The Big Pots & Pans Thread (Merged)

coolaboola

I binned another cheap and nasty saucepan yesterday. It supposedly had a lifetime guarantee but it was less than a year old and the non-stick coating had started to peel. On top of that it was a rubbish design - the handle was heavier than the pot making it prone to tipping over, especially on my gas hob.

Am sick of cheapo rubbish saucepans. I'm considering investing in a really good set of pots and pans. What are your recommendations?

I've done a bit of rummaging about on the web and have sussed out the following (though I stand to be corrected if I've got this all wrong):
1. All Clad is considered the mutts nuts in the US of A but isn't readily available here (though have found a coulpe of suppliers on e-bay who may/will ship to Ireland)
2. Le Creuset is considered the mutts nuts on this side of the pond
3. Le Creuset have launched a range called Trivita which is similar in construction to All Clad pots (stainless steel triply construction)
4. You've got to shell out quite a serious lump of cash to get good quality pots and pans

So, have you any experience of the aforementioned brands? Any other recommendations? Where should I buy the best pots and pans? How much should I realistically be shelling out? Any suggestions gratefully received.

Blub2k4

coolaboola wrote:

I binned another cheap and nasty saucepan yesterday. It supposedly had a lifetime guarantee but it was less than a year old and the non-stick coating had started to peel. On top of that it was a rubbish design - the handle was heavier than the pot making it prone to tipping over, especially on my gas hob.

Am sick of cheapo rubbish saucepans. I'm considering investing in a really good set of pots and pans. What are your recommendations?

I've done a bit of rummaging about on the web and have sussed out the following (though I stand to be corrected if I've got this all wrong):
1. All Clad is considered the mutts nuts in the US of A but isn't readily available here (though have found a coulpe of suppliers on e-bay who may/will ship to Ireland)
2. Le Creuset is considered the mutts nuts on this side of the pond
3. Le Creuset have launched a range called Trivita which is similar in construction to All Clad pots (stainless steel triply construction)
4. You've got to shell out quite a serious lump of cash to get good quality pots and pans

So, have you any experience of the aforementioned brands? Any other recommendations? Where should I buy the best pots and pans? How much should I realistically be shelling out? Any suggestions gratefully received.

I'd recommend that you go into TKMaxx and have a look down the back in the kitchen section, you can get reduced sets for good prices, I recently got a professional set, cant remember the make and it does a really good job.

Shabadu

I'd go for a full set of 7 layered copper & titanium bad boys if I had the cash. Le creuset are great, but a bit clunky.

Alun

I've got all Swiss made pans myself ... Spring and Sigg. They're built to withstand a nuclear attack and I'm sure they'll outlive me before they break, if they ever do. For hob-to-oven type scenarios Le Creuset still wins for me. No non-stick though, if that's what you're after.

Smoggy

Homestore plus more had Jamie Oliver Teafal range on at near half price at Belgard Retail Park. I don't know if they are good thou. A 7 set retailed just below 400 and on sale a just above 200.

dudara

I have a stainless steel Wedgewood stock pot and big frying pan (which is non-stick, but after 5 years is still intact). They're heavy bottomed, but not overly weighty.

I think Le Creuseut (?) are ridiculously over-priced. I have a set of three different sized cast-iron pans that I picked up in a kitchen-supply stall in the English Market here in Cork for €20 and they're superb. They're one piece, ie the handle and the pan are cast as one. They're heavy, and very easy to clean. You don't have to worry about non-stick as long as you keep them seasoned, and they can handle very high heat.

I have a Le Creuset skillet pan that I received as a gift and while it is great, I cannot honestly see a difference between it and my pans from the stall.

I also have a small cast-iron covered enamelled saucepan in the vein of Le Creuset that I picked up in a similar stall. However, the handle is added on to the pot and is wooden covered and this would be a weak point in it's construction. However, again due to the cast-iron, there are no issues with non-stick and heat.

if you do splash out on pans with a non-stick coating, make sure to also buy loads of wooden and plastic utensils.

Alun

I think Le Creuseut (?) are ridiculously over-priced.

Modern day le Creuset pans do indeed seem to have gone downhill a little in quality (i.e. light weight), and have increased in price too. Mine are well over 20 years old and are still going strong though.

