“Best roasted potatoes ever” video looks good. Guess what I’m having tonight? Never knew about the baking soda trick.Manveer wrote: ↑Mon Nov 01, 2021 12:51 pmHe used to live in the Bay Area. Now Seattle.damufunman wrote: ↑Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:14 am @Manveer Kenji's kitchen is surprisingly small for a chef... Do you know if he lives in SoCal?
+1 on All-Clad stainless (though I have Calphalon stainless, I think they are similar?), and getting just what you'd use is better than a set the has a bunch of thing you probably won't.
He used to work in restaurants and was the head chef (?) at a Bay Area restaurant called Wursthall. Mostly he writes cookbooks now.
He started making a bunch of YouTube videos from his kitchen at home once COVID lockdowns started. I learned a lot from following along.
I’ll probably replace my cookware with better stuff in the next year. I have mostly cheap pots and pans from 10+ years ago when I didn’t know how to cook anything.
Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
So I went through my bookshelf, and drawers. I found “the joy of cooking” that was a wedding gift many years ago. Forgot all about it. It actually has a section at the back that describes the cooking methods, and covers cooking equipment, explaining the different materials pots/pans are made of. It goes on about advantages, and concerns. Actually pretty informative.
So, now the post switches from what do I need, to who makes the best.
As for non stick stuff, has anyone purchased from webrestaurantstore.com? They sell commercial grade stuff and the prices aren’t too bad. Should be durable? Not sure where their stuff is made.
So, now the post switches from what do I need, to who makes the best.
As for non stick stuff, has anyone purchased from webrestaurantstore.com? They sell commercial grade stuff and the prices aren’t too bad. Should be durable? Not sure where their stuff is made.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
I think we just bought aluminum sheet pans from there. No complaints really. The shipping cost is higher than most places, so we combined our order with someone else to make it worthwhile. The prices are very low for what we bought - I doubt they're US-made.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
Le Creuset has a “limited” lifetime warranty on their non stick fry and sauté pans. Too good to be true?
What’s the catch? Anyone own Le Creuset’?
What’s the catch? Anyone own Le Creuset’?
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
I wouldn't worry too much about Le Creuset flaking out on their warranties. The warranty is limited due to instances where an owner might go above and beyond reasonable abuse for kitchenware.
It's a bit of a chore to keep their enameled stuff looking new-ish, though.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
I,was,more,so referring to,the,non stick pan warranty. Lifetime? Most I’ve ever seen is 5 year. Any non stick I’ve owned got maybe 2 years tops. Didn’t matter how much I paidRenascent wrote: ↑Tue Nov 02, 2021 11:19 amI wouldn't worry too much about Le Creuset flaking out on their warranties. The warranty is limited due to instances where an owner might go above and beyond reasonable abuse for kitchenware.
It's a bit of a chore to keep their enameled stuff looking new-ish, though.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
Ah. I'd still take their word for it.Oldandfat wrote: ↑Tue Nov 02, 2021 12:18 pmI,was,more,so referring to,the,non stick pan warranty. Lifetime? Most I’ve ever seen is 5 year. Any non stick I’ve owned got maybe 2 years tops. Didn’t matter how much I paidRenascent wrote: ↑Tue Nov 02, 2021 11:19 amI wouldn't worry too much about Le Creuset flaking out on their warranties. The warranty is limited due to instances where an owner might go above and beyond reasonable abuse for kitchenware.
It's a bit of a chore to keep their enameled stuff looking new-ish, though.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
I have some Le Creuset, including a frying pan with the non-stick coating. The wife bought it, and frankly it sucks. Their stuff is diffficult to keep clean/stain free, and the non-stick is not. My wife uses the thing and I avoid it. If I never have another non-stick pan in my life, that will be great. I very much prefer some seasoned cast iron skillets and stainless for the rest, most of my cooking is done in cast iron or some aluminum pans I bought at the restaurant supply. Much cheaper than the fancy names and it actually works well. Le Creuset is better if you are needing a Dutch Oven or something along those lines, their non-stick sucks.Oldandfat wrote: ↑Tue Nov 02, 2021 12:18 pmI,was,more,so referring to,the,non stick pan warranty. Lifetime? Most I’ve ever seen is 5 year. Any non stick I’ve owned got maybe 2 years tops. Didn’t matter how much I paidRenascent wrote: ↑Tue Nov 02, 2021 11:19 amI wouldn't worry too much about Le Creuset flaking out on their warranties. The warranty is limited due to instances where an owner might go above and beyond reasonable abuse for kitchenware.
