| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| catscharm74 |
Posted - May 24 2005 : 08:10:36 AM
I need some cookware- Here is what I need- a stockpot- 12 quarts with a large steamer basket, deep saute pan with lid, 2 medium size sauce pans and a smaller skiller for things like eggs and what not. I was thinking about going for the whole cast iron pots but never used them before. Anyone have any suggestions?? Thanks. |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| ivmeer |
Posted - Jul 19 2005 : 07:57:53 AM
Don't know how expensive you're looking to do or how much you know about this, but stay away from aluminum pots and pans, and know that most of the teflon-coated cookware sets (where the stockpots are teflon-coated, too) are cheap and worthless. Also, know that cast iron is reactive and can't be used with acidic foods unless it's glazed. |
| sleepless reader |
Posted - Jul 16 2005 : 8:55:44 PM
I have cast iron skillets in various sizes (6" to 12"), a Dutch Oven and griddle that I use all the time. My sauce pans are an ecclectic collection (ok, I have four) of stainless steel, enameled cast iron and an enameled tin small (2 qt) double boiler. I also have a GREAT stock pot that came from QVC. It's a Cook's Essentials. Thay came in sizes from 12 to 16 quarts. Oh, and I love my Joyce Chen for bakeovers!
Happy cooking,
Sharon |
| Clare |
Posted - Jul 16 2005 : 1:07:30 PM
Thanks for the recommendations, Rosemary! I went to Emeril's website and found that the 8" fry pan is now on sale for $19.99! So I ordered two (since shipping for one is $8.50 and for two is $11.50...) figure my daughter will enjoy the second one! Thanks much!
****Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural****
"Begin to weave and God will give the thread." - German Proverb |
| Rosemary |
Posted - Jul 16 2005 : 11:11:19 AM
Pots and pans. For this I went to college??? Oh well!
Sue me. I love pots and pans. Have waaay too many of them. The ones I use most, though, are my well-seasoned iron ones, especially the 10-inch skillet and the dutch oven. I find them so easy to clean (unless I get lazy and leave them on the stove, filled with cruddy leftovers overnight) that they might as well be non-stick. Really, once they are seasoned, if you get to them shortly after cooking, a swish with water and a dishcloth is all you need. I believe (Chem majors, correect me if I'm wrong) that a little iron leeches into food cooked in these pots, and this is a good thing, yes?
After falling in love with MaryJane's bakeover idea, I tried a couple using my old 10-inch copper saute pan (stainless lining) and that did well, but with just the two of us to cook for, it was little largish. I went to a Bed, Bath & Beyond store and found the perfect size: the 8-inch stainless steel chef's pan sold under the name of Emeril (yeah, I know, but the cookware *is* nice). It has a steel handle bolted on, it's nice and sturdy, and deeper than the usual frying pan, which is basically what it is. It was part of an expensive set that they refused to break up, so on a whim, I checked Emeril's web site and sure enough, the small chef's pan was available there solo for about $30. Ordered it, got it two or three days later. LOVE IT!
According to the little leaflet that came with the pan, the trick to using stainless steel successfully is to use a lower cooking temperature. I cook with gas, and with the ironware, am used to turning the flame real high, so this is always a challenge for me, but I lived.
Neat thing about the little chef's pan is that it's just right for all the veggies I like to throw into my bakeovers, and small enough to accommodate a neat finishing layer of corn bread (I cheat and use a mix that features roughly-ground corn, and then I add fresh corn kernels for more interest). I really prefer the taste and texture to MaryJane's suggestions.
I looked at the Joyce Chen mini-wok that MaryJane recommends for bakeovers, but thought the folding handle was too flimsy, and I didn't like the (for me, for now) needless non-stick feature.
My husband went totally over the top when I plopped my first bakeover in front of him? He loves these, and they're so easy, especially at this time of year with so many fabulous organic veggies ready for picking in the garden.
My fave personal bakeover variation? So glad you asked.
Preheat your oven to 350 or so (whatever your corn bread recipe -- or the box the mix came in) -- calls for.
Next, boil a few or four baby potatoes for a couple of minutes. Buy the little redskins if you don't grow your own. Leave the skins on. You just want to give them a head start before sauteeing, so don't go nuts with the precooking.
Chop up a total of maybe two cups of whatever else you've got in the way of vegetables for this experiment. I used green beans, summer squash, scallions and/or onions, zuccini and thinly sliced semi-cooked baby potatoes. I think I also had some bell peppers on hand, I don't remember, but that would be fun, too. Sliced unblanched almonds!? Dried cranberries? Why not? Throw in some corn kernels, thyme, maybe a little rosemary, a pinch or two of sea salt, some ground pepper. Stir-fry/sautee in olive oil for four minutes, tops.