The Sweeper

I've got a mixture. I've got three great items I snaffled at different times out of TK Maxx - a stainless steel one-handled saucepan, great for rice and pasta, a stainless steel two handed pot great for stews and large all-in-one dishes. Both have glass lids, which I'm not crazy about, but they're heavy duty, well balanced and the lids do fit properly. I've a copper-bottomed deep fry pan that I also found at TK Maxx, which I love, which has a steel lid that fits properly.

I've got a stainless steel wok that was bought cheap and has been lovingly seasoned for years, and for which I bought a lid about a year after I bought the wok. I've got a le creuset casserole which I bought on sale from amazon.co.uk, for about £30 less than the retail price. I've got a set of three bourgeat non-stick frying pans my brother bought me for my birthday two years ago, and they're going strong (the coating lasts and lasts on these if you're careful with it).

I've got a vitreous enamel stock pot I bought for a tenner that holds about five litres.

I've got one small, heavy, stainless steel saucepan, with a glass lid again, that does for boiling milk, making sauces, the small jobs.

What's my point? I wouldn't trade any of that mix and match rag tag bunch of pots and pans. I'm not ecstatic about glass lids on pans, but the ones I have fit the pans properly and aren't designed to disguise light-weight, cheap assed pans (you know when they tape the lid to the pot, and you get it home and realise the weight was all lid...)

I've got something for everything I cook - I never find myself rooting through the cupboards thinking 'Damn, have I got a [insert pot]...' when I'm cooking. I acquired it over time, bought good items when I had the money, or when there were sales on. I've got hobware, ovenware, tableware, hob-to-oven, oven-to-table, hob-to-oven-to-table, and I don't think any two items are the same brand name, other than the three pans I got as a gift.

If you don't have a small fortune to spend on a full set of pans, why don't you shop around and spend money on one or two items that'll form a staple part of your kitchen for years?

[EDIT]Or remortgage and buy a set of Mauviel Cuprinox...[/EDIT]
[EDIT AGAIN]And then move into a hard water area and spend your entire life cleaning them. [/EDIT]

CJhaughey

I think that my next purchase will be a 18 or 20 cm Calphalon One pot.
I have 2 Le Creuset casserole type pots but I chipped the enamel on two of them by using electric rings and heating the pot dry.
The third pot is a french make that is the same as le creuset but was about 1/2 the price.
I also have a 28cm Le creuset frypan that has turned black over the years.
But the pots that I use most are Tefal non stick and I have heard some bad things about non stick over the years and am trying to move away from teflon coated pots.
Oh I almost forgot, I have a cheap ass wok that I got from the Asian Market and that is awesome, you can't beat a cheap carbon steel wok with no teflon lining.

coolaboola

Interesting reading! Sounds like my best bet might be to rummage around TK Maxx rather than opting for the super-expensive brands?

Blub2k4

coolaboola wrote:

Interesting reading! Sounds like my best bet might be to rummage around TK Maxx rather than opting for the super-expensive brands?

That's what I'd recommend, you can get a whole set reduced sometimes to 20% of the RRP purely because of the deals that TKMaxx seem to be able to negotiate. The brands are still good brands.

bonkey

The guts of my cookware is all Le Pentole, which I'm pretty happy with and don't intend to change. I'd go with Le Creuset for certain things like casserole dishes, and I still haven't found a frying pan that I'll never switch from.

4. You've got to shell out quite a serious lump of cash to get good quality pots and pans

True. Very true. Whle I picked up a lot of my kit for a decent price, its horrifically expensive - a lid will set me back 25 quid sterling. Pots start at about 50 of those english pounds, and go up to 150 or so. Wince.

On the other hand, you should never have to replace good quality pots and pans. Bit like kitchen knives in that sense.

coolaboola

Yup, bonkey, cheap pots and pans are a false economy. If I'd spent what I've spent to date on rubbish pots and pans I could have got me a really good set.

Ditto on the knives. Any recommendations on that front?

Blub2k4

coolaboola wrote:

Yup, bonkey, cheap pots and pans are a false economy. If I'd spent what I've spent to date on rubbish pots and pans I could have got me a really good set.

Ditto on the knives. Any recommendations on that front?

Have a look around TKMaxx again, it's a veritable wonderland of inexpensive yet good quality kitchen equipment.

