Submitted by revnhoj t3_zty50n in BuyItForLife
I saw the TV ad for the gotham steel set which looks pretty good for $200 for the set.
Does anyone have experience with this? Is it any good?
What is truly a good set for the money?
Thanks
Edit: thank you all for the considerate replies. I think I'm going to go the allclad route for pots etc. and also try my hand at properly seasoning a cast iron pan.
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And as no one as read Rule 1 here, this is not a literal sub. There is Dollar General teflon cookware there is Chemours Teflon Platinum Plus cookware. There is BIFL nonstick, you just don't know about it or think every item discussed here has a minimum lifespan of 100 years.
Cast iron
Nonstick coatings scratch and peel over time, so they're inherently not bifl. Cast iron or carbon steel can be seasoned to create a natural polymer coating that resists sticking and can be reapplied as needed. They are susceptible to rust though, and you can't cook high-acidity foods because it will dissolve the seasoning. So your best bifl bet is a good set of stainless like allclad, and just get used to cooking with them. If anything does stick, you can deglaze the pans, and in dire situations, they're basically indestructible, so go to town with whatever scrapers and scouring pads you need while you're learning. After getting the hang of them, they cook much better than nonstick anyway because you can't develop a fond on nonstick.
Over at r/castiron, you can find many posts showing that non-stick can be achieved on cast iron. I got my first cast iron pan last year, and I was a bit surprised that it was truly non-stick. Since I'm not worried about protecting an engineered surface, in case of stickage, I clean it more aggressively than I would a non-stick pan.
I still have a non-stick ceramic-coated pan for sugary foods. Otherwise, I feel like a fool for buying non-stick pans.
Go to a thrift shop and buy some cast iron. Scrub the shit out of it and YouTube how to season it properly. It’ll last 400 years.
What if you have grip problems and can't lift or handle cast iron without injuring yourself? Yeah it's amazing stuff, but it's also heavy af.
I went through a cast iron phase and rarely pull them out because they are just too heavy to handle.
That’s why we never put ours away. If we put it up it’d be too heavy to get down so we just always keep it out and that way we always use it.
Carbon steel. Seasoned properly it’s non-stick like cast iron, but it’s lighter.
Fair. I leave mine on the stove so they don’t move much other than to the sink and back
I find this hard to fathom as I watched my 90 year old grandmother use cast iron !
What exactly are you doing with it that makes it hard to handle ?
Depends on what cast iron she’s using. A modern lodge 10” will weigh a bit over 5lbs while an old Griswold will be between 3.8-4lbs.
Nether of those brands were sold in Australia in the early 1900 when she would have ether bought them or given them as a wedding gift.
Regardless she lifted the big old Dutch oven on and off the AGA wood stove with ease. Still doesn’t explain why they need to do so much lifting with a pan , when l use mine I put it on the trivet and cook , doesn’t move till I wash it .
Tramontina Pro
As everyone has said, Teflon isn’t bifl, but these are quite good, well priced, and will last a few years if treated well.
And as no one as read Rule 1 here, this is not a literal sub. There is Dollar General teflon cookware there is Chemours Teflon Platinum Plus cookware. There is BIFL nonstick, you just don't know about it or think every item discussed here has a minimum lifespan of 100 years.
Yes I have experience with Gotham, it’s terrible. Highly recommend all clad stainless steel. It works better for non stickiness than nonstick pans. Easier to clean and no nasty chemicals to worry about.
I am yet to come across any non-stick that lasts very long. I went to stainless about two and a half decades ago, but my parents have continued to buy non-stick and, after a few years, even the nice ones lose their effectiveness and go belly up.
My All-Clad stainless set is about 25 years old. It looks and functions the same as when it was new. It took a little while to learn slightly refined methods to avoid sticking, but definitely doable.
Well-seasoned cast iron is also always a solid choice, IMHO.
Cast iron works for some, but it's over hyped in my opinion. I switched to multi-clad stainless a number of years ago and almost never used my cast iron since.
Stainless is easier to clean, dishwasher safe, doesn't require seasoning, heats more evenly, and still has good thermal mass.
As you said stainless is a learning process. Having a stove with precise temperature control helps, but I think it's the superior choice once you learn how to use it- and it's BIFL.
Cast iron that is well taken care of. Or I use a ceramic coated Heritage Rock set I got for $200 about 5 years ago, cook with it daily. A dream to clean.
I have multi clad All Clad and cast iron and I always reach for the cast iron. I cook everything in it and it always turns out perfectly. I do like the All Clad sauce pans but not the skillets. Just leave the cast iron on the stove if it's heavy.
The small cast iron skillets make heavenly fried eggs.
