Home Cook Cookware, Utensils, Machines, etc.

[22-rimfire]

Honestly, you guys have tickled my interest with the All Clad pan/pot. I hate forums!

When I got out of college, I knew little about cooking other than a few basics. Never cooked anything really to that point in life. I bought "The Joy of Cooking" cook book. I referred to it often. I still have that same cook book. Had no idea who the Becker's were at that point. I ordered a set of pots & pans that were advertised in a credit card bill insert that were common then. Learned my lesson. Pretty much garbage, but I still used some of the pieces for years. They reside in my "car camping tub" now and are essentially throw away stuff. I bought better stuff after I became more settled and got married. A cast iron skillet or two were central to my stove top cooking. My mother used a cast iron deep skillet with lid (edited) for many things when I was a kid as she was cooking in volume for all us rug rats. I didn't even know what a dutch oven was until I was in college and we would make stew type dishes on field trips when camping.

Today I am a victim of my old habits. I like good stuff, but resist paying high prices for what is supposed to be great stuff. The initial purchase of the pot/pan set had a profound impact on my accumulation of cookware over the years.

 

[Eli Chaps]

Honestly, you guys have tickled my interest with the All Clad pan/pot. I hate forums!

When I got out of college, I knew little about cooking other than a few basics. Never cooked anything really to that point in life. I bought "The Joy of Cooking" cook book. I referred to it often. I still have that same cook book. Had no idea who the Becker's were at that point. I ordered a set of pots & pans that were advertised in a credit card bill insert that were common then. Learned my lesson. Pretty much garbage, but I still used some of the pieces for years. They reside in my "car camping tub" now and are essentially throw away stuff. I bought better stuff after I became more settled and got married. A cast iron skillet or two were central to my stove top cooking. My mother used a cast iron dutch oven for many things when I was a kid as she was cooking in volume for all us rug rats. I didn't even know what a dutch oven was until I was in college and we would make stew type dishes on field trips when camping.

Today I am a victim of my old habits. I like good stuff, but resist paying high prices for what is supposed to be great stuff. The initial purchase of the pot/pan set had a profound impact on my accumulation of cookware over the years.

All-Clad is top notch for sure. But, Made In is excellent as well and I'm sure there are others. I went with Made In for the cost without sacrificing quality and the satin finish. My skillets aren't Made In as I got them before they came around. I forget the name just now but they are good, clad pans and the build quality is very good. But they lack little things like lips around the edge that aid in pouring and such. I'll eventually get Made In skillets as well. I cooked for years without one (ignorance) but eventually morphed into a firm believer that every kitchen should have at least one 12" good quality stainless skillet.

 

[Eli Chaps]

Just a quick update and correction to something I posted earlier. When I was washing my new Made In saucier, I noticed on the bottom it reads Made in Italy. I was certain I'd read on the site that the stainless stuff was Made in the USA and just had a look. It appears it is a mix. Some is USA and some Italy.

No big deal to me but I'm pretty sure somewhere in here I said this pan was Made in the USA and it is not.

 

[Shotgun]

I’m rocking some heavy gauge stainless and one 12 inch non stick for pans. It seems to work well for me. Quick stuff on the nonstick and then any meals where I want to make a sauce or need a more even heat I’ll use the stainless.

Question on your Matfer pans. Does it come with some sort of lacquer on them? I heard you have to clean that off before you can do your seasoning. I actually have one of these but haven’t gotten around to fixing it up yet. I think the one I have is a 12 inch. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Eli Chaps]

I’m rocking some heavy gauge stainless and one 12 inch non stick for pans. It seems to work well for me. Quick stuff on the nonstick and then any meals where I want to make a sauce or need a more even heat I’ll use the stainless.

Question on your Matfer pans. Does it come with some sort of lacquer on them? I heard you have to clean that off before you can do your seasoning. I actually have one of these but haven’t gotten around to fixing it up yet. I think the one I have is a 12 inch. Any help would be appreciated.

Not lacquer but a protective oil/wax. Some use bee's wax and that is harder to get off but hot water and soap will do it. Some folks pour a little boiling water in them but I don't. Dry it very well and under good light hold the pan in both hands and twirl it around looking for spots you might of missed. Sometimes there are runs/drips that can be thick and need more attention. Doesn't take a whole lot of effort to get them ready to go. When it's all washed and dried thoroughly. It's time to season.