It's a bit of a chore to keep their enameled stuff looking new-ish, though.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
I'm gonna give a big +1 for All-Clad stainless cookware. We got a 12-piece (I think? Here's the 10-piece set. We have all this plus two nonstick fry pans to match the stainless that came with what we got.), counting lids, set as a wedding present, and the workhorse of our cookware is the 8 quart stockpot that was in the set. Instead of using the lid it came with, I use a stainless, domed lid that came with a long gone, non-stick "French" sautee pan, also All-Clad.
I don't think it matters what brand of teflon/whatever nonstick pans you buy; if you use it often enough, they last just a couple of years. We've gone through two "nice" All-Clad nonstick ones that didn't last any longer than any other brand I've ever used.
The exception is the 8.5" non-stick fry pan that came in that original set. I use it essentially to make scrambled eggs, and it's lasted this long because that's almost the only thing I use it for.
The close runner-up in the best cookware we have is a 6 quart stainless "soup" pot by Cuisinart. While the 8 qt pot is 10.5" in diameter, which fits perfectly on our two big eyes on the stove, the 6 qt fits perfectly on the medium eye, which is 8.5" in diameter. It does have a glass lid, which I actually like.
We have a bunch of the enameled Le Creuset stuff, but it almost never gets used. It's heavier, smaller, and in general you have to be more careful with it--ain't nobody got time for that. I'll never go out of my way to acquire any more, and I could probably get rid of it all without any remorse.
Another really nice thing about the stainless All-Clad stuff is that it can be taken from the fridge to the stove to oven and back again without any problems. That's cool when searing steaks on the stove and finishing in the oven without having to change cookware. And you can use whatever utensils without worrying about damaging some fragile finish.
I don't think it matters what brand of teflon/whatever nonstick pans you buy; if you use it often enough, they last just a couple of years. We've gone through two "nice" All-Clad nonstick ones that didn't last any longer than any other brand I've ever used.
The exception is the 8.5" non-stick fry pan that came in that original set. I use it essentially to make scrambled eggs, and it's lasted this long because that's almost the only thing I use it for.
The close runner-up in the best cookware we have is a 6 quart stainless "soup" pot by Cuisinart. While the 8 qt pot is 10.5" in diameter, which fits perfectly on our two big eyes on the stove, the 6 qt fits perfectly on the medium eye, which is 8.5" in diameter. It does have a glass lid, which I actually like.
We have a bunch of the enameled Le Creuset stuff, but it almost never gets used. It's heavier, smaller, and in general you have to be more careful with it--ain't nobody got time for that. I'll never go out of my way to acquire any more, and I could probably get rid of it all without any remorse.
Another really nice thing about the stainless All-Clad stuff is that it can be taken from the fridge to the stove to oven and back again without any problems. That's cool when searing steaks on the stove and finishing in the oven without having to change cookware. And you can use whatever utensils without worrying about damaging some fragile finish.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
All,clad looks like some nice stuff for,sure.alek wrote: ↑Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:59 pm I'm gonna give a big +1 for All-Clad stainless cookware. We got a 12-piece (I think? Here's the 10-piece set. We have all this plus two nonstick fry pans to match the stainless that came with what we got.), counting lids, set as a wedding present, and the workhorse of our cookware is the 8 quart stockpot that was in the set. Instead of using the lid it came with, I use a stainless, domed lid that came with a long gone, non-stick "French" sautee pan, also All-Clad.
I don't think it matters what brand of teflon/whatever nonstick pans you buy; if you use it often enough, they last just a couple of years. We've gone through two "nice" All-Clad nonstick ones that didn't last any longer than any other brand I've ever used.
The exception is the 8.5" non-stick fry pan that came in that original set. I use it essentially to make scrambled eggs, and it's lasted this long because that's almost the only thing I use it for.
The close runner-up in the best cookware we have is a 6 quart stainless "soup" pot by Cuisinart. While the 8 qt pot is 10.5" in diameter, which fits perfectly on our two big eyes on the stove, the 6 qt fits perfectly on the medium eye, which is 8.5" in diameter. It does have a glass lid, which I actually like.
