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Just wondering what you guys think. Replacing our first post-college level pots and pans set.
After doing some research and wanting good pans that were US made (a big must for me) I decided on All-Clad. Looks like several lines, I think the copper one is a little pricey for what we do (not professional chefs) and the D5 was gimmicky and not worth the extra money, so went for the old-school Tri-Ply. Also of note is we will most likely be moving toward an induction oven sometime in the future (hopefully).
I looked at what we have now and tried to closely approximate what we have now and like using.
4 qt saucepan ($183) (replaces our 3 qt saucepan) but wondering if instead I should get the soup pot which is the same dimensions but with two small handles and $30 cheaper and the
steamer ($48) to go with it (we steam a lot of veggies, yes I know this is made overseas)
12" fry pan ($96) (also questionable need). I plan to at least return one of those items, if not both.
Yikes. Now I've spent all our rent $$!! Haha just kidding. Thoughts? I can return what I don't need. Or order more, just no more 20% off coupons are available.
I guess it depends on what you really use. I have lots of pans but I use a large skillet, a dutch oven and a big saucepan. The others never get any use and I end up donating them when I buy a new set.
The pans I have now are Starfrit. I got the set on clearance for $50. I cook every day and these are good enough. My kids still burn pans sometimes or the hubby decides to cut things in a pan and scratches it, so I can't imagine buying fancier stuff for them to destroy.
Keep the 4-qt weeknight pan and return the 12" fry pan. Any nonstick skillet will need to replaced after 3-4 years even with careful use, so it isn't worth paying more than $40 (and you can often find them cheaper, but induction ready can be a little more expensive).
And I would choose the soup pot over the 4 qt saucepan, since you can cook many of the same things in the weeknight pan I've already told you to keep that you would cook in the saucepan and you will still need a stockpot.
Keep the 4-qt weeknight pan and return the 12" fry pan. Any nonstick skillet will need to replaced after 3-4 years even with careful use, so it isn't worth paying more than $40 (and you can often find them cheaper, but induction ready can be a little more expensive).
And I would choose the soup pot over the 4 qt saucepan, since you can cook many of the same things in the weeknight pan I've already told you to keep that you would cook in the saucepan and you will still need a stockpot.
Weezy, I'm a little confused by your post.
Everything is stainless, not non-stick. We have bought and used non-stick and they work great at first and slowly go downhill. I cook eggs and stuff in my cheapie stainless fine so that's what I'm sticking with (pardon the pun)!
The 12" fry pan is stainless not non-stick.
Also, the soup pot and saucepan are the same pot/pan. One just has two handles vs. one long stem and a handle. And the set already comes with a 3-qt soup pot (aka saucepan) and also an 8-qt stockpot.
I did consider it. In that case I would end up with:
1.5 qt saucepan
2 qt saucepan
3 qt soup pot
4 qt soup pot
3 qt saute pan
4 qt weeknight pan
8 qt stock pot
8" fry
10" fry
Instead of the 4 qt soup pot or sauce pan I was thinking about getting the 6 qt stock pot instead, but it's also kinda an awkward size. Very low and wide, only 4" tall. But it would be an additional size which makes more sense.
My first thought is if you are shopping for pans at Williams Sonoma, you are paying way too much.
I agree that you should have a couple of TFal pans for eggs, and they should be disposable, because they do not last very long.
I agree about a 4 qt pan. It is a frequently used size in my house.
I am a fan of Farberware stainless. They are nice heavy pans with a lifetime warranty. I just got two 25 year old pans replaced for free, after they developed flaws. These can be bought at Walmart.
I use the 12" frypan a lot, even though there's just the two of us.
Your packages from Williams Sonoma will contain coupons; probably 10 off 50 and several of them. So hold out for free shipping and order each item separate to make the most of coupons.
My go-to pans are Calphalon Elite. Six years of daily use and dishwasher and they are doing fine. After buying sets for years (and giving them away including LeCreuset) I got the teaser priced small pan of several lines and tried them out. Nothing like American cheese nicely burned:>)
Sit down and really figure out what and how you will use which pot for, how the lids can go from pot to pan, how you will store it.
Returning is an option but not free unless the item is damaged.
Most of my cookware is All-Clad stainless tri-ply. The ones I use most are the 6-quart "stockpot" (really a Dutch oven in shape and function), the 4-quart saute pan, and the 2- and 3-quart saucepans. I started out with the 8-quart stockpot (same shape as the 6-quart stockpot) and found that I almost never use it. But I'm single, and I hardly ever entertain. I also have the 10" and 12" skillets, but I hate cleaning up after frying, so I hardly ever use those. But I'm glad I have them when I do panfry or sear something.
I have two much cheaper non-stick skillets I use for eggs.
After 42 years of marriage, and several sets of cookware, my wife decided that she needed different kinds of pans for different purposes. She'd been dreaming of Mauviel copper, but couldn't justify the cost. So I looked on eBay and found a new 5-pc set (3 pans, 2 covers) for about half the price.
We now have the start of a new set. She added some Chef's tri-ply stainless pans with full copper core. Next will be a few cast iron pieces. We already had some Calphalon non-stick frypans.
Horrors! An un-matched set?? Yes, but 1) she's got what she needs for real cooking, and 2) hanging on our pot rack, the pans look good together, like what a professional cook would use.
That's a lot of pieces. All-clad fry pans are super hard to clean so I don't like them.
I love my 4 qt soup pot. The 3 qt soup pot you got is basically the same thing as a sauce pan, so I don't see why you need both, unless you want to use two 3 quarts at a time.
All-clad fry pans are super hard to clean so I don't like them.
I find All-Clad very easy to clean. I always soak them in water before washing, and if something is stuck on, it's water and Barkeepers Friend for 30 minutes.
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Yes, but 1) she's got what she needs for real cooking, and 2) hanging on our pot rack, the pans look good together, like what a professional cook would use.
