I have been looking for some new pots, pans, and knives because the ones in our apartment are absolutely horrible. I saw that there is sale for an 8 piece set. I have no idea if anolon is a good brand or not. I do a lot of stirfrying and I was not sure if it would work well with what they give me. So do any of yall have any sort of knowledge about this stuff?
I have a couple of pointers. pots/pans: Always get cookware that feels heavy for its size. If you pick it up and it's really light, it's crap. I heard Calphalon is a really good brand, but I've never used it before. I have Members Mark, which is pretty good stuff. knives: Never buy knives in a department store, except if it's high end stuff like Wuhstoff Trident. I guarantee you it will be crap. Go to a shop that specializes in kitchen items like William Sonoma, or better yet, a kitchen supply company. You can also try cutco, which you have to buy direct from a salesman or online. The most important rules is that you get what you pay for. If you buy cheap stuff, you'll be buying it again really soon. There was a thread about this a couple months ago...
Knives: Henckels Pro S series http://www.metrokitchen.com/henckels/about.html Pots and pans: Le Creuset http://www.lecreuset.com/usa/products/guide.php
You can often get high end kitchen supplies at places like Marshalls and TJ Maxx. You just have to be careful when your shopping and not care if you mix and match yours tuff. Calphalon is good for your basic cooking stuff, but you can find higher end stuff like Le Crueset at Marshalls if you shop around. Pointers: Go with Henckels or Wuhstoff for your knives...but shop around. Almost every brand of cookware has its higher end stuff and its cheaper stuff. You want to look at the knife itself for these brands and get any that say Made in Germany. You want the German steel. Its what their brand is built on. They both have lines that are Made in China. Avoid those. For nice Le Crueset stuff, look at the bottom of the lid and make sure its made in France. They have some stuff that's made in China that you don't want. Get a nice old fashioned set of Corningware for cooking in the oven. Also might as well a nice set of Pyrex bowls for preperation and all around cooking. You can get that stuff at Target. I would also recommend two big, non-stick, well made and heavy skillets. You will use them more than anything else you get, even the skillets you might get in a set of calphalon. When they start to get old and the non stick stuff comes off, throw them away and get new ones. Again, you can get good ones as Marshalls or a place like that for a fraction of their normal price.
All-clad is the best for any pan that you will saute in. Le Creuset for braising. If you're serious about cooking, you quickly grow tired of anything non-stick--other than for scrambling eggs, they don't have much use for serious cooking. Henkels, Shun, Wusthof, Global......they all make great knives, but you'll pay for them. They all make cheaper, not so good knives as well. If you had a limited budget, I'd tell you to just go to a restaurant supply store and just buy some white handled dexter russel kitchen knives and a Chef's Choice knife sharpener. If you use a knife in the kitchen (meaning: if you actually cook), it WILL need to be sharpened regularly. Yes, you could spend your time mastering a sharpening steel, but the Chef's Choice will make the job much easier, and you'll be able to shave the hair off of your arm when your done sharpening--every time. Forschner gets good reviews for a cheaper, stamped kitchen knife, but I've never used one. Wolfgang Puck's stainless cookware also gets high marks for a more budget type cookware. I've not used these either, but I've read high praise for both on more than one occasion.
take this guys advice. he knows what he is talking about. i worked in bed bath and beyond and william sonoma for a short time. all clad is just about the best you can get unless you want to spend waaaaay too much money. promise u, u dont want to spend that much either. anyways all clads stuff has gone up about 30% or so in the last few years. if your going to get cookware this good you would do best buying it in a 10 piece set of stainless steel. and then buying one non-stick pan for your other needs. and if u buy it at say bed bath use a coupon and it will help out the price. wustof is good stuff. but from what i have been told henkels is better for the same price. and global is even more expensive and i think that its a japanese company. the others are german. if you want to make the most informed decision i would go to a william sonoma ask them any question you have and then go to bed bath or a linens and things and get what you need there and you will save a little money. hope that helps.
