materials for cooking pans

[splotchy1]

I'm about to get a new set of cooking pans, and I know to avoid teflon, etc....but what is the best/safest material to cook on the stove with?
Thanks!

[AGlimmeringHope]

I'm not quite sure (this is something I'll be researching as soon as we know we can move and will be buying kitchen supplies for ourselves!), but I do know my wellness teacher from massage school always recommended cast iron.

I won't use teflon personally because if the fumes released by burning food in teflon pans will kill birds, I don't want to think of what may or may not be getting leached into my food or my air!

[Naturalyst]

If you enjoy cooking, a "set" of anything isn't going to satisfy.
Different metals and different pot/pan styles serve different purposes. For example, an enameled cast iron dutch oven pan (like those made by Le Creuset or similar lines) is best for a slow-cooking stew ... a well-seasoned cast iron skillet works best for frying ... a tall, narrow, stainless steel pot with a heavy bottom that's got copper or aluminum sandwiched between the stainless is what you'd want for a big pot of soup ... a tin-lined copper saucepan for sauces ... etc.

But, if cooking is more of a chore than fun for you, then a set of high-quality (18/10 or better) stainless steel with weighted bottoms and aluminum sandwiched between the steel (at least on the bottom - to distribute heat more evenly) would do. When Consumer Reports looked at uncoated cookware sets, these were their top choices:

KitchenAid Gourmet Essentials (stainless with aluminum)
Caphalon Contemporary (stainless)
Magnalite Classic (aluminum) **
Emerilware (stainless)
Member's Mark (Sam's Club) Tri-Ply-Clad (stainless with aluminum)
J.A. Henckels Classic Clad (stainless with aluminum)
T-Fal Jamie Oliver Professional Stainless (stainless with aluminum)
All-Clad Master Chef (stainless with aluminum)
Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless (stainless with aluminum)

** Magnalite is an all aluminum set. While many pros use aluminum cookware, health concerns about aluminum cooking surfaces have popped-up here and there. Some people, myself included, choose not to use aluminum cooking surfaces - just to be on the side of caution, in case some of the hype is true.

A lot of cookware is available at a great discount and with free shipping on Amazon.com.

[Spastica]

The benchmark for stainless is 18/10 ratio stainless steel. It's what's recommended for stainless steel cookware. When I actually redo my entire cookware, I'll probably get all stainless, and keep one teflon pan for the few times I make omelettes and some cast iron things. Teflon isn't that heinous by itself, but people have a tendency to hike up the heat to do searing and stir-fries and whatnot, and Teflon simply isn't made for that high-heat cooking. Since omelettes and delicate things (like crepes and pancakes) can't have high heat anyway, it's not an issue. A lot of grills and waffle makers and other things are made with a Teflon coating, and again, Teflon isn't much of an issue unless you need high heat.

I have one good stainless pan at the moment, that I have purchased from TJ Maxx and I'm loving it. It does wonderfully with most one-pan dishes that have some moisture or a bit of sauce. It gets a bit sticky cooking single things like meats and such, but it doesn't seem to burn at all, and with some scrubbing the sticking stuff comes off, it doesn't burn on the goo like teflon does. For things like searing meats, fishes, chicken, etc, you need something like using more extra virgin olive oil or poaching in a little bit of liquid (chicken stock, wine, etc), to keep from sticking.

If there is a TJ Maxx or a TJ Maxx HomeGoods store near you, you can get all this stuff at a discount. I have even gotten a Lodge cast-iron pan from there at a discount. I don't know how to use cast-iron yet, so I haven't ventured to use it yet, but it's pre-seasoned!

[cafechi]

i've recently replaced my non-stick pots and pans with 18/10 stainless stain cookware. i am so loving it! they cook great and cleans well. if there are some discoloration, rubbing in a bit of oil makes it look like new again.

this is the set that i got:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...286545-1198300

i got the 10 qt pot separately too.

i also have some cast iron skillets. they are my favorite next to stainless stain. they are a bit heavy but with proper cleaning and oiling they look and cook great.

[icxcnika]

I use a combination of stainless steel pots and pans with glass lids, and a cast-iron skillet. It was all fairly inexpensive and they are durable and easy to clean. For baking, I love glass or ceramic/stoneware. The only things that seem to be difficult to find/afford are suitable cookie sheets and muffin tins!!