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/brows....jsp?locale=en

You can generally get this (in various sizes) non-stick for around $15
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....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-Log...S7fFe9xRbqXCv2

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-cookw...-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.