While that's doing its thing, take time in between flipping stuff over to mix up your corn bread batter and set it to one side. (Did I mention I added corn kernels to mine?)
Just before topping the sauteed stuff with the corn bread batter, toss in some uncooked cherry tomatoes cut in half (it's nice to have both red and yellow ones -- they'll cook plenty enough in the oven).
I didn't have any cheese on hand to bind the veggies together when I first made this, and I haven't needed it since, so my variation would work well for vegans. I used homemade sweet barbecue sauce (the tomoato-paste-based kind). Sometimes, I add pieces of chicken that I'd sauteed separately in olive oil, to satisfy the omnivore in me.
Spead the corn bread batter to the edges -- better to leave the middle bare than to skip the edges! Stick the whole thing in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the corn bread is nicely browned. When it's done, take it out and flip it over onto a serving plate. Garnish with stems of rosemary (yeah, I'm prejudiced). Basil is also nice.
I love how chewy and crunchy this recipe is! And we eat ours with spoons. It's is too good for forks! Thanks, MaryJane :-)
Rosemary |
| greyghost |
Posted - Jul 16 2005 : 08:34:47 AM
My husband and I just bought new pots and pans about a year ago. We disagreed on what to get tho - he prefers Teflon and thinks the fumes are a myth. I prefer cast iron but he says men don't need the extra iron that seeps into the food from the pan. Stainless would have been a good middle ground but he figured food would stick. So we got teflon. And I have my cast iron skillets that I use when I'm doing the cooking. lol.
These revereware copper-bottom pots and pans sound great. Maybe if I just got those over time we'd be able to say good-bye to the teflon. |
| jpbluesky |
Posted - Jul 16 2005 : 05:47:03 AM
The bakeover pan (Joyce Chen) I got from MJF I love! It has not had anything stick to it, and I have used it many times.
jpbluesky
Heartland girl |
| Whimsy_girl |
Posted - Jul 15 2005 : 11:12:20 PM
I'm still using the teflon pans I got as a wedding present 4 years ago. I only thought they were bad for you it you scratched the coating. I wasn't aware that the fumes were that awful.
Now I'm recovering from a nasty touch of tendonitis in my right elbow, and I have a really hard time lifting heavy things with one hand, like a cast iron skillet for instance.
Is stainless steel a lot lighter?
I have the chance to buy a gently used set of LaCruiset stainless steel pots and pans for about 150.00 which is a very good deal, but I am just now sure how well I will be able to function with them, being as heavy as they are.
you can be oh so smart, or you can be oh so positive. I wasted a lot of time being smart I prefer being positive. James Stewart in the movie HARVEY |
| bramble |
Posted - May 25 2005 : 07:16:09 AM
My husband was the cooking pot buyer in this family when we first started. He is a great cook and usually started dinner before I got home from work so I figured ok. We both had lived on our own so we had assorted odds and ends. He wanted Calphalon ,so we got Calphalon. I do not love it or hate it. It has lasted 18 years , is ugly but cooks very consistently. What I tend to use is the heavy copper pans from my parents house and a few copper bottom Revere pans that came from my first apt. that my Mom bought for me. I, like Jeannie, must have a nonstick pan (preferably a large frying)and find cast iron too bulky and way too heavy. We do have cast iron skillet, griddle and dutch ovens for camping though. I use a large Calphalon non stick wok with a long and short handle probably the most of all and not just for stir fry. I make pasta in it, use it as a fryer on the rare occasion we fry something or make potato chips, and it is a very useful pan. As for the teflon issue...my understanding is that there is no danger unless the pan is heated to 500 or higher. If you are cooking something that hot on top of your stove you better call the fire department! MJF sells those Joyce Chen pans but I don't know anything about them personally.There was a blurb about them somewhere ...was it the last issue maybe?
with a happy heart |
| cecelia |
Posted - May 24 2005 : 6:11:17 PM
Before I married I had begun to buy my own cookware - mostly Revereware with copper bottoms. If you don't need to buy them all at once, it's best to buy the best gradually. I mostly use stainless steel, and have used cast iron, but remember anything larger than a skillet will be very heavy, which I can't use due to arthritis problems. If you use cast iron you will have to season the pots before using, not hard, just a bit time consuming. Also you won't be washing the cast iron, as they can rust. I try to avoid teflon/non-stick also - it seems no matter what brand I have used they coating eventually flakes off. My Mom has a set of stainless steel pots, with stainless steel handles (they got hot), which are about 50 years old! She has never had a problems using them. The newer stainless sometimes have a disk in the bottom (aluminum ? - not sure- but they are completed away from the food), for more even heating.
