Hello all and thank you for your time.

I know this has been discussed before but I needed a dumbed down
version. My husband and I are very novice when it comes to cooking.
That said, we have gone through our second set of teflon pots and pans.
Noodles are sticking the the large pot and the pans have scratches
(thanks to hubby using metal forks!). We saute a lot with our pans and
cook a lot of eggs.

So here's the question. I want to buy a new set of pots and pans. I
know some don't like sets but for me they are easier and cheaper. What
should I get, teflon or stainless steel? What brands should I look for
(I would like the whole set to be under $200)?

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Sunshine

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello all and thank you for your time.

I know this has been discussed before but I needed a dumbed down
version. My husband and I are very novice when it comes to cooking.
That said, we have gone through our second set of teflon pots and pans.
Noodles are sticking the the large pot and the pans have scratches
(thanks to hubby using metal forks!). We saute a lot with our pans and
cook a lot of eggs.

So here's the question. I want to buy a new set of pots and pans. I
know some don't like sets but for me they are easier and cheaper. What
should I get, teflon or stainless steel? What brands should I look for
(I would like the whole set to be under $200)?

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Sunshine


One reason your pans did not last long is probably because they were a low
price brand and hence low quality. I have non-stick pans that are 13 years
old and still in excellent shape (Circulon). The fact is that good pans are
expensive, there's no getting around it. But look, you have already bought 2
sets of inexpensive pans and now have to replace them. What if you had taken
that money, plus the money you will be spending now, and bought a few top
quality pans? You'd have pans that are a joy to use and that will last for
many years if not decades. A $200 set may seem cheap but in the long run it
will cost more.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello all and thank you for your time.

I know this has been discussed before but I needed a dumbed down
version. My husband and I are very novice when it comes to cooking.
That said, we have gone through our second set of teflon pots and pans.
Noodles are sticking the the large pot and the pans have scratches
(thanks to hubby using metal forks!). We saute a lot with our pans and
cook a lot of eggs.

So here's the question. I want to buy a new set of pots and pans. I
know some don't like sets but for me they are easier and cheaper. What
should I get, teflon or stainless steel? What brands should I look for
(I would like the whole set to be under $200)?

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Sunshine


One reason your pans did not last long is probably because they were a low
price brand and hence low quality. I have non-stick pans that are 13 years
old and still in excellent shape (Circulon). The fact is that good pans are
expensive, there's no getting around it. But look, you have already bought 2
sets of inexpensive pans and now have to replace them. What if you had taken
that money, plus the money you will be spending now, and bought a few top
quality pans? You'd have pans that are a joy to use and that will last for
many years if not decades. A $200 set may seem cheap but in the long run it
will cost more.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello all and thank you for your time.

I know this has been discussed before but I needed a dumbed down
version. My husband and I are very novice when it comes to cooking.
That said, we have gone through our second set of teflon pots and pans.
Noodles are sticking the the large pot and the pans have scratches
(thanks to hubby using metal forks!). We saute a lot with our pans and
cook a lot of eggs.

So here's the question. I want to buy a new set of pots and pans. I
know some don't like sets but for me they are easier and cheaper. What
should I get, teflon or stainless steel? What brands should I look for
(I would like the whole set to be under $200)?

Any suggestions?


I have Wolfgang Puck cookware from HSN. It is SS and performs very well.
I've used it for about 5 years and have no regrets. You can get a starter
set for around $100 and then fill in with any specialty pieces you many need
from open stock. You can see the sets he http://tinyurl.com/6qatf
They usually have a wide variety of sets, but for some reason there are
really only two offered now: the starter set and a gigantic set for $300

I think you have learned the lesson of non-stick pans. Even very expensive
ones don't perform that well in the long run. I have a couple small omelet
pans that I use on rare occasions. I find that I don't need non-stick pans
for most cooking. In addition to the WP cookware, I have a large cast iron
skillet. It is nearly as non-stick as the coated pans.

