Any chef's?

[HotCarl]

So in the last few months ive started to take up cooking. Nothing too fancy or crazy dishes or anything, just the basics really.

 

Well im moving into my own place in a few months and Im going to need my own cookware soon enough, can anyone recommend any particular brands or cookware, pots/pans, utensils, cutlery etc... Ive been spoiled up until now b/c my mom usually buys the REALLY expensive stuff but i dont have a spare 400$ for a set of pots/pans so im looking for good quality, a decent price, and the bare basics of what I'll need. Any chef's?

[blue98ls1]

I really like the cuisinart brand stainless steel pots and pans for everyday cooking. I also have a really nice cast iron skillet that I use for just about everything. I have learned, it is sometimes better to buy a couple individual pots than to buy a whole set, if you buy the ones you want based on what you will be cooking most, you wont end up with a few pots you will not use or ever need and not have space for.

[evan9381]

when i moved into my apartment, i bought a set from walmart for like <75$ IIRC. i cook A LOT as well, and i have never had a problem with them. theyre all non stick, and even when we had an incident where we thought we turned off the burner before we went to bed, and woke up the next morning with a pan full of black rice a roni, it came right out without a problem.

 

it came with a 2 or 3 frying pans of different sizes, a small sauce pan (think of boiling 2-3 eggs), a bit larger one (enough for spaghetti sauce for a few people) and a large boiling pot. they all came with lids as well. then i just bought a huge frying pan seperate, as well as a large sauce pan with walls about 2" tall

[TTQ B4U]

x2 on the cast iron skillet. I've had one now for about 12 years and it's a perfectly aged and seasoned peice of cookware. I equate it to my grill outside.....food takes on a very good unique flavor that no other pan in our house can duplicate. It's also self made non-sticking. It takes time and you need to season it. I actually used it on my grill for several weeks to insure it was used often and really burned/seasoned.

 

I really like the cuisinart brand stainless steel pots and pans for everyday cooking. I also have a really nice cast iron skillet that I use for just about everything. I have learned, it is sometimes better to buy a couple individual pots than to buy a whole set, if you buy the ones you want based on what you will be cooking most, you wont end up with a few pots you will not use or ever need and not have space for.

[HotCarl]

Funny you guys bring that up. When mom's and I cook she would tell me her mom had this cast iron skillet that she had for years and ALWAYS used it. She explained about the coloration of the cast iron and if its aged it even better. We bought one and used it a few times but the upkeep was kind of a PITA so I usually use the regular pans. She bought a really nice set of Wolfgang Puck cookware, but it was super expensive. I think I will try and pick up a few select pieces at first. I dont need a huge set if its just me.

 

Evan, good to hear about that I was afraid if i picked up a cheap set at walmart that they wouldnt last long.

[Boost-n-Juice]

Now I've seen it all. A post about pots and pan on CR.com. Nice!

 

CR, your one stop shop .

[wnaplay1647545503]

A man cooking. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

[Devils Advocate]

look in the paper. Sometimes, closed restaurants will advertise for a going out of business sale. You can get some very good, industry quality items for next to nothing.

[Mensan]

I like Calphalon. A used cast iron skillet is priceless. NEVER use soap on cast iron. With any stainless cookware you want copper on the bottom so your food cooks evenly.

[twistedfocus1647545489]

I like Calphalon. A used cast iron skillet is priceless. NEVER use soap on cast iron. With any stainless cookware you want copper on the bottom so your food cooks evenly.

 

+2 (1 on both counts)

 

I have three 30+yr old cast iron skillets that I use alot. I even take them camping and use them right on the fire.

 

Most of my cookware is Calphalon, but for ease of use I went with their non-stick. They're stupid easy to clean, even if you let stuff set up/harden in them by accident. Most of their newer high end stuff is anodized and allows the use of metal utensils. Also of note, alot of their pans work equally well in the oven. They do some lower end stuff that has rubber coated handles that I don't think are oven rated though.

 

Edit: As mentioned in a prior post, if you can't afford the $400ish dollars for the full set, buy only the ones you need. I pieced my stuff together and came out ahead. In the long run, i spent as much but have things more talored to the way i cook. Places like Bed, Bath and Beyond often have certain units priced very low. Some weeks it's a couple of pans, sometimes it pots and such.