good store for top of the line cookware?

[nageov3t]

any suggestions? I'm looking to buy some top of the line bake/cookware for my parents for mother's and father's day, but I'm a total noob when it comes to knowing what's good and what's walmart-quality.

 

[nageov3t]

bump in case there are any ATOT cooks around this morning

 

[Kaido]

All-Clad for anything that isn't non-stick

Calphalon for anything non-stick (has more of a half-life than straight metal cookware)

Amazon.com for all your shopping needs

 

[Kaido]

Also if you are getting bakeware, you might want to buy them pans made out of Silicon. We got some Silicon bakeware when we got married - bread pans, muffin pans, etc. - and it's just great for popping baked food out of easily. I think Pampered Chef carries some silicon items.

 

[Kelemvor]

Pampered Chef has recently come out with Awesome cookware and knives and such. If interested in ordering some, let me know. Or if you want to have a catalog party and get people at work, school, etc to order some, then you can get yours for free.

 

[LS20]

william sonoma, if you have the money

 

[mooglekit]

Check out Williams Sonoma...overpriced sometimes, but gives a good idea of quality and then you can dig up the same items elsewhere for less oftentimes. Consider me another in the All-Clad/Calphalon bunch...I have all Calphalon One Nonstick cookware, and it is all fantastic. Just be aware that there are less expensive Calphalon lines sold at Target and other big box retailers that aren't of the same quality...still not awful, but not as good as the top of the line stuff.

 

[OpenThirdEye]

I do A LOT of cooking and I have to agree that All Clad is the way to go for cookware. I recently "upgraded" my cookware to the All Clad with the copper core...they're wonderful - but very pricey.

Anthony Bourdain wrote in his book "Kitchen Confidential" a good way to tell if you're buying good cookware or not:

If you were to take the pot/pan/whatever and bash it over somebody's head and you'd have to wonder what would break first (the pot/pan/etc or the person's skull) then you're not buying quality stuff.

 

[SampSon]

I only buy my cookware at a restaurant supply store. It's all restaurant grade and much cheaper than any retail store.
Look them up in your local phone book, you will be pleasantly suprised by the superior selection, quality and prices.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: mooglekit
Check out Williams Sonoma...overpriced sometimes, but gives a good idea of quality and then you can dig up the same items elsewhere for less oftentimes. Consider me another in the All-Clad/Calphalon bunch...I have all Calphalon One Nonstick cookware, and it is all fantastic. Just be aware that there are less expensive Calphalon lines sold at Target and other big box retailers that aren't of the same quality...still not awful, but not as good as the top of the line stuff.

Yeah, I'd say start at the Contemporary line at minimum. Eventually non-stick pans wear out (the Teflon coating gets worn down), so you want good ones BUT you don't want to invest too much because eventually you will be replacing them. I like the Contemporary because they are fairly heavy-duty but also priced reasonably. Also, Amazon has good deals on Calphalon like every other week; I just got an 8" and a 10" omelet pan from the Contemporary line for $30 shipped in a combo pack on sale.

You will also want to make sure that they only use non-stick tools on the non-stick surfaces. I like the Oxo brand, they have a really nice "Good Grips" line of tools that are inexpensive and of good quality. If you are going to go with a non-stick collection, here is what I would recommend:

8" and 10" combo ($40)
10" and 12" combo ($50)
Standard turner ($5)
Pancake turner ($5)
Omelet turner ($8)
9" tongs ($8)

About $120 total. That gives you an 8", two 10", and a 12" non-stick pan collection, all the turners you need, and some good tongs. You may want to throw in some wooden spoons or glass lids for the pans. That's more or less what I use on a regular basis on my stovetop.

 

[Tiamat]

williams-sonoma?

 

[nageov3t]

thanks for the replies looks like there's a Williams-Sonoma B&M store a few towns over from my office, so I'll have to go check that out!

 

[SampSon]

Always remember, you need to have more than just non-stick cookware in your house.