I have All-Clad. It kicks ass. By far the best cookware I’ve ever used. The heating surface heats evenly and it get HOT. The non-stick pans, if you like such things, are tough and don’t wear out (at least, mine hasn’t worn out, I’ve had it for 3+ years and use it almost every day.) It’s well worth the money, especially if you’re the type who wants to buy one set of cookware for your whole life.
You also get the added benefit of being able to be smug while watching TV cooking shows, since 90% of 'em use All-Clad.
I’ve gone through some love/hate stages with cast iron. I agree with you on the plusses (although you left out “home defense”), and have cooked many a flapjack, stew and cobbler in it. However: it’s heavy, rusts (I know - not if you take care of it), and scratches the hell out of any other cookware it touches. Oh, and the handles are always too short and get blazing hot.
Since my Calphalon stuff hangs from a ceiling rack, I can safely keep a couple of #1 cast iron skillets in a cabinet for small jobs like grilled cheese, personal omelettes, etc. Nothing else quite like it.
Can’t we all just get along? As far as our cookware goes at least.
Calphalon is a bit pricey but I like it. I also like cast iron for most of the reasons rmariamp said except none of mine came from yard sales. I actually have more cast iron than any other type: three skillets, one combo cooker, one griddle and three dutch ovens - one stovetop plus two camp style. Still haven’t decided if I’ll get the cast iron wok yet. The rest is humble Revere Ware stainless with aluminum disk bottoms.
The potential for problems with fumes from nonstick cookware seems to be somewhat overblown. Consumers Union (Consumer Reports) tested nonstick cookware, heated it to 400 degrees, and measured perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in air above the pans.
If you routinely heat your pans to temperatures at or even exceeding the flash point of most oils and greases, in an unventilated room, you might possibly have some long term exposure issues. If you don’t become ill or die from smoke inhalation first, of course.
As I recall (I’ll search for a link if anybody really thinks it’s an issue) the only significant out-gassing from nonstick coatings comes at temperatures exceeding the melting point of aluminum. So we are talking about an unwatched pan on a burner, heated to the point of fire danger to the kitchen. This has probably happened to everybody, once. But it doesn’t seem to have much relevance to normal cooking.
As for microscopic or nearly microscopic bits of inert plastic being ingested-- your digestive system deals with bits of indigestible matter in sizes ranging from microscopic to quite large (there are indigestible components of food of course, but also junk like marbles, coins, jewelry, etc. are surprisingly common accidental or deliberate tidbits) all day every day. Unless you’re eating teflon strips like a plate of spaghetti, I can’t imagine there being a problem.
Why must you choose one type of cookware? I use whatever is appropriate for the task. Searing scallops or steaming veggies? Stainless. Cooking an omelet? Nonstick. Pot of beans? Cast iron. Paella? Back to a nonstick surface. Arguing over what type of cookware to use is pretty pointless. Limiting yourself is just dumb.
I agree. I use stainless, non-stick, cast iron, aluminum, and porcelain lined cast iron depending on what’s being cooked. And I don’t have a pot rack, so they don’t all need to look the same.
[moderating] CannyDan, we prefer that you don’t bring 10-year-old threads back to life when the original participants may or may not still be around. Please start new threads instead of creating zombies.
