Pots and pans

[warpus]

What I have

I have a random collection of old pots and pans and it dawned on me a couple days ago that it seems like it might be a good time to invest in some new pots and pans. I was at Costco yesterday and they have sets of this and sets of that and I realized that I have no idea what makes a good pots and pans set and what exactly I should be looking for, so I left emptyhanded.
(The trip to Costco though was not a total waste, as I got a new pillow, some lightbulbs, 24 bars of soap, 3 brooms, and a whole bunch of food)

What I want

What I basically want is a set that fulfils 4 sets of criteria. This might not be realistic depending on whatever the hell people have figured out about pots and pans over the years, so to begin with I realize that a perfect pots and pans set might not be possible.

- The quality of the material must be good enough to last a long time and be resistant to sharp surfaces and high temperatures and whatever else

- The versatility of the set must include all pots and pans I'd want for a home kitchen. (Right now I mostly use frying pans and pots to boil stuff in, that's mainly what I'm after. I'm all about efficiency and practicality though, so if there's a pot or a pan I should have, by all means let's throw it into the mix!)

- The materials, composition, and design of the pots and pans must be conductive to efficiency in terms of how the heat is distributed, how well things are cooked, those sorts of considerations.

- The price point matters, because there's probably a $1,000 set I could pick up and satisfy all of the requirements above.. But I don't want to pay $1,000 on a set of pots and pans - maybe $200 or $300 max. I realize this implies limitations in what I can get, but I'm okay with that.

What I cook

I basically do a lot of boiling and frying when I cook... Every once in a while I might want to steam some rice or smoked meat or whatever, I've been known to poach fish and/or eggs, and a turkey has been in my oven at least once.

This is just to help you picture my "home kitchen". I like to cook and would cook more if my tools were better, so I figured I'd do some research, ask some people for advice, and so on, before buying. So if you got any advice, by all means divulge all of the knowledge you possess about pots and pans!

Other Considerations

I shop at Costco because they treat their employees well, the prices are low, the customer service is very good, and the products tend to be of a more than acceptable standard. And you can return things like 5 years after you buy them.

I'm not set on it though, it's just that there happens to be one really close to where I live. There's also a Canadian Tire around, and if you're not Canadian let me assure you that they carry more than just tires and tire accessories. There's a Sears nearby, a large mall with a Target and The Bay and all sorts of stores, there's all sorts of other options nearby, plus the internet, so I have no idea what sort of pots and pans supply methodology your local authorities have implemented, but any sort of useful information or advice you could share about pots and pans would be awesome.

Some Questions

While I was at Costco I saw a stainless steel set of like maybe 12-15 pots and pans for just under $200. Or maybe $250? It was something like that. Is stainless steel good for what I want? I saw a similar set made of aluminium and it was a bit cheaper.. I think.

Is stickyness going to be an issue? I don't think I want teflon.

Is a good way to store pots and pans to nail a bunch of hangers in the kitchen above the bar and have the pots and pans hang there in all their glory?

I also found this picture when I googled "pots and pans". Sorry about the small size.



There are many words there that confuse me. I just use pots and pans to boil and fry and like I said sometimes poach and whatever else. Should I be taking some sort of an intro to pots and pans 101 course?

 

[Zelig]

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=340685

Thin bottoms are garbage for heat distribution. For optimal heat distribution you want either carbon steel, cast iron or copper, depending on application. (And what type of range(s) you have, copper and aluminum won't work on induction.)

I'm not up to date on which places stock what, but Paderno is a Canadian company that makes pretty good pots/pans. Stickiness is going to be an issue on any bare metal that isn't seasoned and that doesn't have some kind of nonstick surface.

I don't like hanging pots/pans, dust gets into them.

I wouldn't get a set - figure out what you want that you don't have, get those pieces specifically.

12-15 is kind of a huge number for a set, I feel pretty much fully stocked with the following:
small cast iron skillet
large cast iron skillet
carbon steel wok
medium stainless steel copper-bottom skillet
small stainless steel copper-bottom pot
medium stainless steel copper-bottom pot with steamer
large stainless steel copper-bottom pot
large thin-bottom pot with steamer
massive copper-bottom pot

I could probably do with a second small pot, but that's just because I use that one a lot and if I had a second one I could use them both and put them in the dishwasher instead of handwashing the first one because I need it again and the dishwasher isn't full.

 

[classical_hero]

I would recommend getting a rice cooker, since it makes cooking rice so much easier, just follow the instruction of rice to water, put some salt in to flavour and turn it on and it cooks you perfect rice every time.

