Jamie48442 wants some pots and such for the kitchen. Ones that heat evenly. Maybe a soup pan and sauce pan, I dunno. Cast iron is fine for eggs and grilled cheese but not everything. Any recommendations? We have a gas stove, if that makes a difference. We are tired of burning noodles in the to bottom of the pan at even the lowest heat.
I really liked this set. Its half what I paid for it these days, but held up great on the cheap gas stove we had at that house.
This got a good reviews... I'm glad my wife doesn't look at GRM. Non-stick, dishwasher and metal utensil safe:
I’d make sure that whatever I get is induction friendly. At least for pots. No, you may not have one now, but it seems like a good precaution to take.
I’ve had good luck with the Cuisinart stainless steel pans, and with gas you won’t have to worry about warping. As long as you accept scratches as a part of life quickly, they’re easy to clean with 3M pads and Barkeepers Friend as needed. I’ve also heard good things about All Clad but got a good deal on the Cuisinart set.
Make sure you have lids. If you’re getting a pot, try to get a fitted colander (great for steaming). Consider a single cheap non stick for eggs.
Lagostina is the name I generally go to.
I got a set of LeCruset iron skillets that I LOVE for browning and other skillet cookery. I got them at a scratch and dent outlet (which I think was part of the LeCruset website?)
If you're like me, you resist non-stick stuff. For some chefs it is a tradition/browning thing. For me it was the potential (but unproven) health risks and because PTFE is easily scratched. Then I found Green Pan. It is a ceramic coated pan that is truly amazing. I use it for sticky things like eggs, scrapple, pancakes, etc. Truly life-altering pans. Whenever you see those infomercials where the egg just slides around in the pan... it's really like that. Available at Target.
Then for my pots and pans I have a good set of All-Clad that are amazing, but they were expensive. Oddly enough, look to IKEA for cheap but good pans. I have a stockpot/steamer basket set from IKEA that has a nice polished stainless skin and the base is clad with about 1/4" of aluminum. I used to have an IKEA non-stick skillet that was the same design - polished stainless with a 1/4" aluminum bottom. The non-stick PTFE lasted for 15 years before I migrated away from PTFE.
My recommendations: For good, pro-level stuff, All-Clad pots kick butt. They have some good stainless skillets as well, but I'm not a big fan of stainless cook surfaces for frying. Great for grilled cheese sandwiches, but I prefer iron for browning meats and frying veggies. Also big nod to LeCruset for iron skillets.
For mid-level stuff that really works well but doesn't break the bank, go get yourself a Lodge cast iron skillet set from Target and round out the rest from IKEA. Add in a Green Pan skillet or two
I have too many pans, but here is my arsenal (all of which I'm VERY happy with except where noted)
Green Pan ceramic skillets (one big one small)
LeCruset red enamel cast iron skillet (2; one big round and one big oval... which doesn't stretch the heat out to the edges very well. I think I'll make it my campfire pan)
IKEA big sauce pot/steamer/strainer combo
All clad pots, one large sauce pan, one small sauce pan
Lodge cast iron dutch oven which I use for braising, roasting, and baking
Martha Stewart (LeCruset knockoff) enameled iron dutch oven which I use for soups and stocks
I agree with Curtis' assessment of IKEA's pots and pans. I bought a sauce pan from them just to have any pan at all and I like cooking with it way more than any of the other stuff I've bought or inherited in the last few months. In fact I'll be going back to get the entire set soon and selling off or dumping everything else I have. They are stainless steel with a thick bottom, no coatings. I've had no problems with burning and I burn *everything* so that says something.
I do have a Ceramic pan that's great for tofu scramble and super easy to clean. I would recommend one of those as well for eggs, omelets, etc.
Curtis is the local "Renaissance Man."
Another vote for All-Clad. Heats evenly, nonskid surface holds up, not insanely heavy.
I like enameled cast iron for dutch ovens--mine is a Staub that I scored at a Home Goods for a fraction of retail. Staub is basically the same as Le Creuset, but with a black instead of white interior (so won't stain or discolor) and with a great lid that has little nubbins to drip condensation back onto the food.
Margie
I only use cast iron and vintage Paul Revere pots and pans.
Following this. I want to ditch non-stick pans for health concerns and because they are not durable. All of my pans are more like bowls now which drives me nuts and makes cooking eggs or pancakes annoying as they just run to the handle-side of the pan.
I want a solid flat pan for pancakes and whatnot, and a skillet for other stuff.
For those using stainless pans, how on earth do you cook eggs in those without them sticking/burning to the pan?
Stampie said:I only use cast iron and vintage Paul Revere pots and pans.
I use a Paul Revere pot just like this as an oil pan.
ProDarwin said:For those using stainless pans, how on earth do you cook eggs in those without them sticking/burning to the pan?
IIRC, you get the pan HOT first, then add the fat, and immediately add the egg. If your fat is butter, put the egg in as soon as it has melted.
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/anolon-reg-authority-12-piece-hard-anodized-nonstick-cookware-set/1043791781
This is the set I bought when I moved to OKC last year. Holding up great except for some scratching of the surface, all are still nice and flat, etc.
mtn said:ProDarwin said:For those using stainless pans, how on earth do you cook eggs in those without them sticking/burning to the pan?
IIRC, you get the pan HOT first, then add the fat, and immediately add the egg. If your fat is butter, put the egg in as soon as it has melted.
Yup. Lots of fat. Ever go to an omelet station at a brunch buffet? They'll use a tablespoon or more of clarified butter (or a butter-flavored oil from a bucket) and your omelet swims in fat. Stainless sticks hardcore without a heaping gob of fat.
