vabuckbuster
Well-Known Member
I am going to have to get a new set of cookware. I'm wanting to spend about 200.00 to 250.00 for the standard 12-15pc set. What's the best for the money? Stainless? Anodized? Is there something else?
quality cookware question..............
- Thread starter vabuckbuster
- Start date
What's your method of cooking and what are you trying to accomplish with your cookware??
Answering this will help to in determining whats the best cookware set to buy for your kitchen.
I myself have both Calphalon Commercial Non-Stick Hard Anodized Aluminum and Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel. Each has it's place in what and how I cook. I would say I use the Calphalon 60% of the time and the Cuisinart 40%.
One thing to consider if being able wash your pots and pans in the dishwasher is a priority then anodized aluminum is not a good choice. You then might want to consider stainless steel pots and pans.
Answering this will help to in determining whats the best cookware set to buy for your kitchen.
I myself have both Calphalon Commercial Non-Stick Hard Anodized Aluminum and Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel. Each has it's place in what and how I cook. I would say I use the Calphalon 60% of the time and the Cuisinart 40%.
One thing to consider if being able wash your pots and pans in the dishwasher is a priority then anodized aluminum is not a good choice. You then might want to consider stainless steel pots and pans.
I've been thinking about your question.
Now this is just me, if it was me I would get a Non-Stick Hard Anodized Aluminum set and one 8- and one 10-inch open skillets with covers in Stainless Steel. That should cover all your needs. The SS skillets will alow you to cook like browning or searing meat on the stovetop and then finishing the cooking process in the oven all in same piece of cookware.
Like I said that's just me and others will go the other way getting all SS and a couple anodized pots and pans.
Now this is just me, if it was me I would get a Non-Stick Hard Anodized Aluminum set and one 8- and one 10-inch open skillets with covers in Stainless Steel. That should cover all your needs. The SS skillets will alow you to cook like browning or searing meat on the stovetop and then finishing the cooking process in the oven all in same piece of cookware.
Like I said that's just me and others will go the other way getting all SS and a couple anodized pots and pans.
vabuckbuster
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info. It's a tough decision for sure. My families methods of cooking varies greatly. I've got 4 kids, 3 of which are teenagers! My wife does a lot of cooking and trying new things. We try to do most meats on the grill until the temps get into the 30's......which is about there.
My initial reaction was the anodized.......but there's the cancer thing about the finish slowly wearing off and into the food.
The Stainless is nice, but there's the cleaning side of that, with stainless having to be scrubbed back to the polished finish with every use if it's to be kept nice and original.
And it may be that $200.00 to $250.00 is not enough to spend?
My initial reaction was the anodized.......but there's the cancer thing about the finish slowly wearing off and into the food.
The Stainless is nice, but there's the cleaning side of that, with stainless having to be scrubbed back to the polished finish with every use if it's to be kept nice and original.
And it may be that $200.00 to $250.00 is not enough to spend?
The Calphalon anodized goes all the way though and as far as I can tell it's never "worn off" like the cheap planted non-stick ones do.
Another thing, if you go with the anodized set you will have to cook different, you will learn to lower the temp since the anodized ones heat envenly though out the whole pan, this incules sides. Also the food stays hoter much longer in the pans.
When I wash my SS set I just wash it regulary in the sink after each use but once a month I use Bar Keepers Friend and make them look brand new.
If you get the anodized set get rud of your metal utensils and buy new ones that will not scrape the new set. like it or not but teenagers for some reason will reach for metal or steel utensils 9 times out of 10.
Both sets I listed can be found for under $250 each set.
Another thing, if you go with the anodized set you will have to cook different, you will learn to lower the temp since the anodized ones heat envenly though out the whole pan, this incules sides. Also the food stays hoter much longer in the pans.
When I wash my SS set I just wash it regulary in the sink after each use but once a month I use Bar Keepers Friend and make them look brand new.
If you get the anodized set get rud of your metal utensils and buy new ones that will not scrape the new set. like it or not but teenagers for some reason will reach for metal or steel utensils 9 times out of 10.