You might consider modifying your technique if you find things are sticking.
I heat the pan and then add some oil. I never have problems with food
sticking and the pans clean-up very easily.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello all and thank you for your time.

I know this has been discussed before but I needed a dumbed down
version. My husband and I are very novice when it comes to cooking.
That said, we have gone through our second set of teflon pots and pans.
Noodles are sticking the the large pot and the pans have scratches
(thanks to hubby using metal forks!). We saute a lot with our pans and
cook a lot of eggs.

So here's the question. I want to buy a new set of pots and pans. I
know some don't like sets but for me they are easier and cheaper. What
should I get, teflon or stainless steel? What brands should I look for
(I would like the whole set to be under $200)?

Any suggestions?


I have Wolfgang Puck cookware from HSN. It is SS and performs very well.
I've used it for about 5 years and have no regrets. You can get a starter
set for around $100 and then fill in with any specialty pieces you many need
from open stock. You can see the sets he http://tinyurl.com/6qatf
They usually have a wide variety of sets, but for some reason there are
really only two offered now: the starter set and a gigantic set for $300

I think you have learned the lesson of non-stick pans. Even very expensive
ones don't perform that well in the long run. I have a couple small omelet
pans that I use on rare occasions. I find that I don't need non-stick pans
for most cooking. In addition to the WP cookware, I have a large cast iron
skillet. It is nearly as non-stick as the coated pans.

You might consider modifying your technique if you find things are sticking.
I heat the pan and then add some oil. I never have problems with food
sticking and the pans clean-up very easily.

On Wed, 06 Apr 2005 13:57:20 GMT, "Peter Aitken"
wrote:

wrote in message
roups.com...
So here's the question. I want to buy a new set of pots and pans. I
know some don't like sets but for me they are easier and cheaper. What
should I get, teflon or stainless steel? What brands should I look for
(I would like the whole set to be under $200)?

One reason your pans did not last long is probably because they were a low
price brand and hence low quality. I have non-stick pans that are 13 years
old and still in excellent shape (Circulon). The fact is that good pans are
expensive, there's no getting around it. But look, you have already bought 2
sets of inexpensive pans and now have to replace them. What if you had taken
that money, plus the money you will be spending now, and bought a few top
quality pans? You'd have pans that are a joy to use and that will last for
many years if not decades. A $200 set may seem cheap but in the long run it
will cost more.

Yes, and you can find Circulon pans discounted significantly at places
like TJMaxx or Marshall's or Tuesday Morning clearance stores.
They'll be individual pans, not sets, so just buy a couple.

On Wed, 06 Apr 2005 13:57:20 GMT, "Peter Aitken"
wrote:

wrote in message
roups.com...
So here's the question. I want to buy a new set of pots and pans. I
know some don't like sets but for me they are easier and cheaper. What
should I get, teflon or stainless steel? What brands should I look for
(I would like the whole set to be under $200)?

One reason your pans did not last long is probably because they were a low
price brand and hence low quality. I have non-stick pans that are 13 years
old and still in excellent shape (Circulon). The fact is that good pans are
expensive, there's no getting around it. But look, you have already bought 2
sets of inexpensive pans and now have to replace them. What if you had taken
that money, plus the money you will be spending now, and bought a few top
quality pans? You'd have pans that are a joy to use and that will last for
many years if not decades. A $200 set may seem cheap but in the long run it
will cost more.

Yes, and you can find Circulon pans discounted significantly at places
like TJMaxx or Marshall's or Tuesday Morning clearance stores.
They'll be individual pans, not sets, so just buy a couple.

"Vox Humana" wrote:
You might consider modifying your technique if you find things are
sticking.
I heat the pan and then add some oil. I never have problems with food
sticking and the pans clean-up very easily.

I gave up the last of my nonstick cookware about a decade ago and haven't
looked back. Maybe I'm a lot more careful and attentive about my cooking,
but I rarely have a problem cleaning up a pan. I have a variety with
stainless, carbon steel, cast iron, or porcelain enamel interiors.