The thing that sticks most (in all foods) is protein. As the proteins caramelize, they basically make glue. The only thing that will prevent it is fat. If you think about it, the whites in eggs are almost entirely water and albumen, a protein. This is why sausage sticks less than hamburger or a roast... it has more fat. The Maillard reaction is what makes those tasty bits, and you sometimes want it, like when browning a roast in iron, or cooking burgers on the grill. In some instances, using a sticky pan like stainless or iron improves that reaction making more flavor... but not with eggs. They just burn. No one likes caramelized eggs. Hence why I use a non-stick ceramic for eggs and pancakes.
On a related note, I call BS on heating the pan first. I see chefs do it all the time - get the pan hot before adding the fat. How on earth does that make a difference?
1988RedT2 said:Curtis is the local "Renaissance Man."
If by "renaissance man" you mean "cheap bastard," then thank you 
Another +1 for All-Clad.
One interesting thing I found recently- you can season a stainless pan. And then it acts like a cast iron one. Not to long ago, I tried this, as I could not keep the iron one working well (could have gone through the process of sanding and buffing it smooth, etc...)- but doing it with the stainless pan- wow.
Works great.
ProDarwin said:Following this. I want to ditch non-stick pans for health concerns and because they are not durable. All of my pans are more like bowls now which drives me nuts and makes cooking eggs or pancakes annoying as they just run to the handle-side of the pan.
I want a solid flat pan for pancakes and whatnot, and a skillet for other stuff.
For those using stainless pans, how on earth do you cook eggs in those without them sticking/burning to the pan?
This sounds like a perfect application for a ceramic non-stick. I went hunting online and became confused. There are several ceramic pans out there that still have PTFE in them, like most of the copper-colored ones. I stumbled upon Green Pans at Target and they had all the stuff listed on the front like No PTFE, no carcinogens, no baby seals were clubbed. They weren't any more expensive than the other pans as I recall.
I was also warned about the copper-colored pans that have actual copper in them. More progressive medical types do cite copper as being linked to depression, brain serotonin disruption, and other problems like inflammation.
There are some things I insist on something sticky like cast iron; browning meats, braising, and other things for the improved Maillard reaction, but when it comes to eggs, pancakes, or a grilled sandwich, caramelization means burning. In those situations, it might be nostalgic to have a beautifully seasoned Wilson iron skillet from your grandmother's kitchen, but that is the only benefit; nostalgia. For things like that where you need to be delicate with the proteins, non-stick wins for me.
So Curtis, what le creuset skillet do you recommend? What is different about one that makes it $200 vs. a $20 one on amazon? Just volume/material I assume? (which would make it less likely to warp)
Is there a middleground 12" someone could recommend that wouldn't cost me $200?
The got a set of Emeril by All-Clad stainless pots and pans about 10 years ago and they’ve held up very well. As for heating the pan before adding butter when making eggs it cuts down on the risk of having the butter burn and giving the eggs a funny taste.
I think the Greenpans I have are the Rio line. Inexpensive and I am super happy. Even if you do put oil in them, even the oil beads up like water on a freshly waxed car.
I can do a breakfast of eggs with zero fat, and any little crispy bits in it just fall out when I turn the pan over in the sink. Scrapple refuses to stick. I even tried the burnt cheese trick and zero stick. Plus, fried cheese is tasty.
Not a canoe, just credit where it's due. They are truly great pans. Mine are not oven safe (plastic in the handles) but they make ones with stainless handles that are oven safe, and they're not really any more expensive.
ProDarwin said:So Curtis, what le creuset skillet do you recommend? What is different about one that makes it $200 vs. a $20 one on amazon? Just volume/material I assume? (which would make it less likely to warp)
Is there a middleground 12" someone could recommend that wouldn't cost me $200?
Truth be told, I got the LeCruset skillets as a gift that my former MIL bought from a scratch and dent. (although I can't find any flaws in them) Otherwise, I would have found a less expensive knock-off if it had been my wallet. I have the Martha Stewart knockoff dutch oven and I've been very happy with it. I might look to see if MS makes an enamel iron skillet.
If I were shopping, I might look at the weight. A heavier pan is likely better. After all, they are just chunks of iron. Check the reviews to see how the enamel holds up, but it's a bit hard (I would think) to screw up the manufacturing of a cast iron pan
Oooh... Martha does make an enameled skillet through Macy's. LINKY. $50. I'd do it in a heartbeat.
alfadriver said:Another +1 for All-Clad.
One interesting thing I found recently- you can season a stainless pan. And then it acts like a cast iron one. Not to long ago, I tried this, as I could not keep the iron one working well (could have gone through the process of sanding and buffing it smooth, etc...)- but doing it with the stainless pan- wow.
Works great.
Sidenote: I have done the sanding/buffing thing on cast iron, too, and didn't like the result. The way a cast iron pan gets seasoned is not the way people necessarily think. Yes, you heat it up super hot with a little oil rubbed on it, but that is just the start. Over time, bits of proteins, fats, and sugars convert to carbon in the pores of the iron. That's why an old Griswold from grandma's kitchen looks so smooth. The rough texture of the cast iron has been covered over by a coating of carbon. That's also why you shouldn't wash an iron pan with soap or put it in the dishwasher - it will strip away some of the carbon you spent so long creating. The soap also soaks into the pores and you get soap-flavored meals for the next few weeks
Sanding the surface to make it smoother is a neat shortcut, but it also limits the amount of carbon coating the pan will hold. It makes it easier to season, but also easier to un-season... much like painting a car before scuffing up the old paint first; it doesn't have much "tooth" to hold the new coating.
Still, I consider the sanding trick all the time. It's better than waiting 10 years for a good coating of carbon. Old-timers kinda had no choice, but we do these days.
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