Both sets I listed can be found for under $250 each set.
spoon
Well-Known Member
We have a complete set of All-Clad SS. IMO, its the best on the market. Like Wildcat said, we wash them in the sink as soon as we are through cooking
Bowdacious
Well-Known Member
I like the stainless for durability. I have a set of Townecraft which is very expensive (it was a gift) and some of my Mom's old Lifetime SS. The All Clad is just as good. I find the stainless very easy to clean. If something is stuck, you can scrub or bring water to a boil in it to loosen it before you wash it.
makes it release food & cleans up easier.retreat once a month or so depending on how much you use it.
SilverFox
Well-Known Member
Just got the 13 piece Calphalon SS set. So far so good.
ShaneHallum
Well-Known Member
Tramontina is what we use. Its a SS set. Seems like we got 12pc. for 240ish. But its heavy grade stuff.
The only complaint I have about ours,.. the handle gets so hot you can't touch them without a towel.
The only complaint I have about ours,.. the handle gets so hot you can't touch them without a towel.
My wife too and seems like she just knows how to set the burners on high.
2021 and I'm asking the same question. What did you end up buying ?? Has it stood up well over the last 10 + years.
Good luck, he hasn't been on since 2015
Maybe someone else can answer your question though
I saw the question after I posted the same one. Good info from Wildcat.Good luck, he hasn't been on since 2015
Maybe someone else can answer your question though
Deer Whisperer
Well-Known Member
Cook on well seasoned cast iron every chance you get. Once we converted to it, we don't care to use anything else.
We have 3 sizes of cast iron skillets. Fried some nice Backstrap up tonight. It's not practical for everything.
With well seasoned cast iron you adjust your method to fit what you are preparing. My favorite is so old its thin and smooth all over.
Here's my response to another similar thread. In short, there's not a $250 set of anything worth buying. Piecemeal your collection together to maximize the best benefits of each piece.
In Memphis, there is a Williams Sonoma outlet that sells a lot of the high-quality brands at pretty discounted prices. That's where you'll find a wide variety of good stuff, and it weeds out some of the crap you see at Target, Macys, etc. Calphalon is a good brand for stainless pots & pans.
I wouldn't buy a "set" of anything. I hate most of the handles on anything you'll buy in a department store, and those sets usually have too much useless crap in them. For example, if everything about a pan is great, it's got a crappy big giant glass dome lid. If it's got a flat lightweight lid like I want, the handle sucks or it's got a weird curve to it.
If money is no object, buy (and learn how to use) the French enameled cast iron. I had a recent post about the LeCreuset customer service where basically we burned up the enamel lining in a big dutch oven, and they sent me a replacement for free. LeCreuset is probably the costliest stuff for a home kitchen, but it's very good quality. Lodge enameled cast iron is not Made in USA (china?).
Pick and choose the best of each item you want. If it's going to be set in a drawer, who cares about whether they match or not? Other considerations are whether you're cooking on an electric eye, glasstop, or gas flame. Cast iron can be used on glasstops, but there's a big risk of scratching or breaking.
Most home cooks can do everything they need with the following:
6 Quart (or bigger) Dutch oven (LeCreuset enameled)
10" Frying Pan (LeCreuset enameled or Lodge for plain cast iron)
10" skillet (LeCreuset enameled or Lodge for plain cast iron)
A stock pot about 8Qt - 12Qt in capacity (https://www.epicurious.com/expert-a...pot-for-all-of-your-big-boiling-needs-article)
3 soup pans of varying sizes
If you're cooking on glasstop, a good multi-metal bonded set of pans will work fine. Figure out which handles work best for you, and avoid the ones that have a giant glass lid. They're heavy and otherwise pointless.
Instead of a cook set I would buy pieces to suit the cooking that you do. Thats what I/we have done over the past several years. So now none of our pots and pans match. But they are high quality and purpose pots and pans vs a set that some of the pots and pans didnt fit how we cook. We do alot of high heat sear and stir fry (type) cooking. Low on cooking oils. Now we also have the deep pots for stews, sauces etc. But there again high quality. I only have 1 nonstick skillet that is regularly used, 1 wok. Other skillets are cast iron(old). No nonstick pots all SS. Clean up aint bad either.
