Carbon steel for some lighter/faster to react to heat frying pans.

A cast iron lid that fits would be cool

Cast iron dutch oven is the obvious next step

All Clad stainless steel pans. Then you can learn to build a fond and deglaze.

For this kind of food, I use a Tefal wok, and it works beautifully.

Been using Sitram Catering for 30+ years along with Le Creuset and All-Clad d5

I live for this….

Yeah, no AllClad MasterCraft or 3ply. 5ply and copper core AllClad are my favorites.

I recommend Faberware Classic pots. They are stainless steel, last forever and are affordable to buy new.

For knives and utensils, Rada Cutlery is my go to brand.

We love our all-clad jumbo set! Such an even cook, even when used on gas grills or wood fires when camping. Our pots and pans are almost 15 years old and still look new. Even when someone burns the popcorn, we just soak it overnight with a little Bar Keeper's Friend and it comes out shiny every time.

360 Cookware is the best ever

Get a carbon steel one to actually be BIFL

de Buyer frying pan + Le Creuset Dutch + La Poissonière + all clad sauciers and pots + Pow Wok

Besides my cast iron, I bought some All-Clad copper core and I will not go back. Before that I had some Greenpan ceramic coated cast iron but you can’t use metal utensils with it. With my All-Clad, it’s like you cannot mess it up. Hit it with some Bar Keepers or a SOS pad and bam, just like day 1. Even if you burn sugar in that thing. Amazing.

Cuisinart is my cheaper choice behind all-clad. I have some of each now and like them for different reasons

My partner swears by All Clad stainless steel pots and pans.

I’m a horrible cook and thought I ruined one when I burnt eggs and cheese to it- like a solid black layer glued to the bottom to the point of where if it had been a cheap pan, I would’ve just thrown it out. She had it shining like brand new the next day with no scratches nor sign of wear.

LC or Staub and youll be passing it down for the next gen

I bought a enamel coated cast iron Wolfgang Puck Dutch oven over 10 years ago. I treated it like shit and used it to cook like every meal. It’s still going strong albeit the blue has faded. And I cook a ton

Every single non stick pan I bought has been trashed within a couple years. I hate them and I’ve not found one that works well

Falk, Demeyere Proline/Atlantis, Mauviel if tinned.

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Mini cast iron pan for fried eggs. It’s the most used pan I have.

What’s that you’re cooking in the picture? Looks good

A carbon steel wok. I recommend checking out the book “The Wok” by Kenji

I came here to say Staub.

Buy a De Buyer carbon steel pan, Le Creuset Dutch Oven, a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, and some copper core All-Clad pots in a variety of sizes

Is All Clad the brand?

Small Steel pan, mauvier of equal

Yes absolutely, +1 for LC.

Wustoff chef's knife! Kitchen aid stand mixer Vitamix blender

Same here to say this

Yep

I have a Lodge and it's really nice. Are Staub and LC that much better?

Was wondering if there was another copper fan here. :)

Yes they are better, but probably not by the price difference. Serious eats has a good comparison article on Dutch ovens.

Many articles will say that Staub slightly beats LC in cooking tests. They also have a slightly wider base for a larger searing surface. But the enamel is black, so seeing fond is hard, if that matters. The creamy interior of a LC makes for a nice visual when fond develops.

Thanks for the info. My Lodge is awesome and has a cream color interior as well. LC has me curious and I may have to invest...

Lodge knows cast iron as well as anybody and they've earned a great reputation. The difference is in the coatings, colors, and enamel quality and durability (at least from everything I've read cuz i don't own any enameled lodge) which are done in house to perfection by the French twins. Lodge is USA made for everything but their enameled lines which they finish in China. *** and que guy that wants to argue the country of manufacture has no bearing on quality

Go watch a YouTube video on how to recondition steel pans then look around your local second hand stores/thrift shops. After a really small amount of work and one can of cleaner I got a whole set of solid like new pans for under 40$.

You can do this with cast iron too but it's more work.

I bought an enamel Wolfgang Puck dutch oven probably around 12 years ago - mine didn't fare as well as yours, though. I used it a lot, took pretty good care of it, but the enamel started chipping. I got it new, but at a discount store, so who knows why it ended up there (no clear damage or defects when new).

I've had similar issues with some other enameled pots I bought used, but then have others that have patina but no chips at all.

I think the quality of the coating is what really varies from brand to brand.

are you referring to stainless steel, carbon steel, or something else?

Whatever you purchase, consider getting pots that are compatible with induction stoves as that is the longer term trend. Gas stoves will eventually be banned or limited as new research is showing ill health effects from them.

To go with cast iron, a wooden spatula. Love them, last a long time, don't scratch. Cheap and you can buy multiples to last a lifetime for next to nothing. I also have a wooden teaspoon I absolutely love.

LC :)

Apparently, American Test Kitchen doesn’t find the extra cost of copper core worth it.

Personally, I love my 12” copper core frying pan. I use it practically every day. It’s my pride and joy, on a similar level to my favorite chef’s knife. I just got an All Clad 3ply 3-quart sauce pan. 3 ply specifically due to the reviews from American Test Kitchen. It’s been wonderful, but I’ve only had it a week or two.

Depends on what you are cooking? Cast iron, carbon steel, woks, enamels, nonstick (no bueno usually), copper and tin, copper core, what do you a want to do with them?

Stainless

If you already have a Lodge, honestly, keep it and invest in nice knives, prep or storage wear, small appliances, quality cutting/carving boards or another piece of cookware that you don’t already own. You’ll see way more return on investment in terms of usefulness.

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven 5.5 quart. They cost a lot, but you'll watch your grand kids use it.

Yes. Currently have nonstick for omelettes, potstickers and the like. But once that coating inevitably wears out, I’ll be going to a seasoned carbon steel skillet. Nonstick as anything when seasoned, way lighter than cast iron and more BIFL than anything with a Teflon coating could ever be.

• AllClad D3 pots and pans (D5 or copper are overkill IMO, but you won’t go wrong)
  • A container of BarKeeper’s Friend
• Zwilling Madura non-stick skillet (not quite BIFL, but they last better than any other non-stick I’ve found)
• Staub or Le Creuset enameled Dutch oven
• Wustof knives
  • A 1000 and 4000 grit reversible water stone
• KitchenAid mixer
• Vitamix blender

Yeah you're probably right. That's smart. I just get excited about cookware haha. The All Glad Stainless Steel people are talking about on this post also sound pretty awesome to try out.

Le cruset, all clad pans

Different categories. And yes, they are amazing

Enameled cast iron is good. Lodge is a good brand. Other comments about high end stainless steel pans are on point.

Tramontina some pretty well-reviewed 3 ply clad cookware.

The general point stands though: quality clad stainless steel pans. (You can get by with impact bonded bases on saucepans in my opinion)

Chicago cutlery set? Revere ware sauce pans?

Stainless steel saucepans (fully clad with a generous layer of aluminum, or optionally just "disc clad" is sufficient for saucepans in particular)

Fully Clad Stainless Steel Skillet (skip the disc clad stuff for this one)

All-Clad is pretty well the standard here, but good cheaper options exist from makers such as Tramontina and Cuisinart.

Stainless steel requires minimal care.

A quality enameled dutch oven. Staub or Le Creuset should last a lifetime. Backed by a wonderful warranty.

Carbon Steel skillet: it's like cast iron but lighter.

I'd say most people don't need both carbon steel and cast iron, but it sounds like most people that try carbon steel after cast iron consider it an upgrade most of the time.

I have a set of vision Pyrex glass pots ands pans. They have gotten expensive, but I’ve found way more than I would have ever imagined in thrift shops over the years. By far my favorite cookware.

Be careful if you buy something like this and you use an electric range, especially one with a dual size element or the element is smaller than the pan. You could end up warping your fancy cookware.

I still have one I’ve warped. Anyone have ideas what I can do to fix it? I’ve thought about taking a mallet to it to make it concave.

