I am looking to buy a set of professional cooking pots. My current consists of non stick fry pans which do not last. Also, I have learned, the coating comes off at high temperatures. I also have some enamel pots that I love.
There seem to be so many options; cast iron, 5 layered metal, ceramic.
Here are my requirements.
Durable - Something that will last the rest of my life
Non stick - As much as possible. I occasionally use a cast iron frying pan which is non stick but I cannot imagine buying a whole set as they are very heavy.
Even heat distribution.
I am intrigued by ceramic cookware but I have heard that they do not last.
What are people using that they are happy with? What additional info would help me in my decision?
I have a mish mash of various pots and pans collected over the years. Many have their pros and cons but overall for everyday cooking I like Calphalon hard anodized the best. I’m considering getting rid of several old pans and replacing them with a stackable set they offer. Of course I’ll keep some of my “specialty” pans like a cast iron fry pan an a nice wok, but for day to day use they should work fine.
Based on what you’re saying, you need to spend the money and get a set of stainless steel pots and pans (even if you buy them one at a time) with heavy bottoms. Nothing will stick to them, they’re very easy to clean and they’ll likely last until you lose them or, like, run over them or something.
I have a set of Viking pots and pans that I think is a small and large sauce pan and lid, a very large pot and two skillets. IIRC it was something like $800 (maybe 500). Yeah, a lot of money, and I know (now) there are cheaper ones. But it gets used plenty, I bought it over 10 years ago and other than some swirl marks in the bottom from metal utensils, it’s still in perfect condition. You can sautee stuff in it, burn things in it, leave the little skillet on the stove and make grilled cheese in it every day and some Barkeeper’s Friend will make it shine like the day you got it.
(PS, I’m recommending stainless because nothing sticks to it like a non-stick pan, but there’s no teflon to come off, it’ll be ‘non stick’ forever).
I’ve had the exact opposite experience with Stainless Steel, but maybe I’ve never used very good ones. We vacation a lot in condos and whenever I find they have Stainless pans they are always a mess. I usually run out and buy something non-stick that I can use for the week because the time scrubbing with an SOS pad just isn’t worth it.
I tried Googling “Non-Stick Stainless Steel” and the only hits are for ones that are stainless pans with an applied non-stick interior.
I’ll second the Calphalon. I have a set that I got for my wedding, 25 years ago, and I still use them and love them. I just recently added a few in sizes that I don’t have, and really like the changes and updates. Highly recommend.
My experience with stainless is that shit sticks to it like hell, unless you know what you’re doing. It took me a good while to master (or just become competent with, really) the stainless steel pans. I still use Teflon for eggs.
Teflon for eggs, YES! Get a non-stick 7-inch pan and reserve it for ONLY eggs…omelettes or fried. If you catch anyone using it for anything else, hit them over the head VERY sharply with your cast-iron skillet.
Stainless steel is great if you WANT stuff to stick to the bottom, because you want a fond.. That you then scrape up to thicken a sauce, stew, or soup.
I bought a lot of All-Clad saucepans, pots, and pans over 20 years ago and love them…I think they are preferable to Calaphon. Expensive, but they’re a lifetime investment.
Alternative: go to a good kitchen supply store and ask for advice, like Bridge Kitchen in Manhattan. Those guys generally HATE Calaphon and All-Clad and consider them overpriced. They’ll sell you good stuff, and inexpensive, but it will probably be stainless, so good luck with your eggs.
I think you need a mix of surfaces to accomplish whatever it is you are aiming to cook, but I’ll add another vote for stainless steel. The tricks to cooking with stainless are to: 1) Use enough fat (butter, oil, mixture, whatever); and 2) leave it alone until it naturally releases from the pan surface. Stop stabbing it with your fork or trying to lift it with your utensil. Let your chicken/fish/beef cubes cook for awhile. You’ll soon realize that if you’re cooking at an appropriate medium-high or high heat, the meat will let go when it’s damned good and ready. It will also leave the lovely fond you want for gravy or sauce.
I have a mix of Calphalon and Pampered Chef stainless. Have been happy with all of it. My pieces are similar to the set shown by Joey P.
Stainless is easy to clean. If something gets really stuck on, just use some Easy Off oven cleaner. It won’t hurt your stainless. Don’t use it on Calphalon anodized or teflon, though!
Agree with Ukulele Ike – one good teflon pan for eggs. You can use your stainless steel or cast iron no problem, but why add all that butter or oil? Pampered Chef makes a good teflon coated pan. They last quite awhile.
I love a couple cast iron pieces for certain things. I keep a cast iron Dutch oven for certain stews and for baking Artisan no-knead bread.
I have some of my original Calphalon anodized professional purchased about 25 years ago, and it’s still going strong. I tend to reach more for my stainless, though.
We got a set of TFal pans from Amazon last year and have loved them. They were rated higher than Calphalon on one review I read and less than half the cost.
For stainless, it’s not only a heavy bottom you look for. You should also look for the sides to be laminated. This helps with heat distribution and lessons the cleaning issues.
Non-stick was created for eggs, so why not use it for same? I have a couple of Berndes non-stick pans that are absolutely flat on the bottom because of the heavy construction. I also have a Calphalon non-stick and a T-fal, but if you want really high quality, find some Vollrath pans (they have them at Amazon). They’re reasonably priced, tough and durable.
