Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

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Oldandfat
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Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#1

Post by Oldandfat » Sun Oct 31, 2021 1:08 pm

This corona is really starting to piss me off. No travel, and I am having a hard time spending money (no one has anything).

In my kitchen aside from basics (fridge, oven, dishwasher) I have an air,fryer, instant pot (love it).
Pots are ikea, and,fry pans are “whatever Teflon is at Walmart”. I replace them every 2 years or so.

I have a crappy “rough” lodge cast iron. Been looking at garage sales for the old style “smooth” ones.

What do I really need? I don’t,know a frypan from a sauté pan, or a,sauce pan. Non stick? Or not? Cast iron? Or not? If cast iron do I get enemaled cast? Or not?

Caveats:

1. I only,want “nice” stuff. Not the cheap garbage, nor the most expensive on the planet. Just good quality “buy once cry once stuff”. You know the stuff I’d still.have today if I bought it 30 years ago.

2. Prefer usa or Canada made (not,China made)

For perspective I recently bought 19 dollar darn tough socks, and I’m waiting on duckworth.co to get stock. I really like the business model of duckworth and am willing to spend appropriately to support it.

I’m eyeing up the stargazer cast iron (unless enameled is the way to go.

I noticed Allan thrall uses Le Creuset pans or ?? In his videos but I can’t find them on the web site.

Annnndd….. go!

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augeleven
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#2

Post by augeleven » Sun Oct 31, 2021 2:49 pm

What do you want to cook or like to eat?

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#3

Post by Manveer » Sun Oct 31, 2021 6:05 pm

This should get you started:


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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#4

Post by Oldandfat » Sun Oct 31, 2021 7:40 pm

augeleven wrote: Sun Oct 31, 2021 2:49 pm What do you want to cook or like to eat?
Anything and everything? I dunno. Typical western food?

I just want nice stuff, do,I need a full set of pots, or select pots?

I figure instant pot, rice cooker, crock pot, couple fry pan (sauté pan?)

Roaster? Dutch oven (same as roaster?).

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#5

Post by augeleven » Sun Oct 31, 2021 8:22 pm

I got a wearever stainless pan set for our wedding a million years ago, and I’ve been using them everyday since. Not sure if they are made in the US. I love my tramontina nonstick for eggs, but it’s Chinese, so I guess you won’t. I dread using my lodge cast iron skillet, as I don’t want to baby my stuff. The stainless steel stuff has heavy bottoms and works just as well.

I can’t live without my 12” stainless steel sauté pan, although I wish it were bigger. I’ve roasted turkeys and pork shoulders in it, using root vegetables to raise the meat off the pan. Heck I’ve made cakes in it.

I recommend maybe getting a 10” nonstick frying pan, unless you’re cooking scrambled eggs for lots of people. Also treat your nonstick fry pan well - no metal spatulas and don’t use it unless you need - use that sauté pan…

I keep telling myself I’m gonna get a le cruesset Dutch oven, but I just use a stainless pot that is roughly the same size for chili’s and pasta sauces and popcorns and curries and…great now I’m hungry

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#6

Post by damufunman » Mon Nov 01, 2021 5:46 am

I am pretty minimal when it comes to kitchen stuff, and Dutch oven I use at least weekly, if not more. Found a Cuisinart matte pale pink enameled 6 qt. one at Home Goods. It's stained to shit but it's wonderful(ly ugly). I also tend to favor one pot meals that can be done in less than an hour since I'm double duty watching the little one (or cooking with him) most week nights, so YMMV on suitability of this approach.

I've also been leaning heavily on at 12" ceramic non-stick frying pan. Have a large stainless saute pan, stock pot, and frying pan, but the nonstick just works better for right now.

Also, Instant Pot is amazing.

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5hout
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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#7

Post by 5hout » Mon Nov 01, 2021 5:59 am

Do you have Gas, Electric or Induction stove top?

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#8

Post by Oldandfat » Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:34 am

augeleven wrote: Sun Oct 31, 2021 8:22 pm I got a wearever stainless pan set for our wedding a million years ago, and I’ve been using them everyday since. Not sure if they are made in the US. I love my tramontina nonstick for eggs, but it’s Chinese, so I guess you won’t. I dread using my lodge cast iron skillet, as I don’t want to baby my stuff. The stainless steel stuff has heavy bottoms and works just as well.

I can’t live without my 12” stainless steel sauté pan, although I wish it were bigger. I’ve roasted turkeys and pork shoulders in it, using root vegetables to raise the meat off the pan. Heck I’ve made cakes in it.

I recommend maybe getting a 10” nonstick frying pan, unless you’re cooking scrambled eggs for lots of people. Also treat your nonstick fry pan well - no metal spatulas and don’t use it unless you need - use that sauté pan…

I keep telling myself I’m gonna get a le cruesset Dutch oven, but I just use a stainless pot that is roughly the same size for chili’s and pasta sauces and popcorns and curries and…great now I’m hungry
I’ve,got a 10” and 12” no. Stick fry pan. But that’s a sauté pan right? Just “non stick”?

