cookware

[sage]

Hi! I'm well on my way to wearing out my two main saucepans and I need help. I'm staring at Amazon's cookware pages right now and I'm baffled by the whole aluminum / copper / hard-anodized aluminum / nonstick / stainless steel / cast iron question. There are so many options! I had no idea!

I have a crazy mix of different pots, most of which are hand-me-downs. My favorites are Cuisinart nonstick, followed by the Farberware nonstick, followed by a dented 3 quart copper-bottomed pot I got from Goodwill (it's a great size, even if it lists to one side a little *g*).

Anyway, the fact that there are so many options implies that the different materials mean something important, right? What do you all use? What is best? I cook only for myself, but I'm cooking a LOT now -- more than ever in my life -- and my poor old saucepans aren't coping well with the wear and tear.

Thanks for any advice!

Comments

[willidan]

Right now my two main type of go to pots are cast iron and hard-anodized. They are both super easy to clean and distribute heat evenly. But if you can afford it, try a stainless steal type pot. My mom is still using the set she got for her wedding, 45 years ago. They stand up to wear and tear and overuse like a dream. But she also has a set of copper pots she uses occasionally for special cooking needs. I personally dislike the copper bottom pots, but mainly because they are horrible to clean. And I can see no benefit to copper pots unless you make a lot of candy. Let us know what you choose and why. I'm curious as to which you choose.

[sage]

Thanks, the dented copper bottom pot is stainless steel, as is my giant soup pot. It is crazy how complicated all this is!

[sporky_rat]

I say go with one cast iron skillet and some hard anodized aluminum. They're excellent and easy to clean.

[sage]

Oh, my skillets are fine, it's only the saucepans that are wearing out on me. Thanks for the recommendation!

[neekabe]

I'm a fan of Paderno's pots. My mom's still using hers after 30 some years, and they still looks the same as my brand new ones. They're kind of expensive, but they have huge 50+% off sales a couple of times a year (I always get a new pot for Christmas ^_~ )

[sage]

oh, pretty, and wow, good steel is expensive. That's good to know about the sales.

[aedifica]

I'm thinking about replacing pans too. A chef-trained friend recommended Calphalon One brand anodized aluminum. I've been wavering because all the reviews I've seen of it seem to be evenly split between those who love it and those who hate it.

[sage]

*nodnod* I have a Calphalon mini-wok that I nearly never use because the handle gets too hot and it wobbles on the burner. I get burned *every* time I use it. Meanwhile, my Cuisinart chef's pan/saucier is about the same size, hollow-handled, flat-bottomed, and much more user-friendly. OTOH, I gave my mom some Calphalon baking sheets many years ago and they're wonderful, so maybe it depends on specific items.

[norabombay]

I have four saucepans. Two small, two large.

The two small ones are calphalon hard anodized. 1 cm, 1/4 inch thick- they are thick walled and based. I LOVE THEM.

I've had them for 15 years, and will have them for a decade or two or three more.

Great cooking, no hotspots, just wonderful. Get the metal lids, not the glass as they last forever.

I have two larger saucepans- the size that you would use for soup or boiling pasta. They are both stainless steel. Haven't had any problems with them. Solid thick walled steel. One is cusinart brand, easily 8-9 years old. The other is a no name brand.

Get the ones with the solid metal handles, not plastic, so you can stick them in the oven.

Generally, you can do well with either.

My advice: Don't get non-stick saucepans. The non-stick coating will not age well. It gets all scratched up and than you have to kill the pan.

A non-stick frying pan is nice for eggs or such, but has too short a life span.

Go for the slightly heavier model pans.

[sage]

Yes, as convenient as nonstick is, it doesn't last in the long run. Thanks for the ideas.