Cookware....What is the best bran(s) and best surfaces?

Question

Stainless steel, non-stick, cast iron, copper...I haven't a clue.

Answer 1

Calphalon is one of the top-notch pan brands you can buy. The best surfaces depend on what kind of stove you use as well as what kind of a cook you are. If you're new or just not a pro at cooking, you'll want to stick with non-stick surface. Copper is great because it heats evenly. I would avoid cast-iron because it is bulky, difficult to clean, and can slowly poison you (ok, a bit of a far-fetched old wives tale, but still...). Copper and Stainless are the more "pro" type pans but they are a b*tch to keep clean and new looking!

Answer 2

My favorite is a 12 year old set of cheap T-fal non-stick. (Even though it's ready to be retired from my other pots and pans.) I have one stainless steel pan that I love if I want to use a lot of butter or oil. I have 3 cast iron pans, they're great after you use them for 2-3 years to get them seasoned. (warning: don't cook eggs in them the first time) I have some Calphalon pieces and have hated them since day 1. I only use the little saucepan.

What I'm trying to build is a Le Creuset collection. I have the big Dutch oven and a broiler pan so far. They so expensive, but so well worth the money.

Answer 3

Depends on what kind of cooking you want to do. Non stick is better for healthy cooking since you don't need to use as much oil or butter. However, you can not put it in the dishwasher. Stainless is more versatile. You can make pan sauces in this type, and it is dishwasher safe. Non stick you need plastic or wood utensiles, whereas stainless you can use anything. I reccomend Calphalon tri ply stainless. It is stainless on the inside and out, with an aluminum core, even up the sides. This helps with even heat distribution, even up the sides.

Answer 4

I would say it depends on what you are cooking and how often you are cooking, and clean-up might be an issue for some, non-stick makes that job easy.

You can mix and match, a good non-stick pan is good for things like omelets. A cast iron pan would be for making good old fashioned corn bread.

I like stainless. All-Clad is my favorite brand, it's kind of pricey though. There are many brands that are less expensive.

I like Le Creuset French Ovens for soups and stews.

This is just my 2 cents, other people probably have more info and opinions to share.

Answer 5

I have had non-stick and it really isn't after a while. The best I have had is stainless steel with copper bottoms. You can use any kind of utensil, they heat evenly, and clean up easily (most stuff comes off in the dishwasher, if not you can use steel wool without taking the surface off).

Answer 6

It depends on what you use the pan for. Aluminum and Copper heat up fast, cool down fast, heat evenly over the entire surface. You don't want those surfaces to touch your food, though. To have them sandwiched between Stainless steel is the best.

Stainless steel offers no heat transfer. A purely s/s pan will heat only where it touches the burner, and will overheat in that area.
Stainless steel by itself is only good for one thing...boiling water.
Stainless surfaces can get pitted if you put salt in a pot of water before it has started boiling, but it looks the nicest for the longest time.

Copper on the outside exterior sure looks pretty, but you have to WORK to keep them looking pretty. Copper is a lot more expensive too. Copper for heat transfer (not for show) is fantastic for cooking, but aluminum cores are cheaper.

Cast iron is great if you are very strong, need extra iron in your food, and like to fry most of your food, and don't mind doing maintenence on your pans to keep them seasoned and rust-free.

Non stick pans are necessary to have for doing eggs and other sticky things that make cleanup hard to do.

Last is anodized aluminum cookware. It is that black-looking aluminum made famous by Calphalon. It is okay. I am not a fan of it. First, it is aluminum touching your food. Second, the handles are aluminum too, which means that you can put them in the oven, but even stovetop cooking will burn your hand off.

It gets scratched easily. Other metals that rub against it leave their mark. You have to use special scrub cream to keep it looking halfway decent. (I honestly don't worry too much about how my pans look)

Without a doubt, Bourgeat is the best cookware. It is restaurant quality cookware. Do NOT buy the estate collection...it is a watered-down, albeit cheaper version that has just entered the market.

Bourgeat is sooo expensive. I used to sell it and bought mine at vendor cost 20 years ago. It still looks exactly the same as it did when I bought it.

I buy new non-stick pans once every 2 years. You can get brand name (berndes, etc) for half the price at TJMAXX or Marshalls. Good heavy aluminum pans with good quality surface.

If you cook indian food, or other things that cook for a long time and need to brown well, and can't be cooked on a metallic surface, you need to cook with enameled cookware....I love Le Creuset if you are strong....they are enameled cast-iron. Chantal, is carbon steel cookware with enamel coating....this is good for soups that can't be cooked on a metallic surface....Chantal has a thinner wall, so the heat transfer isn't as good as with cast iron or aluminum.

Cast iron in any form shouldn't be used if what you are cooking needs to be cooled fast. You can keep cooking in cast iron long after you remove it from the heat source.

Don't use aluminum pans where the aluminum actually touches the food..

Aluminum is necessary for heat transfer. Bourgeat is Stainless steel with a thick aluminum disk. The edges are rolled so you can pour easily from the pan. The handles are thick and angled upward, so you get a good grip. They are stainless handles, so you can even stick them in the oven.

If you can find another brand with the same properties, buy it.
My 4 pans would cost about $1500 retail these days, but I plan on willing them to my kids when I die!

I have a 1, 2.5, and 3.5 qt saucepans and a 21 qt stockpot from bourgeat (s/s with aluminum below)
I have 2 huge cast iron skillets for frying chicken and fish.
I have a bunch of small le creuset enamel-covered castiron saucepans for making cream sauces and puddings.
I have 5 non-stick aluminum frypans from 6 to 16 inches in diameter.
I have a le creuset enamel covered cast iron paella pan for cooking indian food and gigantic casseroles.
I have an old 30 qt thin-walled aluminum tamale steamer.

This is probably way more info than you would have liked, but I really like the pans I have. They serve the purpose.

Oh, yes, I see some people have mentioned All Clad. I sold that too, and it is great. Just pretty expensive, and takes a little more pampering than bourgeat. I let my daughter play with my bourgeat on the floor, and don't worry if the exterior will get married (allclad LTD is anodized aluminum and can get nicked)

Answer 7

I have to agree with Calphalon. I cooked in a firehouse for 13 years and the more stick resistant the better. Stay away from stainless steel.

Answer 8

usually stainless steel is the best to cook with, or teflon, that is non stick it works great and its easy to clean just NEVER use a brillo pad on it cause it will scratch it bad

Answer 9

Oh! I want the Calphalon Pro Series really bad!!!

Answer 10

My large italian in-law family swears by Faberware-and they cook EVERYTHING from scratch!