stainless steel pots

[Anonymous]

Please recommend your stainless steel pots. I cook frequently, but not fancy gourmet dishes. I think my husband would like to splurge on a small fancy (eg All-Clad) set, but I'm not sure it's worth the money . . .although part of me is tempted. The new pots would supplement a Cuisinart stainless steel set that I got about 10 years ago. Any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

my emeril pots are pretty good, actually

[Anonymous]

Love All Clad but those are aluminum.

[Anonymous]

I have a Kitchen Aid set that I like a lot. You might want to consider a trip to the Williams-Sonoma outlet in Leesburg - that's where I got my cookware, and it was an incredibly good deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love All Clad but those are aluminum.

They have an aluminum core and are coated with stainless steel.

[Anonymous]

We got Kirkland brand at Costco and love it - under $200 for the entire set and great quality.

[Anonymous]

Love my all-clad - I think they're worth the splurge. Whichever one's you get, also buy some BarKeeper's Friend to help keep them clean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my emeril pots are pretty good, actually

Same. I think they are really good quality for the price. A nice mid-range grade and mine have been very sturdy.

[Anonymous]

Are stainess steel better than non stick? How do you clean without non stick??

[Anonymous]

They're actually very easy to clean if you get a good quality, thick steel pan. The key is to heat the pan first, then heat the oil, THEN add food. This allows the oil to coat the tiny crevices so food doesn't stick as much. Then after cooking, we just use a sponge and green scrubbing pad and they are good as new!

[Anonymous]

I have all clad stainless steel (LTD) pan with lid and it is my favorite. It cleans up better than my calphalon non stick pans! Also for making sauces from a pan a non nonstick pan is preferred. You want a little bit of stickiness.

[Anonymous]

i'm not so sure i'm convinced anymore that more expensive pots = that much better. i think i'm actually perfectly fine with getting cheaper pots and replacing them every few years. i cook quite a lot and i typically do like "the best" but i'm just not sure that it's always worth it.

in general though, i don't like the huge sets. there are always certain pots that are more useful than others.

that being said, all-clad is sold at cheaper prices at the williams-sonoma outlet in leesburg like the pp said. and sometimes you can find them (and other good brands) at marshall's.

[Anonymous]

11:55 - I agree with you.

We splurged on the top of the line All Clad (copper inside them, but not visible). They are heavy and tedious to work with. Frankly, I think they are dangerous around kids because they are heavy to me. I like to be able to maneuver and strain and mix, etc with one hand. Just not the way with these.

I have had others that I have replaced (okay, we might have burnt one or two things); with no guilt. We are not horrible cooks, just adventurous, so we thought we needed "the good ones". Not so.

I know one or two people that HAVE to have this or HAVE to have that, but they really don't have the money to begin with. Their priorities are f*ed up. Don't be one of them.

Really, OP, spend your money on something else.

[Anonymous]

Those of you who replaced your expensive pots with a cheaper line, what did you get? Something like Farberware (very light, plastic handles) or a middle of the road line? What line?

The point about heavy pots and children is a good one.

What is the advantage of the really expensive pots?

[Anonymous]

I went to Canyon Ranch last year for cooking school (more than spa stuff) and the number one thing I learned is that you need to replace your pots and pans every several years. And unless you're reducing serious sauces, the most expensive pots and pans aren't better.

Then my mother called me about a NYT article that told her to replace all her pots and pans every 3-5 years. She was upset since her pricey cookware was 15 years old.

Anyhow, we both bought cheapo Cuisinart and Emeril sets, and we're both very happy. I am planning on keeping them for three years, tops.

Anyhow, just my two cents!