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Post: OT: POTS AND PANS (Topic#882923)

cœur de feu
Master Member KnifeNut!

Reg: 08-28-09

07-29-10 07:17.15 - Post#2180844

I know very little about pots and pans...I usually just use whatever is available to me wherever I happen to be...so my girl just called and said she can get some Calphalon pans pretty cheap...and was thinking of picking them up tonight on her way home from work...if anyone could give me some pointers on whether or not these are worth picking up...what else might be better...and why...I would greatly appreciate it...y'all are always so helpful...I love this place.

WildBoar
Journeyman KnifeNut!

Reg: 12-29-09

07-29-10 07:38.44 - Post#2180865
In response to cœur de feu

I started w/ Calphalon, but rarely use them anymore. We've been transitioning to stainless (well, at least 'stainless on the interior') and cast iron (both regular and enamel-coated).

That being said, if you can pick them up cheap, Calphalon is a decent enough product. But the annodizing does scratch, so be careful if using metal utensils or if you stack the pots/ pans when storing.

------------------------- --------
David
Home Cook
BoardSMITH
Rodrigue Knives

Rowdytown
Journeyman KnifeNut!

Reg: 02-15-10

07-29-10 07:39.14 - Post#2180867
In response to cœur de feu

I don't know much about Calphalon, but All-Clad are king in my kitchen. They might cost $$$$$, but they will be past down to the next generation.

cœur de feu
Master Member KnifeNut!

Reg: 08-28-09

07-29-10 07:49.10 - Post#2180877
In response to Rowdytown

Thanks guys...I'll keep checking back to gauge overall opinion...I've come to trust this group of people we have here...can anyone give me some pros and cons of using nonstick surfaces as opposed to stainless, copper, cast iron, etc.? How does it affect things like searing and pan sauces and such? Are any particular pots or pans better in any given form for any particular purpose? I also see recipes calling for a nonreactive pan...what does that mean?

Edited by cœur de feu on 07-29-10 07:50.14. Reason for edit: No reason given.

Tristan9
Member

Reg: 10-06-09

07-29-10 07:53.14 - Post#2180879
In response to cœur de feu

I've been using non-stick for ages, and i hated the peeling of the teflon after wear (home kitchen).

So switched to hard anodized and also scan pan. Not bad at all, but still there is a marked degradation of the surface with use.

I'm definitely kitting out the new kitchen with stainless or copper. So this thread is super useful. Please call out your favorites!

Is WMF stainless halfway decent?

9mmbhp
Journeyman KnifeNut!

Loc: Colorado
Reg: 03-07-08

07-29-10 08:49.34 - Post#2180936
In response to cœur de feu

Very good reading: eGullet - 'Understanding Stovetop Cookware' By Samuel Lloyd Kinsey

Basic point: cookware made from certain materials/construction techniques is best suited to specific cooking tasks, so buy what is appropriate to your actual needs.

I had quite a bit of the original Calphalon hard-anodized (US made, from the early 90s) and liked it a lot. It does scratch and the anodizing does wear but it served me well for ~20years.

I've since switched to a mixed collection of Falk (stainless-lined copper), Staub (enameled cast iron), cheap carbon steel frying pans, a few All-Clad MC2 (stainless-lined aluminum) pots and a couple of non-stick Calphalon frying pans.

I use the Staub dutch ovens and the Bourgeat carbon steel pans the most.

MadPhoenix
Journeyman KnifeNut!

Loc: Madison, WI
Reg: 12-17-09

07-29-10 08:50.06 - Post#2180937
In response to cœur de feu

cœur de feu Said:

..can anyone give me some pros and cons of using nonstick surfaces as opposed to stainless, copper, cast iron, etc.? How does it affect things like searing and pan sauces and such?

You hit the nail on the head right there. Anything where you want to develop fond (i.e. pan sauces) will not work in a nonstick. I'm not so sure it matters with searing, basically the key there is to have any heavy-bottomed pan so that it retains it's heat when you hit it with the cold (or even room temperature) protein.

On the other hand, some fragile foods where you don't want/need fond are easier to do in a nonstick. Not that you can't do it in a stainless/cast iron pan, it's just easier in nonstick and you don't have to use as much fat to lubricate the pan. Of course, some people have their cast-iron so well seasoned that it is basically nonstick.

I tend to think of cast iron vs. nonstick like stainless knives vs. carbon. Are you always going to clean/wipe out your pan IMMEDIATELY after cooking? If so, cast iron can do everything you need (minus reactive foods). If there's a chance you could get lazy about cleaning or not completely dry your cast iron, you'll wind up paying for it by having to scour and re-season your pan.

cœur de feu Said:

I also see recipes calling for a nonreactive pan...what does that mean?

Basically that means don't use cast iron. Acidic foods will react weird and give you funky metallic flavors.

Again, I think of my pans like knives in the sense that its generally not the best value to buy sets. I have some stainless all clad, a few nonstick all clad, an enameled cast iron dutch oven, and some cheap Lodge cast iron which is basically the best value out there in my opinion. My pasta pot is some cheap deal from Walmart because really, who cares (you do NOT need a hard-anodized pot for boiling water

). Spend money where you need it in your pans, and be smart and frugal on the pans where you don't need it.

WildBoar
Journeyman KnifeNut!

Reg: 12-29-09

07-29-10 09:12.13 - Post#2180959
In response to MadPhoenix

Doesn't hurt to have a non-stick skillet and maybe a 2 quart non-stick pan around, but for most cooking we avoid non-stick.

We use the non-stick skillet for some egg/ frittada and fish dishes, and the nonstick pot for oatmeal and some other messy semi-liquid foods that can be a PITA to clean. But for sauteing, frying, braising, etc., we avoid the non-stick.

------------------------- --------
David
Home Cook
BoardSMITH
Rodrigue Knives

tk59
Master Member KnifeNut!

Loc: San Diego
Reg: 02-27-10

07-29-10 09:16.53 - Post#2180961
In response to MadPhoenix

I do 60% of my cooking in a 12" All-Clad stainless. If you check back with me in 10 yrs, I'll probably be using the same thing. For other pots and pans, I bought a $200 set from Costco a year or two ago. They have an Emeril label but they are some slightly lighter grade of All-Clad. They aren't finished quite as nicely and they had glass lids which I have mixed feelings about but they were a steal, in my opinion. I also use a huge pot that someone gave me with one of those steel-encased aluminum plates stuck to the bottom. Never thought it would last this long but it's still going. I seldom use my heavy cast iron anymore. It is too much of a PITA, but maybe I just don't know how to use it. I gave it a good try for a year or so and decided it wasn't worth the hassle.

tk59
Master Member KnifeNut!

Loc: San Diego
Reg: 02-27-10

07-29-10 09:19.24 - Post#2180962
In response to WildBoar

I don't have a problem doing fritada (sp?) in my stainless pan. I do make sure there's a little oil in there and it is pretty hot.

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Location: Main Index » Forum Index » Knives, Cooking, and Life in the Restaurant/Home Kitchen » In the Kitchen » OT: POTS AND PANS