Need new cookware

[JaquieCraig]

I'm looking for affordable (don't ask me what I mean by that) but really good cookware. We've decided to put some money into cookware that will last the rest of our lives (hopefully). I want something that is healthy to cook in, easy to take care of, heavy-duty with good heat dispersion, and won't break the bank. I use my cast iron skillet, sauce pot, and dutch oven whenever possible, but would like stainless steel to compliment that. Any suggestions?

[gmvh]

There are lots of nice, affordable stainless lines. I'd look for thick bottoms. If you are interested in spending and getting All Clad (love the pieces we have!), you can Google All Clad outlet and they have fantastic prices on seconds. My sister and I placed an order and you can't begin to tell what's wrong with the piece I got. I often see loads of good stuff at stores like TJ Maxx. Good luck!

[staceychev]

I'm replacing my Calphalon as I can with stainless, and have three different things in three different brands. We've got an All-Clad omelette pan and I love it. We also have a Calphalon stainless wok, and I'm really happy with it as well. The last thing we have is a small saucepan that's the Cuisinart line, and I'm not thrilled with it. I don't like how differently the sides heat than the bottoms (which means that things heat up and splatter when I pour out the sides).

I second the suggestion about TJ Maxx. We have HomeGoods locally, and they have a lot of stainless also.

[ollyoxenfree]

I have an All-Clad 12 inch saute pan (straight sides) with lid that's great for making one-pot meals - stir fry, fried rice, chicken or beef with veggies etc.

I also have an All-Clad 12 inch skillet (regular frypan) that I like, but use less often, because I also have a Lodge Logic 12 inch cast iron pay that I prefer to use.

I have a 4 qt. All Clad pot that's great too.

I recommend them all - they're useful and cook well.

[gothnurse3]

We bought heavy duty stainless pots from the restaurant supply store. I think they are great. The bottom of the pots say NSF update.

[EnviroBecca]

We bought some stainless saucepans at Target that have been just fine. The only flaw is that one of them has a hollow handle (also steel) that is open at both ends; it gets stuff inside it that is really hard to get out.

For baking pans, we like Doughmakers which we've only found at a specialty kitchen shop, but their prices are within the realm of reason! We have the bread pans, cookie sheets, and pizza pans, and they're all excellent, holding up very well, and surprisingly no harder to clean than nonstick (to which things DID stick!).

[CKHB]

Tramontina Tri-Ply Stainless Steel

Cook's Illustrated BEST BUY for cookware is the Tramontina Tri-Ply stainless steel pots and pans. They are fully clad (3 layers throughout the entire pan: bottoms and sides) just like All-Clad; they tested really well. The Cook's Illustrated folks raved about these pots/pans.

We bought an 8-piece set recently for $115 on-line. We could never afford All-Clad, and now we don't have to!

[JaquieCraig]

Originally Posted by gothnurse3

We bought heavy duty stainless pots from the restaurant supply store. I think they are great. The bottom of the pots say NSF update.

What does NSF update mean? I never thought of looking at a restaurant supply store. I'll probably find all sorts of goodies there!