I was browsing the Kitchens Etc. store today looking for egg cups, but I
took a quick stroll around the pots and pans. My cookware of choice is
All Clad (stainless steel, have 4 pieces to date, think they're fabu),
but I notice a lot of manufs. have a stainless steel line.

Tonight, I saw the Viking line of ss pans, very impressive looking,
shiny and heavy. (I knew Viking made ranges and other kitchen
appliances but never knew they made cookware, too.) I know Cuisinart
has a line of heavy ss, too.

Do you really think there's a major difference between top of the line
items? I was just thinking that I have cast iron pans made from
different manufacturers, and they're more or less identical in
performance.

-j.

I haven't cooked in the various "big" name stainless cookware for many
years. During college, I used the cheap Revere brand which got things hot.
Bad stoves and marginal pans were usually good for a outline of the electric
burner coil with anything I cooked that wasn't totally liquid.

Anyway, I graduated college and got a Calphalon "try me" pan. Wow, what a
difference! Hard Anodized aluminum is a little bit of pain to hand wash
but, it sure cooks nice. Nice even heat throughout the pan, even on small
burners. No scorching or burning except when I do something really extreme
(and stupid ;-). It heats quickly as well so, it is very good for a quick
meal.

I like my Lodge cast iron as well but, it is a totally different cooking
experience. It takes a long time to heat up and stays hot a long time when
removed from the heat. But, there is nothing like a well seasoned piece of
cast iron. Tried La Crueset once but, had mixed feelings. Enameled cast
iron, hmmmm......

Sid


"June Oshiro" > wrote in message
...
> I was browsing the Kitchens Etc. store today looking for egg cups, but I
> took a quick stroll around the pots and pans. My cookware of choice is
> All Clad (stainless steel, have 4 pieces to date, think they're fabu),
> but I notice a lot of manufs. have a stainless steel line.
>
> Tonight, I saw the Viking line of ss pans, very impressive looking,
> shiny and heavy. (I knew Viking made ranges and other kitchen
> appliances but never knew they made cookware, too.) I know Cuisinart
> has a line of heavy ss, too.
>
> Do you really think there's a major difference between top of the line
> items? I was just thinking that I have cast iron pans made from
> different manufacturers, and they're more or less identical in
> performance.
>
> -j.
>

Sidney wrote:
> I haven't cooked in the various "big" name stainless cookware for many
> years. During college, I used the cheap Revere brand which got
> things hot. Bad stoves and marginal pans were usually good for a
> outline of the electric burner coil with anything I cooked that
> wasn't totally liquid.
>
> Anyway, I graduated college and got a Calphalon "try me" pan. Wow,
> what a difference! Hard Anodized aluminum is a little bit of pain to
> hand wash but, it sure cooks nice. Nice even heat throughout the
> pan, even on small burners. No scorching or burning except when I do
> something really extreme (and stupid ;-). It heats quickly as well
> so, it is very good for a quick meal.
>
> I like my Lodge cast iron as well but, it is a totally different
> cooking experience. It takes a long time to heat up and stays hot a
> long time when removed from the heat. But, there is nothing like a
> well seasoned piece of cast iron. Tried La Crueset once but, had
> mixed feelings. Enameled cast iron, hmmmm......
>
> Sid
>
I guess it depends on from which college you graduated. I despise
hard-anodized cookware. It's terrible to keep clean and has those awful
plastic handles.

Love my cast iron. I do have Revere stainless which I bought 20+ years ago
and works perfectly well for everyday cooking. Mom has Revere she's owned
for over 50 years.

The one thing I love about cast iron is, if your electricity goes out for a
number of days, you can cook just as easily on the grill or over a wood
fire. I realize this is not a normal situation. But it happened to me back
in July when Memphis was hit with a freaky storm and even the office shut
down for days. I was without electricity for 5 days. Cast iron saved the
day! I was cooking breakfast on a cast iron griddle on the grill, first
bacon, then eggs, then baking hot water cornbread with the bacon drippings.
I steamed rice and grilled veggies... Imagine if Y2K had actually been an
event... would Calphalon have made the grade?