We have a bunch of the enameled Le Creuset stuff, but it almost never gets used. It's heavier, smaller, and in general you have to be more careful with it--ain't nobody got time for that. I'll never go out of my way to acquire any more, and I could probably get rid of it all without any remorse.
Another really nice thing about the stainless All-Clad stuff is that it can be taken from the fridge to the stove to oven and back again without any problems. That's cool when searing steaks on the stove and finishing in the oven without having to change cookware. And you can use whatever utensils without worrying about damaging some fragile finish.
But if you have non stick fry pans, what value is there in the stainless fry pans that come with those,sets? I’ve only used non stick pans. Wouldn’t the stainless be hard to clean?
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
Stainless fry pans allow you to cook items at high heat for searing, stirfrying, etc. You shouldn't use non-stick for anything other than low temperature uses like eggs, grilled cheese, etc. I've never had an issue with things sticking too much to stainless as long as proper technique is used.
1) Heat the pan thoroughly, and add fat before adding the item to be cooked.
2) If things start to stick, deglaze the pan with water or whatever base you are using for a sauce.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
Honestly, I don't use them very often--especially the smaller one; it essentially is useless. Given that, I use the larger one for starting stuff on the stove and then finishing in the oven. I'll do that with steaks, Brussels sprouts, and such. In that same set, there's a 5 quart saucepan--it's really a stock pot with like a 3 inch height--with a lid. That one is much more useful in my opinion than the two stainless fry pans in that it's larger and can really do like 98% of what the two stainless fry pans can do.Oldandfat wrote: ↑Fri Nov 05, 2021 2:58 amAll,clad looks like some nice stuff for,sure.alek wrote: ↑Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:59 pm I'm gonna give a big +1 for All-Clad stainless cookware. We got a 12-piece (I think? Here's the 10-piece set. We have all this plus two nonstick fry pans to match the stainless that came with what we got.), counting lids, set as a wedding present, and the workhorse of our cookware is the 8 quart stockpot that was in the set. Instead of using the lid it came with, I use a stainless, domed lid that came with a long gone, non-stick "French" sautee pan, also All-Clad.
I don't think it matters what brand of teflon/whatever nonstick pans you buy; if you use it often enough, they last just a couple of years. We've gone through two "nice" All-Clad nonstick ones that didn't last any longer than any other brand I've ever used.
The exception is the 8.5" non-stick fry pan that came in that original set. I use it essentially to make scrambled eggs, and it's lasted this long because that's almost the only thing I use it for.
The close runner-up in the best cookware we have is a 6 quart stainless "soup" pot by Cuisinart. While the 8 qt pot is 10.5" in diameter, which fits perfectly on our two big eyes on the stove, the 6 qt fits perfectly on the medium eye, which is 8.5" in diameter. It does have a glass lid, which I actually like.
We have a bunch of the enameled Le Creuset stuff, but it almost never gets used. It's heavier, smaller, and in general you have to be more careful with it--ain't nobody got time for that. I'll never go out of my way to acquire any more, and I could probably get rid of it all without any remorse.
Another really nice thing about the stainless All-Clad stuff is that it can be taken from the fridge to the stove to oven and back again without any problems. That's cool when searing steaks on the stove and finishing in the oven without having to change cookware. And you can use whatever utensils without worrying about damaging some fragile finish.
But if you have non stick fry pans, what value is there in the stainless fry pans that come with those,sets? I’ve only used non stick pans. Wouldn’t the stainless be hard to clean?
Another one in that set that's been really useful is the 2 quart saucepan. It's great for making small batches of soup, sausage gravy, pasta, etc. The 1 quart is definitely less useful--if it's gets used, it's mostly to steam veggies on the stove or boil a couple eggs.
About the only reason I'd go for the set rather than buy pieces separately is you can get a couple of nice pieces, plus the less useful ones, for a cheaper price than just buying the nicer pieces separately.