Hmm didn't know this about Lodge and China .. thanks for the info

Love my Demeyere pots and pans.

More cast iron chunks:

- a lid to fit that pan, so you can use it in the oven. Great for pizzas and roasting veggies or small amounts of meat, like a mini Dutch oven.

- a Dutch oven. I like bare metal, because it’s bomb proof as long as you take care of it. You do have to maintain the season, and you do need to be careful about rust. (Note that a rusty pan can be saved, it just takes sanding it down or sand blasting it, then building a season again.)

Stainless Steel Cookware:

I would probably get two sauce pans, a skillet, a Dutch oven, and a stock pot.

I really like Reverewear. It is no longer made. It must be purchased vintage. Check your local Goodwill and vintage stores, sadly, lots of grandmas are no longer needing their pans. Do not be concerned about oxidation or residue, some copper scrubs, a scruffy pad, and some stainless steel pot cleaner will make them look like new surprisingly easy. The handles may not shine up, but replacements are available if it bugs you.

Ikea 365, the higher end pots and pans, seem quite nice. Their cheapest pots are surprisingly well made, particularly for the price, but are not BIFL. (I use one for my fry-pot, which will just destroy the pot. If I had but $20 for a pot and two sauce pans, this would be what I would buy, hands down. If fact, If I had to buy new and was limited to under $100, it’s what I would buy.)

Remember: Stainless Steel pots and pans never go above medium. Never, they will warp. They will also burn your food, too, so there’s no use. Even on Medium, don’t let the pan get too hot.

Non-stick is for a good time, not a long time. It is disposable. If you take care of it, use plastic implements, hand wash it, and never let it get too hot… it will last longer, but it will still go bad.

Essteele "Per Vita" pans - stonkin' big thick copper layer in the base. Big, heavy rivets holding the handles on.

Le Creuset enamelled frypans and dutch ovens.

Carbon steel or hammered iron products. Brand is not really important if you really looking for these metals. Especially chinese no brands are the cheapest one but they do the job well

Carbon steel pans!!!

I just saw them on amazon .. it's too pricey for my country .. can someone suggest a similar brand ? With a little lower price ..

We have tramontina. There are other brands about as good.

I'm from India and i just searched for that all-clad cookware .. one of their pan costs about 12000 here ...

This is good advice. Also keep in mind that lower quality cookware that suitable for induction might not work if previously used on another heat source. It only takes a little bit of warping for the pan not to make enough contact with the induction stovetop, rendering it useless. The thicker the bottom, the more likely it will retain its shape and survive a transition to induction.

I am getting an induction stovetop this spring and am so curious to see how much of my cookware survives. I am hopeful for my Fissler Profi pots, but I am already mentally preparing myself to have to replace something inevitably because of the switch. Fingers crossed!!

We inherited a whole beautiful set of 1950s Magnalite cast aluminum cookware that we never got to use. Unfortunately none of it would work when we purchased an induction stove two years ago. About 2/3rd of our existing pots worked fine. No regrets about the stove however, induction is just fantastic.

Great call but I really don't like rivets in my pans. I have a very reasonably priced Swiss diamond pan that I love https://swissdiamond.com/9-5-stainless-fry-pan-premium-clad/ have had it 2 years now, I expect it to last a lifetime

I'd also buy Demeyer stainless.

i mainly have Le Creuset for my day to day. i have an okay ish 11 litre stock pot with a reasonably thick base for big batch stuff and a non stick frypan for when i want to make scrambled eggs.

the Le Creuset stuff ive had for 10+ years and they arent really showing any signs of wear.

Half of my Le Creuset stuff ive bought second hand or factory seconds and they are fine.

My next purchase is going to be an all clad stock pot because i want to be able to make 2 batches of stuff at the same time to cut down on my cooking a bit.

i tried the cast iron frypans but my partner hated them, they didnt pass the wife test so i had to find something else.

I've got their French classic line. Good stuff.