Sometimes I wonder why people seem to have this aversion to using fats (oil
or otherwise) in a pan, and then they drown a salad in dressing or slather
mayonnaise on a sandwich until it oozes out the sides. It doesn't take much
fat to prevent sticking, certainly less than the amount of fat that occurs
in foods otherwise.

On the common problem of eggs sticking in pans, I have the opposite problem
for some reason with omelets. I use the classic French carbon steel omelet
pan with butter. It is just too slippery. I've tried to get the omelet to
"roll up" by shaking the pan in the proscribed manner... it just wants to
slide right out of the pan! ;-) Not enough stickyness, I would think.

"Vox Humana" wrote:
You might consider modifying your technique if you find things are
sticking.
I heat the pan and then add some oil. I never have problems with food
sticking and the pans clean-up very easily.

I gave up the last of my nonstick cookware about a decade ago and haven't
looked back. Maybe I'm a lot more careful and attentive about my cooking,
but I rarely have a problem cleaning up a pan. I have a variety with
stainless, carbon steel, cast iron, or porcelain enamel interiors.

Sometimes I wonder why people seem to have this aversion to using fats (oil
or otherwise) in a pan, and then they drown a salad in dressing or slather
mayonnaise on a sandwich until it oozes out the sides. It doesn't take much
fat to prevent sticking, certainly less than the amount of fat that occurs
in foods otherwise.

On the common problem of eggs sticking in pans, I have the opposite problem
for some reason with omelets. I use the classic French carbon steel omelet
pan with butter. It is just too slippery. I've tried to get the omelet to
"roll up" by shaking the pan in the proscribed manner... it just wants to
slide right out of the pan! ;-) Not enough stickyness, I would think.

"wff_ng_6" wrote in message
news:mGT4e.48$Zn3.29@trnddc02...
"Vox Humana" wrote:
You might consider modifying your technique if you find things are
sticking.
I heat the pan and then add some oil. I never have problems with food
sticking and the pans clean-up very easily.

I gave up the last of my nonstick cookware about a decade ago and haven't
looked back. Maybe I'm a lot more careful and attentive about my cooking,
but I rarely have a problem cleaning up a pan. I have a variety with
stainless, carbon steel, cast iron, or porcelain enamel interiors.

Sometimes I wonder why people seem to have this aversion to using fats
(oil
or otherwise) in a pan, and then they drown a salad in dressing or slather
mayonnaise on a sandwich until it oozes out the sides. It doesn't take
much
fat to prevent sticking, certainly less than the amount of fat that occurs
in foods otherwise.

On the common problem of eggs sticking in pans, I have the opposite
problem
for some reason with omelets. I use the classic French carbon steel omelet
pan with butter. It is just too slippery. I've tried to get the omelet to
"roll up" by shaking the pan in the proscribed manner... it just wants to
slide right out of the pan! ;-) Not enough stickyness, I would think.


I totally agree. I'm not adverse to using some oil, but for convenience, I
put vegetable oil in a small spray bottle. That allows me to quickly
distribute a controlled amount of oil over a large area - and it is very
inexpensive. My expensive, tri-ply non-stick pans almost never come out of
the cabinet. I might use them for crepes, but honestly, how often do most
people make crepes?

"wff_ng_6" wrote in message
news:mGT4e.48$Zn3.29@trnddc02...
"Vox Humana" wrote:
You might consider modifying your technique if you find things are
sticking.
I heat the pan and then add some oil. I never have problems with food
sticking and the pans clean-up very easily.

I gave up the last of my nonstick cookware about a decade ago and haven't
looked back. Maybe I'm a lot more careful and attentive about my cooking,
but I rarely have a problem cleaning up a pan. I have a variety with
stainless, carbon steel, cast iron, or porcelain enamel interiors.

Sometimes I wonder why people seem to have this aversion to using fats
(oil
or otherwise) in a pan, and then they drown a salad in dressing or slather
mayonnaise on a sandwich until it oozes out the sides. It doesn't take
much
fat to prevent sticking, certainly less than the amount of fat that occurs
in foods otherwise.