Nonstick coatings are inherently not BIFL, as mentioned previously in this thread. However, important tips for making your nonstick coatings last as long as possible are: 1) NEVER use metal utensils with them (they scratch the coating). Use wooden, silicone, or other rubber/plastic utensils. 2) Use them only over low or medium heat. Avoid putting them over high heat (it degrades the coating faster). 3) When cleaning, don’t use abrasive cleaning tools or cleaning agents. Again, it scratches the coating. Use only mild soap and a soft sponge.
With that said, the best nonstick cookware that IS BIFL is a well-seasoned cast iron pan. Even if it peels/flakes off, you can always scrub the shit out of it and re-season.
Other than cast iron. I recommend HexClad. I started with one pan unwilling to commit to a full set. Now I use them daily for over 3 years.
There's some hate for Hexclad around here for some reason, but we bought a pan and I love it so far. Only had it for a few months so I can't speak to whether it's actually durable, but it is nonstick, and I can see it lasting a lot longer than other nonstick pans because of the raised stainless steel. It also technically has a lifetime warranty.
The only non-stick pan I’ve ever owned that was worth a damn was a 10” “The ROCK” skillet. Even it only lasted about 3 years of constant use.
If you’re willing to learn how to use stainless clad aluminium core pans, you’ll never GAF about non-stick again. Cast iron rounds out the toolkit, but it’s a pain in the ass compared to stainless steel.
I bought a full set of Lagostina brand SS clad for ~$150CAD at Costco. (That leaves enough budget for a hunk of cast iron, or a good quality Chinese carbon steel wok.)
They’re brilliant, I expect them to last forever. Use enough heat, use enough oil, food releases beautifully but it’s not needlessly slippery, and you can clean it with steel wool, sandpaper, whatever. Leave it in a sink soaking with old soup cans? Back to shining in a minute. Can polish it with power tools if needed. DGAF ever about seasoning, storage or maintenance. BIFL.
Came here to second this brand, the rock is some of the best cookware I've owned, usually pans only last me a year before flaking or rusting, pretty great quality for the cheap price. Usually around the holidays sets go on sale. I can't vouche for lagonstina since mine cheap 40$ one started rusting after a few months, maybe I got a bunk rip off. Who knows.
Cast iron, and learn how to use it.
.there are tricks for stainless steel. Learning how to preheat steel help.
Use barkeepers friend to clean still instead of dish soap
Don't buy the tv nonsense hexclad crap, don't expect it to last forever no matter how much you baby it, don't use it in the oven and buy the cheapest one you can find. Oh and only use silicone with them
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You are welcome for an actual answer to your question.
If you want bfl, and non stick, the closest you can come is cast iron. Lodge makes cheap, highly available pans/pots in lots of different sizes.
I bought the set Tefal Ingenio Extreme I absolutely love it. Costs about 120€, made in France, doesn't take up space since the handles are detachable, and goes to the oven and the freezer. I've had them for a year, they look new.
I’ve been slowly accumulating enamel cast iron—Le Creuset and Staub. Pricy, but you can find good sales, and it’s definitely BIFL. Stuff is amazing.
Non stick pans will usually last a few years if you avoid scratching them and overheating them. Anything over a medium high heat (6 on an electric stove) will cause the coating to develop microscopic cracks that eventually cause the coating to fail. I buy homichef from Amazon because it has a solid base that holds heat well and replace them as soon as eggs start to stick. Also, don't wash them in a dishwasher. The detergent and high heat will cause coating failure quickly. I generally just wipe them out with a wet dishrag and warm water.
You probably do not need or really want a set, and non-stick always degrades no matter how careful you are.
In addition to what others have said, many hot nonstick coatings spew forever chemicals into the air with dangerous impacts for children and fatal ones for parrots. I have used cast iron that's 100+ years old and still nonstick. Plus it works wonders for muscle definition in my forearms!
Lodge cast iron properly seasoned
Allclad
Calphalon contemporary Nonstick can be had for $350 or so. Lifetime warranty (you usually cover shipping). My last replacement I didn’t have to send the old one back. As others have said make sure you use silicone or nylon utensils as metal will ruin it. Also make sure it is one of the sets with a lifetime warranty - some only have 10 year spans.
We’ve been extremely happy with the Kirkland Signature set from Costco. Not truly BIFL and not suitable for a gourmet chef, but very adequate for a home cook and something like $125.
RememberRuben t1_j1gcrgy wrote
There are no BIFL nonstick coated pans. Buy a pan at a restaurant supply store for $40, use it for omelettes and maybe fish, replace it every 3-5 years, use cast iron and carbon steel for most everything.