Jill

>
> "June Oshiro" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I was browsing the Kitchens Etc. store today looking for egg cups,
>> but I took a quick stroll around the pots and pans. My cookware of
>> choice is All Clad (stainless steel, have 4 pieces to date, think
>> they're fabu), but I notice a lot of manufs. have a stainless steel
>> line.
>>
>> Tonight, I saw the Viking line of ss pans, very impressive looking,
>> shiny and heavy. (I knew Viking made ranges and other kitchen
>> appliances but never knew they made cookware, too.) I know Cuisinart
>> has a line of heavy ss, too.
>>
>> Do you really think there's a major difference between top of the
>> line items? I was just thinking that I have cast iron pans made from
>> different manufacturers, and they're more or less identical in
>> performance.
>>
>> -j.

The Caphalon cookware I have does not have plastic handles, they are solid
riveted stainless steel. The non-stick Teflon coated Caphalon pans I have
are a breeze to clean by hand. The older ones that are not non-stick are
not that hard to clean. A scotchbrite cleaning pad and a little elbow
grease will take care of any mistakes I made cooking. Of course, I can add
water and boil for a little while too to loosen everything up and then I
wipe it out.

I suspect you have confused the pans I have with the cheapie hard anodized
pans made in no name factories by slave labor in other parts of the world.
There is a real difference in a good heavy piece of cookware compared to the
thin cheap counterparts.

I have used my Hard Anodized pans on my natural gas grill and my natural gas
cook top in the kitchen, in addition to poor quality electric stoves in
apartments that would burn the same food in Revere ware pans. I really
couldn't tell any difference on the natural gas except I didn't heat up the
kitchen, smell it up, etc. I suspect it would work well on my Coleman stove
too if I had a reason to try that but, Lodge cast iron seems more
appropriate for those cooking adventures ;-)

If you have a bad electric stove, a good set of premium cookware will go a
long way to masking the poor and uneven heating of the cooktop heating
elements if you are in an apartment and can't fix the stove top.

Sid

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
. ..
> I guess it depends on from which college you graduated. I despise
> hard-anodized cookware. It's terrible to keep clean and has those awful
> plastic handles.
>
> Love my cast iron. I do have Revere stainless which I bought 20+ years
ago
> and works perfectly well for everyday cooking. Mom has Revere she's owned
> for over 50 years.
>
> The one thing I love about cast iron is, if your electricity goes out for
a
> number of days, you can cook just as easily on the grill or over a wood
> fire. I realize this is not a normal situation. But it happened to me
back
> in July when Memphis was hit with a freaky storm and even the office shut
> down for days. I was without electricity for 5 days. Cast iron saved the
> day! I was cooking breakfast on a cast iron griddle on the grill, first
> bacon, then eggs, then baking hot water cornbread with the bacon
drippings.
> I steamed rice and grilled veggies... Imagine if Y2K had actually been an
> event... would Calphalon have made the grade?
>
> Jill
>
> >
> > "June Oshiro" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> I was browsing the Kitchens Etc. store today looking for egg cups,
> >> but I took a quick stroll around the pots and pans. My cookware of
> >> choice is All Clad (stainless steel, have 4 pieces to date, think
> >> they're fabu), but I notice a lot of manufs. have a stainless steel
> >> line.
> >>
> >> Tonight, I saw the Viking line of ss pans, very impressive looking,
> >> shiny and heavy. (I knew Viking made ranges and other kitchen
> >> appliances but never knew they made cookware, too.) I know Cuisinart
> >> has a line of heavy ss, too.
> >>
> >> Do you really think there's a major difference between top of the
> >> line items? I was just thinking that I have cast iron pans made from
> >> different manufacturers, and they're more or less identical in
> >> performance.
> >>
> >> -j.
>
>
>

In article >, June Oshiro
> writes:

>I was browsing the Kitchens Etc. store today looking for egg cups, but I
>took a quick stroll around the pots and pans. My cookware of choice is
>All Clad (stainless steel, have 4 pieces to date, think they're fabu),
>but I notice a lot of manufs. have a stainless steel line.
>
>Tonight, I saw the Viking line of ss pans, very impressive looking,
>shiny and heavy. (I knew Viking made ranges and other kitchen
>appliances but never knew they made cookware, too.) I know Cuisinart
>has a line of heavy ss, too.
>
>Do you really think there's a major difference between top of the line
>items?

