Cookware/Kitchenware Suggestions

[bjstare]

I'm looking at getting a couple new pots/pans, as well as possibly new knives. My wife and I aren't passionate chefs, per say, but she is a stay at home mom and cooks most days during the week. Looking for best value (not to be confused with lowest price), and I have no idea where to start. For pots/pans, I can't help but think getting a 10 piece set at The Bay on "sale" is not going to get me the best stuff.

Specifically at the moment, I'm having trouble finding a good cook and serve pan/pot (the ones that are 12" x ~3.5" depth). I want something that's well made (not aluminum), non stick, and not cast iron. We have a couple cast iron pans and for some reason I can't get them seasoned well so they never really become non stick.

Also for knives, I'm just not sure if buying a set from a department store is a waste of money or not, and I also assume knife stores in malls are rip off artists.

[pf0sh0]

I am no expert in this area, but I tried a variety of brands and what I found works really well is "Heritage Rock" stuff. Especially for non stick purposes. And plus of this brand is they tend to sell sets at Canadian tire. Again, not huge cooks, but we do cook a few times a week and prefer using the hertiage rock stuff versus some of our other cookware.

And we have tried stuff ranging from cuisnart, zwilling, le creuset, etc.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Pots & Pans - find the set you like and wait for it to be 70-80% off at The Bay, Canadian Tire, etc. Shouldn't cost you more than $200-300 for a high end set and you can even get copper or clad for $500 or less. Canadian Tire has a ton of them on sale right now, mostly 75% off. For frying pans I really like the Heritage Rock stuff, they are super durable and are always on sale somewhere.

Knives - Most people only really need 2 or 3, go to Knifewear and get set up with a good paring, santoku, etc. or whatever your needs are. Once you've used good Japanese knives you won't go back. You don't have to spend a ton of money either. I wouldn't bother with the big block sets at department stores.

These are my favorite general purpose knives that I don't really have to care about - Knifewear recommended them to me and they have not let me down: https://www.amazon.ca/Kuhn-Rikon-2847-4-Inch-Nonstick/dp/B0030XNLQ4/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=kuhn+rikon+paring&qid=1572363911&sr=8-4

[jwslam]

We have a couple cast iron pans and for some reason I can't get them seasoned well so they never really become non stick.
Are you throwing it into the pot and expecting things to be flippable immediately? Because that's the #1 reason why people think cast iron is bad.

Is there a reason why you are looking specifically for non-stick pots? Because the coatings never last.
Best to look for stainless steel. I have good experiences with all of these:

-Kirkland SS cookware set (not on their website right now?)
-https://www.homehardware.ca/en/9-piece-stainless-steel-cookware-set-with-glass-lids/p/4030861?page=category%20page#ccode=7944
-https://www.kitchenstuffplus.com/zwilling-j-a-henckels-joy-cookware-combo-set-of-10-stainless-steel

Also, I would never pay full price for these. I got them all in the $150-200 ballpark

[bjstare]

Are you throwing it into the pot and expecting things to be flippable immediately? Because that's the #1 reason why people think cast iron is bad.


No, and I tried different methods of seasoning (diff temps, oils, etc), never washing w soap... I did all the research and did things "right", just for some reason haven't had great success.

Hopefully the kirkland stuff will come back; generally have had great experience with all kirkland products haha.

[BigDL]

Knives - Most people only really need 2 or 3, go to Knifewear and get set up with a good paring, santoku, etc. or whatever your needs are. Once you've used good Japanese knives you won't go back. You don't have to spend a ton of money either. I wouldn't bother with the big block sets at department stores.


Big time, I love my Japanese knives, they are also really easy to sharpen too. I can't do a good of a job as Knifewear but I can make it sharp enough for my needs. They do a garage sale once in a while that you can get some good discount on some of their knives.

[jwslam]

No, and I tried different methods of seasoning (diff temps, oils, etc), never washing w soap... I did all the research and did things "right", just for some reason haven't had great success.

Hopefully the kirkland stuff will come back; generally have had great experience with all kirkland products haha.
The Kirkland SS stuff is probably available in store, just not shown online.

There's also a non-stick set which I have no experience with
https://www.costco.ca/kirkland-signature-hard-anodized-15-piece-cookware-set.product.100355539.html

I wouldn't even consider this set based on not dw safe :rofl:

[Buster]

Get a decent set of clad pans - I like All Clad, but you can get more generic brands that do multi-ply. I think you are looking for a Saute pan if you are looking at a 12"x3.5" type pan. Coookwarenmore does the All Clad seconds, which are a good value if you can bring them up from the States. https://www.cookwarenmore.com/all-clad-irregulars/

I'd start with a 12" Saute pan, and then get maybe a 10" fry pan. Then a couple of sauce pans (what most people call pots), and you should be set.

For knives:

You really only should need three: a paring knife, a chef's knife, and something serrated like a bread knife. Costco carries Global packages, which are a decent way into what I would consider minimally acceptable knife quality.

I like Japanese knives, but prefer them to be a "western" style in terms of shape. Like a traditional european chef's knife. The japanese call them gyutos.

I have a Hiromoto for my personal use...but I just saw that Master Nagao retired, so you can't get them any more.

https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/hiromoto

edit: if you want to add some non-stick stuff, just buy whatever is at Costco and replace as needed. But you should really only need non-stick for cooking eggs.

[flipstah]

I'm looking at getting a couple new pots/pans, as well as possibly new knives. My wife and I aren't passionate chefs, per say, but she is a stay at home mom and cooks most days during the week. Looking for best value (not to be confused with lowest price), and I have no idea where to start. For pots/pans, I can't help but think getting a 10 piece set at The Bay on "sale" is not going to get me the best stuff.

Specifically at the moment, I'm having trouble finding a good cook and serve pan/pot (the ones that are 12" x ~3.5" depth). I want something that's well made (not aluminum), non stick, and not cast iron. We have a couple cast iron pans and for some reason I can't get them seasoned well so they never really become non stick.

Also for knives, I'm just not sure if buying a set from a department store is a waste of money or not, and I also assume knife stores in malls are rip off artists.

So Le Creuset has some sales in Chinook or at The Bay sometimes. They're well-made enamel cast iron stuff. I have them for pans, French oven, and giant pot. As per Buster testament All Clad is the top tier and so baller. That's my next dream frying pan <3

You only need a select few depending on what you cook the most. Alternatively, there are copper bottom pots that are also great.

Knives: Go to Knifewear for a chef's knife. I have an all-rounder for 6 years and it's awesome. I never needed a serrated knife and just sat there for years. I have a chef's knife, a paring knife, and a butcher's knife, which accommodates my needs.

Cast iron pans: You season them by washing it and getting rid of the initial crud; coating them with canola oil or any high-temp oil; bake them in an oven; wipe clean for future uses. Try not to use them to fry eggs and anything sticky until it's well coated.

Also, I learned this from someone in the Philippines when they season a wok: Use peanut oil, fry some ginger and onions until the wok gets a coating, and then repeat until the layers of oil makes it 'nonstick'.

[suntan]

Pans: 10 inch, 12 inch All Clad SS pans. OXO for non-stick pans. They're cheap.

Knives: Victorinox. Don't bother with anything expensive or heavy. You need Chef's, paring, bread, boning. Maybe serrated.

Pots: All-Clad for medium + small.

Yeah, AC costs, but you can usually get the pans on sale. You will pass them to your kids.

AC 12" has been on sale for a while now: https://www.thebay.com/all-clad-12-inch-30-5cm-stainless-steel-fry-pan/product/0600085069505?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302023686&R=11644913076&P_name=All-Clad&N=4294966045+302023686&bmUID=mUmWxfO

Also forgot AC has a cheap non-stick set that works very well:

https://www.thebay.com/all-clad-two-piece-hard-anodized-fry-pan-set/product/0600090059091?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302023686&R=11644905552&P_name=All-Clad&N=4294966045+302023686&bmUID=mUmWxhq

Victorinox Chef's knife: https://www.amazon.ca/Victorinox-Fibrox-8-Inch-Chefs-5-2063-20/dp/B000638D32/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2L7KSOPDCXW4B&keywords=victorinox+knife&qid=1572378680&sprefix=victori%2Caps%2C196&sr=8-5

[jwslam]

Also forgot AC has a cheap non-stick set that works very well:

https://www.thebay.com/all-clad-two-piece-hard-anodized-fry-pan-set/product/0600090059091?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302023686&R=11644905552&P_name=All-Clad&N=4294966045+302023686&bmUID=mUmWxhq
Esther Choi says not worth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10TEPUSuCCo



AC 12" has been on sale for a while now: https://www.thebay.com/all-clad-12-inch-30-5cm-stainless-steel-fry-pan/product/0600085069505?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302023686&R=11644913076&P_name=All-Clad&N=4294966045+302023686&bmUID=mUmWxfO
This is worth though, even though Esther is much easier to watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzNOy10nz6s

[flipstah]

Ester Choi made me buy a fancy rice cooker. <3

If you have a 'shitty' knife, just get it professionally sharpened. It makes a world of difference. The cleaver I got at T&T is awesome once Knifewear took care of it for me.

[suntan]

That AC pan is not the same as the ones I linked to.

Get this Chef's Choice knife sharpener:

https://www.amazon.ca/ChefsChoice-EdgeSelect-Professional-Sharpener-Sharpening/dp/B0018RSEMU/ref=sr_1_5?crid=DEIEMYPVYFAU&keywords=chef%27s+choice+knife+sharpener&qid=1572381028&sprefix=chef%27s+choice+%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-5

Don't buy it on Amazon unless it's massively discounted, their MSRP is massively inflated. Lots of places sell it and it often goes on sale.

[msommers]

Commercial kitchen stuff from Russel Hendrix.

Lodge cast iron that serves us really well. Would like an enameled French variety but too poor for that luxury.

I like my kitchen knives I got from Lee Valley. Really only need 2 and a good pair of shears. Clever if you're into soups.

[Buster]

I think a nice chef's knife is worth it over the Victorinox Fibrox ones. But you'd still probably be happy with the Victorinox one too.

[HHURICANE1]

I have a set of these and they've been really good. Wicked sharp and are holding their edge well.
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/cuisinart-forged-japanese-knife-set-14-pc-1422444p.html#srp
Nothing like the Knifewear stuff but not the price either.

[bjstare]

Great job folks, this has been very helpful. I'll be looking for some All-Clad cookware; not sure about the knives, but that one's not as pressing.

I'll probably also take another crack at the cast iron thing, we have a lodge frying pan and lecrueset grill pan both collecting dust at the moment.

[Buster]

I wouldnt make the cast iron a priority. It still won't replace a nice stainless all clad pan.

[suntan]

Have you tried Serious Eats' way of seasoning cast iron? It's really the only way that works:

https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/09/how-to-season-cast-iron-pans-skillets-cookware.html

[flipstah]

Le Crueset shouldn't need seasoning cjblair

[ExtraSlow]

One big oven-safe sauté pan like the all-clad is super handy. Other than that, cheap-ass canadian tire non-stick at 80% off and replace annually.

Knives, one good chefs knife, then cheapass bread and parking knife.

Sets are stupid, both for knives and pans. Stupid.

[suntan]

One big oven-safe sauté pan like the all-clad is super handy. Other than that, cheap-ass canadian tire non-stick at 80% off and replace annually.

Knives, one good chefs knife, then cheapass bread and parking knife.

Sets are stupid, both for knives and pans. Stupid.

Reminder to self: Don't piss ExtraSlow off at the parkade.

[ExtraSlow]

Reminder to self: Don't piss ExtraSlow off at the parkade. correct
88076

[dirtsniffer]

Not a recommendation, but here is my kit.

All clad stainless pans. I usually use a 10"
Calphalon non stick, I agree with the review above, +1 meh
All clad sauce pans. 2 quart and 4 quart
No name pasta pot
Le creuset braiser. Favorite vehicle for 1 pot meal. 12" and 3" deep or so. Great for stove to oven. Probably would be great for you
Le creuset dutch ovens. 4, 6 and 9 quart. Don't use the 4 too often.

88077

8" shun chefs knife
8" shun serrated utility knife
6" wusthoff ikon santoku

3 main knives. But honestly a cheap sharp knife is just as good as any above if not kept sharp.
Cheapo paring knife needs an upgrade

[Pacman]

eggs on my $30 Lodge cast iron. Who needs non-stick or the fancy enamelled stuff?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJIVlkO5rto

[sabad66]

I received a cutco knife as a gift from my mortgage broker and I was extremely impressed with it. After using it, I told myself if I ever needed to replace knife (we were using and still are using a cuisinart block set from Canadian tire), that it would be a cutco

Also keep in mind Black Friday is coming up soon, so if you can wait I’m sure there will be deals for some higher end kitchen wares

[flipstah]

eggs on my $30 Lodge cast iron. Who needs non-stick or the fancy enamelled stuff?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJIVlkO5rto

Nice. A well-seasoned cast iron pan will outlast any non-stick pan or enamel coated. The latter does wear out through time but not as quickly as the el cheapo kinds

In general: If food is sticking to your pans, your heat is probably too hot.

[ryuen]

90% of my daily use comes down to these two items:

Matfer Bourgeat carbon steel pan - I know you said no cast iron, but you might want to consider carbon steel (much easier to season and maintain in my experience)
Haruyuki gyuto from Knifewear - definitely don't need something like this, a Victorinox Fibrox chef's knife performs nearly as well, but it's not as pretty to look at as the Haruyuki :)

[Strider]

Fuck this thread and RFD Hudson Bay threads coming together at the same time. Normally I'd be the first to say that All-Clad is all hype and that any three ply stainless cookware is all the same, yet here I am buying new pans.

12-inch stainless tri-ply frying pan $99
https://www.thebay.com/all-clad-12-inch-30-5cm-stainless-steel-fry-pan/product/0600085069505

2 induction compatible non-stick pans (8" and 10") $69
https://www.thebay.com/all-clad-two-piece-hard-anodized-fry-pan-set/product/0600090059091

Use BAYDAYS coupon code for extra 15% off
Order online for in-store pickup for 2,000 bonus HBC points ($10 value)
Click through rakuten (formerly ebates) for 5% cash back

Also, since OP mentioned non-stick Why You Shouldn't Use Nonstick Cookware (Most of the Time) (https://www.seriouseats.com/2019/10/stop-cooking-everything-on-nonstick.html)

edit: just noticed that suntan linked both of these above... stacking discounts is what pushed this over the edge for me though.

[msommers]

That's a good deal! Don't mind if I do.

[tonytiger55]

I think a nice chef's knife is worth it over the Victorinox Fibrox ones. But you'd still probably be happy with the Victorinox one too.

Im actually looking at a good kitchen knife as I do a lot of cooking.

What is the difference between Victoria Knox and a Japanese knife? Is Victoria a good knife on a budget?

[Buster]

Im actually looking at a good kitchen knife as I do a lot of cooking.

What is the difference between Victoria Knox and a Japanese knife? Is Victoria a good knife on a budget?

Yeah the Victorinox stuff is fine on a budget. All of my butchering knives are Victorinox. The difference is they are stamped steel, not forged steel like the higher end knives.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Im actually looking at a good kitchen knife as I do a lot of cooking.

What is the difference between Victoria Knox and a Japanese knife? Is Victoria a good knife on a budget?

Any of the mass produced knives are fine on a budget - Henkels, Victorinox, Kuhn Rikon, etc. You can use your standard kitchen sharpeners with them and get by just fine.

If you're in Inglewood though pop into Knifewear and demo some Japanese knives - they are on another level in terms of blade quality and sharpness. Most of them are sharpened at 15 degrees where the German knives are usually more like 25 degrees.

[The_Rural_Juror]

correct
88076

Does your parking knife also double as a poop knife?

[The_Rural_Juror]

I'm looking at getting a couple new pots/pans, as well as possibly new knives. My wife and I aren't passionate chefs, per say, but she is a stay at home mom and cooks most days during the week. Looking for best value (not to be confused with lowest price), and I have no idea where to start. For pots/pans, I can't help but think getting a 10 piece set at The Bay on "sale" is not going to get me the best stuff.

Specifically at the moment, I'm having trouble finding a good cook and serve pan/pot (the ones that are 12" x ~3.5" depth). I want something that's well made (not aluminum), non stick, and not cast iron. We have a couple cast iron pans and for some reason I can't get them seasoned well so they never really become non stick.

Also for knives, I'm just not sure if buying a set from a department store is a waste of money or not, and I also assume knife stores in malls are rip off artists.

What's your budget? What do you typically cook? Can you cook on stainless steel? How much are you looking to spend?

I own quite a few and here are my thoughts.

If money is no object and you can cook on stainless: Hestan

Regarding All-Clads. I have owned several of them from the tri-ply to D7 and have found their quality to have gone downhill in the past 5 years or so. They are still above average, but no longer top of class.

What I like: Hestan, Le Creuset, William Sonoma made by Hestan, Demeyere/Zwilling, and some Staub.

Instead of getting a set, I would start with: 12" LC enamelled cast iron skillet/paella pan, 4 qt sauce pan * 2, 10" non-stick from a decent brand, 12" all-purpose pan with higher walls, 8qt stock pot. The sauce pan and stock pot can be any cheap brand if you are not on induction. The bay has sales on non-sticks, and I find that my all-clad will last me about 2-3 years if I take care of them.

For knives, get 3 good ones and take good care of them. I would go with either a santoku or gyuto for one of them (your call), a petty/paring knife, bread knife, cheapo boning knife. Misono UX10 is a good brand that's light and low maintenance that you may have to order online. I prefer carbon steel for most purposes, but they are higher maintenance. I have issues going back to Western knives mostly because of the weight distribution.

Knifewear has a spring garage sale from Nov 4 - 10 coming up. They had some pretty good deals last year.

You and your wife can come over to play with some of our stuff if you aren't sure! ;)

Source: I am a food geek.

[Buster]

I'd still go All-Clad. The last peices I bought were a few years ago, but I haven't seen a ton of evidence that quality has fallen off.

I've heard mixed review on the Hestan stuff, although I haven't used it myself. I suspect it's mostly lifestyle/luxury marketing and crazy high prices. Hestan is just Meyer's luxury brand.

[The_Rural_Juror]

I'd still go All-Clad. The last peices I bought were a few years ago, but I haven't seen a ton of evidence that quality has fallen off.

I've heard mixed review on the Hestan stuff, although I haven't used it myself. I suspect it's mostly lifestyle/luxury marketing and crazy high prices. Hestan is just Meyer's luxury brand.

Personal preference my good sir. :)

I own both and those are my observations. Hestan gets way more use and holds up much better. Heat distribution is excellent.

If I recall, the reason why AC was so good is because they controlled all of their process and sourced almost exclusively local materials from Pennsylvania. My last few non sticks were Made in China.

Thomas Keller also switched over to Hestan a few years ago despite having an All Clad line named after him.

But yeah...it's a mooooooot point for this discussion considering the cost.

[Buster]

I've heard people have some warping issues and some heat distribution issues with Hestan pans. A couple of reviews did not recommend them. Other than that, I don't know.

[The_Rural_Juror]

Actually one of my 12" D5 All Clads warped for no good reason. Especially since I never cook on high heat with it. Luck of the draw.

[suntan]

WS stuff often goes on sale (I got a small 8" pan for like 70% off once) if you're looking for their brand.

- - - Updated - - -


Im actually looking at a good kitchen knife as I do a lot of cooking.

What is the difference between Victoria Knox and a Japanese knife? Is Victoria a good knife on a budget?

Here's CI's review:


During the past 20 years, we’ve conducted five evaluations in the search for the best chef's knives. Those tests have covered dozens of blades in styles ranging from traditional, to innovative, to hybrid knives combining Western and Asian features. And at the end of every test, we’ve told the same story: One bargain knife has typically trounced the competition—including knives costing 10 times its price tag.

While it’s hard to imagine a factory-made knife that could surpass this one—either in price or quality—every so often we revisit the category to be sure. This time we sought out 8-inch chef’s knives (the most all-purpose size) and capped our budget at $50. Ten models met our criteria—including a “consumer” version of our previous winner, a model that will eventually be available only commercially. We enlisted six testers, male and female and with varying hand sizes and kitchen abilities, and got each of them to spend weeks hacking, dicing, and chopping their way through 10 whole chickens, 10 butternut squashes, 10 onions, and 10 bunches of parsley. What we’re always looking for: a strong yet agile blade that feels comfortable and secure in our hands.

By the time we wrapped up testing, we’d found one standout favorite and a couple of other knives that passed muster, but the rest of the models lagged behind, many of them by a considerable margin. While the top performers capably broke down whole birds and slid through dense squash, the bulk of the lot struggled—and at the end of testing, we had piles of ragged onion pieces and bruised parsley leaves to prove it.

The obvious question: What was it about our lone winner that made it a stellar performer? Its design wasn’t radically different from that of other knives, and it was one of the least expensive knives in an already low-cost lineup. We decided to get to the bottom of what made this one knife so much better than all the others.

Degrees of Separation
The top priority for a good knife is razor sharpness. Right out of the box, some knives were sharper than others. Still others started out fairly sharp and quickly lost their edge. Either way, a dull knife turns a small pile of potatoes into a mountain and makes for sloppy food. (“I can hear the cells bursting,” said one tester as a dull blade sprayed onion juice across the cutting board. “Chicken, I feel sorry for you,” said a second frustrated tester, vainly hacking away with another comparatively blunt edge.)

Sharpness is partly determined by the thinness of the blade’s cutting edge. Any material can be sharp if its edge is thin enough—this is why an otherwise harmless piece of paper can deliver a paper cut. Traditionally, Western knives have been sharpened to 20 to 22 degrees on each side of the blade while Asian knives are thinner—just 15 degrees on each side. However, those style markers appear to be blurring in favor of Asian knives: All the knives we tested are considered Western-style, yet when we asked the manufacturers, it turned out that half of the models sported 15-degree (or narrower) blades, including our top three favorites.

But a razor-thin cutting edge isn’t everything: If the metal is too soft, it will easily develop microscopic chips, dings, and dents, and the edge will wear down quickly. So what makes one type of blade harder than another? It begins with the composition of the steel.

Steel is an alloy that always includes iron and carbon, but it may also contain other elements chosen to add particular characteristics to the metal. We were able to find out that the products in our lineup used one of three basic steel alloys: x50CrMoV15, x55CrMoV15, and 420. (To make the first two alloys easier to reference in this story, we’ll refer to them simply as “x50” and “x55” steel, respectively.) When we checked the steel type of each blade against our ratings, we saw that knives made from the 420 steel were clearly inferior to blades made from the other two alloys, as they landed at the bottom of our rankings. These included the “dull,” “flimsy” model, which produced crushed, not diced, onions. Another blade made from 420 was the last-place finisher, which struggled to cleanly slice through sheets of copier paper (our standard sharpness test) and dulled rapidly as testing progressed. Meanwhile, the blades that started out sharp and stayed that way were crafted from x50 and x55 steel—and our top three models all used the x50 alloy.

These results suggested that the 420 alloy produced blades that weren’t as hard as those made from the other two metals. When we consulted Bob Kramer, a master bladesmith, and Merrilea Mayo, a materials scientist and former president of the Materials Research Society, both experts confirmed our hunch: 420 steel is indeed a softer metal than the other two alloys. This is because it usually contains less carbon and no vanadium, elements that act as hardening agents. So why would a manufacturer select for this quality? A softer steel is easier to cut into blades, lowering production costs. As for differences between x50 and x55 steel, their steel makeups are very similar, so we could only assume that something else was giving the x50 a literal edge over the others.

That something turned out to be how the metal is heated and cooled. Just as baking time and temperature affect the crumb of a cake, the “cooking” process determines the grain of a metal. For a harder product, small, close-knit grains are the goal. “Large grains,” Mayo explained, “are functionally useless for knife blades because they are so soft.” All manufacturers start the knife-making process the same way: by slowly cooling the molten metal. Next comes the proprietary part: a multistep tempering process of reheating and cooling the metal to help shrink the grains and/or encourage new, smaller ones to form. According to Mayo, tempering can have infinite variations, which in turn can lead to differences in grain size and pattern. We’re betting that the specific way it was tempered helped give our front-runner superior hardness. (Heat treatment might also explain why some blades made from the same x50 steel didn’t perform as well.)

Get a (Good) Grip
As for the other half of the knife—the handle—we figured that preferences would be a dividing point among testers. After all, the comfort of a grip is largely subjective and depends on variables from the size of your hand, to how you hold the blade, to your knife skills, to whether you prefer a brawnier or more svelte handle or one that’s crafted from metal rather than nylon or wood.

Surprisingly, though, all six testers unanimously preferred one handle: that of our winner. This handle boasted no ergonomic grooves or bumps; compared with other models that we tested, it actually lacked design features. How could one grip—particularly one so basic-looking that it almost seemed underdesigned—feel like a “natural extension” of so many different hands?

We showed the knives to Jack Dennerlein, professor of ergonomics and safety at Northeastern and Harvard Universities, who offered a one-word explanation: “affordance.” This term, he explained, is what ergonomists use to describe the versatility that we ask of our chef’s knives. Cutting is a complex task, and a well-designed handle affords multiple grips for the range of angles and forces required, allowing us to confidently drive the knife downward through a chicken bone just as easily as we make precise cuts in an onion. Dennerlein said that when knife makers add grooves and curves to a handle, like those on some of the less comfortable handles in our lineup, they are telling us how to hold the knife instead of allowing us to choose what’s most comfortable. Sharp square angles on many of the knife handles and blade spines were a prime example of this. They limited where our hands felt comfortable, as did pronounced bolsters, both of which dug into our palms when we used the so-called pinch grip, for which you choke up on the knife and grasp the back of the blade between your thumb and forefinger for control. Other handles were either too thin—“like holding a tube of lipstick with a sharp blade at the end”—or too wide.

We also knocked points off one knife's score for a “bellylike” curve to its grip and an indented ridge along the top. The maker claims that these features are tailored specifically for the home cook, but we’re not sure why any cook would like them; we found that they made our fingers splay out as we grasped for a better hold, causing fatigue and decreasing control. Furthermore, the handle is made from a hard, slick plastic that didn’t offer a lot of friction between our hands and the handle. As a result, it felt slippery, especially during messy tasks like butchering a chicken.

But even when a handle was specifically designed to provide friction, it sometimes had other flaws. The plastic grip made of open ridges on one knife, for example, stayed put in our hands, but the deep grooves also dug into our palms. To some testers the wooden grips on other knives felt much better in hand, as the natural grain offered some traction, but to other testers these grips felt “rough.”

Any Way You Slice It
After nearly two months of testing, we tallied our results—and we can’t say that we were shocked to learn the winner. Once again, our previous favorite effortlessly ascended to the top spot for its exceptional cutting ability and a grip that all testers found particularly comfortable. Don’t be misled by its unprepossessing design: This model embodies a number of subtle features that have helped propel it to the top of our rankings for the past two decades. For one, there’s its plain-Jane handle. Made from a bumpy, grippy nylon material called polyamide, it has enough traction to stay put in your hand, and its basic design boasts the so-called affordance that makes it well suited for any kind of grip. Second, its blade is made of hard x50 steel—an alloy that Kramer agreed is likely put through a very fine-tuned heating and cooling process to develop the optimal hardness.

Third, the blade is sharpened to a thin 15 degrees. Given how easily the knife cuts through food, that discovery made sense, but it also raised another question: What’s the best way to maintain that narrow edge? The maker originally designed the knife for chefs and food industry professionals with the assumption that such users would be maintaining the edge on a sharpening stone. However, now that Asian-style sharpeners have become more widely available to consumers in Western countries, the manufacturer also recommends these for keeping the winning model's edge at a factory-sharp 15 degrees. Going forward, we’ll sharpen this knife on our winning knife sharpener.

Also worth keeping in mind is our winning manufacturer's plan to move our winning model out of retail stores in 3 years and make it available only to commercial outlets and restaurant supply shops, and only the consumer version will be available for retail sale. We hope that the company reevaluates that decision. Though the consumer version shares the winning model's outstanding blade, we’re not as enthusiastic about the former due to its less than perfect handle—and its $10-higher price tag. We will continue to monitor and report on the winner's availability.

METHODOLOGY
Six test kitchen staffers subjected ten 8-inch chef ’s knives, priced at $50 or less, to a range of kitchen tasks and also assessed comfort and edge retention. Prices were paid online.

BLADE DESIGN: We preferred slightly curved blades that rocked nicely and spines that didn’t dig into our hands.
HANDLE: Handles that felt comfortable and secure for a range of tasks and a variety of grips rated highest.
KITCHEN TASKS: We butchered whole chickens; chopped unwieldy butternut squash; diced onions; and minced parsley, carrying out each task 60 times. We averaged scores from each test to get the overall rating.
EDGE RETENTION: We evaluated each blade fresh out of the box, during testing, and at the end of testing by slicing through sheets of copier paper—our standard sharpness test.

[kimm]

Not a recommendation, but here is my kit.
All clad stainless pans. I usually use a 10"
Calphalon non stick, I agree with the review above, +1 meh
All clad sauce pans. 2 quart and 4 quart
No name pasta pot
Le creuset braiser. Favorite vehicle for 1 pot meal. 12" and 3" deep or so. Great for stove to oven. Probably would be great for you
Le creuset dutch ovens. 4, 6 and 9 quart. Don't use the 4 too often.

That wrack looks pretty neat. I need couple of those for my sets. I've been on different forums and boards, and heard a lot of positive comments about this site (https://www.berlingerhausus.com/) from Berlinger Haus. It looks like they have literally everything, which can be related to the kitchen and cooking. Has anybody tried their cookware stuff?

[birdman86]

All-clad x1000, I've been using mine for 10? years now and they still look (basically) good as new, and no issue with hot spots or or warping or anything. Handles are riveted on and solid.

If I were doing it all over I'd get at least D3's for everything. The D5 10-pc set at the Bay looks nice assuming the lids fit the fry pans too.

[03ozwhip]

So the wife wants new "good" pots and pans for Xmas....I know....but she asked for it lol anyways I know nothing.

What say you cooks, what do you use and where do I get them?

[ThePenIsMightier]

No words.
Did she also tell you "it's totally fine" if you go away for the weekend with your buddies to Vegas?
Maybe you should buy her a fucking vacuum cleaner because she mentioned Dyson once!

[firebane]

Rock brand.. Canadian Tire

[r3ccOs]

So the wife wants new "good" pots and pans for Xmas....I know....but she asked for it lol anyways I know nothing.

What say you cooks, what do you use and where do I get them?

TBH for any pot, as long as its a good 18/10 with a solid base and an ergonmic handle, you're good.

I use Cast Iron for my pans which I use for everything, but recently did buy a little herritage "rock" pan for eggs

I also like enamled Cast Iron "dutch oven" (insert joke here), and will spend the extra on a Staub... but any recycled Chrystler with a decent enamle will do.

[vengie]

Just bought a lagostina stainless set in sale at C-tire.

They allow me to heat things up so that's all I care about.

[ExtraSlow]

You guys all students or something? All-Clad.

[ThePenIsMightier]

I'll help, but please let me reiterate - dis bitch don't want pots!

Circulon is a reasonable high-end product and so are the more expensive Paderno.

Do you have a nanny? If so, purchase the cheapest T-Fal shit you can from a dollar store because the nanny will heat those fuckers at 11 from ice cold until they're glowing and then quench them in the coldest dishwater possible like she had an advanced degree in Metallurgy from M.I.T. studying fracture/warping mechanisms of alumi-nickel alloys.
Fuck a duck, I'm relatively certain that is the most expensive part of having a nanny!


God damn... I still miss our nanny...
*Pours 40 on curb...

[ExtraSlow]

The t-fal red dot shit from triangle store is perfect for non-stick. Disposable. All-Clad is good for use in oven, and with steel wool.

[03ozwhip]

The t-fal red dot shit from triangle store is perfect for non-stick. Disposable. All-Clad is good for use in oven, and with steel wool.

Ya she's looking for kind if the be all end all pots and pans, so spending some extra loot on them is ok.

- - - Updated - - -


I'll help, but please let me reiterate - dis bitch don't want pots!

Circulon is a reasonable high-end product and so are the more expensive Paderno.

Do you have a nanny? If so, purchase the cheapest T-Fal shit you can from a dollar store because the nanny will heat those fuckers at 11 from ice cold until they're glowing and then quench them in the coldest dishwater possible like she had an advanced degree in Metallurgy from M.I.T. studying fracture/warping mechanisms of alumi-nickel alloys.
Fuck a duck, I'm relatively certain that is the most expensive part of having a nanny!


God damn... I still miss our nanny...
*Pours 40 on curb...

Jesus fucking christ man lol

[arcticcat522]

Rock brand.. Canadian Tire

+1. Best I've used but I'm no chef. I found the expensive ones, you need to know what you are doing. I do not. Also, the regular Rock branded ones, not the white ones. We have both, and the regular black ones are better

[bjstare]

You guys all students or something? All-Clad.

Word.

I think Costco had an all clad set last time I was there, it’s likely the best value.

I’d go with all clad D5 probably. I have a D7 pan, it’s a monster. Weight and heat retention/distribution of cast iron in a SS pan, it’s awesome… but a bit overkill to do a whole set in that line probably.

For comparison sake, I also have a cuisinart stainless steel set that we got at Costco… it’s not bad, but it’s not all clad. There’s a notable difference.

Edit: or Hestan. If it’s for a gift, and the intent is a long term investment in good pots/pans, it’s gotta be all clad or hestan IMO. The rock from canadian tire :rofl:

[spikerS]

I bought a stainless Kirkland set from Costco. Had them for like 10 years now, and they have been great. zero complaints, and they were cheap and seem to be pretty good quality.

[jwslam]

Every tik-tok influencer has an Always pan
They're on sale btw

https://fromourplace.ca/collections/all#filter=.essentials

We have one
Is it worth the hype? not really
Does it do the things advertised? mostly
Do I think it's durable? hell no.

[flipstah]

You guys all students or something? All-Clad.

This

[vengie]

Apparently I should have consulted beyond before purchasing my lagostina stuff....

All-Clad looks sweet.

[killramos]

A million years ago I bought a large lagostina set.

I’ve been supplanting with quality eclectic pieces since.

Not much into matching stuff myself, would rather buy items a brand is particularly known for.

[birdman86]

All Clad sets are on sale at the bay right now

[03ozwhip]

A million years ago I bought a large lagostina set.

I’ve been supplanting with quality eclectic pieces since.

Not much into matching stuff myself, would rather buy items a brand is particularly known for.

That's what I'm kind of after. Matching doesn't mean anything to me when it comes to that, non stick, quality stuff is what I'm after.

[flipstah]

All Clad D3

/thread

[bjstare]

All Clad D3

/thread

Are you a student or something? D5 minimum.

[suntan]

Costco has a two piece OXO nonstick pan set that is cheap and works well.

https://www.costco.ca/oxo-skillet-set,-2-piece.product.100703780.html

I think it's on sale this week in-store for $40.

It's not induction compatible though, it's all aluminum.

[ExtraSlow]

Regular non-induction low quality nonstick frying pans should be under $20 for any size or you paid too much. See my post history for discussions of this, but the regular sales at the triangle store for the t-fal thermospot type should be the baseline. Coating performance is excellent.

[suntan]

The OXO pans are a fair bit better than the T-Fal pans. Sadly CT no longer sells the T-Fal Professional pans, which were great.

[ThePenIsMightier]

Actually, everything T-Fal is complete raging shit that fails catastrophically the first time it's abused in any way whatsoever.
But... Since it costs less than a 6-pack, it's simple to throw out and replace which you can probably do about 11 times before you've reached Paderno or Circulon money (or whatever the other fancy names are).

[ExtraSlow]

There's a thread about a reputable member who had "good non-stick pans" and switched to cheap shit and was happy.

[ThePenIsMightier]

There's a thread about a reputable member who had "good non-stick pans" and switched to cheap shit and was happy.

I'm not arguing. There's huge pluses to both.
What I can't get over is why people think it's so desirable that the fancy ones hold heat so well. That actually results in less sensitive temp control because when you turn the burner down, nothing fucking happens for another 4 min and all your shit burns.
But that's a sign of "quality". Like Boris The Blade describing how the heavier handgun is more desirable.

[ExtraSlow]

My $9 small T-fal thermospot pans last 1-2 years with daily use and occasional metal utensils. That's sufficient durability for me.
I do have a big All-Clad sauté pan that I enjoy as well. Each has thier place. Ideally I'd have two complete sets, but my duplex kitchen doesn't have enough storage for that.

[suntan]

I got a 10" AC non-stick from The Bay on a pricing error ("only" $50). Worked unbelievably great. Wore out after about 4 years. Wouldn't bother buying again.

Sadly they cancelled the 12" SS AC skillet order.

[arcticcat522]

Bump....if anyone is looking for a solid set for a good deal. Canadian tire if you couldnt tell.112407

[flipstah]

If anyone was looking for Saub stuff on sale Bed Bath and Beyond on Easthills is dumping their stuff

[msommers]

Thanks Flip. I would love a Daily Pan on the cheap.

[ExtraSlow]

Liking my heritage rock pan. Wouldn't mind a second, don't want a set. Will keep my eye out.

[flipstah]

Thanks Flip. I would love a Daily Pan on the cheap.

Last weekend their frying pan was 120something; might be lower now since BBB is about to go GTFO

[Swank]

Liking my heritage rock pan. Wouldn't mind a second, don't want a set. Will keep my eye out.

Got one on sale at CT yesterday, nice deep 12" one with a lid, last one. When I tried it I discovered why it was the last one, it must have been dropped causing a flat spot on one side so the lid doesn't fit, now I'll have to return it. Unfortunate as it seemed decent, incredible for the sale price of $40.

[dj_rice]

Got one on sale at CT yesterday, nice deep 12" one with a lid, last one. When I tried it I discovered why it was the last one, it must have been dropped causing a flat spot on one side so the lid doesn't fit, now I'll have to return it. Unfortunate as it seemed decent, incredible for the sale price of $40.

Before you return it, try contacting Heritage The Rock first and see if replacement can be sent.

[Swank]

Before you return it, try contacting Heritage The Rock first and see if replacement can be sent.

Good call, I'll start there, thanks!

[Swank]

Update - the manufacturer originally told me to just go to the store to exchange it but I replied saying this was the last one to see if they could still help me out. Then I got instructions for what I consider to be a very unusual exchange process. They have you carve a code into the bottom of the pan destroying the non-stick coating, photograph the hell out of it, send them the pics, and then you dispose of it in a responsible manner while they ship you a new one. They only replace the faulty part. I get it, but damn that's a wild approach, at least it is to me.

Fortunately I was able to flawlessly straighten out the dent with a rubber mallet, works great, good times were had.

[nismodrifter]

Update - the manufacturer originally told me to just go to the store to exchange it but I replied saying this was the last one to see if they could still help me out. Then I got instructions for what I consider to be a very unusual exchange process. They have you carve a code into the bottom of the pan destroying the non-stick coating, photograph the hell out of it, send them the pics, and then you dispose of it in a responsible manner while they ship you a new one. They only replace the faulty part. I get it, but damn that's a wild approach, at least it is to me.


https://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-000064578253-k3b7jh-t500x500.jpg

[pheoxs]

Update - the manufacturer originally told me to just go to the store to exchange it but I replied saying this was the last one to see if they could still help me out. Then I got instructions for what I consider to be a very unusual exchange process. They have you carve a code into the bottom of the pan destroying the non-stick coating, photograph the hell out of it, send them the pics, and then you dispose of it in a responsible manner while they ship you a new one. They only replace the faulty part. I get it, but damn that's a wild approach, at least it is to me.

Fortunately I was able to flawlessly straighten out the dent with a rubber mallet, works great, good times were had.

Same things, sorta, happened to me with a tent I had. It was defective and they were going to replace it but they made me cut cut a few pieces out of the sides and door from it then photograph that it was rendered trashed and then they mailed me a new one.