On the common problem of eggs sticking in pans, I have the opposite
problem
for some reason with omelets. I use the classic French carbon steel omelet
pan with butter. It is just too slippery. I've tried to get the omelet to
"roll up" by shaking the pan in the proscribed manner... it just wants to
slide right out of the pan! ;-) Not enough stickyness, I would think.


I totally agree. I'm not adverse to using some oil, but for convenience, I
put vegetable oil in a small spray bottle. That allows me to quickly
distribute a controlled amount of oil over a large area - and it is very
inexpensive. My expensive, tri-ply non-stick pans almost never come out of
the cabinet. I might use them for crepes, but honestly, how often do most
people make crepes?

"Vox Humana" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello all and thank you for your time.

I know this has been discussed before but I needed a dumbed down
version. My husband and I are very novice when it comes to cooking.
That said, we have gone through our second set of teflon pots and pans.
Noodles are sticking the the large pot and the pans have scratches
(thanks to hubby using metal forks!). We saute a lot with our pans and
cook a lot of eggs.

So here's the question. I want to buy a new set of pots and pans. I
know some don't like sets but for me they are easier and cheaper. What
should I get, teflon or stainless steel? What brands should I look for
(I would like the whole set to be under $200)?

Any suggestions?


I have Wolfgang Puck cookware from HSN. It is SS and performs very well.
I've used it for about 5 years and have no regrets. You can get a starter
set for around $100 and then fill in with any specialty pieces you many
need
from open stock. You can see the sets he http://tinyurl.com/6qatf
They usually have a wide variety of sets, but for some reason there are
really only two offered now: the starter set and a gigantic set for $300

I think you have learned the lesson of non-stick pans. Even very
expensive
ones don't perform that well in the long run. I have a couple small
omelet
pans that I use on rare occasions. I find that I don't need non-stick
pans
for most cooking. In addition to the WP cookware, I have a large cast
iron
skillet. It is nearly as non-stick as the coated pans.

You might consider modifying your technique if you find things are
sticking.
I heat the pan and then add some oil. I never have problems with food
sticking and the pans clean-up very easily.

Re Wolfgang Puck, I saw a complete set of pans of his brand at BJ's
yesterday; I believe they were under $200 -- perhaps somewhere between $139
& $200; I can't remember, except I picked up one or two pans.

Re Circulon - I bought perhaps 4 circulon, but don't use any of them now
except one little frypan which I put a lot of oil in to saute garlic. I
must've cooked food at too high a heat and all of the food stuck and burned
into the rings of the pan. Some will say it's my fault in my method of
cooking -- that may be true -- that's for others to decide without seeing my
method of cooking. But at any rate, I've been cooking with non-stick for
about 2 years now of a set of Kirkland-Professional $200 for a set of 10,
and have liked it, but I think I will eventually go back to stainless steel;
but a good set; there is a set now at Costco -- very heavy which I like --
around $200 also. It has a little copper ring on the outside of the pans.
Some of the pans are a little curvy and I'm not sure about whether I could
live with the design.
I looked at All-Clad yesterday, too, while I was shopping, and never had
looked seriously at it before; all the prices marked down quite a lot. But
I think might be what the do to sell it? - I don't know. But, I will pass
on All-Clad, too.
Good luck,
Dee
Dee

"Vox Humana" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello all and thank you for your time.

I know this has been discussed before but I needed a dumbed down
version. My husband and I are very novice when it comes to cooking.
That said, we have gone through our second set of teflon pots and pans.
Noodles are sticking the the large pot and the pans have scratches
(thanks to hubby using metal forks!). We saute a lot with our pans and
cook a lot of eggs.

So here's the question. I want to buy a new set of pots and pans. I
know some don't like sets but for me they are easier and cheaper. What
should I get, teflon or stainless steel? What brands should I look for
(I would like the whole set to be under $200)?

Any suggestions?


