What kinds of pots and pans do you use and why do you like them?

[eloquence]

I have a GC to Williams Sonoma and I am a little overwhelmed.

I have an 8 inch stainless steel frying pan, a smaller cast iron frying pan, a 1 quart SS sauce pan and a large SS stock pot. I need to get some more pans (We have 7 in our family and frequently 9) but am a little lost as to what I will need.

Le Creuset has an oven, a dutch oven, I believe. It is vitreous enamel on the inside and I have no clue as to the postitive and negatives of this.

What pans do you use and why do you like them dislike them?

Anyone have copper pans or pots and/or what are the benefits of them?

Or should I invest in some cooking pans, like square or rectangular ones without lids. I have two now.

What do you think?

[~Shanna~]

Hi eloquence!
Dh and I have a Calphalon set that we got for our wedding. We got the hard anodized type instead of non-stick. I love them because their sturdy (heavy!) and are easy to clean despite being not-non-stick. The downside of them is that, despite being such expensive pans, the black "coating" (anodized-ness) has rubbed off around the tops of thepans - not a lot, but enough to where you can see that it is a coating.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd probably go for cast-iron. Those things are invincible!

[gr8tfulmom]

We have a calphalon set too and have had mixed results with sticking issues. When I make my old stand-by dinners I always grab my grams old revereware that I couldn't do without -- it's the stainless w/ the copper bottom and black handle. The Le Cruset stuff looks really cool too. Guess that wasn't a ton of help.

[eloquence]

My mom used that revereware and I remember cleaning them.

With your calphalon, do they have a warranty? I hear the le creuset has a warranty that is great. They'll replace them when the enamel starts to wear down.

[peverroad]

i use cast iron and love it!! Easy to clean use just wipe them out. They are the origional nonstick. If you have family to yard sales they would be the cheapest place to get them. Out door places have them like Dicks sporting goods. Just look in the camping section. If you have a tool sale that comes to your area the usually have great prices but they come unseasoned. I got one from MIL. Got some from tool sale i got 3 frying pans for 10 and the tool sale and a griddle grill for 10 at the tool sale as well.

[Lilacmoon]

I have several cast iron pans, I love them. A couple belonged to my Granny, I have no idea how old they are, but I know she used them on her wood cookstove..
I also have a few All Clad.. they are expensive but wonderful. I save and buy them one at a time..

[LindaCl]

All-clad. I think they come in three 'outer' surface choices, and I wouldn't recommend the copper. The results aren't any different, but they're more trouble to take care of. All-clad give you the perfect even heating with the dream-to-clean stainless. They're so durable, your grandchildren will probably enjoy them someday. (My husband does most of the cooking--I'm just a dabbler in the kitchen, but even I can tell the difference with this cookware.)

Years ago we tried the calphon but weren't that pleased.

[Lydiasmomma]

I love my le creuset dutch oven. Nothing sticks to that enamel, and stuff stays hot in it forever. And it goes in the dishwasher. For skillets it's cast iron all the way.

[eloquence]

Good to hear your feedback everyone. Thanks.

Lydia--Thanks for the Le Creuset feedback. What size dutch oven do you have and is it versatile? Tell me why 'for skillets its cast iron all the way?' If I get a new pan, how do I season it?

Linda - Why wouldn't you recommend the copper?

[LindaCl]

Originally Posted by eloquence

Linda - Why wouldn't you recommend the copper?

They're beautiful to look at but they're more expensive and don't cook any differently. I don't like fussing over them to keep them looking beautiful. We have some--they're well used, but they look it . They're not bright and gleaming like they were new. You won't find me in the kitchen polishing the stains off my copper pots and pans~~I'm not into high maintenance cookware. (I've developed an aesthetic appreciation for the dingy patina of tarnished silver too.)

[eloquence]

Well that they don't cook any differently tells me a lot. I suppose I was under the impression that copper has a more even distribution of heat.

I like unpolished worn copper. SO I'd love your pots.

No point in wasting credit on a pan that isn't any better in terms of cooking performance, though.

[eloquence]

If I got a large dutch oven do you think I could also cook a turkey in it?

[LindaCl]

Originally Posted by eloquence

No point in wasting credit on a pan that isn't any better in terms of cooking performance, though.

They now have this 'copper core' line, which looks like a stainless pan with a copper band near the bottom from the picture in the catalog. I've never seen it before--it may be new. I don't have it, anyway, so I can't say how it performs. Mine seem to be exactly the same as the stainless except they have a copper finish on the outside.

[rebeccalizzie]

I'm another All Clad lover. I have the brushed stainless finish, so it doesn't even matter if it get stained or scratched! I do have one of the shiny stainless ones though, and it hasn't scratched at all (I thought it would). I bought mine a piece at a time at TJ Maxx and Homegoods.

The stuff heats perfectly evenly, is bulletproof, totally oven safe, will outlast me probably, and doesn't have any weird coatings. Anodized stuff can't be put in the dishwasher, which makes me think even if I hand wash it that it's too delicate for me. And I do throw my pots in the dishwasher, pretty much daily. I want pots that I can let my kids cook with, that I can burn food onto--I've done it all, it's been fine.

As for what sizes, I often have 14 for dinner and this is what I have. I've never wished for another pot or pan, mine do what I need:

1.5 qt pot (don't know what specific pots are called--all mine have straight sides and lids)
3 qt pot
3.5 qt pot
5 qt stockpot, which also has a steamer insert

7 inch saute pan, nonstick
10 inch saute pan (the lid from the stockpot fits this)
12 inch nonstick saute pan
12 inch heavy stainless "chicken fryer" pan with lid--has straight sides so it fits a lot of food-a lot more than the 12 inch saute pan.