Almost any tri-ply stainless cookware is going to outlast you. Cuisinart, Tramontina, Vollrath, or Calphalon all offer decent budget options. For premium options you have All-clad, Demeyere, Mauviel and several others exist.

Almost anything that isn't nonstick can outlast you if cared for even remotely.

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If you need knives grab a Victorinox fibrox. Even if you decide you want a "better" knife later you'll still find uses for the Vic. Don't buy knives as sets. Get the specific knives you need.

In terms of non stick nothing will last forever. I like circulon because of their lifetime warranty replacement program take a picture of the defect submit online and a new pan will show up in a few weeks.

I have a bunch of their triple clad and single clad stuff. It’s great but i still go to the cast iron for all things skillet

I lost my fucking mind reading this lol

What kind of stove do you have ? glass top , electric burner type , gas ? then we can recomend pans . As for me some things I use stainless steel and then I have the gotham pans and they work really well . Only dont burn them like my sister left a pan on the stove ... Boy howdy I had to open every window in my house to get the stank out of the air and the smoke ...

I too hate the rivets in our Kirkland stainless steel pans. Likely will never replace them at this point though since stainless pans last forever practically.

slowcooker: fire & forget

If you're in Europe, I would recommend having a look at a carbon steel pan (e.g. de buyer pro line), and at Falk pots, they're far superior to all-clad in the copper core department. Le creuset for a Dutch oven is great. Some Solingen knives like Wüstof or Güde. Rösle is great for steel utensils. Weck glasses for adaptable storage (hot/cold), plus they're oven safe and can be used with o-rings to serve as jam pots.

For people in Europe, have a look at Falk for a great copper core alternative. They use 1.9mm copper instead of less than 1mm in All-Clad, so it behaves even better and more like conventional copper cookware

A lot of people here recommend KitchenAid mixers, and I've got no doubt that they're great. I also really enjoy my Kenwood one with integrated scale and better attachments slot than the KitchenAid. Comes with a powerful blender as well, maybe an alternative to a VitaMix although I've never tried them side by side

For this copper core are awesome, as they bring the copper performance to induction stoves. I prefer Falk over All-Clad though if you can get it. Otherwise Demeyere Atlantis is specifically optimized for Induction and has great pots regardless

I’m going to throw in here, this is something where it’s less about brand names and more about just finding something good. Many good brands have a range of products from Walmart crap to near-professional grade. In terms of stainless pots and pans, you want something with a multi-ply bottom(copper core or similar) that’s significantly thicker than the walls. It should have some good heft. Imagine using that pan to knock out an intruder, if there’s any doubt that the pan warps before the intruders head you want a heavier pan. While some good deals can be had from commercial products, the nice thing about home-marketed pot and pan sets is they’re usually designed to nest well to minimize the storage space needed.

FEIW, I’ve got Kitchen Aid and a Jaimie Oliver branded sets at home. Happy with both heavy multi-layer bottoms, reasonably comfortable handles(the Jamie Oliver handles are a little weird, but it’s not like a knife where you’re holding the handle the whole time), and I’m sure both will last my lifetime for home use.

If there is a seam where the base attaches to the pan it’s not BIFL. All clad is one of those cases where you pay a premium for the name but the quality is second to none.

enameled cast iron dutch oven, even better.

I prefer the Kirkland 5 ply copper core pans for my cheap pans.

You have to assume teflon pans are disposable, they're not BIFL.

I’ve only seen that de-laminate once, and it was a commercial product that most likely saw more use and miss-use than a non-commercial product is likely to ever see.

My 100% steel saute pan is going strong 10 years.

But do not get the copper lined all clads, the sheets of steel & copper separate and bubble after only a year or so of heavy use.

the best thing about stainless is that you dont have to care for em more or less at all

HomeandCookSales is the direct from the factory site to purchase All-Clad seconds. These pans might have a slight scratch, very minor dent or just the packaging is imperfect.

You have to sign up for notification of their sales. They run sales very frequently. You can save 50%. I’ve purchased all my pans from this site and haven’t received one with any major blemish. Most have been perfect.