CJhaughey

I really have a soft spot for Victorinox knives.
I know that they are not the most glamorous of knives and that they probably don't have a signature of a celebrity chef on them but as far as reasonably priced good quality knives go they are hard to beat.
I would look for a 19cm cooks knife and possibly a larger 25cm or so version
The Fibrox handle is good and grippy even after nearly 10 years of hard daily use mine are still going strong.
I have heard great things about the edge holding ability of global knives but also terrible things about blades breaking when dropped.
If you do manage to break a Victorinox they aren't that dear to buy again.

edit:One thing with Victorinox is that the steel is quite hard 59-60 rockwell and hey can be difficult to sharpen if you let them get too blunt, I have a Spyderco triangle sharpmaker model 204 and quite honestly it is the best sharpener that I have ever used on any knife, considering that I have tried almost every type of sharpener available including diamond,DMT etc that is high praise from me.





just my 0.02c

bonkey

coolaboola wrote:

Ditto on the knives. Any recommendations on that front?

There was a thread about knives a while back...think it was titled something about sharpening them.

Victorinox are a great "value" buy - they're not Rolls Royce, but they're what pretty-much every trainee chef in Switzerland is told to buy starting off, and they will last a lifetime. You can get wooden-handled ones if you want, but most people prefer the man-made grips.

Global are also very popular and good...if you like that type of thing. I don't find the metal handles good to work with, so they're not for me.

My preferences generally run to any of the good Solingen makes - Dreizach, Henckels/Zwilling, etc.

In the kitchen at home, we've a set of Zwilling 4-star at the moment. I hate the grips on them, but they were cheap at the time and will do as a backup to the set I'm slowly acquiring...which are Goldhamster First-Class Edition (by Schaaf). The Kingswood handles just suit me down to the ground, and the blades themselves are as good as they get, really.

edit:One thing with Victorinox is that the steel is quite hard 59-60 rockwell and hey can be difficult to sharpen if you let them get too blunt,

I think you might be a touch high on the Rockwell there, but in general what you're saying is true of any good knife.

jc

The Sweeper

bonkey wrote:

I still haven't found a frying pan that I'll never switch from.

Try Bourgeat. I'm a sworn convert. I've got three sizes of these: http://www.bourgeat.fr/us/produit/batterie_4coalu.htm and they're the best non-stick pan I've ever owned. Not normally a huge non-stick fan, I've had these three almost a year and the non-stick coating isn't batting an eyelid. Their heat distribution is great as well - no disproportionate hotspots. If their other ranges are half as good as these, they're well worth the money. Plus - shop around on the net - you can little knock £20-30 off your asking price if you do a bit of hunting.

coolaboola wrote:

Ditto on the knives. Any recommendations on that front?

On knives, I'm a cheerleader for Global - the G series, rather than the drop-forged GF series. I find them light and well-balanced. But you have got to buy the sharpener with the little ceramic wheels.

The Hill Billy

I the Billy cookhouse we use a set of Judge pots that I'd swear by.

Pretty much the only knife I use is a chinese cleaver - even for small fiddly jobs.

One thing that I still haven't found in all my years of cooking is a decent frying pan. No matter what I buy they "belly" after a while. Any recommendations?

dudara

My mother gave me a set of knives years ago that she got through an offer in Super Valu. And they're still going strong. I use a steel to sharpen them, switching to a soapstone when they're a little too dull.

I probably will replace them eventually, but I'm in no hurry to do so, as they're showing no sign of wear and they hold their edges pretty well. For some bizarre reason, the chef's knife in the set fits my hand perfectly and it's weight distribution suits me brilliantly.

It's so hard to buy knives, as you really do have to try them out to see if they fit and suit.

coolaboola

Thanks for all those tips. Will have to take a printout of this post with me when I hit TK Maxx!

Hill Billy, interesting that you use only a Chinese cleaver. According to http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article.php?id=39&title=Kitchen+Knives its consistently rated as the single most essential in the kitchen.

The Hill Billy

I bought it years ago in the Asian Market on Drury Street in Dublin. Cost maybe £15 then. It took me a while to get used to it - family & friends have unknowingly eaten more than their fair share of my fingertips!