Depends what you perceive as "top of the line". If you mean most expensive and
most heavily advertized than you are deluding yourself and in doing so missing
out on the top of the line performance at affordable prices enjoyed by
professional cooks. Instead of boutiques like Kitchens Etc. you may want to
consider checking out the products at your local restaurant supply emporiums.


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

Are there specific restaurant brands of cookware you recommend?

I agree that highly marked up cookware is not necessarily the best
performing. I guess the question is, where do you get the best cookware
from a source that doesn't mark it up so much or, takes inferior cookware
and marks it up to fool people because of the price and hype alone.

Williams-Sonoma is a nice place but, I don't buy my pans there. Mass
marketers deeply discount Calphalon which is what I found to be a good
compromise between hype, price, and performance.

Sid

"PENMART01" > wrote in message
...
> Depends what you perceive as "top of the line". If you mean most
expensive and
> most heavily advertized than you are deluding yourself and in doing so
missing
> out on the top of the line performance at affordable prices enjoyed by
> professional cooks. Instead of boutiques like Kitchens Etc. you may want
to
> consider checking out the products at your local restaurant supply
emporiums.

"PENMART01" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, June Oshiro
> > writes:
>
> >I was browsing the Kitchens Etc. store today looking for egg cups, but I
> >took a quick stroll around the pots and pans. My cookware of choice is
> >All Clad (stainless steel, have 4 pieces to date, think they're fabu),
> >but I notice a lot of manufs. have a stainless steel line.
> >
> >Tonight, I saw the Viking line of ss pans, very impressive looking,
> >shiny and heavy. (I knew Viking made ranges and other kitchen
> >appliances but never knew they made cookware, too.) I know Cuisinart
> >has a line of heavy ss, too.
> >
> >Do you really think there's a major difference between top of the line
> >items?
>
> Depends what you perceive as "top of the line". If you mean most
expensive and
> most heavily advertized than you are deluding yourself and in doing so
missing
> out on the top of the line performance at affordable prices enjoyed by
> professional cooks. Instead of boutiques like Kitchens Etc. you may want
to
> consider checking out the products at your local restaurant supply
emporiums.
>
Well chefs tend to buy things for their restaurants at restaurant supply
"emporia" but they tend to buy brands like All Clad for their own home
kitchens.

Fred
The Good Gourmet
http://www.thegoodgourmet.com

"Fred the Chump" writes:

>"PENMART01" wrote:
>> June Oshiro writes:
>>
>> >I was browsing the Kitchens Etc. store today looking for egg cups, but I
>> >took a quick stroll around the pots and pans. My cookware of choice is
>> >All Clad (stainless steel, have 4 pieces to date, think they're fabu),
>> >but I notice a lot of manufs. have a stainless steel line.
>> >
>> >Tonight, I saw the Viking line of ss pans, very impressive looking,
>> >shiny and heavy. (I knew Viking made ranges and other kitchen
>> >appliances but never knew they made cookware, too.) I know Cuisinart
>> >has a line of heavy ss, too.
>> >
>> >Do you really think there's a major difference between top of the line
>> >items?
>>
>>Depends what you perceive as "top of the line".
>>If you mean most expensive and most heavily
>>advertized than you are deluding yourself and
>>in doing so missing out on the top of the line
>>performance at affordable prices enjoyed by
>>professional cooks. Instead of boutiques like
>>Kitchens Etc. you may want to consider
>>checking out the products at your local
>>restaurant supplyemporiums.
>>
>Well chefs tend to buy things for their restaurants at restaurant supply
>"emporia" but they tend to buy brands like All Clad for their own home
>kitchens.
>
>Fred the Chump
>The Wood Gourami
>http://www.thewoodgourami.com

The fact that you happen to feed yourself by selling All-Crap wouldn't tend to
elicit that prejudicial and uncorroborative response, eh. Fact is those who
slave long hours earning a living cooking tend not to do any cooking at home.
Idiot.


