I was thinking about what pots & pans I use the most for this thread, and one thing nobody has mentioned yet is a griddle.
I bought a griddle that actually is an accessory for my stove several years ago on a whim. I wasn’t sure if I’d use it or not, but I’m a sucker for kitchen crap so I got it.
It has turned into one of my most-used items. It’s similar to this, and it sits on top of my stove all the time.
I use it for pancakes and grilled sandwiches all the time. It’s also good for toasting tortillas and frying hamburgers.
So if you’ve got any spare cash and make any of the above, I highly recommend it.
Most people these days need a pot in which they can reheat things quickly, then run a quick sponge through before putting it away. I think Zsofia was right on with this recommendation.
See, I think need and use are two different ideas. It’s nice to have one, but I don’t think its necessary. If not getting that extra pot means that Liberal has extra money to spend on a good sautee pan or a heftier stock pot, then I would say drop it. Of course if there is extra money floating around then I agree it’s nice to have, but it isn’t a necessity.
I think it’s fair to classify anything that would be used a great deal as a necessity. Otherwise, one could argue that very few items are actually needed in a home kitchen.
If you’ve ever fixed your kids something, then been forced to walk away for a time, then an easy-to-clean pot is almost a must.
I just bought stainless steel and I’m loving it. I let the pan cool down after cooking, put a little water in, then scrub it with a brush. Everything comes right out! And the whole set cost less than $100.
<mild related rant>
Am I the only one who gets incredibly frustrated trying to find non-nonstick pans nowadays? They’re everywhere! Nevermind the fact that someone only really needs just 1 nonstick pans for cooking eggs and crepes and the like… I WANT my food to stick, after all, that’s how you create sauces!
But really, what is the point of nonstick saucepots and nonstick roasting pans? Sure it’s easier to clean but at the cost of having no fond, they’re really not worth it. I hope this nonstick craze dies down soon and people realize that a minority of their pans need to be nonstick, not a majority. Phew.
</rant>
I sympathize, but I think the average person is more concerned with easy clean-up than building a good sauce from scratch. They’ve got shelves and shelves of gravy over on aisle 7. Scrubbing a pan clean is something you have to do yourself.
I have several pieces of Berndes Signocast, made in Germany. It’s a bit pricey, but is terrific stuff. Thick, heavy bottoms stay flat forever and thick construction means even heat.
I also came in here to recommend Berndes, but the Tradition line, which is non-stick. We have been extremely pleased for about 13 years. We did replace the skillet a couple of years ago. I suspect my husband of having used metal utensils on it from time to time when I wasn’t looking. There is something to be said for using cookware that is heavy, heats remarkably evenly, and non-stick. The nonstick has endured when we have followed the no-metal utensils rule. But it really is zero tolerance for metal utensils. I don’t make a lot of sauces or gravies unless I am roasting, and I have a big Circulon roaster to get good fond from that.
Nobody gives a rip about fond when they’re reheating last night’s cream of asparagus soup. I can’t think of a single reason why I would even end up with fond in a sauce pan.
I still adore my 5 layer, copper bottomed stainless steel pots and pans from Costco - their Kirkland brand. They’re gorgeous to look at, never stick (as long as you use them right and don’t try to move your meat too soon when searing it), have a beautiful curved side and flared lip which means you can pour from them with no drips, and are very easy to clean (although I don’t put them in the dishwasher.) There is one tiny (7 inch, maybe?) “omelet” pan that I never use, but as the set was less than $200, I don’t feel I wasted any money on it. The only thing I’d caution is that if you have someone with markedly reduced strength, a lightweight coated alluminum set might be easier for them to handle; these things can be *heavy *when full of food. (Same warning applies for cast iron, of course.)
I did buy separately (also from Costso, but not Kirkland brand) a behemoth of a fryer - 5 quarts, I think the thing is? Also stainless, with a many layered core, but that one you can’t see the pretty copper that’s inside. I make most of our one dish meals in that; it’s essentially my “Dutch oven”, but a shape and size I personally prefer.
I also have an 8 inch nonstick skillet from, I believe, the dollar store. I only cook eggs in it, and when it scratches, I won’t feel a moment’s hesitation pitching it and getting a new one.
I’ve been through four sets of pots and pans in my short life; I finally think I’ve found a good quality set that will last me my lifetime and be passed onto my daughter when I die. They’re *that *good. (My son’s already laid claim to my mother’s old school Farberware set - a world away from the crap with the same name today.)
The other thing I forgot to mention is that I love that they’re oven safe to 500; I can sear a chicken breast on the stovetop, add some stock and garlic cloves and stick it right in the oven in the same pan for 15 minutes and end up with the tastiest garlic chicken ever with almost no fat and only one pan to clean!
Granted, I forgot to rant about the other issues I have with nonstick pans, such as how greatly limited you are to what utensils you can use with them. Need to whisk something? Not so fast (unless you have one of those crappy nylon whisks)! Fond is but one reason. They’re a pain to care for, scratch way too easily, and don’t last long enough. And if they start to flake or if you heat them too high, they’re downright dangerous.
I haven’t read this thread yet, but I wanted to mention that I started a thread a couple of weeks ago asking for similar advice; though for a specific set.
As it happens, I made an enhanced Bacon Pig last week. So basically I’ve been eating on that, and not doing any cooking! I did, however, use the 1.5 qt saucepan for something-or-other, and I’ve made a couple of omelettes in the 10" omelette pan. I like the heaviness of the cookware, and the way they heat up evenly and retain their heat. I have had no problems with my omelettes sticking. FWIW, I do them ‘omelette bar’ style – I sauté the onions in butter and add the ham or salmon, and then add a little more butter and put in the eggs. Clean-up is easy, though the pamphlet that came with the set warns not to use abrasive cleansers or scouring pads.
I’m looking forward to cooking more things (steak au poivre – my favourite – comes to mind), but first I have to get through that damned Bacon Pig!
Not being a total dimwit is a prerequiste for using nonstick (or any cookware, for that matter). It’s not exactly rocket surgery or a big imposition to use lower heat and wood/plastic utensils. As for care, what is it that you feel is so difficult? And I would defy anybody to taste the difference between a sauce I make in a nonstick saucepan and one made in, say, cast iron.
The fact that you have to store them in such a way to prevent any other metal from touching the nonstick surface? That’s a serious limitation for those (i.e. me) without much space and where the stacking of pans is a necessity. And just the fact that you have to limit your heat and utensils to non-metal already imposes an inconvenience.
And a well-seasoned cast iron is essentially nonstick. :rolleyes:
