I have a really eclectic collection of mostly rather old cookware that still works great. I have a set of two pressure cookers from Kuhn-Rikon, made in Switzerland. There's a large stainless steel pressure cooker made of very heavy South Korean stainless steel (mostly used for soups and stocks). Most of the rest is old cast iron pieces from American companies like Lodge and Griswold. I have a cast iron wok. Also a couple of heavy clad stainless steel pieces I inherited from my Mom that are probably 50 years old or so.
Favorite Cookware
- Thread starter OldSaw
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I got a cast iron Lodge skillet and a stainless steel Wok that I love using.
The taste which develops in the cast iron skillet is something to look forward to.
Being a vegetarian and part time cook in the home, I like to make Burgers patties, vegetables and even curries come out great.
The taste which develops in the cast iron skillet is something to look forward to.
Being a vegetarian and part time cook in the home, I like to make Burgers patties, vegetables and even curries come out great.
Cookware is a mixed bag in my house... forty and fifty year black seasoned Wagner cast iron, DeBuyer, LeCreusset, All Clad, Premier Calphalon. Have bought everything piece by piece, at garage sales, online and store deep discount sales. The high quality cookware will out live both of us here.
I first bought some lodge cast iron in college. I have 3 lodge skillets and one griddle. They work, they’re tough as nails, and inexpensive.
That being said…now that I have a real job and a house sized kitchen I enjoy the Le Creuset items that have been added to the collection over time. So far a loaf pan, baking dish, stock pot, dutch oven, and french press. Haven’t gotten one of their skillets (yet) but the enamel coating on the other pieces is very nice. They are heavy and just feel well made.
I have a few of these pieces and I agree they're fantastic. Real heavy though (it's both a plus and a minus). Fissler is also worth a look, the profi line in particular.
Seems like my Lodge 10” cast iron skillet gets the most use at my house
Those ECI Dutch ovens are always a lot of fun to cook with. The design you have isn't one I see very often.
There are modern Staub Dutch ovens with a similar design. The underside of the lid has nubs for condensation and braising. I’ve been told the top is designed to load with ice to further this.
Beef stew tonight.
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Oh right, I vaguely recall hearing that once about the ice. I suppose this would be a technique used when cooking exclusively stovetop (can't see ice surviving long in the oven). I have one of those modern Staubs... maybe it's something to experiment with.
Looks fantastic!
Lodge cast iron.
I have several sized skillets a griddle and a Dutch oven.
I have several sized skillets a griddle and a Dutch oven.
- Thread starter
- #32
OldSaw
The wife's investment
Ok, here’s where I’m at so far.
I just ordered a large Demeyere Atlantis sauté pan and a large fry pan. I need at least one more saucepan. I decided not to get a Demeyere saucepan partly because with sales tax I was already over $700 and partly because I wasn’t sure if I needed all the special Atlantis features in a 2 quart saucepan.
So I’m curious what you guys think. I could probably get an All Clad or two and be happy, but I’m getting annoyed with their “assembled in America” stuff while claiming to be American made. I don’t want to pay premium prices for stuff with parts (lids) made in China. I used to work in the metals industry and don’t trust cooking metals from China.
So USA or European are my preferred places manufacture.
I just ordered a large Demeyere Atlantis sauté pan and a large fry pan. I need at least one more saucepan. I decided not to get a Demeyere saucepan partly because with sales tax I was already over $700 and partly because I wasn’t sure if I needed all the special Atlantis features in a 2 quart saucepan.
So I’m curious what you guys think. I could probably get an All Clad or two and be happy, but I’m getting annoyed with their “assembled in America” stuff while claiming to be American made. I don’t want to pay premium prices for stuff with parts (lids) made in China. I used to work in the metals industry and don’t trust cooking metals from China.
So USA or European are my preferred places manufacture.
- Thread starter
- #33
OldSaw
The wife's investment
Oh, and I’m fairly pleased with the Made In pieces that I have. So maybe a 2 quart Made In saucepan for $89 is the way to go.
Haven't tried Made In personally, but if you already have some of their cookware and like it then it might be an easy choice at that price point. Somewhat pertinent info that I couldn't easily find (I did a cursory search) is the thickness of the aluminium layer in the cladding -- basically the info found in this chart. This may or may not matter as much, depending on what you're using the saucepan for.
For whatever it's worth, I have that 2 qt Atlantis saucepan and am really happy it's in my kitchen. A good clad saucepan would probably work just as well for me most of the time, but there are moments when I suspect having that even-heating, responsive cooking base likely pays dividends.
If you're willing to wait a few months, you can usually get some decent sale prices on certain Demeyere pieces around Black Friday and Boxing Day (after Christmas).
Alternatives you could consider:
-- Fissler Profi (for example this or this), which is made in Germany. Their "Cookstar" base is the only other disc-bottomed cookware line I'm aware of that can truly rival Demeyere Atlantis. It also extends straight to the edge and heats very evenly. Another potential advantage, Fissler Profi is lighter in weight and generally easier to handle than corresponding pieces in the Atlantis line.
