I need new pots. So here's the question: Do you use nonstick or stainless steel? Do you like them and why or why not? What brand? How long have they lasted? Did you have to sell your first born to purchase them?
My wonderful husband bought me a large and very nice set of nonstick from Calphalon when we got married but the nonstick has worn down and we aren't into eating carcinogens so I think it's time for a new set.
I use my pans a LOT I would say. Probably the same as most of you who stay home and have multiple children. So they need to be sturdy. Mine are the professional line so they come with a lifetime warranty but I have to pay shipping. I think it's probably half the cost of a new pan to return them and I'm wondering if I would rather have stainless steel. I hear from tv and radio chefs that stainless steel is the way to go unless your working with eggs.
What do you think?
7 comments:
Krissy,
I got a set of 18/10 stainless steel Kitchen aid pots/pans with lids from Kohls for about $220 or $240 on sale. They are not non stick but they clean up great! The heat is evenly distributed. They have what seems like rubber coating on the handles so they cannot go into the oven. They wash easily and you can use one of those green scratchy things for hard-to-get-off stuff. If something seems scorched to the bottom I put it in water and back on the hot burner. A metal utensil scrapes it right off. Before these pans I only had pans with non-stick. I threw them all out and will never go back. The 18/10 refers to the thickness of the gauge of stainless, I think.
Hope this helps. I love mine. And you know with all the kids I have they are used daily. Have held up really well.
Also I heard on the food network twice this week that when you put something (to fry or grill) in a really hot pan then if it is hot enough it will not stick, it is only when it is not quite hot enough that things stick.
Pamela
I've been wondering the SAME thing for a while now and am also trying to figure out what I want to do. I've been looking in Le Creuset (an invesement for sure!), but am hesitant bc of costs. I've also heard that stainless steel is the way to go many times over. Mine are all non-stick and they are getting pretty raggedy. Have you looked into Allclad? I here they are amazing (also, an investment).
I have the same set of copper bottom Revere Wear pans from 24 years ago. Still going strong! I don't have them hanging anymore, so we don't polish the copper bottom, but with a little work they would shine! I love this set, since over the years, I have added the HUGE stock pots to accommodate our large meals.
The thing that makes All Clad so great is that its wrapped aluminum. So basically that means you have the best, fastest heat conduction with out ingesting any aluminum. It is wrapped in 18/10 both top of pan and bottom so clean up is a breeze. I do have one copper core pan and it cost a pretty penny but its a wok so I need it to be really hot for stir fry ( I do love it and can use it for so many other things)
If you are thinking about it from the environmental perspective then a few Le Cruset pots/Dutch ovens are the way to go since its no exposed metals.
I use Calphalon nonstick skillets/sausepans and have the one copper core wok and one Staub dutch oven ( enamel like LeCruset ) and I get all my cooking done with those!
Just remember the reason your nonstick surface comes off is you probably used a metal spoon or utensil which is a HUGE NO NO!!!! Nonstick is silicon,wood, or plastic only! No metal!
Thanks ladies!
I should have remembered you know your kitchen stuff Manda. :-)
I do only use plastic it looks more like it's just wearing down, not really in chunks or pokes.
Kimberly, I'll let you know what I land on.
Hi Krissy, I haven't commented on your blog in a while -- congratulations on baby Hope! She is precious. As for the pots, I have hard anodized at home in KY (better alternative to non-stick so I've heard) and stainless steel. I like them both. My hard anodized pans came from Macy's. I think the brand is Belgique. They were pretty inexpensive and really good quality for the price. Hope that helps!
I'm glad you wrote this post and can read your comments! I'm in the market for them too. Im definitely getting some stainelss steel since I don't have any and when I make pickles or salsa or spagetti sauce I have to borrow my neighbors non reactive pots. LEt me know what you decide!
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