Prices are cheaper than finding them at HomeGoods or TJMaxx.

I have an oval six quart enamel Dutch oven that we bought 16 years ago for $50 at World Market. It’s a work horse! I choose it over my LC time and again. It’s SO HEAVY.

>A container of BarKeeper’s Friend

This is the real pro tip; this stuff will get the pans looking as good as the day you got them (arguably better if you acquired them second hand). And as far as I can tell, the product itself isn't particularly harmful to metal so you can clean them on a fairly regular basis without wearing them down.

Definitely don't replace your Lodge, if anything compliment it with a larger and/or wider enameled cast iron. I don't think you'll see enough of a difference to justify getting rid of what you already have.

>She had it shining like brand new the next day with no scratches nor sign of wear.

Barkeeper's friend coming through to save stainless steel cookware yet again!

Yep! That stuff must be magic to clean up what I did.

La creuset, especially for a Dutch oven

I've been debating about buying those. You recommend them?

I have a couple warped pans that I thought were caused by taking the pan from the heat and running water on them (I know, not a good idea, but I am not the only one in the house using these pans). Maybe now it was caused by the electric range. Is there a set or style of cookware better suited for this type of heat?

So I got a set of the copper core all clad as a wedding gift, but it didn’t come with a 4qt pot. This pot alone is 400 but the Kirkland set was 179, and came with a 4qt pot. So now I have a lot of extra pans. The Kirkland ones are nice, and I would say a bifl product. I just primarily prefer my all clad because they just feel better in my hands

My Tramontina tri-ply clad are 7 years old this month. I use them almost every day, only requiring the occasional deep scrub to clean stains from the bottoms.

To anybody afraid of cooking on stainless steel because “food sticks to it”, have patience: heat up the pan more before you put oil in it, and wait until the oil is shimmering before putting food in it. Skipping these steps only makes your life harder.

A cast iron potjie is a fun way to cook. It's a very witch looking cast iron cauldron, but it makes some amazing food. Give them a look if you want to try something new

I got a sweet LC set off eBay, it had a mix and match of lids with pots but now I’ve got great pots for life and wish list to hunt down

Le Creuset 7.25 enamaled cast iron. You can pretty much do anything you want with it, and it will outlast you. Its why its considered a generational pot.

Really hard to say without knowing what else you have and what kind of stuff you cook. Most cookware that isn't teflon coated or some kind of new coating promoted in made-for-TV ads is at least BIF a long time. Here are some ideas:

• All-Clad stainless steel pans and skillets
  • Made In is a slightly cheaper option
  • Stainless in general is pretty tough. You can get a lot of mileage out of cheap stuff found at Costco or wal-mart even.
• Le Creuset enameled cast iron (usually just the pots and baking dishes)
  • Cuisinart is a cheaper option that should still last years, but it will chip away eventually
• De Buyer carbon steel pans and skillets
  • Made-In is a slightly cheaper option
  • I'm slowly replacing some of my pans and skillets with De Buyer carbon versions
• Also, if you're young and just starting out with stocking your kitchen gear, do NOT worry about sets of cookware. No one cares if your pots and pans match. The ONLY reason to care about it is if you're very limited on storage space. Some of the sets nest better and have shared lids, so they can be more space efficient. Otherwise, just order single pieces to fit your needs.

Cantonese style carbon steel wok.

Sweet. I'm working with hand me down Teflon pans that should've been thrown away 4 years ago. I've been socking money away to buy a set but didn't know which one to go with.

I'll probably get the Kirkland set now to get rid of my Teflon and then I'll go from there.

Thanks!

I'm really excited to get mine in from Amazon. Couldn't find one locally, but I held their "Professional" aluminum non-stick at Walmart and was impressed. It was easily the thickest aluminum pan at the store with a wonderful long handle. I'm very confident I will love the stainless pan.

My mom still uses her cuisinart pots she got when she was married 42 years ago. My set is still going strong as well, even if they’re only like 12 years old.

