stainless steel pots

[Anonymous]

Owner of lots of expensive all-clad here. Not worth it. I bought a cast iron skillet from the hardware store recently and that's been my favorite (but serves a totally different purpose).

I have a friend that got the all-clad comparable set from Costco after splitting with his wife (and his all-clad) and he was much happier with the Costco set. He said it was exactly the same for a fraction of the price and the handles didn't get as hot as the all-clad. And he cooks all the time.

You should keep a non-stick on hand for things like eggs though.

[Anonymous]

Just replaced my 8 year old Calphalon non-sticks with All-Clad LTD2 (rated tops by Cooks Illustrated), seriously discounted from Williams Sonoma outlet! Agree with PP about heating pan, adding oil later to prevent sticking. This has worked for me. Also, think it's key to not buy an entire set but mix it up. For example, I do have a non-stick frying pan because sometimes it's called for. I also love my Le Creuset 8-quart pot. And if you cook a lot, I think a stainless saucepan and saute pan are absolutely necessary.

Have never heard about replacing pans every 3-5 years, but will be curious to read that NYT article. I was at Macy's over the holidays and there was a calphalon rep there. I told her I was unhappy with my non-stick set b/c it appeared that the non-stick surface was chipping away after 8 years despite using the appropriate utensils. She said they are under lifetime warranty and Calphalon is great about just replacing the pan. I never tried it, but something to think about.

[Anonymous]

Why are you suppose to replace pans so often??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are you suppose to replace pans so often??

This has got to be just for nonstick. I can't imagine why stainless would go bad. I'm guessing at Canyon Ranch they use more nonstick to reduce the amount of fat in the food, no?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I would think it would be necessary to replace non-stick a lot; basically as soon as you start to see chipping.

We use mostly Lodge cast iron pans, some random stainless pots that I always seem to find at Ross or Marshalls, some older enamaled cast iron casseroles, and are totally satisfied with that. And, we cook a whole lot. I think the stainless pots are cuisinart or some other brand I've never heard of. They work great and since they didn't cost me hundreds of dollars, I have no problem replacing if/when I want to.

OP, I can't even remember what your exact question was.....but why not just pick out the one or two pots/pans you use the most, and replace those?

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP, just went back and re-read your post. LOL, my DH gets like this too. He lands on some fancy exclusive item and decides we should get it. We have some disposable income, but are not wealthy. I always try to steer him back to something that we REALLY need, as opposed to the fru-fru item that he thinks would be neat to have. A whole set of expensive cookware seems silly to me, even though I really cook a lot. Inevitably there are pieces that you use more and others you use less. Just pick out the two pieces you use the most, and then splurge on that if he's looking to splurge.....

[Anonymous]

We had faberware for years and I slowly upgraded my pots one at a time for nicer - I love my le cruseau (horrible spelling), my all-clad stainless steel saucepans, my big copper pot for soups, my non-stick frying pan, my calaphon saucier.... I essentially thought about what would be better for each task... I have not regretted any of my upgrades. BUT the thing that has made the biggest difference to me was a better stove!

[Anonymous]

What's wrong with non-stick?

[Anonymous]

Watch HSN. Seriously, they have good middle-of-the-road stainless set on all of the time for really good prices. I bought a set off HSN about 10 years ago (and after reading this, I guess it's time to replace!), and I will go back to HSN when I get a new set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's wrong with non-stick?

Non-stick coating can emit gasses and minute traces of chemicals that are toxic--especially if you heat them without food to absorb the heat (e.g., if you forget to turn of the burner and leave the pan on).

I use All-Clad, the basic line, which has three layers--aluminum core and stainless steel on the outside. I was fortunate to receive some great pieces when I got married after grad school and the difference between my old Faberware and the All Clad was shocking. I am an avid cook, and I would suggest that you analyze your cooking patterns to see which pieces you should get (we use a small sauce pan daily, a soup pot, and a cassoulet--I use a Lodge Cast Iron fry pan). It may be cheaper to invest in a set, or it may not. Also, places like Marshalls often have random All Clad pieces for sale. FWIW, I plan on keeping these for at least a few decades.

[Anonymous]

I'm a big fan of our Calphalon stainless steel set.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for all the input. Yes, my husband is more inclined to buy upscale pieces, so that's part of what's driving this. We agreed on a new set of pots for a gift (I like to cook so I wanted this gift rather than more jewelry, etc.). As far as what I really need, we picked up a Calphalon nonstick 12-in skillet with a lid the other day, which is something I really wanted to replace an old Wearever nonstick that had lost its lining. Most of the sets don't have this size skillet with a lid, and I like this for one-pan meal type dishes (rice mixed with meat or tofu, etc.)

Aside from that, I think we mainly want to replace the old Farberware (really thin, handles coming off) and Wearever (lining way gone) sauce pots, and have a more uniform collection. We do have a Cuisinart stainless steel set with two saucepans, but I find I often use three at a time or one's in the fridge, etc. So a small set with saucepans would probably be a nice compliment. What I don't really want is a bunch of stainless steel small skillets, since I use my small skillets mainly for eggs, and I prefer nonstick for those.

[Anonymous]

well it sounds like you should just go for the all clad and you'll likely love it. that's the thing about expensive stuff. in most cases, you will love it because you have to, otherwise the cognitive dissonance would cause you all sorts of unnecessary stress.

as for whether it's REALLY that much better than other brands and worth the bang for the buck... there will probably never be a definitive conclusion to that one.