 

[22-rimfire]

I received the stainless oven roaster with the lid. It is a bit larger than I generally use for day to day stuff, but it will work if I need to use it. I then ordered an oval cast iron roaster with lid (5.5 qt) [sort of a dutch oven design] and have received that as well. I think this one will work really well for our "two-four person" roasts that I generally make. I like to do chicken breasts in the oven too. The larger roasts will go into another pan. I like the left overs for sandwiches after the fact. They are so easy to make and to make well. Think I am going to retire my old roasting pans.

 

[BMCGear]

My Made In saucier arrived today. Order processed Friday morning and shipped FedEx from Kentucky to Washington state in five days. This is USA made with USA metal and 5-ply construction. There is no middle-man so that helps save costs.

In most all things I prefer brushed/matte/as-machined type finishes versus chrome/shiny so these really appealed to me.

For you seasoned stainless vets out there this will probably just look like another pan, but for me it is gorgeous! Feels good to move around. Feels solid and well made. The rolled lip is really nice for pouring.

It's interesting the difference shape makes. This is a 3qt pan but here it is compared to a 3.5qt pot and a 4qt sauce pot:

Anyway, so far very pleased. I think tomorrow I'll get to cooking with it with some stovetop dill Havarti mac-n-cheese. Maybe with some bacon and finished in the oven with bread crumbs...

Very nice. Made in has my attention.

Every piece of stainless I have is All-Clad. You can find really good deals on factory seconds. I have several hundred if not over a thousand dollars in cookware and have no regrets. This stainless will outlive me.

 

[Eli Chaps]

Very nice. Made in has my attention.

Every piece of stainless I have is All-Clad. You can find really good deals on factory seconds. I have several hundred if not over a thousand dollars in cookware and have no regrets. This stainless will outlive me.

It is good stuff. I noted later (and will go back and edit the original post) the saucier is Made in Italy. Some of the pans are USA and some France and Italy.

No arguing the quality of All Clad that's for sure.

 

[kvaughn]

I have a Le Creuset 7.25 qt enamel covered cast iron dutch oven I bought used at a garage sale about 25 years ago. My bean,stew,chili etc pot.
Pretty beat up with some chips in the inside bottom but works fine.
Someone told me they have a good warranty so I sent them a pic. They replied that their warranty doesn't cover the thermal damage. Going from cold to hot created the chips. BUT to show good faith to a loyal user they would give me a new one just this once.
WOW! Just got it. A 400$ pot for free. I'm still using the old one. The new one is too purty.

 

[Eli Chaps]

I have a Le Creuset 7.25 qt enamel covered cast iron dutch oven I bought used at a garage sale about 25 years ago. My bean,stew,chili etc pot.
Pretty beat up with some chips in the inside bottom but works fine.
Someone told me they have a good warranty so I sent them a pic. They replied that their warranty doesn't cover the thermal damage. Going from cold to hot created the chips. BUT to show good faith to a loyal user they would give me a new one just this once.
WOW! Just got it. A 400$ pot for free. I'm still using the old one. The new one is too purty.

That is awesome! Their warranty/customer service is legendary. They are legacy pieces.

Super happy for you. I know I couldn't resist getting that new guy going.

 

[coxhaus]

I was pointed here from the Kitchen knife forum. I am glad I found this thread.

I bought a 12 inch de buyer Fry Pan about a year ago and it is so great. It has reached that state where it is non-stick and I about use it for everything now. It seems to brown as well as cast iron yet it heats quicker. I am really sold on carbon steel now. I have big burners using natural gas for my range. I love cooking with gas. Even our oven is gas with convection.

The non-stick took a while to build up at first. I would think I was there and I would lose it and have to start over. I did this over and over until now I think I have reached that point. I made chili the other night in it and it did not hurt the pan seasoning which I was surprised as tomatoes are hard on it. I was lazy and my wife bought too much meat for my other pot. I like really browning my meat for chili.