I find it great for scooping up whatever I've prepared to transfer to pot or pan, or peelings to the compost bin. Nice & wide too for bashing garlic, peppercorns, etc.

Would highly recommend using one, but they are not for the faint-hearted or clumsy. Also not great if "little darlings" are hanging around the kitchen!

Blub2k4

I use one of those chinese cleavers now and again as well, they have them in the Oriental Emporium on Jervis Street, they're still about 15 euros for the large ones.

I also got a lovely large sized mortar and pestle there, really good for making pesto and it's made of soapstone and really has some weight, great for making pesto or curry powders, there's no messing about with it.

AdrianR

Double post.

AdrianR

The basics when buying saucepans:

18-10 stainless steel
Handle attached to body with rivets, not welded.
Good heavy base, turn it over and knock on it with your knuckle, Copper bonded sandwich base is the business.

For that step beyond you can go for non stick interior etc.




The basics when buying a chefs knife:
You shouldn't be able to bend the blade.
The handle should be attached to the blade with rivets.
Forged knives are better quality.
Make sure it feels good in your hand.


As I said it's just the basics. I could crap on for a few paragraphs about types of lids makes brands models etc etc. Regarding knives, I find that 1 Chefs knife does just about everything for me, a proper filleting knife is useful too.

delly

Gone threw a few of those thermo spot pans from that company I can't remember the name of, but I picked up a really heavy frying pan from TK Maxx and its the business. Can't remember the brand but TK Maxx is great at picking up quality kitchen utensils at a good price.

fourmations

hi all


i use stellar pots, cast iron pans, and carbon steel woks (as mentioned)
i bought some jamie frypans in the homestore sale

check out nisbets.ie
(cork based, will post for e10)
they sell the professional kitchen stuff to the public

they do all the proper equipment at good prices
they do the bourgeot stuff mentioned earlier

I am also a global fan and built up a collection of 8
they are superb, buy the watersharpener recommended by them
and a ceramic steel (the global one is a rip off) try get a cheaper one


rgds

four

MM3

We got some newbridge silverware pots for a wedding present and I must say they are superb , good heavy base but be warned they are not non-stick.

http://195.218.114.18/newbridge-2005/global/productDetail.asp?supertype=78&type=99&page=1&id=1000

M

iplogger1

Are there any of the culinery types on this board who have
an opinion on using magnetic induction hob.
I ask because I know that a limitation is that the vessels must
have ferromagnetic properties and I noticed this is a discussion
on the best pots/pans.

Our Creuset stuff is fine but we would have to replace pots
which are stainless steel (but at this stage nearing 12 yrs of
age.. wedding present...). Will we be seriously limited on
account of the magnetism restriction ? Is it possible (for
example) to get a wok which has a magnetic base.
Our TEFAL one definitely isn't magnetic.

From what I read on the DIY forum and on AAM house/diy forums
a lot of folks seem to think they come close to gas in terms
of responsivity. My wife isn't keen on putting in a gas supplied
oven (we won't be living in an area supplied by natural gas).

bonkey

iplogger1 wrote:

but we would have to replace pots
which are stainless steel (but at this stage nearing 12 yrs of
age.. wedding present...).

Why? I thought steel was fine on induction cookers?

A quick check with google seems to support this. Any page I've seen describing the requirements clarifies ferrous or ferromagnetic by saying something like "typcally cast iron or stainless steel".

CJhaughey

AFAIK most pots and pans are made from 300 series stainless, (316 etc)which is non magnetic.
As you go higher in the stainless chart 440 etc stainless becomes magnetic but too brittle for use in pots.
There are some pots that have a trilaminate base with stainless sandwiching a carbon steel core that allow use on an induction hob.

Radiotower

We got EUR200 of One 4 All vouchers as a gift and we want to buy some decent pots and pans for a change.

Anyone got any good recomendations, we dont need a whole lot of stuff, just a two of us but something good to start off and obviously the stockist has to accept One 4 All vouchers.

Thanks

Sigma Force

I'm not sure what the quality is like nowdays but 11 years ago I bought a set of stainless steel saucepans in Argos.

One large pot great for big stews/curries.
A good sized saucepan good for larger portions or pasta etc., another slightly smaller one handy for noodles/spuds etc another one great for peas or other veggies and a milk pan at the time it was about 30 quid. Obviously prices have gone up since.
With glass lids. Can't remember if the lids are oven safe so I've never used them in the oven.