 

[BvBPL]

This is what you want. Calphalon is sold a Macys in the states, probably the same up north so you could swing by there.

The price is right, lifetime warranty, and it is simple. You can also use them in the over so they double as roasting pans.

You may still want a cast iron skillet. If you can find a used one that isn't rusted that's your best bet. Then again you can get a new one reasonably inexpensive.

Copper pans (or copper bottom) pans have the best heat distribution, but stainless steel is still really good and you probably wouldn't notice the difference. Stainless steel is relatively easy to care for and can be thrown in the dishwasher.

I prefer non-stick, but it requires a touch more care. For example, you don't want to use metal or sharp utensils around non-stick. I'm not sure what sharp stuff you want to use around your pots and pans, but avoid it w/ non-stick.

If you are considering doing stir-fries and similar, you may want to look at Calphalon's "every day" pans. They work very well as woks. Selecting a true wok is a little more complicated because you need to think about what kind of wok you want, what kind of range you have, and how much care you want to put into your wok.

Whatever you do, if you have a glass-topped range then do not buy glass-bottomed pans. If you accidently leave the pan on for too long it can fuse with the range top.

 

[Imrahil91]

Having a thick bottom on your pots and pans will mean it holds more heat and spreads it out more evenly, which is quite important. Especially when frying things, as you don't want everything to get cold once you put your steak in the pan.
Aluminum is superior to everything in heat capacity and only second to copper in conductivity. Its downside is that it can react with acids the same way cast iron does. So a cladded pan or pot with aluminum core and stainless steel around it is a winner.
Light teflon pans don't replace other pans, but can be useful in their own way, as they're easy to clean and a dream to use when cooking things like pancakes.
Make sure you have oven-proof handles (not wood) on your pan, as it can be very useful to put it the oven sometimes. If you find out your handle gets hot when cooking on a stove, return it and buy another one. Same goes if you experience things burning easily in it. That usually means uneven heat transfer.
Also look for rounded edges on your pot, as that allows you to drain it without all your sauce ending up under it.

What you need depends on your cooking style. Most is covered with one large pot, one small pot and a frying pan. You may also need a medium pot, a griddle pan, a light (teflon) pan, a gratin pan and another small pot.

Is a good way to store pots and pans to nail a bunch of hangers in the kitchen above the bar and have the pots and pans hang there in all their glory?

Yes, hanging them close to your stove is very practical, but dust will amass on those you don't use.

Aluminum is garbage for heat distribution.

Why is that? According to the table here http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html, aluminum conducts heat better than steel and iron. Do they tweak the metals somehow? Or is heat distribution completely unrelated to heat conductivity? Aluminum has much better heat capacity as well according to the same website.

 

[Quackers]

I would recommend getting a rice cooker, since it makes cooking rice so much easier, just follow the instruction of rice to water, put some salt in to flavour and turn it on and it cooks you perfect rice every time.

You don't need this bro. Rice is very easy to cook.

 

[Zelig]

Why is that? According to the table here http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html, aluminum conducts heat better than steel and iron. Do they tweak the metals somehow? Or is heat distribution completely unrelated to heat conductivity? Aluminum has much better heat capacity as well according to the same website.

Specifically, aluminum is typically used in pots with thin bottoms. Previous post edited for clarity.

This is what you want. Calphalon is sold a Macys in the states, probably the same up north so you could swing by there.

Probably not, since Macys is a US-only thing.

 

[Antilogic]

Why is that? According to the table here http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html, aluminum conducts heat better than steel and iron. Do they tweak the metals somehow? Or is heat distribution completely unrelated to heat conductivity? Aluminum has much better heat capacity as well according to the same website.

Yes, most pots are alloyed, but the poor heat distribution has more to do with the light weight of aluminum pans, leading to local hot spots and cold spots, than it's thermal conductivity.

I have one large nonstick skillet for special things, and a starter set of stainless steel/copper-bottomed cookware. It has one large and one small skillet, one large pot for boiling pasta, etc., two medium-sized pots which I use for making rice and other side dishes, and a small one for heating up sauce or cans of soup. I've added a cast-iron pan, a sauce pan (it' s a small pan with sloped sides so a whisk can more easily mix stuff), and a few other things through gifts, but the core is basically all I need.

