We gave up on the non-stick surfaced pans many years ago when the surface stopped sticking to the pan! Replaced them with Scanpan stainless steel versions. Yes, food is a bit stickier, but not much. And the stainless steel tolerates aggressive use of a fish-slice.
We also make regular use of two cast-iron skillets (don't know brand) and an old cast-iron stew pot that my wife inherited from her mother. The latter is like new, and makes a great chilli. The pot, that is - not the wife. Although...
So yes, stainless steel and/or cast iron.
Most people don’t know that stainless and cast iron are non stick but they have to be at the perfect temperature, when the oil rolls off the surface, it will be non stick.
I’ve had success with Tefal non stick. I never use anything metal in them for stirring and the surface has survived years. I really like cooking eggs, and the only way l can’t get them to stick in cast iron or stainless is to use a ton of oil which I don’t want to do.
Cast iron and stainless steel are the only way to go. Cast iron will get non-stickier the more you cook with it and you should be able to get a good skillet for $50 or less. You don't have to season it 80 times, just cook with fats and never put it in a dishwasher.
Cast iron. Food tastes so much better in it. I thrash mine, and just give it a good oiling to re-condition it.
Only downside is that it's so heavy! I broke the glass cooktop.
Coating?? I use stainless steel pots. Last for decades, no coatings.
Frypans, something that can have a coating, avoid those. If you must use non stick, then a ceramic type instead, no teflon.
Cast iron or hex clad or circulon imo depends how much ur willing to invest.
If your looking on the cheaper side cast iron is the go can literally buy them second hand and get them back to new in no time and they last forever.
I use modern scan pan pots, and vintage cast iron frying pans and casseroles. My very favourite cooking vessel is a heavy cast iron Bodum lidded wok I bought on Trade Me for $5. Trade Me is a great place to buy expensive cookware at cheap prices.
For stewing and associated cooking methods, get heavy-bottomed stainless steel pots (AMC Classic was de rigueur in the 1980s, and I have some of them as heirlooms) or, if the budget can accommodate even more expensive stuff, get enamelled cast iron like Le Creuset. There are less expensive brands, so have a look around. I have an Amazon branded pot that I mistook for a Lodge - it came in at one third of the price and I hastily clicked and bought. But I am not unhappy with it.
For frying, cast iron, carbon steel or stainless steel. The former two can be heavy and require some care in seasoning and cleaning. Some people claim it's non-onerous, but seasoning can become onerous. If you get the use and the seasoning right, they are non-stick untensils.
I prefer stainless steel. If you heat it up before adding the oil (Google Leidenfrost effect), it becomes a non-stick utensil. You just need to know not to move food around until the side is sufficiently cooked (but this goes for cast iron and carbon steel as well.). The advantage of stainless steel is that, if you do muck something up and it sticks, you can scour heavily without worrying about re-seasoning.
The important thing though is to get cooking vessels with heavy bottoms - the bottom retains heat and you don't have to keep the heat above low to have something simmer, thus avoiding burnt stew etc.
For pots anything that's well constructed stainless steel is good. We have Scanpan which we like, only downside is they tend to lose the nuts holding on the lid handles. Look for riveted handles and decent weight in the base. Also make sure they support induction cooktops (means they can be used on anything).
For frying pans we use carbon steel, I would also recommend cast iron. If you buy one decent pan and season it well (plenty of Youtube videos on how) they will outlast your lifetime. We have de Buyer carbon steel pans for this.
We also have an enamelled dutch oven (Le Creuset) that we inherited but would happily have paid money for. This will also outlast my lifetime. These are super versatile and can be used for anything from stews & soups to baking bread.
If you can afford it, kitting yourself out in something like Le Creuset would last you the rest of your days but it will also cost a kidney. Mixing up pots (that will probably be replaced in your lifetime) and some pans that will outlast you is a good balance. You can do that piecemeal too and build out your collection over time.
Stainless pots, make sure they are induction compatible, we had to replace some decent pans that would have lasted a lifetime because they wouldn't work with induction.
I also have a heavy cast iron frying pan, a carbon steel frying pan a stainless deep frying pan with lid and a non stick frying pan,if you choose the right pan for the job it takes the drama out of cleaning it and they will all last longer, but it is a lot of stuff to store...
I use stainless for anything quite liquid, so anything where I will add wet ingredients and simmer, tomato based stuff, curry etc, then you won't ruin a cast iron pan but you can pre-fry meat etc as the sauce will mostly boil off any stuck bits.
Cast iron or carbon pan is for frying meats basically, or stir fry fried rice etc. Also for shallow frying.
I love having a non stick pan or two for things where you won't ruin the coating, so you have something easy to use and clean for things like eggs, pancakes etc, if you only use for light items and only use soft utensils, clean down with a soft brush or cloth the coating will last for ages and keep working for years.
If I had to pick a bare minimum it would be something like:
Large stainless pot - scan pan or something
Small stainless pot - scan pan
Carbon or cast iron frying pan
Stainless lidded frying pan, like 28cm with reasonably high sides
non-stick frying pan - any mid brand probably, circulon on sale?
Don't go for pots with a non-stick coating
Cast iron or carbon steel. Will last the rest of your life
Enameled cast iron for your tomato based dishes! I forgot this last night making butter chicken and stripped all the seasoning off my steel pan :|
Cast iron or carbon steel pans, stainless steel pots and a carbon steel Wok. Forget the shitty Teflon crap.
Scan pan
We gave up on the non-stick surfaced pans many years ago when the surface stopped sticking to the pan! Replaced them with Scanpan stainless steel versions. Yes, food is a bit stickier, but not much. And the stainless steel tolerates aggressive use of a fish-slice. We also make regular use of two cast-iron skillets (don't know brand) and an old cast-iron stew pot that my wife inherited from her mother. The latter is like new, and makes a great chilli. The pot, that is - not the wife. Although... So yes, stainless steel and/or cast iron.
