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Please recommend me a good Kitchen sets (pots and pans)

M

Molondo

Platinum Member
I am looking to buy a new kitchen set of pots and pans. I don't like my foods sticking, and a steamer would be a great bonus! I took a look at the cuisinart 12 and 14 piece stainless steel and it seems that both have a bad case of discoloration after the first use not sure if that is common.

Looking to spend around $200 but won't mind spending a little more.

Give me your experiences please!

 
I have owned and used sets of both high end and low end cookware and, I can honestly say that I prefer individually purchased pots and pans over any set. I do like cast iron and Le Creuset is nice but horribly overpriced. I also like stainless stockpots and you can save some money by buying cheaper ones and putting a wire rack in the bottom to avoid scorching.
 
If you're looking for tri-ply cookware, I've found that the cheapest are usually either Cuisinart Multiclad Pro, Henckels Classic Clad, or Sam's Club Member's Mark (only comes in sets at Sam's Club, may not be available at all clubs)

Cooking just for yourself or for other people regularly?

1. Cast Iron Skillet: Well, start off with a cast iron skillet for $20-30. This will be a workhorse. Baking. Roasting. Broiling. Frying. Saute-ing.

2. Saucepan: 2-3qt. Pasta, soups, etc.

3. Stockpot: Any stockpot with a thick metal base will be fine. You're only going to be boiling or simmering in this thing. You can buy steamer inserts that go right into these stockpots. Hell, Wal-Mart might have them.

4. Good chef's knife and a honing steel.

Cookware can be very basic. You don't need anything fancy or glitzy. The quality of the food is determined by the cook. I keep on thinking of places like China or Vietnam, where the food can be absolutely delicious. Do you think the cooks there use fancy polished tri-ply cookware? Heck no.

As for food sticking, don't use such a high heat. And if there is some food residue, try to scrape and clean it off under water while the pan is still hot. If you've really cooked the food into the pan, use Barkeeper's Friend to take it off. BF is amazing.
 
Originally posted by: Molondo
Does a copper bottom make a difference?
Click to expand...

I think copper is overrated by a lot. It'll start to look like crap pretty quick without polishing. I'd just stick with quality stainless.
 
Honestly, for $200 bucks, the value of cast iron can't be beat. It does take a little more care and is heavy but, it will literally last a lifetime.
 
Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
Honestly, for $200 bucks, the value of cast iron can't be beat. It does take a little more care and is heavy but, it will literally last a lifetime.
Click to expand...

Aye, if you don't care about weight or mobility, cast iron is unbeatable for its ability to conduct heat evenly and for its absolute indestructibility. But weight can be a big issue for some people. Not exactly the easiest to clean or pour or use one-handed since it's so heavy.
 
I actually much prefer cast iron cookware as well, and would recommend you get that for most cooking.

The only issue with it is proper care and maintainence... after washing it, you should always give it a thin coat of veggie oil before putting it up. In these days of nonstick supernevertouchjustbrushwithwatertocleanware, that seems a lot of trouble, but even so I prefer to use cast iron when I can.
 
I have a nonstick set from Costco that works really well. I am not an expert chef or anything though. All of the things I cook are pretty basic.
 
if you need to ask the question, you're probably not doing anything where you're going to see a real benefit from the really "good" high-end stuff.

I picked up a bunch non-stick pans from ikea today, just for generic stuff, though I keep a couple high end sauce and sauteing pans around for specific things.
 
I thought Consumer Reports rated the Wolgang Puck set they sell at Home Shopping Network HSN really high!

For a set its a good deal.



 
Everyday use: Lodge Cast Iron. Dirt cheap (Recently bought a 12" & 10" for $15 & $10) and properly cared for, your grandchildren's children will be using them. Plus, they're made here in the US.

Run of the mill non stick: Calphalon CS Nonstick is pretty decent. However, don't do anything that requires extremely high heat. My mom managed to melt the teflon coating in her set. And, they're made in the US with a lifetime warranty.
 
Originally posted by: Fmr12B
I thought Consumer Reports rated the Wolgang Puck set they sell at Home Shopping Network HSN really high!

For a set its a good deal.
Click to expand...

Sam's Club sells the Wolfgang Puck sets. The sides of those things are really thin.
 
For that price you can get the Kirkland Tri-ply from Costco. Made in brazil instead of China. Comes with a 5 qt saute pan.

This stuff is tri-ply everywhere including the side walls for great heat distribution.
 
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