What kind of pots and pans should I buy?

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  • Mom2M_and_O
    Mom2M_and_O Posts: 214
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    Thanks for posting this -- I need some, too. Looking forward to reading through all the suggestions.
  • dalgal26
    dalgal26 Posts: 781 Member
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    I do not believe in buying a SET of pots. I have done it in the past and wind up with pots that I never use. Soooo....the last time I bought pots, I went to the store and picked out the brand that felt the best in my hand and that had a good warranty. I then only bought the size that I knew I would use the most. I have 3 of the same size, a smaller one and a larger one. I chose Paula Deen just because that was the brand that worked best for me.

    Good luck in your quest! :flowerforyou:
  • ctlinj7
    ctlinj7 Posts: 151 Member
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    I have the Rachel Ray Black Hard-Anodized Non-stick Pots & Pans and they are a DREAMMMMM. Light and nothing sticks! And i tend to burn when I cook and it is easy to clean :)))
  • acantu59
    acantu59 Posts: 26 Member
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    I absolutely LOVE my Circulon anodized aluminum set! It's non-stick without having to have the non-stick coating. I bought the ones that have a SS bottom so I can use my induction burner, but they make them without, too. They're VERY similar to Calphalon but without the hefty price tag. Ordered online from Chef's (or Cooking.com??) when they were on sale.
  • greenbubblegum
    greenbubblegum Posts: 26 Member
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    Scanpan - nonstick. Expensive, but won't kill your canary.
  • maxmariesfo
    maxmariesfo Posts: 173 Member
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    I love cast iron. I picked up each piece I own at the thrift store for a few bucks. The most expensive piece I have is the panini press that I picked up at Target for $12 to go with my mini-grill.

    http://www.lodgemfg.com/

    I have a variety of sizes. One I know I can cook a "me" sized meal in. A large one for when I have guests. The mini-grill is probably my fave piece as I love to grill veggies. Slice squash or eggplant longwise and grill. Asparagus is excellent grilled.

    PS: added bonus, they never need to be replaced.
  • jjmaag
    jjmaag Posts: 11 Member
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    The Paula Deen (sp?) set from wal-mart (i know it sounds cheap because it's from wal-mart) are great! $99 a set and they have a great look to the outside of them too, like an old fashioned spackle that comes in some pretty cool colors!
  • NiciS72
    NiciS72 Posts: 1,043 Member
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    How much do you want to spend? Below are my picks at different price points.

    Around $100 for a set Paul Dean at Target
    Under $500 Pampered Chef Non-Stick
    Over $100 Le Crueset

    That said, I know there are other brands out there that are good too i.e. T-Fal, Calphalon, etc.

    I would also recommend going here: http://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment-reviews/index.php?document_activeCategoryName_2_3_0_mv=Cookware and checking out the kinds of pans you want to get. They do a lot of testing on the ones available and make good recommendations based upon usage and price point!

    Good luck!
  • camelotss
    camelotss Posts: 55
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    I love my Wolfgang Puck set. I've had them about 10 years and still in very good condition.
  • juliecat1
    juliecat1 Posts: 3,455 Member
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    Im just gonna leave a little comment here because Im in the market too. I had a mix-matched set before - bought quality pieces as I could afford them and ones that felt good for their use. I generally dont like the feel of all the pieces in the set.
  • dan323
    dan323 Posts: 271 Member
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    We have Circulon. Got them about 6 years ago and they are the Anodized aluminum non stick. The only issue is that with 2 of the most used pots the grey non stick stuff is disappearing. It's not pealing, just the silver is beging to show thought the coating. So I too am beginning to look for replacement cookware. I am leaning to Stainless Steel so I can use better utensils instead of plastic. But the cast iron does impress me.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    We have Circulon. Got them about 6 years ago and they are the Anodized aluminum non stick. The only issue is that with 2 of the most used pots the grey non stick stuff is disappearing. It's not pealing, just the silver is beging to show thought the coating. So I too am beginning to look for replacement cookware. I am leaning to Stainless Steel so I can use better utensils instead of plastic. But the cast iron does impress me.

    I think I'm going to go with a ~$200 stainless steel set, and also purchase a cast iron pan separately
  • CAKEDOC
    CAKEDOC Posts: 110 Member
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    I like my Calphalon Hard-Anodized Non-stick Pots & Pans. If you're not much of a cook, they absolutely fit the bill without being extremely pricey nor cheap.

    IMO, you wouldn't want to do something like copper or cast iron unless you really know what you're doing and how to treat them.

    A non-stick set like the Calphalon will be more easy to maintain and get the results you want for every-day cooking.
    totally agree...
  • KimmieBrie
    KimmieBrie Posts: 825 Member
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    I started with a very small Analon set years ago - still have/use all pcs of it... and added individual pcs from there because the bigger sets had unnecessary pcs and lacked what I really would use - I don't like T-Fal at all, found their pans cheap and quickly needed replacing. I have a Calphalon roaster which is great. I also have a few stainless pcs too. Mix it up! I hate getting stuck with things I don't want need just because it was a big "set"... waste of money and room.
  • spapsidero
    spapsidero Posts: 60
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    Wolfgang Puck. I have a set I've had for 10 yrs or more. Not as pricey as the celphalon but quality is same. Can get of HSN.
  • stang_girl88
    stang_girl88 Posts: 234 Member
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    I have the Rachael Ray 14 piece non stick hard anodized set and I LOVE it! Had it for over 3 years with no problems. I have had other non stick skillets before and they were terribile. This set, I can still fry eggs with no stickage, no strange odours, no warping even after 3 years ( the others warped after maybe a month or two after being used on medium heat and handwash only). I want to buy another set so when this one dies, I can have a backup lol
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
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    I don't know the technical jargon and whatever, but I bought two large Lagostina pans that are regular $60+ for $15 each on sale, and love them. About 75% of my cooking is done in them.

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