Seeing Zwilling as a German brand there, I’d add Fissler… bit more pricey but they are working forever. https://www.fissler.com/us/

Buy a whole set of cast iron cookware. Either that or all clad.

We got a set of Anolon 5-ply a few years ago. Works just as good as All Clad and basically half the cost.

Let’s open a sidebar discussion….

I’m a big time baker from biscuits to cookies, pies, bread, rolls, everything. I bake probably 3-4 times a week but I’m hand mixing and kneading. Is a kitchen aid mixer worth the price? With how much we cook, I’d want to get the professional mixer but can’t get past the price tag, last I checked the pro mixers were $600. Is this a justifiable expense?

I'm not familiar with Fissler, but based on the link their non-stick isn't much more expensive than the Zwilling Madura Plus line.

Get a used one off Fb Marketplace for $150. The Pro ones are kinda too big for me to store so I’ve been happy with the smaller one

Our All-Clad pots/pans are the workhorses of our kitchen. Got a 7-piece collection (2 skillets, 1 saucepan, 2 pots w/lids) as wedding gifts 15 years ago. Have used them daily and they look almost as good as new. A wonderful investment in any cook’s kitchen.

d3 or d5 or copper or what kind? I could probably do the D3 but the others are a little pricey but sound like they're worth it.

Zwilling is good, I have lots of kitchen stuff from them

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I was asking myself the same question and I think it depends. If you have mobility issues or if you feel your hands starting to hurt, then it's worth it because you can't put a price tag on your health. But if kneading by hand doesn't bother you (and I'm assuming you use a normal mixer for beating egg whites, whipping cream etc) then you don't need to spend 500-600$.

I am starting to feel some pain in my hands so I was considering it. What confuses me is that I follow some cooking channels (some I've followed for 12-13 years) and I don't see the same KitchenAid being used. After a few years they end up getting a new one and it makes me uneasy. If I spend this much, I'd expect it to last 15-20 years used a few times a week. Maybe my expectations are wrong. 😂😂

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A stainless steel set with pots and pans (how big of a set depends on your cooking habits).

I have a tramontina set, tri-ply base and all metal including the handles of the pots/pans and the handle of the lids and it's great quality. I can make anything from soups, stews, risotto, pasta sauce, prawns or fish in them. Things don't stick and they clean easily.

Pick a brand without necessarily following brand names given here. The same brand can have amazing products and crappier ones. Just make sure whatever you get has a thick bottom so things don't stick and there are no plastic handles.

And pyrex food containers. They're borosilicate so they can go in the freezer and the oven as well (without the lid). They're also dishwasher safe.

In addition to the all clad, get a couple of good carbon steel pans. Season them like you would cast iron.

Absolutely nothing non-stick.

Stainless steel from Made-In, Misen, Viking….or All-Clad if you care about brand name.

Cuisinart makes a decent budget brand

All-Clad are priced high due to name recognition. Not saying they’re bad, but you gotta know you’re paying for that

I feel the same way. I do like to bifl as much as possible and spending $600 on something I have to replace in 5 years is not what I call economical. If I could get 10-15 years out of it, I think that’s feasible, honestly considering how much quicker and easier it is. That’s, what, $60/year for faster and easier, less exhausting baking, sounds alright to me but it depends on the circumstances of course.

Yeah 10-15 years when using a few times a week would make it a good investment. I'd like to hear if anyone has one that has been used like this and has lasted a similar amount of time.

I've seen positive unboxing reviews so I don't doubt it's a beast power wise. The longevity bit is what I'd need confirmation on.

If you're baking that much I would for sure recommend a kitchen aid. It makes things so much easier. My wife got one awhile back and that thing is an absolute monster of machine.

Mauviel stainless M’Cook line or of course, their copper line. Both amazing and heirloom type of stuff. We have their stainless stuff in our kitchen and it’s battleship quality. Staub for any and all things enameled cast iron. I have their XL Dutch oven and use it for Sunday sauces, roasts and everything in between. My absolute favorite piece of cookware.

