PAN!
Hi chefs,
Right quickly because I have to make a decision. I need some stainless steel, ncookware and I want to get something half decent that will last (#sustainable)
There are 3 choices in the shops around me
Pro Cook
Stellar
KuhnRikon (?)
The first two are much of a muchness at about 50 quid for a stockpot but the KR (a swiss brand I don't know) is 70.
What am I getting for my extra 20 quid and will I notice? At the moment I'm think cheaper pots and more expensive frying pan..?
- @ddraver
Comments
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afaik the better ss ones are three or more ply, with inner al/cu cores for better heat distribution,
see... https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-skillet/
tramontina on amazon, probably find similar for less locally though
my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny0 -
Stainless has relatively poor conductivity so you are sacrificing that for improved cleanability (or less so if there's a layer of copper between outer skins of stainless.
Personally, I rate the John Lewis cast iron stuff (Le Creuset lookalike but a fair bit cheaper) https://www.johnlewis.com/browse/home-garden/cooking-baking/pots-pans/casserole-stockpots/cast-iron/_/N-7d3bZ1z0wxa1Zoriw
You need to treat them with a bit more care than stainless and you can't put them in a dishwasher, but nicer to cook with and I suspect more efficient.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
another factor is what kind of cooker...
ceramic - inefficient, slow heating
gas - least efficient, fast heating, probably most likely to have hot spots in pans without heat spreaders
induction - high efficiency, fastest heating (even ss), don't really have hot spots
my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny0 -
It might be sacrilegious, but the big heavy iron frying pan from Ikea has impressed me. I'd not go back to 'non-stick' stainless now.
I got some good stainless pans (Chef Set), including a mahoosive stockpot, in my 20s, as presents, and stupidly they remind me of my mortality, as I imagine they will still be going strong, maybe via a charity shop, when I'm dead. They're almost as good as new nearly 40 years later.
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It should be noted that Tramontina stuff is also available at Costco for much less than Amazon.
I have found Circulon frying pans to have better longevity though. Bought at TK Maxx.
Oh! And Meyer pots are doing well at 18 years and counting. Le Creuset is obviously good but expensive and needs more care. Not to say that there is not better than my experience, but that is the limit of my experience. 😉
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Other way around, cheaper frying pans and expensive sauce pans.
Try Nisbets online, they supply to lots and lots of restaurants. Their essentials frying pans are £12-18 a piece depending on size and more than good enough for home cooking. Their vogue stainless steel saucepan range are top quality. About £40-70 again size dependent but they will last you years. I trained as a chef some years back and the catering college used Nisbets.
Don't be tempted by their essentials saucepans, they aren't bad but nowhere near the vogue range.
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We've go Pro Cook SS pans, they work well and seem OK. Had one where the handle came off the lid and they replaced it under warranty.
Previously had some Stellar ones, the handles fell off rivets gave up.
They work well on induction as do any cast iron pans
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IKEA do some decent pans as long as you ignore the super budget ranges aimed at students etc.
- Genesis Croix de Fer
- Dolan Tuono0 -
Had the same problem a couple of months back. Went to Pro Cook, Nesbits, IKEA, Argos etc. Found some decent pans in M&S. Ticked all the boxes. Only criticism is the handles are a little narrow to grab. Only minor fault. Very well built and will last. Only cost £60 for 3 pans and lids.
Sometimes. Maybe. Possibly.
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We had some lovely copper bottomed stainless steel pans but when we switched to an induction hob we had to replace the lot. Sad day. Passed them on to the offspring who take much less care of them ☹️
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Load of rubbish, childish and no humans can't fly.
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We had to change all our cookware- 3 saucepans, large casserole/paella pan, large frying pan, wok, 2 small frying pans, skillet and crepe pan, after a major kitchen refurb which included the fitting of an induction hob (Bora of course). Our existing pots and pans etc., weren't compatible. Opted for Kuhn Rikon kit as everything had to look the part due to the kitchen now being part of a whole living/dining/cooking/entertaining set up and my wife insisting on things looking stylish. Been using Kuhn Rikon for the last 3+ years and no complaints.
A bit pricey in comparison to the usual suspects tbf but they are, imo, quality kit and look as good today as they did out of the box. Scrubbed up well after a potato burning incident, ☢️ 🙄. Glass lids are good to. If the others are manual 105, the Kuhn Rikon are Ultegra Di2. Went daft on Japanese made proper swanky knives too - defo Dura Ace.
Same as in the bike and bike kit department, the old adage of buy cheap, pay twice applies.
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We switched to an induction hob some 3 years ago, it was part of a new extension, so to my mind the whole thing was already mega bucks.
I wasn't going to spend hundreds and hundreds on new pans, so ended up going to Stellar pans, seem to remember Harts of Stur had the best prices - ended up buying a new Stellar cutlery set from them as well.
Been very happy with all of the cutlery and definitely all of the pans (5 piece set) plus non stick wok and frying pan.
All clean up very well, and everything still exactly where it should be - can't recall the total cost now, but definitely excellent value for money, believe they have a lifetime guarantee as well, alongside a 10 year non stick coating one.
EDIT: It was this one: https://www.hartsofstur.com/stellar-7000-draining-5-piece-set-s7c1d.html
Suspect it was cheaper back in 2021.
This is the wok, pretty sure that was a decent chunk less as well: https://www.hartsofstur.com/stellar-7000-non-stick-30cm-wok-with-lid-s778.html
P.S if you do shop with Harts, they have 5% cashback through TCB as well.
Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
Scott CR1 SL 12
Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
Scott Foil 180 -
Those pots look exactly like the Meyer set I mentioned before so I had a look and now Meyer do not offer anything like them. 🤔 I suspect a whole lot of rebranding exists in the industry.
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.1 -
Humph well I've ended up with a Kuhn Rickon casserole for now. 24hr later I think I've been upselled by a innocent grey old lady who is wasted in a cookware shop.
Still, made a banging pasta sauce and hopefully it will be a lifetime investment so... never mind.
Frying pan next
We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver2
