anyone got a good cookware rec ?


i have the All-Clad Emeril anodized aluminum...my ex got them for me as a graduation present in 2001, so they are 13 years old now and the non-stick coating is getting kinda bad...thinking time to replace, 13 years is a decent amount of time for something that was relatively inexpensive

i wouldn't be opposed to repurchasing them again but anyone have any suggestions? Is stainless steel better than aluminum ?

Go to Northwestern Cutlery on 800 W lake, buy some cool stuff and some pro knives for 5$

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really? will check it out thanks

Do you cook a lot? When I became single again I really didn't have anything so I bought what I thought
was a decent starter set of Calphalon from Target and then added a few other sized pots and pans of
the same brand. They work really well for me but I don't use them very much. Pretty sure this isn't
helping you much. They aren't the most expensive but they aren't cheap either from what I can tell.

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A good number of pro chefs go there to get new knives and their knives sharpened. They then turn in old knives, which they sell for $5 and when you buy them, they sharpen them. I have 5 knives from there and some pans.

PRO TIP: if you know anyone in the business, bar or dining, you can say you work there and get a 20% discount.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Definitely get high quality knives. It makes preparing food much easier.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Calphalon nonstick pans are guaranteed for life and dishwasher safe. When the coating starts coming off, just bring it to Bed, Bath & Beyond or wherever and they'll give you a new one. Done it several times.

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"Smiles with Nostrils"

"...no Hmong, go find some blacks"

Switch to cast iron for everything but a small pot for sauces. You'll thank me later.

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Make sure you go tankless.

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+1 on the cast iron for searing steaks; there is nothing better (unless you count a charcoal grill).

Eggs and fish are the only things I cook in a nonstick pan. I recommend Scanpan or Swiss Diamond. They sandblast the aluminum bottom, which results in microscopic craters where the nonstick material goes. I've had Scanpan frying pans for 15 years and have used steel scouring pads, and there is no flaking of the nonstick coating at all. By the way, the main danger of nonstick pans is not ingesting the Teflon, but breathing the fumes if they overheat (450+).

I'll second Biggie's recommendation of Northwestern Cutlery for knives...they have the biggest grinding wheel I've ever seen.

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Check the manufacturer warranty, we had calpalon non-sticks that were nasty after about 10 years. We called customer service and they told us to send them in. They replaced 6 pots/pans no questions asked with their lasted line. Took about 6 weeks for processing, but what they sent us was easily worth 700 if bought in the store.

Even if they are out of warranty, it can't hurt to try sending them back to see if they replace them anyways.

I tried.

Something went wrong. No thanks for you.

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Don't cook in aluminum pots & pans. Stainless steel only.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

why

Aluminum pots & pans are cheap. Real Chefs & culinary experts cook in Stainless steel. Also, the link between aluminum and Alzheimer's disease has been the subject of scientific debate for several decades.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

I think aluminum is a better conductor of heat than stainless. Lots of pans have a layer of it sandwiched between the steel or copper. I think the more recent anodized aluminum is safe. I don't care about this by the way, but I have a relative in the industry.

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Soccer 1,2,3
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"Smiles with Nostrils"

"...no Hmong, go find some blacks"

I can see having a cast iron in the playbook...but for everything but sauces? Doesn't seem that would work out very well.

How could you have possibly fucked that up? Wait, I know. It takes some care and patience. That's probably why you fucked it up.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
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I do almost everything in my skillet or my dutch ovens. Only when doing things like boiling rice or something do I use the sauce pot.
I never use that teflon crap. If you take care of your cast iron right it's pretty much non stick. It does require some patience to learn how to cook with it though, and it requires some maintenance, but you'll have that skillet for your whole life. You'll never buy another one. Get a 12 inch skillet with a lid and you can bake everything in it, pizzas, bread, your chicken... it's great for searing your steaks before grilling... it does everything. You can't over heat it. I love the damn shit.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
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Without question. I had shitty knives then I got a sweet set as a wedding shower gift and it's like night and day. Like going from Boers and BernSTINE to Mac and Meat.

Horrible to Awesome.

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Le Creuset enameled cast iron pan.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

This.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

What is the best way to "season" a cast iron pot?

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I pretty much wrecked a cast iron skillet already, so I'm not sold on the "you buy one you'll have it for the rest of your life" philosophy. Prior to said wreckage, I enjoyed cooking in it, and it certainly had a lot of utility, but I can't say I'd use it for everything.

I wouldn't want to boil pasta in it...and whenever I make sauces I prefer to have the bigger surface area of a saucepan versus a small pot. I know, you could make some sauces in it, but I'd sure as hell never try to make an alfredo in it.

Also, there are times you just don't feel like fucking with cast iron. I use one of my other pans, cook something, throw it in the dishwasher and I'm done.

I think a cast iron is a good piece to have in one's arsenal, but I wouldn't tell anyone to go buy it and say they are set.

Use it. When you're done with it, rub some oil in it, wipe off oil with a paper towel. Do not use soap to clean it. If you feel you MUST use soap, use a TINY amount. But you need to keep it oiled. If you can, save some bacon fat and oil it with that. Eventually it's going to turn a deep reflective black. Then it's pretty much a no stick pan.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
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Just used the cast iron skillet my wife gave me for Christmas 2 years ago to bake some homemade mac and cheese last night. It turned out great.

To get it ready for its first use, I cleaned it, dried, it and then preseasoned it with some vegetable oil before baking it for an hour at 350.

I was worried the post mac and cheese cleanup would be a pain in the ass, but it wasn't as bad as I feared. I scraped most of the dried cheese off and then soaked it in warm water while I did other dishes. Then I used a plastic-bristled brush to clean it. It all came off pretty easily. Before putting it away, I rubbed more vegetable oil in it.

Oh, and the search function worked awesome as I wanted to see if there was already a thread on cast iron skillets. Kudos, BF!

Can't wait to use it again.

Don't soak your cast iron. If you need to get some baked on shit off, put some water in there and simmer on the stove top for a couple minutes. Remove crud, dry, and wipe on some vegetable oil, dry with a clean paper towel and store.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

We use a little bit of salt to clean our cast irons. Never use soap.