Pots & Pans


 

Nathan Bauer

TVWBB Fan
Some of my non stick pans are getting pretty bad and need to be replaced soon. While I've never used stainless steel I wouldn't mind adding at least a stainless fry pan to the collection. Any recomendations on either SS or non stick pans?
 
Nathan, the absolute best ones you can buy are All Clad. The actual brand name not copy cat pans. Yes they are expensive, but they are guaranteed for life. The stainless steel will actually act as a non stick pan as well. If you have an outlet where you live it is well worth buying from them, they have small scratches, but nothing you can't live with. If not as I said they are well worth the price.
 
I agree with Regina that All-Clad has great quality of materials. My main beef with All-Clad is the narrow handles for the skillets and saucepans, which can allow a heavy, full skillet to twist in your hand. It also makes flipping/tossing the food tricky - I have to use 2 hands with the 10- and 12-inch skillets. Calphalon has a similar high-quality stainless line that has more substantial handles that makes them easier to grip, so you might want to check those out too.

Rita
 
Can't stand All-Clad. My Vegas clients have them and what a PITA they are. I will replace them as I can. The handles suck. If you are a cook that uses utensils maybe the handles don't bother you. I don't use utensils much - not with sauté pans - and the handles are badly designed for those of us who don't use utensils.

Personally, I am not much of a SS fan for pots/pans. I prefer anodized aluminum or copper. If I had to choose SS I'd go with Viking. For anodized, Calphalon; for nonstick Calphalon Professional.
 
I have a Paderno set and am happy with it. The handles are great, and the lip of their pans/pots are perfect for pouring.
 
I think most of us "non trained chefs" use utensils. Not really sure how you could saute anything without using a utensil. How do you make veal marsala without using a utensil to add, turn and remove the veal? How do you saute the mushrooms, add the wine and scrap the bottom of the pan to loosen the fond, if you don't use a utensil????? I would never, ever use aluminum pans, can't stand the taste of food cooked out of them.
 
Hard anodized aluminum is not ordinary aluminum. It does not react to foods, acidic or otherwise, and is 30% harder than SS, making it much more durable, another main reason I prefer it to SS.
 
As for cooking, the veal may or may not be wrist flipped, depending on quantity of pieces. The mushrooms surely would be. Handling the fond requires a utensil but only for a moment.

Unlike cast or other non-anodized aluminum, anodized aluminum leaves no flavor as it doesn't react to food, something that can't be said either for CI or comon steel.i
 
Hi Kevin. Good to see you back.

With the dark Calphalon pans, would home cooks have a problem gauging how dark a fond is getting, or the color of sugar when caramelizing it?

Rita
 
Dunno about others. I don't. But I'm used to how it looks on any kind of pan. I think most home cooks would not have a problem either, if they make the mental adjustment for the darker pan. It's the fond's surface one looks at, imo, not its transparency or lack thereof. With decent lighting not a problem.
 
My pot/pan preference is just my opinion. I do cook with a number a different manufacturer's pans as I cook for different people and I use whatever they have. Many, many people like All-Clad and they are rated well by various outfits. I happen to think they are overrated, based on many years of using them, handle dislike notwithstanding - but that's me.

Like choices on knives, I think it's best to handle the pans in the store the way you would at home and see how they feel to you (texture, handle comfort, weight). Go from there.
 
I don't have a tonne to add but I will toss my vote under the calphalon anodized aluminum pans. I've had them for a couple of years now. I have the older set, i believe they were called commercial where as now they are called "one" or something like that if memory serves me. I haven't had a problem at all with the color, whether making carmels or anything else and I'm definately just a home cook! I have used the all clad as well, also found a problem with the handles which was the main reason I didn't go with them. I also use cast iron frequently, I know they aren't as popular dut to the weight and not really being able to flip but for some reason I do reach for my cast iron skillet frequently as well. Just my $0.02!

Clark
 
For stainless, I have a full set of All-Clad LTD with lots of extra pieces. I've had individual pieces of calphalon, viking, even kitchen aid along the way, but I my All-Clad are my go-to pans. They just work.. period.

For non-stick... I have a ton of the original Calphalon Commericial non-stick that they discountinued about 6 or 7-ish years ago. Bed Bath and Beyond always carried that line and when they started blowing them out because they were discontinued I bought two wholes sets and a lot of individual peices with their 20% off coupons that reduced the already discontinued price. I essentially paid about .40 cents on the dollar if that.

Non stick is great for everyday cooking. It's easy, and simple clean up means a lot during the work week. But Stainless is where it's really at for higher end gourmet cooking. If I had only one stainless pan, it would be this one:

All Purpose Pan

I have two of these in the LTD line, but I guess they don't have the LTD line anymore. Either way.. I use one of these pans, sometimes both... for almost 90% of all the stainless cooking I do... which I do primary for searing when I make reductions and gravies and what not.

