I am in the market for some new pots and pans.
I think I either want Rachel Ray or some Kitchen Aid pans. Has anyone used either of theese ?
I think I either want Rachel Ray or some Kitchen Aid pans. Has anyone used either of theese ?
Cookware
- Thread starter Hank
- Start date
Last year we bought the Wolfgang Puck Stainless cookware. It is not cheap, but it is a professional grade stuff. We have been very pleased with it.
i recently bought a set of emrilware by all-clad. it was my first try with stainless cookware and i've been pretty happy with it.
Kitchen Aid is good stuff. I have lots of their stuff
Between the two, Kitchen Aid is the clear choice. More expensive, to be sure, but they will be a lifetime investment. More important, they will cook better in day-to-day use. Anything they make is top-notch all the way, from the cookware to the small appliances and even their hand-tools.
Also look at Calphalon.
And check out www.cookwarenmore.com, they specialize in All-Clad Factory Seconds.
I have a major crush on Rachael Ray ... she is so darn cute! And that smile just makes me melt every time. But I wouldn't buy her cookware, her EVOO and especially not her knives. I'm also skeptical about investing in any of her cookbooks, when I can look it up for free online.
She sure is cute, but I find her somewhat annoying. The whole EVOO abbreviation thing doesn't help, especially when she expands it out to "EVOO Extra VIrgin Olive Oil" every single time. What's the point of abbreviating it if you're just going to repeat the whole thing? Just say "olive oil" like everyone else; maybe mention the extra virgin thing when you're grabbing it out of the cabinet.
I've got a 6qt stainless saute pan from Kitchen Aid. I'd rather have All-Clad, but I can't afford it. The Kitchen Aid stuff is very good and relatively inexpensive.
I've got a 6qt stainless saute pan from Kitchen Aid. I'd rather have All-Clad, but I can't afford it. The Kitchen Aid stuff is very good and relatively inexpensive.
For sex or cooking? Either way, I'd stick with the KitchenAide.
Don't get sets! Get a few good pieces in appropriate sizes and they'll last a lifetime.
RR slaps her name on any and every product. KitchenAide been around Many Many Many years. Easy choice really.
Harder choice is KitchenAide or Calphalon. Pricey, but these will last you yours, and your childrens, lives.
Harder choice is KitchenAide or Calphalon. Pricey, but these will last you yours, and your childrens, lives.
Couple of questions - how much do you cook and how much do you want to spend?
Of the brands you mentioned, Kitchenaid is the higher quality one.
But...if you don't cook a lot and/or don't have a lot of cash to spend on cookware, you can do a lot worse than the Ikea 365 stuff, which, while not in the same league as the Kitchenaid stuff, is amazing value for the money (that's what I had as a student and it served me well and I'm sure is still being used in the house I left it in).
The only other bit of advice I'll give you (for now) is not to buy one of the sets that comes with glass lids - they're a pain in the rump to clean and they break.
Of the brands you mentioned, Kitchenaid is the higher quality one.
But...if you don't cook a lot and/or don't have a lot of cash to spend on cookware, you can do a lot worse than the Ikea 365 stuff, which, while not in the same league as the Kitchenaid stuff, is amazing value for the money (that's what I had as a student and it served me well and I'm sure is still being used in the house I left it in).
The only other bit of advice I'll give you (for now) is not to buy one of the sets that comes with glass lids - they're a pain in the rump to clean and they break.
We use LeCruset saucepans and roasting dishes which are now 24 years old and still going strong. Quality lasts. Tefal frying pans are what we are on at the moment, good none stick and durable.
A good non-stick frying pan is essential - make sure you buy a good one and treat it right - the cheap non-stick stuff is a disaster and doesn't last.
The Creuset stuff is really good - but very expensive. I tend to think of their stuff as the enameled cast iron stuff, but the range is much broader. While I really think their enameled cast iron stuff is good, there are very good products made by competitors that sell for much less. In North America, Creuset stuff is very expensive and, let's face it, there's no way an enameled cast iron casserole/dutch oven should cost more than $200 - the Ikea knock off (which is pretty darn close in terms of weight) costs $50. The Kitchenaid version costs $100 (but you often see it on sale for $75 or less).
So I'm not knocking the Creuset stuff - its top notch, but not worth the brand premium in my mind.
Also, I don't think enameled cookware (in terms of pots and pans) is the best choice for a basic set - if it cracks and chips its ruined and you can't go to town on it with a scouring pad if you scorch something in it. But I do agree that a good enameled cast iron casserole is a great piece of cooking gear.
Well I don't know. I have dropped one of the small milk pans with no issue in the past, and as I say 24 years ago when bought they were a lot cheaper. I wouldn't buy cruset at the brand premium as it stands today
Whichever set you go with you'll probably want to add a good non-stick frying pan and a deep cast iron frying pan.
I've got some lower end Lagostina pots, they do the trick very well.
Another thing you might want to check or avoid is plastic/ruberized handles. Sometimes dishes need to be "finished" under the broiler and that would pretty much be the end of a plastic handle (I also wouldn't do it with a non-stick pan)
I've got some lower end Lagostina pots, they do the trick very well.
Another thing you might want to check or avoid is plastic/ruberized handles. Sometimes dishes need to be "finished" under the broiler and that would pretty much be the end of a plastic handle (I also wouldn't do it with a non-stick pan)
Of the choices you mention, KitchenAid will serve you better.
My philosophy is to buy really good conventional pans (not non-stick) once. For that, I went with All Clad, which are unbeatable IMO and will likely be passed on to my kids. For non-stick, go with cheaper options (actually, the Kitchen Aid non-sticks aren't bad) since they tend to wear out much faster.
The real answer depends on how much and how seriously you cook.
Of course, don't neglect cast-iron, which are dirt cheap and work great in some applications.
My philosophy is to buy really good conventional pans (not non-stick) once. For that, I went with All Clad, which are unbeatable IMO and will likely be passed on to my kids. For non-stick, go with cheaper options (actually, the Kitchen Aid non-sticks aren't bad) since they tend to wear out much faster.
The real answer depends on how much and how seriously you cook.
Of course, don't neglect cast-iron, which are dirt cheap and work great in some applications.
I have bought a lot of my cookware at TJ Maxx, plus my wife had a brief blush as a Pampered Chef rep, so we have some of their cookware, which is Calphalon, IIRC.
The benefit of going to TJ Maxx is that they often have some great stuff at great prices ... mixed in with so-so stuff as well, of course. Several years ago I would have been more concerned about having complete, matching sets, but I no longer give a flying rats arse about that.
Pieces that I really, really love even though I don't use them regularly are my cast iron skillets. I really took a lot of pride in seasoning them, and they perform really well. Even if I only use it for making grilled cheese sandwiches, it's the best grilled cheese I can get. Well, the 7-year Kaeseman cheddar sorta helps, too.
Another great choice that hasn't been mentioned are the Paderno/Chaudier lines. I have not used them, and they are not cheap (though they often have good sale prices for direct sales), but Chaudier is used on Air Force One, so ...
The benefit of going to TJ Maxx is that they often have some great stuff at great prices ... mixed in with so-so stuff as well, of course. Several years ago I would have been more concerned about having complete, matching sets, but I no longer give a flying rats arse about that.
Pieces that I really, really love even though I don't use them regularly are my cast iron skillets. I really took a lot of pride in seasoning them, and they perform really well. Even if I only use it for making grilled cheese sandwiches, it's the best grilled cheese I can get. Well, the 7-year Kaeseman cheddar sorta helps, too.
Another great choice that hasn't been mentioned are the Paderno/Chaudier lines. I have not used them, and they are not cheap (though they often have good sale prices for direct sales), but Chaudier is used on Air Force One, so ...
When picking pieces do not forget to check out Lodge cast iron. It lasts forever and works like a charm. I would not be without a few pans and a dutch oven. I also would recommend their enameled dutch ovens over Le Creuset because the of the price. As stated before Le Creuset is nice but too pricey. And the Lodge is a very capable dutch oven.
Happy hunting.
Happy hunting.
At the inexpensive end, Ikea has great, serviceable products, cast iron is wonderful, and Wearever makes killer pans. Man does not live by Le Crueset alone. I have some nice pieces, but I'm glad I bought them long before they became 200 a pop. All Clad is a great producer, and there are numerous high end companies willing to take your money. I'm particularly fond of French black steel pan. They last forever, are more useful than cast iron for sauteing, and improve with age. They're almost useless when new, but as with cast iron, they become increasingly nonstick as they season. Shown, clockwise from left, are an omelette, saute, crepe, and blini pan. The prices would make you sick.
If you must buy one of the two, buy the Kitchen Aid -- it's a proven brand. I'm skeptical of her product endorsement selection technique simply because of how many products she puts her name to. She's really become quite the advertising whore. You can't turn around in a supermarket or kitchen store these days without seeing her face staring at you from a package.
Contrast her with say, Alton Brown or Giada DeLaurentiis -- both phenomenal chefs with excellent skills, and who each endorse only a few (probably more well chosen) products.
Oh and I agree with the above posters about the cast iron pans. My most prized kitchen possession -- the one I'd grab for the proverbial "desert island" -- is my 100 year old cast iron skillet. It was passed down from my great-grandmother to my grandmother to me, and I use it every day.
Contrast her with say, Alton Brown or Giada DeLaurentiis -- both phenomenal chefs with excellent skills, and who each endorse only a few (probably more well chosen) products.
Oh and I agree with the above posters about the cast iron pans. My most prized kitchen possession -- the one I'd grab for the proverbial "desert island" -- is my 100 year old cast iron skillet. It was passed down from my great-grandmother to my grandmother to me, and I use it every day.
Definately would go with Kitchen Aid or some other higher quality brand. We use one of their mixers all of the time. My mother's mixer is still in the family and being used by my sister in law, it was bought in the 1960's.
Good kitchen stuff will last you years and years and years. It is a good investment. I still use the Gerber kitchen knives that I bought in the 1970s. Conversely, I bought a cheap set of knives from Walmart for my camper. In one season they were dull and rusty (they were claimed to be stainless!).
Good kitchen stuff will last you years and years and years. It is a good investment. I still use the Gerber kitchen knives that I bought in the 1970s. Conversely, I bought a cheap set of knives from Walmart for my camper. In one season they were dull and rusty (they were claimed to be stainless!).