I have my mom's French crepe and 1 egg pan that looks a lot like a de Buyer but they are 50 years old which were already seasoned carbon steel. Most of the rest of my pots are Le Creuset which were my mom's also. I have a stainless pasta pot with strainer and 1 sauce stainless steel sauce pan. We cook a lot. I will follow this thread.

 

[Phydeaux]

Silicone baking mats. Put a small one under your cutting board so it doesn't move around on the counter top.

Welding gloves. These get used instead of pot holders.

 

[sodak]

I found the Matfors too heavy for me, lighter than cast iron, but not enough. I gave it to a friend who loves it, she is quite a cook. I picked up a small AUS Ion pan, while I like it, it can run away from you (heat wise) if you aren't careful. It's almost too smooth, you can lose the seasoning if you're not careful.

My favorites are still Lodge. I take an angle grinder with a flap disk to them, and in about 15 min, I have a nice smooth skillet that I season up myself. They never wear out. Someday I'd like to try All Clad.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

Ended up with a sous vide set up for my birthday. I definitely recommend it if you have the time and interest. I've already used it for pork loin, roast beef, chicken breasts, salmon, back ribs, homemade dulce de leche, poached eggs and easily the best filet mignon I've ever made. I was genuinely surprised by both how easy it is to use and how versatile it is.

 

[Eli Chaps]

I found the Matfors too heavy for me, lighter than cast iron, but not enough. I gave it to a friend who loves it, she is quite a cook. I picked up a small AUS Ion pan, while I like it, it can run away from you (heat wise) if you aren't careful. It's almost too smooth, you can lose the seasoning if you're not careful.

My favorites are still Lodge. I take an angle grinder with a flap disk to them, and in about 15 min, I have a nice smooth skillet that I season up myself. They never wear out. Someday I'd like to try All Clad.

That's the trade off of the Matfer line. They are heavier than others but more forgiving in the heat category.

 

[Eli Chaps]

Ended up with a sous vide set up for my birthday. I definitely recommend it if you have the time and interest. I've already used it for pork loin, roast beef, chicken breasts, salmon, back ribs, homemade dulce de leche, poached eggs and easily the best filet mignon I've ever made. I was genuinely surprised by both how easy it is to use and how versatile it is.

Sous vide is super cool. If I had more room for stuff just to hang out I'd get a setup.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Ended up with a sous vide set up for my birthday. I definitely recommend it if you have the time and interest. I've already used it for pork loin, roast beef, chicken breasts, salmon, back ribs, homemade dulce de leche, poached eggs and easily the best filet mignon I've ever made. I was genuinely surprised by both how easy it is to use and how versatile it is.

Eventually I'm going to break down and chase you down the sous vide rabbit hole. I have a friend that now swears by it too. Almost have the boss convinced we need one

 

[Insipid Moniker]

Eventually I'm going to break down and chase you down the sous vide rabbit hole. I have a friend that now swears by it too. Almost have the boss convinced we need one

I wanted one before my BIL gifted it to me, but I genuinely didn't think I would use it as much as I do. The ease of use in particular does it for me. Everything is absolutely perfectly done without any effort, worry or thought. Just sear it to give it some flavor and crust and that's that. Hell, I particularly love that I can poach eggs in the shell and then save them in the fridge. Crack a couple onto a bowl of rice with some salt, pepper and hot sauce and you've got a great meal any time of day.

 

[panzerkiller13]

That would work but I would hope I can find something below $250..... Le Creuset stuff is expensive. A Lodge Dutch Oven would work but I was hoping for something lighter....

I ordered something that I think will work just fine for under $50.

Another option I came across when looking for a lighter alternative to cast iron for my mother were the Fissler rondeau pots. They have the smaller versions pretty readily available here at normal retailers, but the 7.2L one for whatever reason can be a BEAR to find. I ended up having to order mine from Amazon's Spain website, but its great! The selling point of the fissler pots is a MASSIVE aluminum disc (1/4" or 6mm) sandwiched between two layers of SS that really do give it CI-like performance with perhaps a bit more even heating than CI. It's not quite the same as my Staub 4qt, but it's my go-to for larger dishes and has pretty much filled in the void I was needing for a larger dutch oven.