Saucepans

[Jonah]

Not a recipe, just trying to work out what to put one in. ;D

We need to buy new saucepans. OH is keen to stick to non stick, as they don't always get washed straight after dinner [his job ] . But there seem to be more options with plain stainless steel. My mum paid quite a lot for hers, but they are a nightmare to wash when you cook scrambles etc.
Can I ask what you use, non stick or other. I'm only considering these options, unless someone points me elsewhere.

[Plocket]

It's a difficult choice really because it depends on what you use them for. I've ticked non-stick just because ultimately they are easier, but I've got the following in my kitchen:

- Huge stainless steel stock-pot
- Very large French-style non-stick pan - difficult to describe but mine measures about 30cm wide by about 12cm high, with a lid
- large non-stick casserole dish
- large "le cruset" type oven-proof casserole dish
- two largish stainless steel (20cm?) saucepans with lids
- two small stainless steel (15cm?) saucepans with lids
- two small non-stick (15cm?) saucepans with lids
- two large non-stick frying pans
- three small non-stick frying pans
- two different sized pancake pans
- one stainless steel steamer with base pan, three steamer pans, a bain maire and lid

I only use the stainless steel pans for boiling vegetables and stuff. When I'm doing food with sauces, meat and the like I use non-stick pans because they are easier to clean.

I'm not sure that choosing the most expensive is the best but I would never buy a set of pans - I prefer to choose what I want. I also make sure that the handles are NOT wood, so that they can go in the dishwasher (check the packaging anyway!), and ensure that the handles are screwed on so they can be tightened. Cheap pans sometimes have glued-on handles which come off after only a little while.

The other thing you need to consider is what utensils you use when cooking. If you use metal then that will damage the non-stick pans. I always use wooden spoons which don't damage the non-stick surface.

So my advice, after all that, is to think about what you use, what you cook, and then to choose individual items. ;D

[Amo]

We have the Le Cruset Trivita range in sauce pans, casserols and frypans and they do great. They are for propper cooking though, not your quickie fry up as they will stick, if you know what I mean, they need meals where you de glaze the pan but everything comes clean in the end!!! For the quick cook, heavy fat likely to burn meals we use anodised and Procook Titanium.

So mainly other.

Oh, we also beat the hell out of our cookware including sticking the non stick in the dish washer etc. If it doesn't survive, it gets replaced but that doesn't happen very often anymore!!

[JennyWrenn]

Dont forget the non stick are covered in chemicals

[Amo]

Anodised and the Titaniums are what they are made of, not what they are coated in, if you see what I mean. Also, dishwasher tablets will either strip or coat with their own chemicals the normal non stick abilities, that's why they don't last long. If it's good and cooks well for you, hand wash it.

[Jonah]

Thanks ladies.

I was reading the cookware guide on here last night [ they are the make we are replacing]:
www.meyergroup.co.uk/cookware/meyercookwareguide.html
I read on there in the q&a's that the non stick was harmless if ingested, so maybe it's not as dodgy as we think?
Bit more to it than I thought! I think I can safely say I am not a chef. I tend to steam veg other than potatoes and peas, so the pans will be generally for saucy things and stir fry [we eat quite a lot of pasta etc. ]
I've got a big le creuset oven pot, but I find the pans very heavy to use. My mum has a set, and they barely use them, but they are meant to cook nicely.
I might have to go for a bit of a mixture.

That's quite an impressive collection you have there Plocket. ;D

[Plocket]

We like cooking, and have a big enough kitchen to keep all the equpiment! ;D

I agree with you that le Cruset stuff is lovely but very heavy. We've got a casserole dish which is great but we don't often use it because of the weight.

[Deleted]

Hi Jonah,

We use Le Creuset for pots and Tefal for non-stick frying pans, anythign else is stainless steel, including an Indian Karahi (like a big wok with lid), which is incredibly versatile. While I agree that cast iron is heavy, especially for large casseroles, it does last for ever, and any burnt on stuff comes off with a brief soaking - so what about doing stainless steel for large pots, and cast iron for the small (lighter) pots? After all, it doesn't have to be a set ... cheers ...

[Amo]

Le Creuset Trivita is the sandwiched aluminium range, not the ultra heavy iron stuff! Even I gave that lot away

[Susie Snowdrop]

My parents have just installed a new hob which needs special pans! Apparently it's all to do with magnetic fields

I use stainless steel

S x

[Jonah]

Blimey Susie, did they know that when they bought the hob?

Well I've plumped for a mish mash. ;D

Thanks everyone for the feedback. If only I had a big kitchen, I'd go pot mad! ;D

[Missredhead]

I've got non-stick and some stainless steel ones, I tend to use the non-stick more though, so I ticked that one

[Deleted]

I am a tad old fashioned in some ways, and the engineer comes out in others - hence I voted for stainless ...

I am against the impermanence of the non stick pans, the residues inevitably end up in the food ...

also stainless steel is generally one of the toughest steels around - meaning you struggle to hurt it - meaning you can clean it as brutally as you like - I use a serious scourer, and it always comes clean. The only discolouration has occurred due to leaving it on excess heat (literally - a lit stove and an empty pan).

[MamIDdau]

I've got a set of stainless steel type ones but I only use them for boiling, I don't use the frying pan from that set to fry anything, I use a non stick pan I got from ASDA for about £4. It's lasted many years anyway.

I prefer nonstick because they're easier to clean but it depends what suits you.

[amazinghappycook]

Haven't really thought about the pans we use until this came up. The pans we use are as follows (if I can remember rightly)
Small Cast Iron griddle:- for grilling steaks etc,
Frying pan :-(bought years ago) for bacon ,
Small cast iron pan :-for cooking eggs, frying or poaching,
French Cast iron pan:- for omelettes
Old fashioned Griddle:- bacon, square sausage and pancakes
Wok, for poppadoms and frying 'battered' foods
I find that stainless steel is lighter and as I am only 5ft tall much easier to use.
Cast iron pans very old, at least 30 years, griddle 50-60years old, over handle, wearing a bit.
I did buy new stainless steel pans when we bought a range cooker, spent £300 on them to discover handles got hot, but have a rail in front of cooker so always have a cloth handy.

[purplejulia]

I have mixture of all sorts of pots and pans as I cannot bear to get rid of any.

My favourite are the ones inherited from my father- in- law who had a fantastic Aga cooker:-

Large cast iron frying pan
3 large Le Creuset Casserole pots, and 2 Le creuset saucepans.

I have a new set of stainless steel saucepans including griddle pan in a box, barely used.

I also have a mish mash of non-stick saucepans and frying pans that are no longer "non-stick" but can't bear to part with them!
PJ

[Deleted]

IMO the best pans are SKK - they are expensive but faultless, I only have 2 because of the cost, a large frying pan and an omlette pan. But when my other stainless steel pans need replacing I'll be buying SKK.

www.cooksparaphernalia.co.uk/skk-pans.html

www.salamandercookshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=6&gclid=CMSktsyfxpECFRHMXgodDinmyw

[Ladygardener]

I think the Circulon pots and pans are the best ever ;D

[Jonah]

Out of all the things I ended up buying, I seem to use the non stick saute pan more than anything! It's a bit big on the hob, but I like the shallow, wide cooking space. Don't know how I survived without one for so long. ;D