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

>>June Oshiro
>> > writes:
>>
>> >I was browsing the Kitchens Etc. store today looking for egg cups, but I
>> >took a quick stroll around the pots and pans. My cookware of choice is
>> >All Clad (stainless steel, have 4 pieces to date, think they're fabu),
>> >but I notice a lot of manufs. have a stainless steel line.
>> >
>> >Tonight, I saw the Viking line...

>> >Do you really think there's a major difference between top of the line
>> >items?

Probably not much. Or any. In general, thick is better than thin. Some
lines have elaborate 'sandwiching' of different metals for "superior"
heat distribution combined with "easy cleaning." Or something. The
ideal is what you need/use. Consider things like sturdy, convenient,
oven-proof handles and knobs. Or dishwasher-proof ones. Tight-fitting
lids. A heavy pan is good; a too-heavy one is a chore. A dime-store
aluminum pot can boil water for pasta just as well as a $180 "top of
the line" item, if that's all you're planning for a stock pot.
Warrantees are nice, if you *should* happen to ruin a pot somehow.

I don't know about the quality/price of restaurant supply items,
'though the stores are *fascinating*. The 'Great Chefs of...' TV
series often showed accomplished chefs making terrific (looking) food
in battered ol' pans, which seemed to work fine. Some of the fancy
FoodTV chefs appear to start out with brand new equipment for each
show. Jamie Oliver's been using some kind (T-Fal) that has a red spot
in the middle, which, I believe, is supposed to change color when the
"right" cooking temperature is reached (right for what?, one wonders),
but never pays the slightest attention to it.

PENMART01 wrote:
> Depends what you perceive as "top of the line". If you mean most
expensive and
> most heavily advertized than you are deluding yourself and in doing
so missing
> out on the top of the line performance at affordable prices enjoyed by
> professional cooks.

Okay, then let me rephrase - is there an obvious difference (perceivable
by lay folks such as myself) between top of the line performance
restaurant supply pans and the most expensive heavily advertised
boutiquey cookware?

It's been a long time since I ventured into a restaurant supply shop
(NYC, about 8 yrs ago, near Chinatown iirc?), but I think I saw mostly
really thin aluminum pans that screamed "Disposable!" Maybe I was
shopping in the wrong part of town. I also remember seeing cookpots
that looked big enough to be an emergency substitute for a bathtub...


-j.

June Oshiro > writes:

>PENMART01 wrote:
>>Depends what you perceive as "top of the line". If you mean most
>>expensive and most heavily advertized than you are deluding yourself
>>and in doing so missing out on the top of the line performance at
>>affordable prices enjoyed by professional cooks.
>
>Okay, then let me rephrase - is there an obvious difference (perceivable
>by lay folks such as myself) between top of the line performance
>restaurant supply pans and the most expensive heavily advertised
>boutiquey cookware?

Obviously the most easily perceived difference is the much lower price of
non-boutique cookware, and as to performance, well that is mainly a product of
cooking skill regardless which cookware... if you have trouble frying an egg in
a $10 carbon steel skillet then you'll have the exact same difficulty frying
that same egg in a $200 All-Crap pan... simply means you can't cook. Most
cooking is classified in the "boiling water" catagory (soups, stews, pasta,
rice, veggies, etc.), no one needs any special cookware to cook things in
water, cooking dried beans or condensed soup requires no specail cookware, an
old empty coffee can will do as well as any fancy schmancy cookware you can
find, and cetainly no one needs a $400 stock pot... not unless yer talking a 90
liter vat.

The thing to do is allocate funds for cookware according to intended useage;
ie. a cheap stainless steel pot is perfect for boiling things like pasta,
potatoes, corn on the cob, preparing soups, stews, and stocks. For braising
cookware you may want to invest a few more bucks in something that ensures even
heating over long slow cooking times, and for fry pans you'll need an
assortment; a cheap as you can find non-stick jobby if you're into nearly
fatless fried eggs (like with eating egg yolks who gives a rat's b-hind over a
few grams butter), a couple inexpensive carbon steel (sm. & lge.) can cook most
anything like a fine stradivarious, and a fine quality heavy weight stainless
steel pan, one what can sear a steak and take oven use as well. Some folks
swear by cast iron cookware, I've sworn off those dinosaurs forever.

