Pots and Pans Essentials

[Neil4Speed]

I was looking at picking up a few pieces for my place (yet to be bought lol), and wondered if some people here could lend some suggestions. I find it is pretty confusing just based on the amount of variety that is out there. I wouldn't say cost isn't a factor, but I would like to buy the best (within reason), as it would be bought to keep for a long period of time.

I would be making steaks, stir frys, pasta, eggs occasionally.

So Far I figure a Cast Iron Grill Pan, a Non-stick fry pan (For eggs), but outside of that, I am a bit clueless.

Any suggestions for me?

[elite]

stainless steel with a copper or aluminium inner core. Canadian tire frequently has sets on sale so take a look into that. Pots and pans are something you don;t want to cheap out on as you will be using them for the rest of your life. Get a good (decent at least) set and you will be good to go for years on end. With stainless steel you can cook pretty much anything you want in it, are dishwasher safe, and can be put directly into the oven as well. It also doesn't react with any types of foods.

[flipstah]

Le Cruesset is baller but only if you get it from Seattle outlet. Otherwise, its pricey at Chinook.

but SS is a good, safe bet. Costco usually has Lagostina sets on sale and they're complete.

For me, a wok is a necessity.

[tch7]

Don't ever buy pots/pans at full price. They're always going on sale.

These are ones I use most and quite like:
Bought this for $35 - Non-stick jumbo cooker
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/8/KitchenBath/1/Cookware/PotsFrypans/PRDOVR~1422405P/Lagostina+Casa+Bella+5+qt+Jumbo+Cooker.jsp?locale=en

You can generally get this (in various sizes) non-stick for around $15
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/8/KitchenBath/1/Cookware/PotsFrypans/PRDOVR~0420204P/T-Fal+Air+Grip+Non-Stick+Frypan.jsp?locale=en


I also have/had some high-end copper/stainless steel varieties, but for me a good non-stick surface is key as I love an easy clean-up. The coating will eventually wear down after 5 years or so I find, but for what they cost when on sale, it's not a big expense to replace them.

[ExtraSlow]

One big-ass pot. depending on the manufacturer, it'll be labeled as stock-pot, pasta pot etc. One that'll hold enough chill for the boys, or enough water to cook pasta for six.

I like a wok, and I like to have a smaller saucepan as well.

Nice to have at least one big saute pan for cooking risotto etc. I have a great one from all-clad that is all metal, so it can go into the oven as well. When I make meatballs, that's handy, as I can brown them on the stove-top and pop them right into the oven without transferring pans.

[Pacman]

I would buy this Lodge cast iron set from Costco.ca

http://www.costco.ca/Lodge%C2%AE-Logic-Cast-Iron-5-pc.-Cookware-Set.product.10395556.html?catalogId=11201&langId=-24&storeId=10302&krypto=BrJfWALf60kLl%2FWmcuS7fFe9xRbqXCv2

Sure the enameled Le Crueset and Staub stuff is for ballers, but I use Lodge cast iron dutch oven, skillets (for doing eggs and they don't stick) etc and they are fantastic. Plus, they will last you a lifetime, made in the USA for a fraction of the price of the other cast iron stuff.

[muse017]

Go to any restaurant equipment suppliers in town you will have much more quality choices

[msommers]

- Small frying pan for eggs
- Large one with a lid for various other meals
- Small, medium, XL pots
- One cast iron to cook and put stuff in the oven

I've hit Winner's and found a few gems in there. All-Clad is nice stuff but expensive. I figure it's one thing you buy once and be done with it, so I'm slow stocking up.

I find having a nice knife set makes a huge difference.

[WhippWhapp]

Minimum 3ply with a heat conducting core will conduct heat throughout the entire piece, as opposed to an encapsulated bottom set.

Get a made in Canada Paderno set, 25 year warranty. Beware of the cheaper, Chinese produced sets Costco stocks, real ones have the Paderno stamp.

[schocker]

Costco has a bunch of sets I have seen. They have Kirkland sets that include a good variety of cookware for pretty cheap and looked to be pretty good quality.

[heavyfuel]

Get a deep 12" cast iron pan and learn how to maintain it properly, it'll be the only pan you'll ever need and it will last for generations. You will need a steel pot for boiling pasta too, and a steel frying pan for making fancy sauces. That's really all you need IMO.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by msommers


I find having a nice knife makes a huge difference.

Fixed. I found that one good knife will make those sets obsolete.

I'm a Chinese cleaver guy and the other knife I'd go for is a fillet knife. All you ever need really. :)

[msommers]

Clever
Santoku or Chef
Paring
Any old bread knife will work

Epicurean cutting board, sm & lg

Solid.

[diamondedge]

Originally posted by flipstah


Fixed. I found that one good knife will make those sets obsolete.

I'm a Chinese cleaver guy and the other knife I'd go for is a fillet knife. All you ever need really. :)

+1 chef knife for triple threat combo

[ExtraSlow]

Yeah, you don't need many knives. I find the Cleaver much more versatile than I thought I would. it's useful for some pretty fine work if you are mincing or chopping.
I reach for the santoku more often than the chefs knife, but they are different brands, so hard to say if it's a brand or shape preference.

Paring knife can be pretty cheap, as can the bread knife. Oddly, my bread knife is one of my best knives, but that's from back when I had more money than brains.

[ga16i]

Head to William Sonoma in Chinook if you want to deal retail locally.

All-Clad Stainless 12-Inch Fry Pan
8" chef's knife from Henckels (nothing that says international on it), or Wusthof.
All-Clad 4 Quart Casserole with lid (use this as a stock pot)
Any old wooden chopping block with a lip

That should get you pretty well setup for kitchen cooking. Anything else is bonus.
Cast iron stuff is heavy and expensive, but sure is nice. I really don't like non-stick pans. I find that they really aren't all that non-stick, and you can't scrub them too hard when they do stick haha. Plus you're not supposed to use non-stick with high heat, and the wife and I mostly cook on max heat.

[Strider]

Not sure how the thread got steered towards knives and cutting boards, but in terms of Pots and Pans you'll want a large pot for boiling pasta (or making soup/stew), a stainless steel frying pan (slightly more versatile than cast iron), a couple saucepans for sauces/premade soup/KD/ramen, and a nonstick frying pan.

You can add a cast iron pan (Lodge brand is great), and enamelled cast iron dutch oven (ie Le Creuset or similar) later.

Personally, I prefer to wait for a good sale on cookware sets (50% off or more), rather than buying mismatched pieces... but I might just be a little OCD that way.

Maybe something like this for $270, which seems like a pretty reasonable deal
http://www.thebay.com/eng/home-cookware-cookwaresets-12_piece_Triply_Stainless_steel_cookware_set_with_bonus-thebay/235090

3 or 5 ply fully clad is nice to have, but not essential... depends on your budget.

HomeSense has a pretty good selection of non-stick pans for a reasonable price.

And on the topic of cutting boards, I've seen a good selection of Epicurean boards at HomeSense lately... These are great to have.

[raceman6135]

If you're not in a hurry, check out online places like http://www.cutleryandmore.com as they often have good deals, and they carry lower end stuff as well as higher end.

For Christmas 3 years ago, I bought my friend a set of Henckels Professional S knives (the made in Germany line) with block and accessories cheaper than anywhere I could find locally, even after paying for shipping.

Everyone else has posted good info, too, about really only needing a couple of pieces to start, but spend money on quality stuff. You can guy no name non-stick fry pans at the dollar store, but do you really want to eat food that's been prepped in them? And, do you really want to have to buy replacements every year or two?

[Mibz]

Have you decided on a gas range then? Your options change considerably if you go induction. Not sizes or anything, just brands/materials.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by Mibz
Have you decided on a gas range then? Your options change considerably if you go induction. Not sizes or anything, just brands/materials.

Oh yeah! That shit matters.

[BigDL]

Originally posted by Mibz
Have you decided on a gas range then? Your options change considerably if you go induction. Not sizes or anything, just brands/materials.

Yeah induction makes a huge difference on what you can choose for your pots and pans.

I also have to agree with everyone else and get a good big stock pot.

I believe the one I have at home is 15QT and sometimes I wish it was bigger for when I have to do my massive veggi stock batch for Christmas or chicken noodle soup batch (i freeze the extra and share some with my sister).

Another thing I am saving up for is a good quality Cast Iron dutch oven.

If you are looking at knives you must visit Knifewear in Inglewood

http://www.knifewear.com/

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by Strider


Personally, I prefer to wait for a good sale on cookware sets (50% off or more), rather than buying mismatched pieces... but I might just be a little OCD that way.

Maybe something like this for $270, which seems like a pretty reasonable deal
http://www.thebay.com/eng/home-cookware-cookwaresets-12_piece_Triply_Stainless_steel_cookware_set_with_bonus-thebay/235090



I agree, I kept an eye on The Bay for a while and bought a set of the Jamie Oliver T-fal stainless collection for about the same price as that set (they seem to rotate the sales, all the $800 sets seem to get dropped down to $250 regularly)

http://www.thebay.com/eng/home-weekendonly-11_Piece_Stainless_Steel_Copper_Set-thebay/154775

Despite the silly celebchef branding, it's a really solid set of cookware. I've had mine for ~5 years and zero complaints. Comfy-ass handles, too.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by BigDL

If you are looking at knives you must visit Knifewear in Inglewood

http://www.knifewear.com/

+1. They also sell hand-made copper pots. Mucho expensive though. :eek:

[Neil4Speed]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I haven't exactly settled but a lodge logic set will be coming my way.

[blitz]

Don't worry about getting something that will last a lifetime, just get a normal non-stick set on sale at the Bay + a cast iron skillet + a wok.

If you're not sure what you need, that probably means you don't need anything fancy. If you get into it, then you can step up and find something expensive that suits you.

[heavyfuel]

Originally posted by BigDL




If you are looking at knives you must visit Knifewear in Inglewood

http://www.knifewear.com/

Oh f*** yeah! They have an insane selection there. I bought myself a handmade Japanese knife 2 Christmas's ago and I haven't sharpened it yet, still slices tomatoes paper thin with no effort.

[Supa Dexta]

Cast iron is a pain in the ass to be using all the time. Canadian tire puts frying pans on sale every flyer or 2, some of them $80 on for 19.99 or something.. Use it until it starts to stick and throw it away for that price. Its lighter to handle, easy to clean, and you dont need to maintain it. (Ive got 3 sizes of tfals I use all the time, and a cast iron that hardly ever finds its way out of the cupboard anymore)

Same as their pot sets really, 600 or 800 dollar sets on for 199.. Cant be beat at that cost, and you have to remember this guy opened the thread wanting to make several simple things, he doesn't need an exotic $2000 set of cookware.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Supa Dexta
Cast iron is a pain in the ass to be using all the time.

A properly seasoned and maintained cast iron pan and dutch oven are essential in kitchens.


Originally posted by Supa Dexta
Canadian tire puts frying pans on sale every flyer or 2, some of them $80 on for 19.99 or something.. Use it until it starts to stick and throw it away for that price.

So use it until you start eating pieces of Teflon?

[Supa Dexta]

Yes. You're cooking knowledge impresses me kitchen wizard.

I love how these threads always bring out the most amazing chefs that just have to share their views on the 'must haves'.. When in fact 99.9% of the population uses exactly what I posted, or even cheaper.

[Pacman]

I'm not a pro cook by any means, but I really prefer using my $20 Lodge frying pan and $60 Lodge dutch oven over anything else I have in the house.

I don't like the teflon coated non stick pans as I find the teflon flakes off easily and I would prefer not to be eating it.

Once your cast iron pan is seasoned properly, it will have a glass like surface and nothing will stick to it. I can fry eggs without any oil, or just a very thin layer and they slide off onto the spatula without breaking.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to have $1,000 fancy looking Le Creuset or Staub stuff in the kitchen, but more for aesthetics than actual cooking performance.

I've got a bunch of Calphalon Anodized pans and pots and they rarely get used now as the cast iron retains the heat much better than the aluminum and doesn't stick like the anodized stuff.

[r3ccOs]

I use my 12" cast iron lodge pan all the time...
its well seasoned and used
It retains heat & distributes evenly, especially good for fried food and items like grilled cheese & french toast

I have an 8" greenpan, which I use as my egg pan, and while almost as good as telflon, its good to know that its a ceramic and isn't as potentially dangerous to my health

I have a large greenpan wok, which is deep and perfect from stir frying, or using as a pot to make just about anything wet that doesn't require braising. An example would be first browning some meat, and then adding stock and subsiquently a startch to the mixture.

I use 2 dutch ovens, one Le Creuset and a Staub pumpkin... I routinely use them to braise anything from lamb curries, to chinese style beef brisket
Also amazing to make stews and soups in as well...

as to pots and pans, I have a variety and as long as they have a decent base, and a long enough handle, that's all I care about

Knives - I own a whole pile of everything
Henkle twin 4 star everything
3 knives from knifewear (1 santoku, 1 sushi, and one pairing)

of the bunch, I use: My japanese santoku, my henkle twin chef knife, and a yellow handled henkle twin master butcher knife

[msommers]

I don't have any cast iron stuff at the moment...What do you guys mean by well seasoned?

[blitz]

It's a series of oiling the pan and heating, over and over, to fill the empty pore space of the iron with oil. Turns it into a sort of non-stick surface that's easy to wipe clean.

[Supa Dexta]

Thoughts on these henckels?

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/8/KitchenBath/Knives/KnifeSets/PRD~1425464P/Henckels+Classic+Forged+Knife+Block+Set%2C+15-pc/CROSSSELL~0423911%20Henckels%2BFine%2BEdge%2BForged%2B14-pc%2BKnife%2BBlock%2BSet.jsp?locale=en#product_aa

[msommers]

Fuck that's a lot of knives. "We call this the Dexter Edition"

[flipstah]

We have a MiracleBlade set that just sits there...

Cleaver and a chef's knife. Life is good.

[ExtraSlow]

If I was me, Instead if buying a $200 set from canadian tire, I'd buy one good knife that was $195 (chef or santoku) and a $5 parking knife.

[r3ccOs]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
If I was me, Instead if buying a $200 set from canadian tire, I'd buy one good knife that was $195 (chef or santoku) and a $5 parking knife.

& those Henkles aren't the twins...

I bought mine online at cutlery & more when they go on sale online

[Strider]

I just bought a ceramic (PTFE & PFOA free) non-stick pan to replace a teflon pan that got wrecked by the dishwasher.

HomeSense at Market Mall has a great selection of these (Greenpan, Paderno EcoPan, DannySeo, and a few unknown Italian brands), all roughly $25-$30 vs $70+ at Home Outfitters.

[ExtremeSi]

I still don't understand how it's sanitary to eat off of a cast iron pan that has never been washed with soap. How does that work?

[Pacman]

Originally posted by ExtremeSi
I still don't understand how it's sanitary to eat off of a cast iron pan that has never been washed with soap. How does that work?

The heat probably kills everything on there. I usually wash mine with water and sponge but no soap. After a few months, it's developed a glass like surface and nothing stick to it.

[r3ccOs]

Originally posted by Pacman


The heat probably kills everything on there. I usually wash mine with water and sponge but no soap. After a few months, it's developed a glass like surface and nothing stick to it.

pretty much...

once its seasoned, the only resedue left is cooked, and once wiped out or rinced out would be oil

I then use a paper towel to get rid of any excess, but it takes along time for oil to go rancid... heck even butter sits out for a long time

so chances are, you'll use it more often than you will end up with a rancid pan.