I have Wolfgang Puck cookware from HSN. It is SS and performs very well.
I've used it for about 5 years and have no regrets. You can get a starter
set for around $100 and then fill in with any specialty pieces you many
need
from open stock. You can see the sets he http://tinyurl.com/6qatf
They usually have a wide variety of sets, but for some reason there are
really only two offered now: the starter set and a gigantic set for $300

I think you have learned the lesson of non-stick pans. Even very
expensive
ones don't perform that well in the long run. I have a couple small
omelet
pans that I use on rare occasions. I find that I don't need non-stick
pans
for most cooking. In addition to the WP cookware, I have a large cast
iron
skillet. It is nearly as non-stick as the coated pans.

You might consider modifying your technique if you find things are
sticking.
I heat the pan and then add some oil. I never have problems with food
sticking and the pans clean-up very easily.

Re Wolfgang Puck, I saw a complete set of pans of his brand at BJ's
yesterday; I believe they were under $200 -- perhaps somewhere between $139
& $200; I can't remember, except I picked up one or two pans.

Re Circulon - I bought perhaps 4 circulon, but don't use any of them now
except one little frypan which I put a lot of oil in to saute garlic. I
must've cooked food at too high a heat and all of the food stuck and burned
into the rings of the pan. Some will say it's my fault in my method of
cooking -- that may be true -- that's for others to decide without seeing my
method of cooking. But at any rate, I've been cooking with non-stick for
about 2 years now of a set of Kirkland-Professional $200 for a set of 10,
and have liked it, but I think I will eventually go back to stainless steel;
but a good set; there is a set now at Costco -- very heavy which I like --
around $200 also. It has a little copper ring on the outside of the pans.
Some of the pans are a little curvy and I'm not sure about whether I could
live with the design.
I looked at All-Clad yesterday, too, while I was shopping, and never had
looked seriously at it before; all the prices marked down quite a lot. But
I think might be what the do to sell it? - I don't know. But, I will pass
on All-Clad, too.
Good luck,
Dee
Dee

"Vox Humana" wrote:
I totally agree. I'm not adverse to using some oil, but for convenience,
I
put vegetable oil in a small spray bottle. That allows me to quickly
distribute a controlled amount of oil over a large area - and it is very
inexpensive. My expensive, tri-ply non-stick pans almost never come out
of
the cabinet. I might use them for crepes, but honestly, how often do most
people make crepes?

Not very often... that reminds me, I should make them again soon. But my
crepe pans are also of the carbon steel type. I'm too impatient to get the
whole batch of them all cooked, so I use two pans at the same time,
alternating from one to the other as I go.

Speaking of little ideas for convenience, I keep two small squeeze bottles,
one of a cornstarch and water mixture, the other of lemon juice. When I'm
making a pan sauce, the amount of liquid never corresponds to what any
recipe would say. I just squeeze a little cornstarch/water mix in at a time
until I've got the right consistency. Same with the lemon juice, just
squeeze a little in until it has exactly the right tang I'm looking for.

"Vox Humana" wrote:
I totally agree. I'm not adverse to using some oil, but for convenience,
I
put vegetable oil in a small spray bottle. That allows me to quickly
distribute a controlled amount of oil over a large area - and it is very
inexpensive. My expensive, tri-ply non-stick pans almost never come out
of
the cabinet. I might use them for crepes, but honestly, how often do most
people make crepes?

Not very often... that reminds me, I should make them again soon. But my
crepe pans are also of the carbon steel type. I'm too impatient to get the
whole batch of them all cooked, so I use two pans at the same time,
alternating from one to the other as I go.

Speaking of little ideas for convenience, I keep two small squeeze bottles,
one of a cornstarch and water mixture, the other of lemon juice. When I'm
making a pan sauce, the amount of liquid never corresponds to what any
recipe would say. I just squeeze a little cornstarch/water mix in at a time
until I've got the right consistency. Same with the lemon juice, just
squeeze a little in until it has exactly the right tang I'm looking for.