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mort55 t1_j9xsn0j wrote

Get a couple of carbon steel pans. Dirt cheap, light, heat up quick, take a beating. Season them right and they're as non-stick as cast iron.

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Fair-Store-1580 t1_j9xuv9y wrote

I’d recommend stainless steel. Tried and true, can last forever. Most folks on here will recommend All Clad if you can swing it, as they have a lifetime warranty and are arguably the best quality for the money.

I recently bought an All Clad D3 set and am super happy with it so far. Cooks evenly, well balanced, easy enough to clean. And I don’t see a reason why it won’t last for life. I hope this helps.

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kosnarf t1_j9xx12e wrote

My household only has SS all clad (d3 and d5) and oxo pro non stick. I love my collection

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mooninitespwnj00 t1_j9xxvpt wrote

The Ballarini Professionale 3000 series is a great little 2-pan selection of carbon steel. Carbon is a little trickier to get a good season on because it doesn't have the porosity or surface finish of regular modern cast iron, but you can season it The exact same way as cast iron in the oven with a film of vegetable shortening on it.

The Cuisinart MCP-12n cookware set has also been a fantastic budget set of tri-ply stainless/aluminum pans for me. Been using them for years and have zero regrets.

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ConBroMitch t1_j9yc6id wrote

Unless you’re stewing tomato cause for hours in a pan (you’re probably not) a cast iron / carbon steel is an all purpose pan. Consider carbon steel if you don’t like cast iron.

As for stainless: Demeyere, All clad, American kitchen (look for anything that is fully clad, 3 ply, 18/10 stainless and it will last a lifetime)

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Ragnar_DanneskjoldSr t1_j9yd8sb wrote

Replying to ConBroMitch (#1,993,155)

The same with the other brand. The professional series from all clad is rated the best stainless steel cookware in the world by the majority of credible sources. Consumer reports, food and wine magazine, splendid table, cook.com, milk Street kitchen.

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calmdowndearsir t1_j9ye27f wrote

For the EU, look at stainless steel Le cruisset pans. Costly, but very solid and bulletproof. I’m sure these will last near a lifetime

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ConBroMitch t1_j9yenhv wrote

Replying to Ragnar_DanneskjoldSr (#1,993,461)

Maybe you should reply 8 more times to a single comment. Did I trigger you?

Believe it or not - fucking food and wine magazine may not offer the most comprehensive buying advice. You’re not the “informed consumer” you think you are. You’re consuming paid advertisements under the guise of a “product review” (CR is the exception to your list). It’s all bought and paid for dude.

I bet you have a Shark or Dyson vacuum too, huh? I hear good housekeeping rated them very high 😂😂🤡

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xeroxchick t1_j9ykuhe wrote

Calphalon is great and you can get it used.

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acathode t1_j9ynr2h wrote

If you want stainless steel, which is probably the most "general use" material you can get for cookware, it depends a bit on where you're shopping.

In the US, All-Clad is probably your best value/performance/durability, while the high end EU brands become to expensive due to the added extra cost of importing them.

In the EU, it's the other way around, All Clad becomes way too expensive due to the added cost of importing, while at the same time there are several high end EU brands like Demeyere that offer product lines with the same or better quality.

Something like a Demeyere Proline skillet is built like a tank and in many ways outperform your average All Clad D3 skillet - but if you're in the US the Proline seem to be more than 2x the cost of a D3, which isn't worth it.

Personally, I've tried cooking with a few different pans, and my personal preference is Demeyere for stainless steel - but I'm also in the EU.

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SweetAlyssumm t1_j9ynt21 wrote

Replying to ConBroMitch (#1,993,193)

I have Demeyere and All-Clad. Both are great. Demeyere is more beautiful imo. My son inherited my mother's Demeyere - it actually is built for life. I think All-Clad might be heritable too.

(I frequently do stew tomato sauce for hours - spaghetti sauce -- and that's one thing I don't use my cast iron for.)

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Wise-Hamster-288 t1_j9ypmb3 wrote

I love Costco Kirkland brand multi layer steel set. Cooks evenly, great shapes and sizes.