 

[Cutlass]

You'd do well with a set of heavily constructed stainless steel pots and pans. By heavily constructed, hold and feel them. They will be heavy. Compare to other steel pots of similar size. The bottoms should be notably thicker than the sides. Welded on steel handles are good. Pots and pans like this will last you many years of continuous use, and will clean up from anything. Heavy stainless, no matter what, or how severely, you burn something in the pots, you can always clean with a little elbow grease. The problem with any non-stick cooking item is that eventually that non-stick finish will be ruined. You can't ruin thick stainless.

 

[Antilogic]

Agreed. The heavier the better, and stainless steel is good for almost everything in the kitchen.

 

[Furiey]

I didn't think they sold Aluminium pans anymore as they introduced too high levels of Aluminium into the food. I have some stainless steel pans with copper bases (all stainless steel inside) to improve the heat transfer.

Just a random googled link to copper bottomed pans so you can see what I mean - not the ones I have: copper bottomed pans

 

[BvBPL]

Probably not, since Macys is a US-only thing.

Calphalon ships.

 

[Dralix]

I had to replace all my cookware when I got an induction range. I couldn't be happier with this stuff.

www.anolon.com/cookware-bakeware/shop-collections-nouvelle-copper.html

 

[mangxema]

I don't much about cooking fancily, but I can cook plenty of things with just a pot and a pan. I have six pans and four pots of various sizes, mostly because I've gotten better stuff over time and I'm kind of lazy with the dishes. I'd get at least one nonstick pan because it makes some things (e.g., cooking eggs) so much easier.

My parents got me these (I think) Calphalon pans for Christmas. I'm pretty happy with them. (Incidentally, they appear to be on sale for $50 for the two of them.)

Is a good way to store pots and pans to nail a bunch of hangers in the kitchen above the bar and have the pots and pans hang there in all their glory?

That's never seemed like a good solution to me, but maybe it works in your space. For me, my pans don't take up that much space (they kind of nestle inside each other) and the pots.. well that's really all I have to store in my lower cabinets, so there's plenty of room.

 

[Farm Boy]

Given the specs in the OP, I'd avoid non stick coatings. Heavy steel, copper bottom if you can spring for it, you probably don't need a huge set, scrub the bejeesus out of them after use. Don't worry about keeping them super shiny. That just makes you look like a yuppie or somebody that doesn't use them.

 

[warpus]

Calphalon ships.

On their site it told me that they don't ship to my postal code. I looked up the stuff on amazon, and found a set that was 40% off - but then the shipping and border costs doubled everything. Went to Amazon.ca and every single Calphalon set is pricy.

All this is a great starting point for finding the perfect set though, thanks a lot guys! I will return to Costco armed with all this knowledge sometime next week.. That or maybe I can find something online, but the only downside of that is that you don't get to pick up the wares and see how heavy etc. they are.

 

[illram]

Get married. You will receive more kitchen stuff than you will ever use.

On a serious note, you could just slowly build up your set over time and buy a few high quality pieces now. 1 medium sauce pan, one giant one, one saute pan, and maybe one skillet.

Heat transfer and so on is not as important for pots you just use to boil water. Maybe just get a nice skillet and saute pan for now. I second the copper core recommendation but stainless steel thick layered pans should be more than adequate as well. We have all clad but they tend to come at a price premium due to brand name. (Wedding gifts)

 

[classical_hero]

You don't need this bro. Rice is very easy to cook.

It is even easier with one, just put the rice and enough water and turn it on and you can forget about it until it is ready. It turns to just warm setting once it is finished, so you will never burn rice if you forget about it.

 

[Formaldehyde]

This is what you want. Calphalon is sold a Macys in the states, probably the same up north so you could swing by there.

The price is right, lifetime warranty, and it is simple. You can also use them in the over so they double as roasting pans.

You may still want a cast iron skillet. If you can find a used one that isn't rusted that's your best bet. Then again you can get a new one reasonably inexpensive.

Copper pans (or copper bottom) pans have the best heat distribution, but stainless steel is still really good and you probably wouldn't notice the difference. Stainless steel is relatively easy to care for and can be thrown in the dishwasher.

This except for the SS bit. Stainless steel doesn't conduct heat well at all, which is why Calphalon is tri-ply with an aluminum middle. Copper is also far more expensive and difficult to maintain. The best part about Calphalon is that you can just throw it in the dishwasher and the SS exterior will make it continue to look great.

If you want to spend a bit more you should also look at All-Clad, which is constructed the same way as Calphalon but is thicker.

 

[BvBPL]

Yeah re heat distro thats my mistake. Calphalon still a great brand for it. Sold in canada at bed bath and beyond amoung other retailers.