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
| Kim |
Posted - May 24 2005 : 3:15:15 PM
My stepmom has been buying me the Ultrex from HSN or QVC (can't ever remember) but I love them . I also have some of the Wolfgang Puck which I love also.
farmgirl@heart
Be at peace with yourself and the rest will follow |
| Clare |
Posted - May 24 2005 : 2:41:47 PM
I am also in need of new cookware. I watch a cooking show called Christina Cooks on PBS, and she recommends Kuhn-Rikon, made in Switzerland (as follows): Do any of you have any experience with this brand? What brand do you stainless steel pan users like best?
As you can imagine, I’m a sucker for great cookware…and it doesn’t get better than Kuhn-Rikon. Sure, the European design is sleek and sexy…some of the most beautiful pots, pans and utensils I have ever seen. But while pretty is nice, it’s performance that counts.
Let’s start with Duromatic pressure cookers. Stainless steel, efficient and durable, these beautiful pressure cookers are a cook’s best friend, coming in a variety of sizes to suit any cooking style.
And then there are the Duroply cookware for every day. Sauce pans of all sizes, skillets, soup pots and pasta pentolas, all stainless steel, lightweight, but substantial, there’s nothing common about these everyday pots and pans.
And the crown jewel? The Durotherm line of cookware. These double walled, insulated pots and pans are like nothing I have ever cooked with before...energy efficient, stainless steel, insulated and substantial, the Durotherm line can be used for soups, stews, even waterless cooking…preserving the maximum nutritional benefits of our food.
click here: www.kuhnrikon.com
****Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural****
"Begin to weave and God will give the thread." - German Proverb |
| ThymeForEweFarm |
Posted - May 24 2005 : 2:27:21 PM
http://www.ewg.org/reports/toxicteflon/es.php A shocking article.
I have stainless steel and cast iron. I was given a great oval cast iron griddle which fits nicely on my stop. It's a rusty mess right now but a couple of hours with stainless steel and baking in the oven with lard will do wonders for it. I have a dutch oven I let get rusty becaues I didn't realize it was still damp. I need to clean that up also.
Until a couple of years ago I had mostly Teflon pans. I missed the ease of cleaning then up at first. The I realized I needed to turn down the heat. I still prefer stainless steel for some things. If something gets stuck to the bottom soaking it for a half hour usually takes care of the problem.
Robin
Thyme For Ewe Farm
www.thymeforewe.com |
| jpbluesky |
Posted - May 24 2005 : 12:32:24 PM
If you prefer stainless steel, I got my daughter a very nice set with all the sizes you are requesting at Wal-Mart! It was in the 80.00 range for the set, and all pieces have glass lids and grip easy handles. She loves them.
I use non-stick pans and have had my current set for over 10 years. I know it is hazardous, but I can't get anything else to cook the way I want it to. Cast iron is so heavy I do not enjoy lifting them and moving them around. We do use them for camping and they stick for me too, even when they have been well aged and oiled. :(
jpbluesky
Heaven gives its glimpses only to those
Not in position to look too close.
from "A Passing Glimpse" by Robert Frost |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - May 24 2005 : 09:56:09 AM
My stock pots and sauce pans are all revereware with copper bottoms. I love them. I decided to slowly get these after realizing that my grandparents had had their set of revereware pots and pans since they were married..and they looked the same after 55 years of cooking. I love mine and they are worth the money. I hate stainless steel skillets however..they stick like crazy. I LOVE my cast iron..I use a 12" skillet every day (I have smaller ones too, that i don't use nearly as often) and have a round griddle too, that is great for eggs and quesadillas and grilled cheese sandwiches. I also have an 8" dutch oven with lid (no legs) to use for stews that I bake and a big old dutch oven with legs for camping and doing big main dishes and stuff in. I still want to get a rectangular griddle someday that fits over two burners and a shorter dutch oven with legs to use for bisquits and like that. I got some of my cast ironware from my mom and the rest I have bought slowly as I can afford it. Don't get the cheap ones..I guess cookware is for sure an area where you usually get what you pay for. I agree with Eileen about the teflon.
Jenny in Utah
Bloom where you are planted! |
| Eileen |
Posted - May 24 2005 : 09:26:03 AM
It should be an investment that you plan on having for a while so don't buy cheap stuff unless you plan to give it to the thrift stores every time you have to move. I also advise against anything with teflon. It may be nice to have a non stick pot but it is a health hazard to cook on this substance not just because it gets into the food but because the fumes it gives off as it heats up are hazardous. My friend gassed her entire collection of exotic birds when she left one of these pots on the burner on low and it boiled dry. She came back in to find all of her birds dead. All she could smell was a hot pot!
I have several sizes of cast iron pans that I love as well as a very nice set of restraunt grade stainless steel including my stock pot with strainer. I love them all.
Happy shopping!
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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