Pots & Pans

[jdoggivjc]

We have one of the nicer Calphalon sets that was gifted to us via our wedding a few years ago. Good set of pans, we like them.

If I had to do it again, I would just get the individual pans we need vs the whole set. Out of the full set theres only about 3 that get used on a consistent basis and the rest are just taking up space.

Same for us. We had them for 15 years and finally had to replace them last year, mostly because we suck at taking care of our things (so the fact they lasted that long despite us is a pretty good selling point for us). We bought another Calphalon set, and the nice thing about this one was it’s dishwasher safe. Perhaps there’s better ones out there, but these work for us.

 

[aeroclone]

My husband loves them but you're not supposed to use them on glass-top stoves like we have.

We have been using cast iron with our glass top for years. No issues to this point. I can certainly see the need to be careful though to make sure you don't scratch or crack the top. Cast iron is crazy heavy.

 

[bpmdu]

All Clad for pans (preferably D3 or D5, HA1 is okay but not the same quality), Le Creuset for pots/ovens. Watch for the All Clad 2nds sale, best time to buy.

 

[gocyclone99]

We are in the market for some new pots and pans in our kitchen.
Our current set consists of 3 different sized frying pans, 3 sauce pans, and 2 pots. The ones I’m looking to replace are the two main frying pans. Food has really begun to stick to the non-stick pans as the coating is gone and I also hate that we have probably injested most of those chemicals. I like the set as they can be thrown in the dishwasher without a thought.
Was wondering if anybody has anything they really love. Looking for suggestions for something that is fairly easy to clean.
Want to get the pulse of Cyclonefanatic for this topic because like shopping for a bed this is something you use pretty much every day, just not as long.

You can nowadays purchase cast iron pans that are already seasoned. I love my round griddle cast iron pan. Clean with hard plastic scraper and a bristle brush then wipe clean w/paper towel right after use and the warmth of the pan dries it completely, spray PAM on it and wipe with another paper towel and you're good to go. I generally do this while the meat I cooked "rests"









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[Stewo]

People actually know what kinds of pots and pans they have!? Next you're going to tell me you know what kind of plates or glasses you all have.

The plastic ones, so when the kids drop them or just straight up throw them in the garbage, I'm out $0.99.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

The plastic ones, so when the kids drop them or just straight up throw them in the garbage, I'm out $0.99.

Pretty much the reason I have Corelle.

 

[spierceisu]

We have a set of calphalon classic nonstick. Not dishwasher safe but really like them. Agree on getting rid of metal utensils. We were also told not to cook on high heat with them because it will ruin the Teflon coating.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I tried for years to get my stainless pans to where I could cook eggs and could not.

We have an induction stove, so we were a little more limited. But we really like our T-fal pans. They aren't restaurant grade, family heirloom type of pans, but they are solid.

 

[somecyguy]

We bought Al-Clad 25+ years ago and they are still perfect today.

Got ours about 5 years ago when we switched over to induction. Paid more money than that I thought was reasonable for cookware, but I have to admit they hold up against pretty much anything.

 

[CycloneDaddy]

No complaints with our Ballarini set of pans.

 

[clonehenge]

I love mine, but it took a few times before I got proficient with a few items. Being able to go from stovetop to oven is awesome. Definitely heavy, though.

A tip (maybe you already know, but for those that don't), don't cook tomato products in cast iron, the acid will eat at the iron and ruin the season of the iron. You'll constantly have to keep re-seasoning or things will stick.

And don't wash with soap and water, just wipe them out. If you have something stuck on just boil some water in it and scrape it off.

Love my cast iron for breakfast foods. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, French toast, hash browns...great, now I'm hungry...

 

[GBlade]

For non stick don't spend too much as the surface will eventually wear out.

 

[Clonehomer]

We have Cuisinart multiclad pots and pans for 18+ years. Held up great. Lots of scratches, but they aren't left out as show pieces, so that doesn't bother me.

We've owned several non-stick frying pans over the years, but they just don't last long. Give me the stainless that takes a bit more to clean. With proper oil or butter they aren't bad.

I have a set of cast iron that I use outside on a turkey fryer or on the grill. If I didn't have a glass top they'd be all I use.

 

[SCNCY]

We’ve got a couple David Burke granite skillets and a couple cast iron pans we like a lot. The rest are Calphalon stainless. I like the stainless but my wife does not. She can’t figure out how to get stuff to stop sticking.

I've always been interested in stainless, but I too worry that I would get food stuck in them too often. How do you prevent food getting stuck in stainless?

 

[CycloneCJ]

We got a full Calphalon non-stick set for our wedding back in 2005. They came with a lifetime warranty and I've had about half of the pans replaced for free under warranty. The first time I did a replacement we had to send in the pans being replaced (and pay shipping) the last time I just sent pictures. Both times they sent me brand new replacement pans for free. Not sure if they still have this policy though.

 

[dfwcy]

Also have induction and use Calphalon stainless for most things, have a set of 2 All Clad non stick pans and I just got a Smithey 12 inch skillet. I like cooking on cast iron if I can.

 

[Clonehomer]

I've always been interested in stainless, but I too worry that I would get food stuck in them too often. How do you prevent food getting stuck in stainless?

Oil or butter. And don't jack your burner up to high for everything. Some things need to be cooked lower to avoid burning. Pay attention to the temp which your oil burns and get yourself an infrared thermometer to stay under that point.

 

[CascadeClone]

Not sure- I like the idea of them and how they cook, but the upkeep for them seems a bit daunting for my tastes. Unless I’m really overthinking it?

The gf is a cast iron disciple, and a great cook. She has a Lodge that has a deep pan and a shallow pan that doubles as a lid for the big one ("cast iron combo cooker" -- $60). She has used them for just about everything from stir fry, to chicken breasts, to stews, to casseroles in the oven. It's a hell of a thing really. Plus they heat up more evenly so it's harder to burn stuff than in stainless (I speak from experience here).

I do the washing up, and it's not any worse than any other pan. The only thing that's tough is melted cheese. You can't let it soak, can't put in the dishwasher, and no soap, but you can use a scrub brush with reckless abandon. She has had it for close to 10 years and uses it probably 5 times a week and it is like new. They just can't be killed unless you leave them in the sink to rust.

She also got a LeCrueset cast iron and enameled frying pan for xmas from her mom, and she loves that thing too. It cleans up even easier than the cast iron. I think these are fashionable and pricey, but a good splurge item.

 

[Bewilderme]

I bought myself a Caraway ceramic lined saute pan recently. Really like how evenly it heats, how little oil I need to use, especially how it is non-stick, non-toxic, and how it looks is a bonus. I bought a yellow one.
https://www.carawayhome.com/products/saute-pan/

 

[sleestakCy]

You can use soap on your cast iron. Lodge, Smithey, Field Co...all say go ahead and use some soap. Back when soap contained lye it was not recommended. A chain mail scrubber or a scraper both work well to dislodge stuck on material.