Also, well-made pans, whether stainless or other do not require high flame. Medium is as high as you want to heat on, as the heat distribution will give you the same effect as cranking it up to high.
I have an enameled stock pot (2.5 gal) no-name brand, don’t even remember where I bought it. A cheapo electric frying pan that I love. I have a really heavy aluminum 2qt sauce pan with enough metal in the bottom to make an airplane out of, this I inherited from my grandma, it’s older than me. From my mom I have a 1qt ceramic sauce pan I use to boil eggs (I’m the only eater of boiled eggs in my house) I love this little pot also. For stove top fry pans, I’ve had T-fal (adequate I guess) cast iron, Revereware (copper bottomed stainless) and a couple other brands I can’t remember. The reverware was not my favorite, and the Tfal and other brands were adequate for my needs, and in fact I have Tfal right now
ETA the ceramic 1qt I got from my mom is pretty old. I’ve been cooking with it since I was a kid
I love my Gotham Steel pans because they’re super easy to clean. They’re titanium and ceramic. I’ve cooked sweet Italian sausage in it and just wiped it out with a paper towel and washed it with a minimum of effort and it comes out clean. Unlike other non-stick cookware you can use regular metal utensils on it without messing up the surface. (I use silicone ones myself).
All the one-star ratings would put me off of those. Sounds like perhaps the quality control in manufacturing is poor. Also, they’re made in China, which is a no-go for me.
I have a set of Calphalon tri-ply stainless steel pots and pans similar to this one. My set comprises a six-quart stock pot, a strainer/steamer that fits into the stock pot, glass lid, 2.5 quart sauce pan w/glass lid, 1.5 quart sauce pan with glass lid, 10-inch omelette pan, 8-inch omelette pan, 10-inch sauté pan. In addition, I have two 1-quart hard-anodized Simply Calphalon sauce pans, two sets of Calphalon [Contemporary 8-inch and 10-inch frying pans](https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/calphalon-reg-contemporary-nonstick-10-inch-and-12-inch-fry-pan-set/1014506683?Keyword=calphalon contemporary pans), and a Calphalon Contemporary 12-inch Everyday Pan with a lid. Not to mention dad’s (or grandmother’s 7-inch diameter Revereware pot and lid, several cast iron frying pans/lids/Dutch oven, and miscellaneous pans) that ‘never’ get used.
The Calphalon non-stick frying pans get the most use, followed by the tri-ply sauce pans, and one of the non-stick 1-quart pots. The lids from the stainless steel set get used where they’re needed. Mrs. L.A. was surprised at how easy it is to clean the stainless steel. She assumed stuff would burn on and not come off. There was a bit of a learning curve where she over-heated the non-stick 8-inch and 10-inch frying pans, plus the 1-quart pot (which she also has a habit of using metal utensils in), but even when things burned to the stainless steel, a little bit of Barkeeper’s Friend cleaned them right up. (We still use the 1-quart non-stick pot, and have a spare in reserve, but the frying pans were replaced. For $30 (with the 20% discount) for the set at Bed Bath & Beyond, why not?)
Through my adulthood, I’ve tried to get better and better cooking tools. The Calphalon cookware is the heaviest, and best to use ones I’ve had. Oh, I have a Calphalon hanging rack, too. It’s attractive (Mrs. L.A. always wanted to live in a house with one), and much easier to get a pan from, than trying to dig through our crappy cabinets.
We went entirely All-Clad stainless after handle/coating issues w/ 2 inferior sets. Have had no issues with them and doubt we’ll ever need to replace them.
Anybody have experience with carbon steel? I’m considering getting one or a couple, because I like cast iron and carbon steel seems to have the same benefits plus being lighter and the choice of many professionals. But I’ve never used a carbon steel pan. I’ve used carbon steel knives though. And I’ve heard that it’s the only material for woks.
The 12-inch non-stick stainless got a lot less non-stick after 20 years of constant use, so we bought another one, but I still use the old one a lot…it makes a much better pan-fried chicken than my 14-inch Lodge cast iron. And just enough chickeny goodness sticks to make a fine pan gravy.
I’ve heard the same thing about woks, but my enameled cast iron Le Creuset wok you will take from my COLD DEAD HANDS. It turns out incredible Chinese food; last night’s Cumin Lamb with Scallions and Chiles was outstanding.
Carbon steel pans, I dunno. I see the rationale for carbon steel knives (sharpness), but the pan would just require the same fussy care as cast iron pans. Stainless, you can wash and leave to drip dry overnight.
20 years ago we bought a Berndes crepe pan at a specialty store in Austin. In the past couple of years one corner is starting to shed the coating, and I was concerned any replacement I’d find these days wouldn’t be as good.
I needn’t have worried; the one I got from Amazon was top-quality, and we now use it for a lot more than just crepes: eggs (scrambled or fried) slide out and a quick wipe with a paper towel and you’re done.
My cast iron skillet story: we had a newer-manufacture Lodge skillet, and the Mrs. insisted on washing with soap and water. So I found a good deal on a Staub enameled cast iron skillet at a Williams Sonoma outlet, and now we get the benefits of cast iron, but she’s free to scrub all she wants.
I have a very large Berndes that I make paella in every Christmas. The even heat ensures a good soccarat all across the bottom and an even cook on the rice. They’re not cheap, but I’m going on 15 years with mine.
