cooks on ATOT! is this a worth it? pans etc

[waggy]

http://home.woot.com/

whats the use of pans like this? all i have owned is either cast iron or that with nonstick coating.

the pans i have now suck. i hate them the black stuff is starting to flake off (throw them away when that happens).

 

[JM Aggie08]

As long as you learn how to cook with them. It's a whooole different ballgame coming from nonstick.

 

[lxskllr]

For pans, I have no use for anything other than iron. The pots and steamers would be useful though. All mine are enameled steel. Honestly, they aren't the best, but I like the retro appeal.

 

[mnewsham]

I have all cast iron and copper, I can't imagine how much it would cost if I had to replace it, probably $2.5k on the very low end of an estimate.

 

[techs]

I switched to stainless steel a while ago. The kind that works with induction cooktops.
I really like it. I had always used non stick but many types of foods cook far better on stainless steel. You get real browning, etc. I find it has advantages over cast iron in that when something does burn and stick you can just scour it clean and not have to re-season it.

 

[waggy]

As long as you learn how to cook with them. It's a whooole different ballgame coming from nonstick.

yeah figured that.

I need new pans. the ones i have are old and cheap as shit. the nonstick stuff is flaking off. Everything i use in them is plastic and i hand wash them.

i'm starting to cook more and would like to get some good equipment.

I switched to stainless steel a while ago. The kind that works with induction cooktops.
I really like it. I had always used non stick but many types of foods cook far better on stainless steel. You get real browning, etc. I find it has advantages over cast iron in that when something does burn and stick you can just scour it clean and not have to re-season it.

i love my cast iron. i have a full set (even some 4 inch tiny pans wich i have no clue what to do with). only real thing im missing is a dutch oven.

 

[CurseTheSky]

I say go for it. We only have a few non-stick pots and pans remaining, and I avoid using them most of the time. Only a few food items are actually problematic without a non-stick coating, such as eggs or cheese. Most of the time you can just add a bit of fat (butter, oil, etc.) and you won't have any issues. Once you've done it a few times, it's a piece of cake.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

It's a pretty decent set for the money. However, those pans are not as big as you might think. A 6 quart stock pot is pretty small as far as stockpots go and so are the 8" and 10" skillets. You might want to visit a Homegoods or Bed, Bath, & Beyond to see those in person to decide if they are really what you want. If you only cook for 1 or 2 people that set might fit you well. If you cook for more you'd probably want a 10 - 12 quart stockpot, 4 quart sauce pan, and 12" skillet.

 

[slayer202]

don't get fooled on that retail price

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=133189

you can find 20% off coupons all the time. The woot is a good deal, but not "must buy"

 

[notposting]

I wouldn't. Most of the sizes are too small, and bottom clad only.

However, the cooking on stainless steel advice is sound whatever the other parts of the pan (fully clad, bottom disc, just stainless). Start with low heat, get the pan warmed, add some oil/spray, then cook.

Unfortunately, Walmart has basically phased out their existing Wal-clad Tramontina line, and the new sets have crappier sizes and MUCH higher pricing.

My personal (opinions may vary, but mine is right lol ) recommended list:

2 qt saucepan
3 and/or 4 qt saucepan
5-6 qt pot (good for day to day pasta)
~7 qt enameled cast iron dutch oven (bomb diggity)
10" skillet
12" skillet <--both of these are often called saute pans, but in this case look for the frypan style

Somewhat more optional:

Non-stick skillet (size depends on use, an 8" for the occasional egg or two is sufficient, or a 12" for larger meals)
Cast-iron skillets (8,10, and 12" are all useful in various scenarios), season with flaxseed oil and high heat ala this link and it will be a nearly indestructible and non-stick seasoning.
12 qt thick base stockpot, good for large amounts of pasta, corn, large batches of chili, etc.
Saute pan, the kind with more vertical sides and generally measured in quart capacity. Can be used for shallow frying, sauces, etc.
1 to 1.5 qt non-stick saucepan, good for melting butter, heating small quantities of "something", etc.

Pan tech:

The fully clad (aluminum interior, stainless inside and out) is probably the most widely recommended, it spreads the heat out well throughout the entire pan, decently responsive to heat changes, etc.
The disc bottom pans have some aluminum or copper on the bottom but just stainless on the sides, can burn on the sides a bit easier, responsiveness to heat changes can vary by disc thickness.
Cast iron is very slow to respond to heat changes...but this is the benefit to it, throw your steaks on and the pan has so much stored energy it won't cool too fast.
Large pans are good to give food room to cook, without steaming instead of frying, ease of working in, etc.
Non-stick has its place, but getting that brown crust (fond) is a big part of many kinds of cooking.

You can find pan forums, knife forums, etc on the internet, so when preparing to dive into something you will find plenty of opinions and research.

FWIW,

I have "most" but not all that I listed, having the right pan for the job is definitely a nice thing, but starting out it is pricey if you think you need all of them immediately. Get the most important and most likely to be used pieces, in good quality, and build from there.

A good set is here: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tramontina...e-Set/11072505, for only $30 more they offer it with the 5.5 qt enameled dutch oven, though I think that is a bit small. It's on clearance so may disappear relatively soon.

 

[notposting]

This set is cheaper, doesn't have the 12" skillet, but still a better starter set IMO.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tramontina...e-Set/19581112

edit: cheaper than the larger set I posted above

 

[Fritzo]

As long as you learn how to cook with them. It's a whooole different ballgame coming from nonstick.