-- Demeyere Industry is their cladded cookware line, and is often said to be a 'half step' up in overall quality compared to All Clad.
-- de Buyer Affinity is stainless steel cladded cookware made in France. Seems to be priced similarly to All Clad. The handles look much more comfortable though.
-- Sitram (Horeca line, previously Profiserie) and Matfer Bourgeat (Excellence line) both have made in France disc-bottomed cookware. Both are extremely solidly made; they're geared more towards professional kitchens though and kind of look it. I have a couple of Sitram pieces and use them all the time. Definitely built to take a beating. The Horeca's aluminium base is 5 or 6 mm thick, which is pretty difficult to match. Two potential downsides though: the disc bases do not cover all the way to the edge, and lids need to be purchased separately (I got an after-market lid from a local restaurant supply shop instead of buying the expensive branded ones).
-- Along similar lines, Paderno Grand Gourmet / World Cuisine is also very high-end professional kitchen cookware that is made in Italy. Here's a review of the line -- I have that 11 inch 'Paella' pan and it's awesome. The disc base has 7 mm of aluminium -- likely the thickest in the industry. Similar to above, the disc does not extend right to the edge and most products don't come with lids. It's worth knowing that these Paderno products can be purchased at *significantly* cheaper prices sometimes if you look on the European Amazon sites. Word of caution, Paderno has multiple cookware lines that can get confusing to wade through; the product code you'd want for a 2.25 qt saucepan is "11106-16".
This is an incomplete list, but might be a decent place to start if you're specifically looking for stainless steel cookware that is made in Europe.
Le Creuset: I have a skillet, a griddle pan, 1 large and 1 medium casserole and a buffet casserole. I'd like to get more but they are insanely expensive here - the cheapest small casserole is SGD300 on promotion! I also like Tefal pans and have a really good saute pan that I picked up last time we were in Johor Baru (Malaysia) across the Causeway at the factory outlet mall there. The exchange rate is MYR3 to SGD1, and the price was the same number of ringgit as dollars so a third of the price here.
It is a cool design, called a doufeu. If you put ice cubes in the indented top it promotes condensation. I am not sure why you would want to do that, but apparently at least two manufacturers decided it sounded cool.
I own half a dozen Sitram pieces that have the copper bottom discs and they're fantastic; not much more expensive than All Clad when I bought them and better performance, IMHO. The pans heat evenly, release food easily and since the handles are welded on they're easier to clean than pans that have rivets inside. I believe they stopped making this line 5 or so years ago (maybe it was the Profiserie line) and I haven't explored their other offerings. I bought most of my pieces from Bridge Kitchenware (formerly in Manhattan, now in New Jersey) and I'm pretty sure they stopped carrying Sitram once they discontinued those affordable, pro-sumer pots and pans. When I emailed them about not carrying Sitram, their response/suggestion was that I look into the Paderno line of cookware; bought a small saute pan of theirs and love it and am also happy with the Paderno "blue steel" pan. That pan needs to be seasoned and cared for like a cast iron pan but the rewards are great. I'm not a cookware expert by any means and eat a lot of takeout food but when I cook, it's nice to have good tools that are well crafted. Although I often say, if you're on a budget, it's certainly possible to prepare delicious, home cooked food with a set of Farberware you bought at Target (or wherever Farberware is sold these days).
- Thread starter
- #38
OldSaw
The wife's investment
Many thanks for such a detailed reply. After posting last night, I made an executive decision to get the 2 quart Made In saucepan because Mrs. OldSaw has been requesting a second saucepan (as mentioned previously, most of our old stuff doesn’t work on the new induction cooktop) for some time now AND it will be mostly used for things with a high liquid content on a fairly even induction heat source. So at least a decent one will be in the house soon.
From your advice:
1. So far I have purchased two Demeyere pans, which I believe will see the most use and show the greatest benefit of their superior design qualities.
2. Will keep a watch for Black Friday discounts on the Demeyere saucepans, as I’m sure I’ll want a 1.1 and/or 1.6 quart some day.
3. Paella is something that I should make more often. I doubt that I will ever buy a paella pan because I have had very good results using a large sauté pan. With the addition of the two Demeyere pans and with the next size down of each respectively in Viking and Made In brands I think I will be very well set for all my low profile pan needs.
Nice! They seem like a good choice, and added bonus is that it'll match what you already have in the kitchen.
Once you've had a chance to use these for a bit, let us know what you think. The weight can take some getting used to.
Despite the name, its really more of a fry pan with a pair of loop handles rather than a long handle (which turns out to be nice when you're trying to fit multiple things in an oven). Very versatile piece and brilliant at searing meat. I suspect Spaniards would probably chuckle at the name though, as it isn't quite what a traditional paella pan looks like.
shavefan
I’m not a fan
Nice. I may try a MadeIn piece someday. Manufactured in USA or Italy.
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