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garythepitbull t1_j9yrbkd wrote

Been using Sitram Catering for 25-30 years and All Clad D5 for nearly 10. All still solid

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iJuddles t1_j9ytiip wrote

Replying to mort55 (#1,989,887)

Came to say the same—once seasoned they’re very durable and lightweight, easy to clean, zero Teflon. You can pick up a decently priced Matfer if you spend a few minutes searching. I love mine (8”, I think) and my daughter can actually pick it up so it’s become her go-to.

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Limbobabimbo t1_j9z1wpa wrote

If you can find Silga cookware, snap it up! Italian made, very nice quality stainless steel cookware. They cook very evenly and the lids are heavy and a tight fit, which cuts down on cooking time (a pleasant surprise).

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Smokey76 t1_j9z2bze wrote

My Scan pan is pretty solid, also like my Always Ceramic pan for cooking all sorts of things but it’s great for cooking eggs.

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ReferHvacGuy t1_j9z3cda wrote

I just want to say avoid “the rock” line of pans. I was gifted one when I moved out of my parents and with a year of minimal use (single guy) it cracked on the bottom along the seam and almost caused a grease fire while I was cooking bacon.

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Starman68 t1_j9z3kg6 wrote

Allclad if you can get them. We did a stint in Houston and got them as part of the furnishings deal. They are still going very strong 20 years later they will easily see us out of our lifetime.

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NotAnAd2 t1_j9z3pyz wrote

They’re expensive and heavy but I love Dutch ovens with enamel coating. A good brand and proper treatment will make them last forever, and I think it’s easier to use and a good display piece for dinner parties. I prefer to cook most things in my Dutch oven over pans etc.

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ladz t1_j9z68sp wrote

Tri-clad stainless are the best all arounders. You can get these as Vollrath Tribute, All-Clad, Trimontia(?) (costco), Calphalon, and a few other brands.

Used: Some tri-clad is induction compatible (stick a magnet to it) and some isn't. People tend to give away non-induction tri-clad to goodwill these days, so it's easy to find. The induction-compatible tri-clad is harder to find.

New: Some sizes and shapes are impossible to find at thrift stores so you can just buy it. The most cost-effective and high quality is Vollrath Tribute. All-Clad are almost as good but the little weenie handles are uncomfortable.

Avoid teflon, it always gets damaged. Sometimes you can find a teflon All-Clad pan and call the manufacturer to complain about the nonstick getting wrecked you can get them to swap it for a non-teflon one.

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Forsaken-Airline8394 t1_j9zd3j1 wrote

My boyfriend’s mom gave us her set of copper bottom Revere Ware which I’m pretty sure she used for probably 30 years or more? And we are not the most gentle on our cookware and they have held up great. Also when I discovered Bar Keeper’s Friend and steel wool for scrubbing, they look almost new.

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origamialpaca t1_j9ze82a wrote

I go with aluminum pans. They're not non-stick though.

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pan567 t1_j9zgl3p wrote

I have the Demeyere Atlantis/Proline and previously had All-Clad D3 and Copper Core. Both companies make exceptional products although the Demeyere Atlantis/Proline is arguably a pinnacle of multi-ply cookware in terms of performance and build quality, IMO. But I don't think you could go wrong with either.

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pan567 t1_j9zj5gx wrote

Replying to Ragnar_DanneskjoldSr (#1,990,798)

All-Clad makes great products. I previously had the D3 and later the Copper Core and they are certainly good products. However, I would argue that the Demeyere is one of the pinnacles of multi-ply cookware for several reasons:

First, the amount of cladding used is greater than most other multi-ply cookware. The Proline skillets use twice the cladding materials as the D3, for example, giving it exceptionally even heating, exceptional sidewall heating, and exceptional heat retention approaching the performance of 4-5mm cast iron.

Second, they use welded handles instead of rivets, which makes cleanup easier, especially with fry pans and saute pans where one is cooking with a lot of oils.

Third, the electro-chemical surface treatment they use makes their pans perform better than other stainless cookware I have used with respect to ease in obtaining nonstick performance and ease of cleaning.

Fourth, the handle design is subjectively more ergonomic, and objectively better at staying cool over prolonged periods of cooking compared to my D3/CC.

Fifth, the optional oven-safe borosilicate glass lids that compliment the stainless lids are exceptional quality and add versatility. Having them for fry pans is especially nice.

Sixth, their sealed edges on their fully clad fry pans and sauciers greatly reduces the corrosion risk that open-edged multi ply cookware are vulnerable to over many years of use.