[WhippWhapp]

m.costco.ca/Paderno-Fusion5-11-pc.-Cookware-Set.product.10360703.html

$219 is a pretty good price on 5 ply, made in Canada cookware that will last a lifetime.

[bmeier]

I pretty much exclusively use cast iron pans, they are that good. The cleaning can be a bit of a pain compared to Teflon non stick but they last forever and I like how you can finish things in the oven.

The only time I use Teflon is if I make eggs and I usually still just use the cast iron. I have a bunch of lodge pans and a dutch oven. my parents have a real old LA crueset set that I hope to take someday.

[suntan]

- 6-9 qt Dutch oven
- Some sort of 12" non-stick skillet pan (whatever strikes your fancy) X 2 at least
- 12" SS skillet pan WITH LID.
- 8" non-stick skillet pan (maybe two)
- Optional stockpot (but you need to actually justify it. If you're not making stock, don't bother)
- large SS saucepan
- small SS saucepan

That is all you need. Everything else is a waste of time.

[FixedGear]

Originally posted by suntan

- Optional stockpot (but you need to actually justify it. If you're not making stock, don't bother)


Or spaghetti noodles, or massive amounts of pasta sauce, or chili for the Super Bowl, or soup for the freezer, .......

in other words, stockpots are awesome and IMO a kitchen necessity! :thumbsup:

[suntan]

A dutch oven does all those things. You don't need a 20 quart stockpot for that.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by suntan
A dutch oven does all those things. You don't need a 20 quart stockpot for that.

I use my 20 qt stock pot quite a bit. My wife and I make our own salsas and can them for the year with the tomatoes and peppers from our garden. As well as making stocks, soups and sauces for the freezer.

It is not at all uncommon for use to make 10-12 quarts of spaghetti sauce or chicken stock.

[ExtraSlow]

I like to have a huge stockpot too. it gets used regularly.

[FixedGear]

Originally posted by sputnik


I use my 20 qt stock pot quite a bit. My wife and I make our own salsas and can them for the year with the tomatoes and peppers from our garden. As well as making stocks, soups and sauces for the freezer.

It is not at all uncommon for use to make 10-12 quarts of spaghetti sauce or chicken stock.

yup


Originally posted by ExtraSlow
I like to have a huge stockpot too. it gets used regularly.

and yup.


Originally posted by suntan
A dutch oven does all those things. You don't need a 20 quart stockpot for that.

Personally, I'd rather use a stockpot over a dutch oven any day. Dutch ovens are heavy, and it's hard to get rapid temperature response as the cast iron holds so much heat. Stockpots don't have to be huge (e.g. 20 quarts like you said), in fact I have a few of different sizes. I use them all the time. The only time I use a dutch oven is when camping, because it's so versatile for outdoor cooking.

[milesmcewing]

Go down to Crown Restaurant Supply:

http://crownfoodequipment.com/

I see everyone is recommending either cast iron or stainless.

Avoid stainless - it develops hot spots and never heats evenly - even the 'triple core' type of designs.

There is a reason every restaurant in the universe uses aluminium.

Get aluminum:
The commercial pots are ludicrously cheap -$15 for a stock pot, $12 for a small frying pan

They also sell knifes etc. the cheaper commercial knives will also last forever and are good steel.

Henckels - german steel is a good product the brazilian steel not as good.

Wusthof - I like the feel/rocker better than Henckels.

Sabatier - Nice looking - did not like the blade as much.

Knifewear is a great shop - A santoku is a great tool - I have a masakage with the stainless layer -a little easier to maintain than a carbon blade.

Shop local - keep the guys in business.

Cheers
Miles

[flipstah]

Necro-bump

Anyone know a local business that can do copper pan retinning? I have a Ruffoni copper pan that has the top lining worn out.