Out of curiousity I went to the tramontina web site. Yikes. Pretty wonky site.

Dutch oven = roaster?? Confusing. Maybe it’s a country/culture thing? Same item just called something different

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#9

Post by Oldandfat » Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:35 am

5hout wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 5:59 am Do you have Gas, Electric or Induction stove top?
Electric, glass (ceramic?) top. Induction may possibly be the next stove top if that matters.

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#10

Post by Oldandfat » Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:57 am

Manveer wrote: Sun Oct 31, 2021 6:05 pm This should get you started:

My goodness. Wife would have a stroke if she watched this. She hates,clutter and hates when I buy “kitchen gadgets” that we “don’t need”. (She loves the instant pot I bought, and the air,fryer daughter bought).

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#11

Post by Manveer » Mon Nov 01, 2021 7:58 am

Oldandfat wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:57 am
Manveer wrote: Sun Oct 31, 2021 6:05 pm This should get you started:

My goodness. Wife would have a stroke if she watched this. She hates,clutter and hates when I buy “kitchen gadgets” that we “don’t need”. (She loves the instant pot I bought, and the air,fryer daughter bought).
I mean he’s a chef, so he’s gonna have more kitchen stuff than an average home cook.

Anyway, he talks about which pans are worthwhile and which are completely useless (grill pan) or not worth the money.

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#12

Post by 5hout » Mon Nov 01, 2021 8:17 am

Oldandfat wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:35 am
5hout wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 5:59 am Do you have Gas, Electric or Induction stove top?
Electric, glass (ceramic?) top. Induction may possibly be the next stove top if that matters.
All-Clad stainless steel. Made in the US, really strong warranty, works on Induction (so if you change it's ok). Not outrageously expensive (black friday coming) and you can reallllllly beat the snot out of it. The only thing I'd caution against is going straight from high-heat to dumping into a sink. This is not good for any cookware, but for a bonded one can cause some bending. They are a breeze to clean and the all metal nature means you can't melt a handle and it can all go in the oven (that I am aware of).

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#13

Post by Oldandfat » Mon Nov 01, 2021 8:22 am

5hout wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 8:17 am
Oldandfat wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:35 am
5hout wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 5:59 am Do you have Gas, Electric or Induction stove top?
Electric, glass (ceramic?) top. Induction may possibly be the next stove top if that matters.
All-Clad stainless steel. Made in the US, really strong warranty, works on Induction (so if you change it's ok). Not outrageously expensive (black friday coming) and you can reallllllly beat the snot out of it. The only thing I'd caution against is going straight from high-heat to dumping into a sink. This is not good for any cookware, but for a bonded one can cause some bending. They are a breeze to clean and the all metal nature means you can't melt a handle and it can all go in the oven (that I am aware of).
Sold! So should I buy a whole set or just select pieces? Still trying to figure out what a fry pan/ non stick pan/ sauté pan is. And Dutch oven and roaster are the same right ?

I’ve never put anything from hot to cold. Always let things cool on their own.

Teflon non stick seems to need replacing periodically. I tried a carbon pan. Sent it back. Was thinking of a “smooth” stargazer cast iron. But now I’m reading up on enameled cast iron. Would that be better than Teflon non stick?

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#14

Post by 5hout » Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:00 am

Oldandfat wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 8:22 am
Sold! So should I buy a whole set or just select pieces? Still trying to figure out what a fry pan/ non stick pan/ sauté pan is. And Dutch oven and roaster are the same right ?

I’ve never put anything from hot to cold. Always let things cool on their own.

Teflon non stick seems to need replacing periodically. I tried a carbon pan. Sent it back. Was thinking of a “smooth” stargazer cast iron. But now I’m reading up on enameled cast iron. Would that be better than Teflon non stick?
I only use 4 pans, A saute pan (straight sides), a skillet (slopey curved sides), a big ass stock pot and a smaller soup pot with tight lid. So, for me, I'd never buy a pack because too many random pans, I'd honestly rather have 4 identical skillets than a bunch of random sizes. EDIT: To this goal I have 5 stock pots, I am more likely to use 3-4 of them than I am to need 4 differently sized skillets and 4 differently sized soup pots. If you want other pans/shapes, have at it, but I'd rather have a lot of the ones I need at the same time/use all the time vs a bunch of different ones.

Carbon pans are, basically, very thin cast iron in terms of must be seasoned and used correctly. Enameled cast iron isn't particularly non-stick (with regards to things like scrambled eggs). If you have the technique down you can make no-stick scrambled eggs in a stainless steel pan, if you don't have the technique down enameled cast iron is going to stick as well. (i.e. enameled cast iron great, but b/c it is low maint, not because it is non-stick.

I just buy new crap teflon ones one they stop being non-stick because I can't stand that the expensive non-sticks I had still died after a year. There may be health risks to this, but if you want to make over easy eggs/scrambled eggs without a high technique and maintenance solution (carbon steel/cast iron impeccably used and maintained) it's the only way that I know of.