Yep, you need to learn the art of deglazing with stainless

The pans have aluminum bottoms instead of copper, making them so-so for pro cookware, but that price for the apparent quality isn't too bad. That set would probably run $150 or so at a department store.

 

[Juddog]

I have all cast iron and copper, I can't imagine how much it would cost if I had to replace it, probably $2.5k on the very low end of an estimate.

I have a pot with solid copper bottom that I inherited from my grandma; the thing is close to 30 years old and still is amazing. In the meantime I have gone through and had to throw out about 6 - 7 pieces of non stick pans over the course of 10 years; not a single one is made with the same old-school quality and durability as the one I inherited from my grandma (plus having a solid copper bottom is a lot more expensive nowadays than it was back then).

-- edit -- took out "cast iron" part since I was wrong about that.

 

[purbeast0]

very tempting as i need a new set of pots and pans as well, but that 6qt pot seems too small for being the largest one in the set.

 

[mnewsham]

I have a cast iron pot with solid copper bottom that I inherited from my grandma; the thing is close to 30 years old and still is amazing. In the meantime I have gone through and had to throw out about 6 - 7 pieces of non stick pans over the course of 10 years; not a single one is made with the same old-school quality and durability as the one I inherited from my grandma (plus having a solid copper bottom is a lot more expensive nowadays than it was back then).

I am getting my grandmothers collection apparently when she passes, it will double or triple my current collection.

 

[Fritzo]

I have a cast iron pot with solid copper bottom that I inherited from my grandma; the thing is close to 30 years old and still is amazing. In the meantime I have gone through and had to throw out about 6 - 7 pieces of non stick pans over the course of 10 years; not a single one is made with the same old-school quality and durability as the one I inherited from my grandma (plus having a solid copper bottom is a lot more expensive nowadays than it was back then).

Are you sure it's copper on the bottom of cast iron? I've never seen such a thing. Cast iron would hold heat better than copper, so I'm not sure why they would cover it with copper. Might be a really old design or customer made

 

[mnewsham]

Are you sure it's copper on the bottom of cast iron? I've never seen such a thing. Cast iron would hold heat better than copper, so I'm not sure why they would cover it with copper. Might be a really old design or customer made

yeah closest i have seen was a copper pot with wooden handle that had cast iron on the end of the handle.

 

[Drako]

Are you sure it's copper on the bottom of cast iron? I've never seen such a thing. Cast iron would hold heat better than copper, so I'm not sure why they would cover it with copper. Might be a really old design or customer made

Copper and aluminum has much higher thermal conductivity than cast iron or stainless steel. That's why you see steel pans with copper or aluminum bottoms.

 

[jaedaliu]

Copper and aluminum has much higher thermal conductivity than cast iron or stainless steel. That's why you see steel pans with copper or aluminum bottoms.

You rarely see cast iron with copper or aluminum bottoms. That'd be wierd. Cast iron is the opposite of copper/aluminum. They're, big, heavy, with relatively poor thermal conductivity to hold lots of heat and cook evenly that way.

As has been mentioned, the set has smaller pieces, and is bottom clad only. It's also aluminum core so it wont' work with induction cookers (not a concern for most people) You also probably don't need that many pieces. But.... it's a decent price if you want that many pots/pans. And they'll last a very long time.

I really like my cheapo on amazon from some chinese manufacturer that copied someone else's good design "cooks standard" brand cookware. I got a large stockpot for making stock (imagine that) I use that, a couple frying pans, and a couple smaller saucepans for all my cooking. (rarely all at once)

 

[Drako]

You rarely see cast iron with copper or aluminum bottoms. That'd be wierd.

Where did I say you see cast iron with copper or aluminum bottoms?

 

[Fritzo]

Copper and aluminum has much higher thermal conductivity than cast iron or stainless steel. That's why you see steel pans with copper or aluminum bottoms.

Cast iron holds heat longer than copper, which is why it's normally not covered by anything else. Covering it with copper would leave you with a pan that heats up quickly on the bottom and slowly heats the rest.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I don't know any Chef's who own a set of cookware. We all have a changing collection of pans and pots depending on what we're cooking. In general, heavier pans are preferred although some things like crepes call for low carbon steel pans. The point is to find what works for you. The cheapest way to do that is to buy individual pans. I do make sure handles and lids are oven safe.

 

[Howard]

Where did I say you see cast iron with copper or aluminum bottoms?

Juddog said he had one. Come on bro, get with it.

 

[PowerEngineer]

I agree with what notposting posted (if that makes any sense at all).

We have the bigger set of the Walmart tri-clad Tramontina and they are very nice.

 

[Juddog]

Juddog said he had one. Come on bro, get with it.

I may be wrong about the cast iron part; the closest example I could find online was on this page:
http://www.amazon.com/Anolon-Nouvell...rds=copper+pot

The page I linked says "hard anodized aluminum", so perhaps that is what it is. The version I have is a big cooking pot with a handle on each side, and you can see the copper bottom. The link I put up is a non-stick pot, the one I have is a regular pot with a copper bottom. Maybe it's iron, maybe it's aluminum, to be honest I really don't know.

I edited my original post to remove the "cast iron" part since in hindsight I was mistaken.