They've been through a dishwasher I zillion times and are still going strong, the handles are still strong and they are pretty tough.

A casserole dish with oven proof lid would be handy to have and some various sized frying pans.

Argos do the oneforall vouchers.

olaola

Arnotts is great - and I think they have a sale on. One thing I really recommend is a good saute pan with lid. You'll use it every day.
I have a good Circulon one, and I wouldn't live without it!
And a casserole dish is also a good buy, my MIL has a Le Creuset one from her wedding gifts, and it lives on top of the hob.

Sparks

Don't think you need to get a complete set from one source for a start, your pots and pans don't have to match (and the food will taste better if they don't).

Not sure if TK Maxx take those one 4 all vouchers, but if they did, I'd go there rather than anywhere else (except maybe online). Last week saw a Denby lasagne/cassarole dish for €20. Walk to the nearest arnotts/wherever and you can probably triple the price at a minimum. A month ago, it was individual serving enamalled cast iron pots from le creuset for €7 each, which were selling across the street in Stock for €22 each...
...but, you do need to know what you're looking for and it's the kind of place you go to regularly to hunt down items because it's about as seasonal as blueberries.


As to what to buy, my personal list would be:

• a cast iron frying pan
• a stock pot (useful for stocks, broths and also for cooking things like pasta and noodles and so forth -- but don't bother with anything heavy for this, just get one that's taller than it is wide and holds a few litres - and big enough to get a whole chicken into)
• a small pot for rouxs and sauces
• a wok
• a cast iron dutch oven if you can find one - Dunnes were doing some nice ones a while back, but be sure to get one with the dimples on the underside of the lid)
• A decent sized ceramic (or pyrex at a stretch) cassarole dish with a pyrex lid (be sure to get one that's at least two to three inches deep and rectangular will be better than round - it'll make lasagne, pot pies and enchilades a lot easier to do quickly and it'll do cassaroles just as easily)
• and a saucier

That's pretty much going to do the bulk of your day-to-day cooking.

And don't forget to get one or two baking sheets, one or two baking trays, one or two pie pans (and I do not mean sandwich cake tins, I mean slope-sided pie pans), and one or two cooling racks - and the heavier all of those are, the better (in general).

Sparks

Incidentally, if there's just the two of you then try not to get the giant family-sized versions of all of those, except for the cast iron stuff (which lasts forever, so you might as well get a decent set from the get-go; a 10" pan and a similar-sized dutch oven would do, larger and they're too heavy to move), and the stock pot (which won't work unless it's reasonably large to begin with).

But a three-foot-long cassarole dish isn't worth getting until you're cooking dinner for six on a daily basis.


Or unless it's a really lovely le cruset one


(and incidentally, if any of those things - bar the cast iron stuff, which is a special case - say they're not dishwasher safe, don't bother with them. And if the cassarole dish can go on the hob, that's pretty useful)

lucylu

Circulon Saucepans are excellent. We got the commercial brand. Can be got in Arnotts, House of Fraser, Debenhams, Shaws Nationwide
A cast iron Casserole Dish like Le Creuset will last you a lifetime.

aoifefc

You could use this as an opportunity to buy pots and pans for life. My friend the chef recommends Analon, don't know if they are available in places that take the One4All vouchers but you see them in TK Max from time to time. Usually sold in sets! Will last a lifetime apparently!

Dinkie

I have circulon pot and pans and they are fantastic! I got mine in Debenhams - I got them as a set, but you can buy them individually.

boodlesdoodles

I got a Stellar set a couple of years ago half price in Brown Thomas. The pots are really generous sizes with a jug pot that's perfect for making gravy cos of the dinky pouring spout like normal jug. I've had no problems with them and I do quite a bit of cooking.

duploelabs

I just did a blog post on stuff that you could spend your money on for cookware here

Radiotower

Thanks for all the advice, think most places mentioned accept the one for all vouchers except for TK Maxx.. I have to go looking around now

bonkey

duploelabs wrote: »

I just did a blog post on stuff that you could spend your money on for cookware here

Nice....but I'd take ICM's "le Pentole" range over the Alessi set any day

Mr.David

Check out Le Creusets stainless steel pots too - I have the full set and they really are superb!

gizmo

I'm finally looking at getting some decent pots and pans for the house and I was hoping to get some advice from you fine ladies and gentleman. I've read through the previous threads on this so I've taken that advice into consideration as well as my own personal thoughts having gotten my hands on a few over the last while. I should also point out that these are my first set so hopefully you can advise accordingly.

