet. As far as I can tell these are indestructible and the bottoms are NICE and thick.

We also keep a decent non-stick around for cooking eggs and such.

 

[TreeSaw]

I personally use Emeriware (made by All-Clad for a fraction of the price and very nice) and bought a set at Bed Bath N' Beyond with a 20% off coupon a few years back. The set is Stainless steel with nice thick copper-core bottoms and has been awesome! I added a saucier/chef's pan to the set (in place of the freebie grill pan they were offering because I already had the grill pan) and paid the difference in price at the time.

I also have an enameled Lodge dutch oven (recommended by Cooks Illustrated as a much more affordable option than the LeCreuset) and LOVE it! I'd also recommend some cast iron pieces. We have 2 different sized skillets (small for eggs and larger for whatever) and 2 other dutch ovens (a 5 qt. and a 12 qt.) that we use when camping and for large stews, etc. on the woodstove.

 

[DaveW]

Is weight an issue? seeing as your moving to the other side of the planet, that cast iron stuff is fairly hefty. Otherwise not much beats good seasoned cast iron.

 

[kazlx]

I'm an All-Clad whore. Williams-Sonoma puts together the best 10 piece set for like $600 that will last a lifetime. Other than that, a good cast iron skillet and you are pretty much set.

 

[buildyourown]

I'm a Le Creuset whore. Not light, but you would have a hard time killing one, and they are incredibly versitile.

If I had to go bang for the buck and stay light, I have an old hard anodized Calphalon that is still going strong.

 

[TKCastle]

Kramer: Hey.

Frank: You still need a cook?

Kramer: Oh yeah, come on in, Frank.

Frank: Ya got T-Fal?

Kramer: Keflon.

Frank: No! Follow me.

 

[-BB-]

Here is the basic set that I would get:

10-12in Cast Iron skillet
Cheap 8qt "ceramic" dutch oven
2.5qt stainelss steel sauce pan

The cast Iron is pretty much the best bet for you.
It is naturally non-stick (just don't let soapy water sit in it for more than an hour or two).
You can use metal utencils on it.
It will still "brown" food (unlike a teflon non-stick).
Metal handle will allow you to put it in the oven or over the camp-fire.

 

[MikeD]

To the top again!

So are stainless frying pans and cast-iron skillets redundant?

 

[Silver]

To the top again!

So are stainless frying pans and cast-iron skillets redundant?

Unless you need to do acidic long-simmering sauces, yeah.

 

[MikeD]

Hmmm, the plot thickens.

Thinking we'll get some of the cheap Ikea stainless pots, a few expensive high-quality pieces like a wok and a roasting pan, and some Lodge skillets and enameled dutch ovens.

 

[Silver]

I don't have any woks, but from what I understand, cheap high carbon steel makes the best woks, not stainless.

The problem with woks is that you normally can't get the same heat source that a restaurant can, unless you've got a propane burner in the backyard from something like a turkey frying kit.

 

[DaveW]

I don't have any woks, but from what I understand, cheap high carbon steel makes the best woks, not stainless.

Correct, a cheap high carbon once seasoned is da bomb.
Easy to get a gas burner to sit on the kitchen bench which works a treat for th wok. should be able to get a cheap burner in India the Indians also use a very wok like dish to cook in so I doubt it will be a problem over there.

 

[mrbigisbudgood]

Cast iron is the only answer.

 

[MikeD]

Broke in a 12" cast iron skillet with crumbled chorizo, followed by cooking eggs in (some of) the remaining grease, followed by some pancakes. Awesome. Did require some adjusting of technique for the pancakes, with the pan being pretty much immobile during cooking.

However, the pancakes did have to be centered in the skillet to come out evenly--was hoping the heat distribution would have let me cook two smaller ones at the same time without coming out with a dark-brown-to-light-tan finish.

But I'll get a big two-burner griddle and work off of that for big breakfasts in the future.


Any reason to buy the ridiculously heavy cast iron lid for this thing? For simmering stuff, maybe? Or should I leave that sort of thing to the dutch oven(s) I plan on getting?

 

[DaveW]

Leave that for the dutch oven.... No need for an uber lid for it, any old lid that fits would do the job just as well.

 

[JRogers]

I don't have any woks, but from what I understand, cheap high carbon steel makes the best woks, not stainless.

The problem with woks is that you normally can't get the same heat source that a restaurant can, unless you've got a propane burner in the backyard from something like a turkey frying kit.

Not that I know that much about woks, but I took a cooking lesson when I was in China. The teacher recommended (and used) plain, heavily seasoned carbon steel woks with round bottoms. They were somewhat smaller than most of the woks I see around here and have owned. She also had a gas stove (not a professional setup or anything, just what seemed to be common there) that had a crazy output on it. The smaller wok and round bottom did make it easier to move the pan and food around in the way I wanted to, for what it's worth.


Glad to hear you are using the cast iron now. That breakfast sounds really good. Used my Lodge pan the other day to make a big frittata: asparagus, onions, bacon, some crushed saltines for the top and about 9 or so eggs from our chickens. We're getting lots of eggs now so I feel like I have to use them for something.

 

[$tinkle]

ok, i'm in the market, and after doing initial research here (level of trust & experience is respectable), i'm ready to pull the trigger on something north of dept store 9-piece set, but south of the holiest of holies

main issue is, i switched from electric range to ceramic cooktop, and still haven't confidently dialed in the heat w/ my existing hardware (calphalon/dept store quality) that i was able to w/ my range

are there significantly special considerations for my cooktop? breakfast foods turn out well (finally), as well as simple boiling, but the heat source seems to be binary - it's on *OR* off; the settings appear to only determine the onff schedule, not intensity.

all-clad is on the short list, but bb&b won't honor the 20% coupon for that brand (it's in the small print). i figure there has to be the right material that will make up for a multitude of error on my part, will last for ages, yet won't be so cost prohibitive i have to get it insured.

i will return to gas, but not soon