As far as cleaning, I don't find it to be too difficult. I don't particularly care if the pan itself is "nice and shiny" so I'm not afraid to really scour it with a sponge or even a Brill-o pad if i need to.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
:thumbs up:omaniphil wrote: ↑Fri Nov 05, 2021 6:32 amStainless fry pans allow you to cook items at high heat for searing, stirfrying, etc. You shouldn't use non-stick for anything other than low temperature uses like eggs, grilled cheese, etc. I've never had an issue with things sticking too much to stainless as long as proper technique is used.
1) Heat the pan thoroughly, and add fat before adding the item to be cooked.
2) If things start to stick, deglaze the pan with water or whatever base you are using for a sauce.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
@omaniphil is right on the money. And stainless is actually way easier to clean IMO. I can use an actual abrasive pad with no issues, and they generally not terrible anyway if you don't do anything nuts. And I can use metal in them, plastic flippers and spoon suck.Oldandfat wrote: ↑Fri Nov 05, 2021 2:58 amAll,clad looks like some nice stuff for,sure.alek wrote: ↑Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:59 pm I'm gonna give a big +1 for All-Clad stainless cookware. We got a 12-piece (I think? Here's the 10-piece set. We have all this plus two nonstick fry pans to match the stainless that came with what we got.), counting lids, set as a wedding present, and the workhorse of our cookware is the 8 quart stockpot that was in the set. Instead of using the lid it came with, I use a stainless, domed lid that came with a long gone, non-stick "French" sautee pan, also All-Clad.
I don't think it matters what brand of teflon/whatever nonstick pans you buy; if you use it often enough, they last just a couple of years. We've gone through two "nice" All-Clad nonstick ones that didn't last any longer than any other brand I've ever used.
The exception is the 8.5" non-stick fry pan that came in that original set. I use it essentially to make scrambled eggs, and it's lasted this long because that's almost the only thing I use it for.
The close runner-up in the best cookware we have is a 6 quart stainless "soup" pot by Cuisinart. While the 8 qt pot is 10.5" in diameter, which fits perfectly on our two big eyes on the stove, the 6 qt fits perfectly on the medium eye, which is 8.5" in diameter. It does have a glass lid, which I actually like.
We have a bunch of the enameled Le Creuset stuff, but it almost never gets used. It's heavier, smaller, and in general you have to be more careful with it--ain't nobody got time for that. I'll never go out of my way to acquire any more, and I could probably get rid of it all without any remorse.
Another really nice thing about the stainless All-Clad stuff is that it can be taken from the fridge to the stove to oven and back again without any problems. That's cool when searing steaks on the stove and finishing in the oven without having to change cookware. And you can use whatever utensils without worrying about damaging some fragile finish.
But if you have non stick fry pans, what value is there in the stainless fry pans that come with those,sets? I’ve only used non stick pans. Wouldn’t the stainless be hard to clean?
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
You can make scrambled eggs with no mess or sticking in stainless steel, if you do it right. You can beat the snot out of them, use brillo, use metal implements, crack eggs on them and they'll keep on keeping on.
Proper preheat to close the grain, butter at the right temp, good to go. Also, if you want to get a hard crust on something in a fry pan, say doing a quick steak and making pan sauce, you need the pan at a temp that would be causing the non-stick to decompose. Plus non-stick is crap for building a fond, i.e. no good pan sauce, no crust, no flavor.
Proper preheat to close the grain, butter at the right temp, good to go. Also, if you want to get a hard crust on something in a fry pan, say doing a quick steak and making pan sauce, you need the pan at a temp that would be causing the non-stick to decompose. Plus non-stick is crap for building a fond, i.e. no good pan sauce, no crust, no flavor.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
Carbon steel! carbon steel carbon steel carbon steel.
The weight of stainless, the non-stick of teflon, and the longevity of cast-iron.
I use one daily for everything from omelettes to fish to stir fry. Properly seasoned and oiled, eggs will slide around like the best teflon. Metal utensils don't hurt it.
Only time I use cast iron these days is if I need heat retention to sear something with a lot of mass that might cool down the thinner steel pan.
The weight of stainless, the non-stick of teflon, and the longevity of cast-iron.
I use one daily for everything from omelettes to fish to stir fry. Properly seasoned and oiled, eggs will slide around like the best teflon. Metal utensils don't hurt it.