For starters, I was going to get this Circulon Infinite 4-piece set. That should cover me for my basic pots and the 24cm frying pan should be my every day pan. I would have preferred a 26cm pan but unfortunately one isn't available in that range.

To go along with these, I was also going to add a Le Creuset Cast Iron Grillit for my meats.

Now, I also had my eye on the Circulon Infinte Saute pan following some great reviews but since it's also 24cm, would it be superflous given the fact that I already have the 24cm frying pan? Would I be better off with the 26cm Chef's Pan? Or perhaps getting the frying pan separately and going with a 20cm model and 24cm saute pan?

If it did turn out that I needed a larger frying pan then I think I'd look at a 26/28cm Bourgeat model.

So, how does that sound to get myself up and running?

Toto Wolfcastle

We got some Circulon pots during the summer. We bought them separately rather than in a set. I think one of the most important things is to actually hold the pots if possible to see if you like the feel of them. The Circulon stuff we have is similar to what you posted (without the pan) and I love it.

We also have the Le Creuset griddle pan and my husband loves it. It replaced a crappy cheap griddle pan though so it's always going to be good.

We got the Circulon sauté pan too and we use it a few times a week. It's a nice piece of equipment. Very useful.

If you have the pan included with the set then I'd see how you get on with that first before buying a bigger one. I didn't really like the Circulon pans I saw so we got a different brand. Can't remember what brand now, possible Anolon, and again it's very good quality.

I think you're pretty well covered with what you have posted though. It's good quality stuff.

Cheshire Cat

Personally I would prefer pots without the long handle. The long handles mean they need more space in the presses and on the hob.

Spanish Eyes

Circulon all the way for me now. What you buy depends on your needs, how many you are in the house, the type of food you cook etc.

They really are good, and the pans are SO non stick too, at last I found the perfect non stick pan. I only have the smaller one and the griddle, both more than adequate for my needs, and for pancakes tha I can flipping flip at last!

breen_og

Personally I would go into Sweeney O'Rourkes on pearse st in Dublin. Have a look at the bourgeat range. I know some of them can be quite expensive but they will last a lifetime. Cast iron pans are the way to go. Reasonably priced and will also stand the test of time. Le creuset are worth every penny my mam has some at home that are over 30 yrs old and still going strong.

gizmo

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Circulon all the way for me now. What you buy depends on your needs, how many you are in the house, the type of food you cook etc.

Well technically there's only me but I do enjoy cooking for friends so I won't want to limit myself too much. Dito goes for what I cook, I'm one of those "I'll eat anything folks" so again, I'm trying to cover the basics with this round of purchases and can build up my collection over time.

breen_og wrote: »

Personally I would go into Sweeney O'Rourkes on pearse st in Dublin. Have a look at the bourgeat range. I know some of them can be quite expensive but they will last a lifetime. Cast iron pans are the way to go. Reasonably priced and will also stand the test of time. Le creuset are worth every penny my mam has some at home that are over 30 yrs old and still going strong.

Unfortunately I'm not in Ireland at the moment so no can do. From the stores available to me I've been able to get my hands on the Circulon, Le Creuset and Tefal ranges and based my decisions above on both hands on experience and what folks around here have said.

Now that you mention it though, are the Bourgeat pans that are so frequently recommended from the regular non-stick range or the Indestructible range?

breen_og

I personally never go with non stick as there is a limited life span. Good heavy pots and pans don't require Teflon. Where about are you based. Ireland is not as cheap as the mainland or the UK for bourgeat so you might luck out

gizmo

breen_og wrote: »

I personally never go with non stick as there is a limited life span. Good heavy pots and pans don't require Teflon. Where about are you based. Ireland is not as cheap as the mainland or the UK for bourgeat so you might luck out

I'm in the UK all right but while getting them online is easy, finding them in a brick and mortar store has been less successful.