Our family uses a huge set of Berghoff. Haven't had any issues with any of it. http://www.nextag.com/BERGHOFF-Cookware--zz2700420zBERGHOFFzB10z5---html
Best low cost knives - Forschner and carbon steel chinese clevers from various places Best German Knives - Meissermeister Meridian Elite Best Value in my opinion - Tojiro DP from www.japanesechefsknife.com Best knives period - Custom Japanese knives that can go over $1000 Also, I wouldn't buy a set because you don't usually use all your knives. You rather have 2 really good knives than a set of mediocre knives. Regardless of what knife you get, you need to learn how to sharpen them or find a good place to get them sharpened because all knives regardless of quality will dull over time. If you really want to learn something about knives, go to www.knifeforums.com. Their members are very cool and knowledgable. Most of the heavy contributors are chefs or knife makers. In regards to cookware, I like stainless steel and cast iron. Make sure their heavy and the stainless needs to have either a copper or aluminum core. Remember good cookware and knives will last you a life time.
I also worked at W-S for a little while and have cooked for years. Although you pay more for the higher end kitchen stuff, it's well worth it. I've got a mixture of All-Clad copper core pieces, All-Clad stainless, and some Le Creuset. Most of it is at least 5 years old... some pieces are 15 by now, but it all performs like it was new. For knives, I've got Wusthof Classic and they have a really nice weight/balance to them... but you still need to sharpen regularly. I know the Global (and some other Japanese brands) are nice, but I like the heavier ones. Go to W-S and check the knives out... go with what's comfortable in your hand because all knives feel different to different people. The suggestions about using a Bed Bath and Beyond coupon are good too (less knowledgeable people, but cheaper prices on similar inventory).
All Clad is great. The Emeril stuff is made by All Clad and is cheaper. I do not know about the quality.The Forshner knifes and the Chef's Choice sharpener will do an excellent job for you at a reasonable price. This is what we use.
We had a Non-stick Calphalon set we got as a wedding gift and have been slowly buying Le Creuset to replace it. The non-stick wasn't, and we weren't very happy with the Calphalon. The lids warped and they didn't hold up to regular use. Le Creuset is great stuff, but it is pricey. I got the Wok for my wife last Christmas and it was close to $200. We also got a Chicago Cutlery set for our wedding and it has held up very well. We plan on buying better knives soon, but they are a great middle of the road choice.
I had a set of All Clad copper core stainless, but they were lost in a move.. I now have a set of Emeril Stainless and set of Emeril Non Stick both made by All Clad after a year of normal use they have held up just as good as my "real" All Clad did and they were half the price.. So far I think I made the right choice and saved the cash and still walked away with solid products.
obviously, with cookware you get what you pay for, and i would suggest you only pay for what you need. even though you may get a deal with sets, they often come with things you won't use. le crueset, as mentioned make great products all around, but the dutch ovens are what you should invest in. for searing a steak, nothing, at any price, can compete with cast iron, and they are dirt cheap compared to all-clad skillets. lodge makes pre-seasoned ones in many sizes. buy as you go, piece by piece, and you'll be better off in the long run. begin with a good knife, i wouldn't skimp here. pole mentioned a bunch of good brands. you need to go try them yourself to see how they feel in your hand. i use the shun and to me it's more balanced easier to wield than the german knives. anyway, cooking is an obsession with me, i don't mind spending the money on tools that i use so often, also, buying quality also means they should last you a lifetime.
IN cookware, I was told Calphalon (msp?) Not sure about knives, but I've heard good things about Henckels
For knives, you want surgical steel, aka high-carbon stain resistant steel. The stuff made in Germany may be somewhat better, but I'm not sure it matters that much. Avoid stainless steel for knives. Make sure it is forged, not stamped. Avoid wooden handles, which can absorb things and/or swell. Make sure the metal of the blade extends all the way through the handle (full tang). Avoid serrated blades. All you really should need is a chef knife, a paring knife, and dinner knives; other types are nice but not necessary. I recently discovered that Calphalon makes a good knife for a cheap price -- they are probably trying to win some market share in the knife business right now.
My wife bought some wolfgang puck cookware, its alright but the handles get hot. I hate that. I have some cheap cookware from walmart and they managed to keep the handle cool.