Only time I use cast iron these days is if I need heat retention to sear something with a lot of mass that might cool down the thinner steel pan.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
My favorite frying pan is a Walmart cast iron. When I brought it home I put 80 grit paper on a random orbit sander and left it in the pan turned on to wander around a while. Washed the iron dust out, dried it in the oven, and coated it with butter a few times. It now has a nice smooth non-stick finish, like the good old pans you find at garage sales. I don't baby it, the only precaution I take is never using soap or detergent on it. I hate teflon coated pans, stainless steel is nice for a soup pot but more finicky than cast iron or carbon steel for frying.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
Tell me what the secret is because I gave carbon a try and the eggs stuck. I seasoned according to directions.mikeylikey wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 9:03 am Carbon steel! carbon steel carbon steel carbon steel.
The weight of stainless, the non-stick of teflon, and the longevity of cast-iron.
I use one daily for everything from omelettes to fish to stir fry. Properly seasoned and oiled, eggs will slide around like the best teflon. Metal utensils don't hurt it.
Only time I use cast iron these days is if I need heat retention to sear something with a lot of mass that might cool down the thinner steel pan.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
N=1:Oldandfat wrote: ↑Mon Nov 15, 2021 9:17 pmTell me what the secret is because I gave carbon a try and the eggs stuck. I seasoned according to directions.mikeylikey wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 9:03 am Carbon steel! carbon steel carbon steel carbon steel.
The weight of stainless, the non-stick of teflon, and the longevity of cast-iron.
I use one daily for everything from omelettes to fish to stir fry. Properly seasoned and oiled, eggs will slide around like the best teflon. Metal utensils don't hurt it.
Only time I use cast iron these days is if I need heat retention to sear something with a lot of mass that might cool down the thinner steel pan.
The instructions are worthless. Comes out with amber splotches but not really a cure, right? I too seasoned mine according to the instructions and the eggs stuck. What worked was using it every day for a couple of weeks to cook bacon, meats, vegetables, etc. Potato peels with a lot of oil and salt, overcook these you aren't going to eat them. Not like cast iron where you can slather it with oil, bake it for a couple of hours, and you're good. Eventually you get a dark black cure.
My steel is more temperamental than my cast iron for sure. The cure isn't as thick. It helps to do a quick mini-cure after each use if possible. It really is a kinda finicky european sort of thing. You need to use it a lot or you're better off with something else.
Also mine was very smooth, almost mirror slick when it came from the factory. I believe these are spun and/or machined rather than cast. I wasn't able to get a good cure till I sanded it to a more matte finish with something like 320 or 400, can't remember.
Speaking of sanding, I also sanded my cast iron for the reverse reason, to make it MORE smooth. 10/10 would recommend.
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?
N=1: ???mikeylikey wrote: ↑Wed Nov 17, 2021 8:59 amN=1:Oldandfat wrote: ↑Mon Nov 15, 2021 9:17 pmTell me what the secret is because I gave carbon a try and the eggs stuck. I seasoned according to directions.mikeylikey wrote: ↑Fri Nov 12, 2021 9:03 am Carbon steel! carbon steel carbon steel carbon steel.
The weight of stainless, the non-stick of teflon, and the longevity of cast-iron.
I use one daily for everything from omelettes to fish to stir fry. Properly seasoned and oiled, eggs will slide around like the best teflon. Metal utensils don't hurt it.
Only time I use cast iron these days is if I need heat retention to sear something with a lot of mass that might cool down the thinner steel pan.
The instructions are worthless. Comes out with amber splotches but not really a cure, right? I too seasoned mine according to the instructions and the eggs stuck. What worked was using it every day for a couple of weeks to cook bacon, meats, vegetables, etc. Potato peels with a lot of oil and salt, overcook these you aren't going to eat them. Not like cast iron where you can slather it with oil, bake it for a couple of hours, and you're good. Eventually you get a dark black cure.
My steel is more temperamental than my cast iron for sure. The cure isn't as thick. It helps to do a quick mini-cure after each use if possible. It really is a kinda finicky european sort of thing. You need to use it a lot or you're better off with something else.
Also mine was very smooth, almost mirror slick when it came from the factory. I believe these are spun and/or machined rather than cast. I wasn't able to get a good cure till I sanded it to a more matte finish with something like 320 or 400, can't remember.
Speaking of sanding, I also sanded my cast iron for the reverse reason, to make it MORE smooth. 10/10 would recommend.