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#15

Post by Oldandfat » Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:12 am

5hout wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:00 am
Oldandfat wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 8:22 am
Sold! So should I buy a whole set or just select pieces? Still trying to figure out what a fry pan/ non stick pan/ sauté pan is. And Dutch oven and roaster are the same right ?

I’ve never put anything from hot to cold. Always let things cool on their own.

Teflon non stick seems to need replacing periodically. I tried a carbon pan. Sent it back. Was thinking of a “smooth” stargazer cast iron. But now I’m reading up on enameled cast iron. Would that be better than Teflon non stick?
I only use 4 pans, A saute pan (straight sides), a skillet (slopey curved sides), a big ass stock pot and a smaller soup pot with tight lid. So, for me, I'd never buy a pack because too many random pans, I'd honestly rather have 4 identical skillets than a bunch of random sizes. EDIT: To this goal I have 5 stock pots, I am more likely to use 3-4 of them than I am to need 4 differently sized skillets and 4 differently sized soup pots. If you want other pans/shapes, have at it, but I'd rather have a lot of the ones I need at the same time/use all the time vs a bunch of different ones.

Carbon pans are, basically, very thin cast iron in terms of must be seasoned and used correctly. Enameled cast iron isn't particularly non-stick (with regards to things like scrambled eggs). If you have the technique down you can make no-stick scrambled eggs in a stainless steel pan, if you don't have the technique down enameled cast iron is going to stick as well. (i.e. enameled cast iron great, but b/c it is low maint, not because it is non-stick.

I just buy new crap teflon ones one they stop being non-stick because I can't stand that the expensive non-sticks I had still died after a year. There may be health risks to this, but if you want to make over easy eggs/scrambled eggs without a high technique and maintenance solution (carbon steel/cast iron impeccably used and maintained) it's the only way that I know of.
My Teflon’s have always been wal mart cheapos. I tried “Greenpan” and they lasted a wee bit longer. Not long enough to justify the price. Switched back to wal mart Teflon.

I also get roughly a year, then it loses non stick. My recent Teflon was an oxo “professional” from Amazon. So far so good. Time will tell if the price was justified.

I figured the smooth or enameled cast iron or carbon was the holy grail or something.

Honestly I don’t think I could maintain the effort for these pans after watching some you tube

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#16

Post by damufunman » 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.

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#17

Post by 5hout » Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:24 am

Calphalon makes a budget competitor line to All-Clad, I don't know where it is produced. It's very similar, although they've only been in the multi-layered stainless steel business for a few decades vs forever. I have one of their soup pots. It's perfectly serviceable. I has a glass lid and metal lid, which I don't like as much as the all steel lid All-Clad has. The glass lid is oven (not broiler) safe, and I have put mine in the oven many times and beat the snot out of it with no issue, but it can be a trip to clean. I have also dropped the glass lid onto a tile floor multiple times and it did not break, but my Dad has shattered one doing this.

If I was only getting 3-4 pans I'd buy once, cry once and go All-Clad (as I did for my daily drivers, at least pre-cast iron obsession). If I wanted to buy a full kitchen at once, I'd get stainless steel layered Calphalon. Calphalon's main line is the anodized Al stuff, which I hate as everyone I've used has warped or become a scratchy mess in like 0 seconds. According to my wife I need to stop abusing cookware, but that's just her opinion man.

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#18

Post by augeleven » Mon Nov 01, 2021 10:10 am

I like the sauté pan for searing meat, as the non sloped sides gives you more space in the pan. I have a roasting pan in the collection, but unless the person who gave it to me is in attendance, I just roast the meat in the sautee pan or a low walled pot. Maybe it’s the ultralight backpacker in me, but something needs to serve multiple purposes to earn space in my kitchen. What are you using now, and why isn’t it doing what you want it to do?

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#19

Post by Oldandfat » Mon Nov 01, 2021 11:40 am

augeleven wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 10:10 am I like the sauté pan for searing meat, as the non sloped sides gives you more space in the pan. I have a roasting pan in the collection, but unless the person who gave it to me is in attendance, I just roast the meat in the sautee pan or a low walled pot. Maybe it’s the ultralight backpacker in me, but something needs to serve multiple purposes to earn space in my kitchen. What are you using now, and why isn’t it doing what you want it to do?
Instant pot, air fried, 2 non stick oxo pro frying pans.

Many ikea pots of different sizes. Not even sure what they are called.

2 really cheap thin walled black colored roasting pans.

I can do what I need to do. I just want to know If I need to buy “better” (not replace so often) or better as in does a better job (more non stick).

Plus I can’t really do or buy,anything else due to Covid so I’m desperate and am looking at upping my cooking stuff cause apparently I can

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Re: Cookware gods can you help educate a dummy?

#20

Post by Manveer » Mon Nov 01, 2021 12:51 pm

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 live in the Bay Area. Now Seattle.

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.

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