Both a 3 and a 3.5 qt pot seemed redundant, but when I'm making two side dishes I *need* them both. Also the 10 and 12 inch pans--I do need both of them sometimes. The 7 inch skillet is DH's "egg frying" pan, but I've been surprised how nice it is to have a little pan if I'm just making myself one thing.

Good luck...I'm jealous of the gift card, I love WS!

[ian'smommaya]

i have a french copper omlete pan that the french govn't. gave my grandfather when he visited there for a conference in like 1949 or '50. i love it. it is the most amazing pan for eggs of any kind.
i also have a le crueset soup pot that i got used for 6.00 dollars. i have to sy it weighs a tons but does an incredible job with anything roasted, boiled or stewed.
for a frying pan i would say the only one to get would be a cast iron pan. i use my grandmothers and it is so convienent and well seasoned. i just love it, plus we could always use i little more iron in our diets.
we hav revere wear for pots and they really do last for ever. you dont have to do anything to the copper bottoms it just helps distribute heat evenly.

good luck.

[eloquence]

IM--Oh, please tell me why the copper pan is amazing for frying eggs? Is it copper on the inside (the part that you cook on) of the pan as well? I love eggs over-easy and they are difficult for me to perfect in the stainless frying pan that i have. The one cast iron frying pan only does one egg and its a chore to get an egg to flip at all without breaking. Perhaps, the copper would be good for me.

Rebeccalizzie-- I LOVE that you put your list down for me. That really helped me. This is what I have.

Saucepans
1 quart--stainless

Frying pans
8 inch--stainless
4 inch cast iron

Stockpot
huge a$$--stainless

I am thinking of adding another saucepan. A 2 3/4 one with a pourable spout.
Put perhaps I should get two saucepans.

And a dutch oven. But maybe I need another frying pan. A larger one.

So my question is....if I add the following pans to what I already have (above), will it work for my family and cooking turkeys?

Saucepan
2 3/4 --cast iron with enamel
3 quart saucepan

Frying pan or saute pan (what is the difference?)
10 inch copper

Dutch Oven
large enough for a turkey?

[rebeccalizzie]

Originally Posted by eloquence

Rebeccalizzie-- I LOVE that you put your list down for me. That really helped me. This is what I have.

Saucepans
1 quart--stainless

Frying pans
8 inch--stainless
4 inch cast iron

Stockpot
huge a$$--stainless

I am thinking of adding another saucepan. A 2 3/4 one with a pourable spout.
Put perhaps I should get two saucepans.

And a dutch oven. But maybe I need another frying pan. A larger one.

So my question is....if I add the following pans to what I already have (above), will it work for my family and cooking turkeys?

Saucepan
2 3/4 --cast iron with enamel
3 quart saucepan

Frying pan or saute pan (what is the difference?)
10 inch copper

Dutch Oven
large enough for a turkey?

It sounded like you needed a list, it's hard to figure out what you need sometimes! Glad it helped

I think those two saucepans sound good. Then you can make, for example, both your veggies and your noodles at the same time (I have no idea what kind of food you eat, I'm going on what *we* eat).

If you are only getting one more saute pan (a saute pan has sloped sides. My chicken fryer has straight sides about 3 inches high, and an extra handle on the opposite side to help lift it) I would get a 12 inch. If I do stir fry or chicken breasts for the 3 of us, they fit better in the 12 inch pan than my 10 inch. I think that size is more versatile, especially with a larger family.

That would be one big a** dutch oven. You already have an immense stock pot, if you want another pan that big, maybe a roasting pan for whole chickens and turkeys and roast beef? My 5 qt stockpot is heavy enough that I use it as a dutch oven for pot roast or stews, but it won't fit a turkey and if I got a dutch oven that big it would be too big for most other stuff I make.

[ian'smommaya]

Originally Posted by eloquence

IM--Oh, please tell me why the copper pan is amazing for frying eggs? Is it copper on the inside (the part that you cook on) of the pan as well? I love eggs over-easy and they are difficult for me to perfect in the stainless frying pan that i have. The one cast iron frying pan only does one egg and its a chore to get an egg to flip at all without breaking. Perhaps, the copper would be good for me.

yes, it so rocks for eggs. the whole this is copper and i cannot tell how great it is for anything eggs. they come out perfect and fluffy and yummy.

[ian'smommaya]

i also meant to say that copper reacts with eggs to make them fluffier, that why ppl add uh that stuff to cakes to make them fluffier ( i cant remember the name of it)

[eloquence]

IM--Wow. You have a treasure. I don't think the copper pans at WS are copper on the inside as well. I think they are stainless for the cooking surface and copper on the entire outside. That said, it probably makes little sense for me to get those fancy copper pans.

Rebecca
Okay you are helping me immensely. So if I get another frying pan, a 12 inch saute pan would be a good idea. Can I fry eggs in that as well?

I never thought of putting this stock pot in the oven. Its pretty thin stainless and I use it pretty much for brining my turkey or cooking copious amounts.

Hmm...I may have to get a roaster. Darn, I am trying not to get too much But I could also make large amounts of spinach lasagna or caserole in the same roaster pan that I use for turkey.

Thanks for thinking this through with me everyone.

Would stil love more feedback and thoughts though so don't think I am done or decided.