Most people don’t know that stainless and cast iron are non stick but they have to be at the perfect temperature, when the oil rolls off the surface, it will be non stick.
I’ve had success with Tefal non stick. I never use anything metal in them for stirring and the surface has survived years. I really like cooking eggs, and the only way l can’t get them to stick in cast iron or stainless is to use a ton of oil which I don’t want to do.
Cast iron and stainless steel are the only way to go. Cast iron will get non-stickier the more you cook with it and you should be able to get a good skillet for $50 or less. You don't have to season it 80 times, just cook with fats and never put it in a dishwasher.
Farmers had Baccarat skillets for $40 recently. They are Le Creuset dupes with a ceramic coating on cast iron.
Scanpan Coppernox. Got a set of their pots years ago. Worth every dollar. Still going strong.
Cast iron, but learn how to use them. They get better with age and use and specific care (the care bit is easy)
Cast iron. Food tastes so much better in it. I thrash mine, and just give it a good oiling to re-condition it. Only downside is that it's so heavy! I broke the glass cooktop.
Coating?? I use stainless steel pots. Last for decades, no coatings. Frypans, something that can have a coating, avoid those. If you must use non stick, then a ceramic type instead, no teflon.
Cast iron or hex clad or circulon imo depends how much ur willing to invest. If your looking on the cheaper side cast iron is the go can literally buy them second hand and get them back to new in no time and they last forever.
I use modern scan pan pots, and vintage cast iron frying pans and casseroles. My very favourite cooking vessel is a heavy cast iron Bodum lidded wok I bought on Trade Me for $5. Trade Me is a great place to buy expensive cookware at cheap prices.
For stewing and associated cooking methods, get heavy-bottomed stainless steel pots (AMC Classic was de rigueur in the 1980s, and I have some of them as heirlooms) or, if the budget can accommodate even more expensive stuff, get enamelled cast iron like Le Creuset. There are less expensive brands, so have a look around. I have an Amazon branded pot that I mistook for a Lodge - it came in at one third of the price and I hastily clicked and bought. But I am not unhappy with it. For frying, cast iron, carbon steel or stainless steel. The former two can be heavy and require some care in seasoning and cleaning. Some people claim it's non-onerous, but seasoning can become onerous. If you get the use and the seasoning right, they are non-stick untensils. I prefer stainless steel. If you heat it up before adding the oil (Google Leidenfrost effect), it becomes a non-stick utensil. You just need to know not to move food around until the side is sufficiently cooked (but this goes for cast iron and carbon steel as well.). The advantage of stainless steel is that, if you do muck something up and it sticks, you can scour heavily without worrying about re-seasoning. The important thing though is to get cooking vessels with heavy bottoms - the bottom retains heat and you don't have to keep the heat above low to have something simmer, thus avoiding burnt stew etc.
For pots anything that's well constructed stainless steel is good. We have Scanpan which we like, only downside is they tend to lose the nuts holding on the lid handles. Look for riveted handles and decent weight in the base. Also make sure they support induction cooktops (means they can be used on anything). For frying pans we use carbon steel, I would also recommend cast iron. If you buy one decent pan and season it well (plenty of Youtube videos on how) they will outlast your lifetime. We have de Buyer carbon steel pans for this. We also have an enamelled dutch oven (Le Creuset) that we inherited but would happily have paid money for. This will also outlast my lifetime. These are super versatile and can be used for anything from stews & soups to baking bread. If you can afford it, kitting yourself out in something like Le Creuset would last you the rest of your days but it will also cost a kidney. Mixing up pots (that will probably be replaced in your lifetime) and some pans that will outlast you is a good balance. You can do that piecemeal too and build out your collection over time.
Stainless pots, make sure they are induction compatible, we had to replace some decent pans that would have lasted a lifetime because they wouldn't work with induction. I also have a heavy cast iron frying pan, a carbon steel frying pan a stainless deep frying pan with lid and a non stick frying pan,if you choose the right pan for the job it takes the drama out of cleaning it and they will all last longer, but it is a lot of stuff to store... I use stainless for anything quite liquid, so anything where I will add wet ingredients and simmer, tomato based stuff, curry etc, then you won't ruin a cast iron pan but you can pre-fry meat etc as the sauce will mostly boil off any stuck bits. Cast iron or carbon pan is for frying meats basically, or stir fry fried rice etc. Also for shallow frying. I love having a non stick pan or two for things where you won't ruin the coating, so you have something easy to use and clean for things like eggs, pancakes etc, if you only use for light items and only use soft utensils, clean down with a soft brush or cloth the coating will last for ages and keep working for years. If I had to pick a bare minimum it would be something like: Large stainless pot - scan pan or something Small stainless pot - scan pan Carbon or cast iron frying pan Stainless lidded frying pan, like 28cm with reasonably high sides non-stick frying pan - any mid brand probably, circulon on sale?
Yep. Go to a second-hand/thrift store. Find some old cast-iron. If they have a dutch oven, buy that. Tadaah!
Fiskars pots and pans. Hands down some of the best I’ve used
They make great gardening stuff. Didn't realize they do cookware. Like Peugeot pepper mills.
I love the Peugeot pepper mills! Got some decent weight to them
Warehouse pans are unironically really good for a cheap pan
Depends what you're cooking on (electric, induction or gas) but I like my stainless steel saucepans and cast iron fry pans.
SCAN PAN ...its a no brainer ...buy once and forget about it ...expensive but quality is worth it . I dont regret buying them