You can't go wrong with that pan. It's the ultimate do-all pan... imho
 
I bought the Williams-Sonoma 15-pc set of All-Clad stainlees a couple of years ago (with a free shipping offer...a huge plus in Alaska) and don't regret it for a minute. The biggest selling point on that set was the included 7-qt pasta pentola, which by itself retailed for about $400 IIRC. Since then, I've added a couple of non-stick pieces (preferred by The Wife®), three sauciers, and a couple of others. On all but the largest saute pan, I don't find the handles objectionable.

These replaced a set of Calphalon Commercial pans that I was very happy with initially. But in the long run, the anodization didn't hold up well in the sauce pans. Within a couple of years, they worn down to bare aluminum.
 
I'm a non pro home cook person. But a bit of an engineering type/geek that loves to cook.

Don't disagree with much of anything above. I did buy a piece of All Clad non stick (big 14" fry pan) that was a mainstay for a long time. Still have it and the non stick has held up quite well. I was careful not to use metal tools on it. That said I don't like the handle. It's important to note that handle design in my case is exaggerated because this is a large fryer, would require two hands regardless to toss/flip which I actually do most of the time. I didn't like the handles with two hands.

The pan itself is just fine and the quality of the non stick overall has been great. Still a very useful pan for large quantities.

I have two Calphalon pro non sticks (10 and 12 inch). When I want to use a non stick these are my favorites. Actually take that back a bit, I often grab them now for general use. The coating has lasted/aged better than the All Clad. The handles are friendly for throwing. They also take more heat in the oven than the All Clad non stick (according to warranty, etc). Thing is they behave virtually the same as standard anodized aluminum as far as usefulness. These really sold me on that media. I've used these non stick in the oven up to 400-450 degrees. The C non-stick surface will handle metal tools if used carefully but I would stick with non metallic overall anyway. Between these two pans and the two coppers (see below) and the CI pieces I haven't been wanting much for more stove top gear. I like these two so much that I also bought the lids for them. I even bought a couple of silicon whisks for degalzing with these two and it all works well. I have had not problem adjusting to the darker pan and carmelizing in them.

I have LOTS of vintage cast iron that all gets used. I reach for that often, preheat in the oven first, etc. for larger pieces. I do throw with the smaller pieces (10" and under) and really enjoy using it. But - comparing CI to SS really doesn't apply in this case due to weight and overall characteristics.

I have a couple pieces of SS that are now vintage. I really like them for the warm up/heat transfer characteristics. They are vintage heavy duty pieces from Farberware. Great overall design EXCEPT that they have rosewood in the handles, so won't take high heat in the oven, but will go there and have held up surprisingly well. I think Rita has some of these pieces. These taught me a lot about straight up clad stainless. I like them.

If I was going to buy new pans I would go with Anodized aluminum based on my experience with the Calphalons. I would probably buy Calphalon for price/performance/quality characteristics and based on my experience with the handles.

I love the quality of the All Clad, but I do not like the handles.

My favorites? The two pieces of Falk Copper. Very $$$. These are really pro level but I got a 10" fryer and a 10" saute over time at a relatively cheap price used. These are amazing pans. They are heavier but have nice stainless coating on the cooking surface.

I have to say they are my favorites overall. Great for throwing. The heat transfer is fantastic. The whole surface is noticeably engaged. Virtually no hot spots, etc. They have a matte/brushed copper finish that looks just fine. You really don't need to keep copper pans all spit shined either, they work just fine discolored. I don't like the highly polished copper because of that. The SS coating on the inside is virtually non stick and cleans up easily without hard abrasives.

Usually just soap and water with a non abrasive pad or brush.

All that said I like Calphalon anodized aluminum overall for the handles, clean up, quality and price point. If I was going to buy SS I would pick them as well based on my experience with the two pieces of pro non stick.
 
I don't think I can add much to the above except to vote for Calphalon. Got the set as a in 1993 and have just added and kept using them as I go. I find they work great, and are very easy to clean (both the non-stick and the anodized).
 
About 10 years ago I bought a set of Wolfgang Puck SS pans. Can't complain about them for what I paid for them. I have a Calphalon skillet but I do not really like it. I also have a small All Clad sauce pan that I got on sale and Love it!
The Wolfgang Puck SS works very well for me as a home cook, was trying to become a personal chef but health problems stopped that. I just love to cook so it is only for family now.

Have a good day and good eating all!!!

Ben
 
Not Kevin, but he was talking about the equipment you use to work with food while cooking in the pan, like spatula, tongs, whisks, forks, other turning implements, etc.

Using metal utensils can knick, scratch, affect the life of the non stick coating. Pro non stick holds up better overall, but is still affected over time.

Learning to toss, flip, slide, move the food without using utensils eliminates this sort of concern with non stick surfaces.

Using plastic, wood, or teflon coated utensils is a good work around until your skills improve.
 
Thanks Ray,wasn't sure what he meant. I always use wood and/or plastic when I cook even on SS cookware.

Thanks again
Ben
 

 

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