Seventh, the Atlantis/Proline has better warp resistance than most other stainless cookware, including the Copper Core and D3, and is an especially good choice for use on induction, which can be extremely hard on cookware.

All-Clad makes great products, but saying it is, "the only cookware worth buying in that category" is really not a fair assessment of the many great multi-ply cookware options available.

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pan567 t1_j9zju8r wrote

Replying to acathode (#1,995,548)

It is worth noting that I got my Demeyere from a European retailer and had it shipped to me in the US. It was much less expensive than buying from US retailers. In addition, European retailers carry the optional glass lids for the Proline/Atlantis, which are not sold in the US for some odd reason (they are excellent quality lids and are oven safe.)

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wellingtonalexander t1_j9zkjap wrote

We're in Canada and use an induction range. Bought Le Creuset new enamelware Dutch oven and 9" frying pan in 1995. Well-used and look like new. Excellent conduction. Stove top and oven-safe. Added a new Le Creuset enamelware skillet in 2018 (on sale at Costco) and donated it ... poor quality IMO.

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Lozzatron47 t1_j9ztcrm wrote

Analon Hard Anodised.

Light-ish. No teflon.

Mine are 20ish year old hand me downs from my mum, still going strong and non-stick.

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complywood t1_ja0cgsq wrote

Replying to Forsaken-Airline8394 (#2,000,095)

Just be careful using those (especially steel wool) too often / too hard, as they can take off some of the material. Not that much material, so it doesn't matter for cast iron since it's so thick, but for a copper bottom pan it's often a pretty thin coat of copper.

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WillametteWanderer t1_ja0udqk wrote

I have never used cast iron cookware, not a thing in our family. 20+ years ago we bought the top of the line (non-teflon) cookware set at Costco. I do not see that we will ever need anything different.

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pressedbread t1_ja0yuow wrote

Stainless. My wishlist is Demeyer stainless but there are a few brands out there. Just make sure you buy multi-ply and for frying pans you want multi-ply up the sides of the pan layers for even heating and better heat retention. For large soup pots a less expensive stainless steel disc bottom pan is going to do the same job as a more expensive one that also has a disc bottom - I have some 20+ year old Faberware 6 Quart and 8 Quarts that do as good as anything else.

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Cablesixback t1_ja1082b wrote

I’m in love with my Ikea pans. Bought them in ‘06 after Katrina moved us north and still have them.

Have lost a few lids, but that’s just a note and a trip back for new lids.

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21plankton t1_ja1d2an wrote

Replying to Lozzatron47 (#2,002,894)

I also have tri-ply aluminum hard anodized, Calphalon One, and they are 15 years old now, look almost perfect. I use the 4qt dutch oven twice a week, the fry pans and chefs pan(think wok with handle) in between. They clean up beautifully with Bar Keepers Friend. They even have a large caldero (5.5 qts) and the quality is much better than the cheap ones in the store. I don’t think Calphalon makes this line now but All Clad makes a similar one, also Analon. I have several sizes of Le Creuset but I find for stove top these are lighter. I just use the roasting pans that come with the set for the oven. Hard anodized is partially non-stick without a coating that breaks down.

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Western_Detective_84 t1_ja1t6cm wrote

Pans warp because of the way they are handled during cooking. Or, more likely, AFTER cooking. Give your pans time to warm up (warm, not hot) before putting the oil in, and don't let them overheat. When cooling, don't COOL them too fast, like by dumping them hot into a sink full of cold water. Let them cool off first.

Otherwise, thicker metal is better than thin. Cheaper pans sometimes use cheaper alloys, but I haven't seen any REALLY cheap stuff around in a long time. Then again, I don't go looking, either. Carbon steel, seasoned and kept oiled are a good option. But they are also easy to warp from mis-handling. Hardened aluminum is more durable that way, but less popular these days because of the aluminum/dementia scare (back in the 90's, IIRC?).

Also, these days, you'll want to get something that will work with induction. If you're not using it now, you will very likely be using it in the future.

Oh - and btw - you can season s/s and carbon steel the same way you do cast iron, with the same non-stick results when done properly. They won't be shiny, but the eggs come out better!

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curvycarla01 t1_ja281r6 wrote

Bessemer if you can get it. Expensive but my mum has some like 30 years old she still uses regularly.

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