Did a deep dive into research a couple of weeks ago and the overwhelming evidence points to Tramontina being a significantly better value than All Clad, almost always ranking par or a hair below -- for half (or less than half) the price. Just make sure you always buy the "made in Brazil" sets and not the ones made in China.

Bought a 12 piece Tramontina set as a result. Only got it a few days ago but it was $300 CAD very well spent, IMO.

For that frequency, I'd probably get one. I use mine less frequently, but I like it a lot. Especially for kneading. The only downside is that it doesn't work well with small volumes.

I do have the pro model, and they are expensive. Maybe a used or refurbished one would do the trick.

We also have a smaller hand mixer we use probably just as often (if I'm being honest).

Mine are 10.

I've not bothered to keep them shiny looking (just use Barkeeper friend regularly though if that matters to you), but they work beautifully and are just as solid as when I bought them.

The big difference is durability.

If you wear out the Lodge, upgrade.

I really don't enjoy the KitchenAid for doughs. I've had trouble with the motor overheating sometimes and with the dough climbing the hook and getting warm. I'm sure some of this is user error, but I just felt like I'd rather be kneading than troubleshooting a device.

It's absolutely incredible at buttercream and meringues, but that's true of their bottom of the line ones too.

I've used a nice pro 6 qt model and a 4.5 qt super basic one enough to compare. I didn't even try bread dough in the smaller one though.

Better value for sure.

Good deal on that set! Congrats! 3 saucepans, small stock pot, skillet with lid, saute pan with lid? Just taking a guess.

In laws got us an impact bonded (aka disc-clad) set by Heritage (made by Starfrit) from Canadian Tire for Christmas. The plan is to replace the little skillet (8 inch?) with Tramontina's 12 inch 3 ply and eventually add a quality 3 ply saucier. Disc clad is fine for saucepans.

I sure could have used the 12 inch today! My "chef's plate" meal was pan seared chicken with a pan sauce. I used my 12 inch lodge skillet, but I think stainless would have been better in this case.

Great list. Thank you!

America's Test Kitchen has some informative videos on YouTube about enameled dutch ovens too. I believe they landed on LC as the best from their tests.

Yes it is the brand. Don't be afraid of Misen or Made In either. Heck, even Cuisinart has some decent clad pans. Look for 18/10 stainless steel with aluminum or copper sandwiches between layers.

Edit to say 18/10 stainless

For sure. If ain't broke don't replace it, but when/if I do I'll probably go for LC.. My gf makes some amazing soups in ours and it's a key piece of cookware for sure!

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I've been using cast iron daily for about 15 years and prefer either a glass or stainless lid on my skillets for most situations (at least for normal cooking indoors).

since the lid isn't actually a cooking surface it doesn't benefit from seasoning, and often lids are getting exposed to a lot of steam. my cast iron lids often get rusty for this reason.

Seems like you know what you're doing, but for everyone else here, you will never get your carbon steel as nonstick as Teflon.

You can absolutely get a great seasoning that works for whatever it is you want to cook, but it will never be Teflon.

That’s true. Sorry for not providing context. I guess I should have said that I don’t use nonstick every day. For me they’re sort of specialty cookware.

I don’t use them for low-fat or no-fat sautéing/pan frying, or anything that pushes my nonstick to the limits of what Teflon is capable of. But for eggs, fried rice, potstickers and heating up the occasional pan of leftover pasta or whatever, in my experience, carbon steel does the job just fine - and those uses are about 90% of what I do with my Teflon coated pans.

So for some who want to fry, sautee or blacken stuff with little/no oil, you’re right, Teflon and carbon steel aren’t interchangeable. I was looking at the issue through the narrow lens of my own cooking habits. My bad!

FWIW, I also like that with carbon steel, I’ll be able to safely use metal utensils without ruining the pan. Always afraid I’m going to have a brain fart and scratch up the Teflon coating by grabbing the wrong spatula.

Picked up the best stockpot I've ever had at Homesense a few months ago. All-Clad D3 8-qt. It was marked down to $148 Canadian because there were some minor scratches on the underside of the lid.