What is the best cookware for an electric stove...stainless steel, nonstick, hard anodized?

Question

I am looking for a set for around $100 - $125.

Answer 1

It depends on what you're going to cook, how experienced a cook you are, and how much effort you want to put into maintaining them. Assuming you are a reasonably experienced cook who will put some effort into maintaining them, stick with a small stainless steel set plus a single non-stick frying pan.

The nonstick can be cheap - don't waste money on something that is only as good as the nonstick surface. Plan to replace this every couple of years, when the nonstick surface wears out. You should use this pan for eggs and anything else that is super "sticky."

The stainless steel set is a bit trickier. You need to get a good quality set, because it can last twenty or thirty years (or more) if it's properly maintained. Make sure it has an aluminum disk on the bottom for even heat. You do NOT need a 20 piece set. You need a good sized stock pot with a lid, a medium sized sauce pan with a lid, and a 10" frying pan. A saute pan is nice - it's kind of half way between a sauce pan and a frying pan - but it isn't required.

Shop wisely! I just got a nice Cuisinart 5 piece set on Amazon for $52 (regularly $220). They also have a larger set for $112 (regularly $400).

Answer 2

Nonstick cookware is apparently bad for you. The nonstick stuff actually gets cooked into your food over time... I'd go with stainless steele. I paid a little more for mine, about $200 CAD, and am very happy with it. If you cook regularly with some vegetable oil, the pans will develop their own 'nonstick' surface. My set is Lagostina. My boyfriend still uses the frying pan that his grandmother had 20 years ago. That's why I bought that brand.

Answer 3

The best cookware for what you want is the best conducter of heat. That is in order of best first: silver, copper, aluminum. Silver is too expensive to make. Copper is expensive and reacts with the food--bad. Aluminum is affordable, but reacts with food. Anodized aluminium does not react with food. It is great if you need a heavy pot--soup, tomato sauce, stew, frying. For a lighter weight, for pudding, sauces, eggs, quick saute, stainless steel is thinner and strong. It is a poor conductor of heat unless it has a slice of copper or aluminium in the bottom. Revere Ware, for example, makes stainless steel saucepans with a copper bottom. For baking cakes, get thin aluminium pans. Those heavy steel pans make a dark crust around the cake. Same for cookie sheets. Time for breakfast.