If you're the type who is into displaying cookware then by all means buy
matching sets, and of the most recognizable name brands you can find, the most
expensive ones. And get one of those huge pot racks you can affix to your
kitchen ceiling for displaying all your shiney, brand new, never-used cookware,
the brands that say someone with more dollars than brain cells lives here.

Restaurant supply stores carry many grades of cookware... here is one grouping
where you'll find typical examples of fine true commercial quality products:
http://www.lincolnfp.com/products/products.htm


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

PENMART01 wrote:

>
>
> Obviously the most easily perceived difference is the much lower price of
> non-boutique cookware, and as to performance, well that is mainly a product of
> cooking skill regardless which cookware...
>
> Restaurant supply stores carry many grades of cookware... here is one grouping
> where you'll find typical examples of fine true commercial quality products:
> http://www.lincolnfp.com/products/products.htm
>

One of my best buys was a huge (20 inch across maybe?) non stick frying pan with
huge sloped out sides. I straddle it across two gas burners and use it for large
skillet meals and stirfrys. I might have paid 20.00 or so for it, about 10 years
ago. The only thing that would improve it is if it also had a lid. I also have
very heavy, long *sturdy* plastic spatulas to use in it (I abhor plastic cooking
tools as a rule, these are so heavy duty they are the exception).
Goomba

I have seen a difference in the quality of cast iron. The other day I bought
a cheap cast iron grill (rectangular type for bacon) that fits over two
burners (or one long burner on the right side of a Jenair).
I tried to "clean it up," but for some reason there was no hardness to it
like the "wagner" or other brands I have, and the water just seemed to be
soaking into it. Then I got afraid to add any soap or use brillo-type pads
for fear of the soap getting into its pores. After about an hour of
cleaning, a cloth would still come back black after swiping it over the
grill.

I have done this before -- bought some asian export/import cast iron and
then just disgarded it, but I guess I was sucker again and must have
forgotten that I did it before.

I'll stick to the American brand cast iron and hope it is forged here and is
still as good as it once was.

Dee



"June Oshiro" > wrote in message
...
> PENMART01 wrote:
> > Depends what you perceive as "top of the line". If you mean most
> expensive and
> > most heavily advertized than you are deluding yourself and in doing
> so missing
> > out on the top of the line performance at affordable prices enjoyed by
> > professional cooks.
>
> Okay, then let me rephrase - is there an obvious difference (perceivable
> by lay folks such as myself) between top of the line performance
> restaurant supply pans and the most expensive heavily advertised
> boutiquey cookware?
>
> It's been a long time since I ventured into a restaurant supply shop
> (NYC, about 8 yrs ago, near Chinatown iirc?), but I think I saw mostly
> really thin aluminum pans that screamed "Disposable!" Maybe I was
> shopping in the wrong part of town. I also remember seeing cookpots
> that looked big enough to be an emergency substitute for a bathtub...
>
>
> -j.
>

We use a set of farberware millennium for our primary cookware - I like it
better than the calaphon I used to have - the calaphon was nice and heavy
though..I just really prefer the Silverstone on the millennium and was not
willing to spend the $$ the calaphon would have required..18/8 stainless
pans, nice and heavy- I think they sell it in sets and individual pans..I
got mine about 1 1/2 years ago. Make sure you buy the 18/8 though - we did
knowingly buy a few extra fry pans that are aluminum I think they work fine,
but for browning, the good pans are better!
--

Laura


"June Oshiro" > wrote in message
...
> I was browsing the Kitchens Etc. store today looking for egg cups, but I
> took a quick stroll around the pots and pans. My cookware of choice is
> All Clad (stainless steel, have 4 pieces to date, think they're fabu),
> but I notice a lot of manufs. have a stainless steel line.
>
> Tonight, I saw the Viking line of ss pans, very impressive looking,
> shiny and heavy. (I knew Viking made ranges and other kitchen
> appliances but never knew they made cookware, too.) I know Cuisinart
> has a line of heavy ss, too.
>
> Do you really think there's a major difference between top of the line
> items? I was just thinking that I have cast iron pans made from
> different manufacturers, and they're more or less identical in
> performance.
>
> -j.
>