Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumWhat kind of cooking & baking ware do you use?
My Pampered Chef pizza & cookie stones recently broke after 20+ years of heavy use. I loved my stoneware but I can only find pizza stones.
I also need to replace my large & small Teflon skillets. Ive never had any luck with cast iron skillets. Im sure its user error.
hlthe2b
(101,730 posts)for the most part, no-name stainless. To be honest, so much of my minimalist cooking is in the Instant Pot (microwave, or wok) lately, I don't really use cookware all that much.
I have some reasonably non-stick cookie sheets, baking pans, but they aren't anything exceptional, either. Just what Bed Bath & Beyond carries routinely.
I suppose if I had an expensive gas stove, maybe I'd be more picky, but IMO, with electric, it doesn't really matter all that much.
SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)jimfields33
(15,473 posts)They were inexpensive and are awesome. They have rubber handles that dont get hot even after baking for an hour.
Pobeka
(4,999 posts)I'm not a fan of "non-stick", when I see how much of that wears off over time (and into my food). Plus a good stainless steel will last forever, I don't use any metal utensils in them so they never get scratched (scratches are where food will stick).
These pans have about 1/4" thick aluminum bottom to evenly disperse heat and work great on our electric burners.
Hit it with some Bartender's keeper when necessary. They look like new.
We have a small 8" saute pan, a 12" saute pan, and a "wok"-like pan with a glass lid that gets used a lot.
Postal Grunt
(214 posts)I use an Emile Henry baking stone for both pizza and bread. It's rectangular in shape and large enough to fit a deep, disposable aluminum foil pan to cover bread loaves during the initial stage of baking. It's available for about $70 from Amazon and can be hand washed when cleaning is called for.
2naSalit
(86,061 posts)or the like for baking, I prefer glass. I have a ceramic lined skillet, actually two of them, and porcelain lined Steel or cast iron saucepans when I don't use the Visionware which is glass. I have a glass top stove right now so the cast iron is out in the garage in a box for now.
Probatim
(2,459 posts)I have 4 different cast iron skillets - 2 newer Lodge, one older Griswold, and one really old unknown skillet. I do lots of pan frying/searing these, plus the larger Lodge skillets are used to make shakshuka.
Most cooking is done on 20 year old Calphalon hard anodized skillets and sauce pans/skillets. I also have a double burner griddle and a wok in the same line. I absolutely love them.
For bread, I use a Lodge Dutch oven.
For pizza, I bought a Baking Steel and am fascinated with the quality of pizza that I get these days. This is the 3/8" steel with the Modernist Cuisine imprint.
Warpy
(110,913 posts)and I loathe Teflon. My wrists won't manage cast iron any more, so I'm using a Calphalon Pro pan when I need a heavy pan and rolled steel pans that have been seasoned like cast iron the the light stuff.
Cast iron is the best and I miss it. The secret is scrubbing it with salt and drying it over heat once it has been rinsed. Once it turns black, very little sticks to it and all it needs is to be wiped out with paper towels. Never use soap and the dishwasher is absolutely forbidden.
Trailrider1951
(3,409 posts)myself, so I have tried and used just about everything out there. My favorites that I have kept and used and replaced with the same thing when necessary include:
2 cast iron skillets, large and small
2 cast iron griddles, large and small
5 heavy duty stainless steel pots of various sizes, including 2 old Revere wear pieces, 1 large and 1 medium
1 Le Creuset enameled wok (a gift)
10 piece set of Corning Ware baking dishes, small, medium and large, some with Pyrex lids
1 cast aluminum Nordic Wear baking sheet (half sheet size)
1 large oval shaped Crock pot insert with Pyrex lid (from a Crock pot that quit working, I use it in the oven)
2 Crock pots, small and medium
The cast iron is great for frying and pancakes. The stainless steel all have very heavy bottoms and are great for soups, stews, and pasta dishes. The Corning Ware and Revere Wear I collected from various second-hand stores. The small Corning Wear pieces are great for heating leftovers in the oven, and the larger pieces are great for casseroles, biscuits, brownies, etc. These are what I use the most.
trof
(54,255 posts)rsdsharp
(9,042 posts)We originally bought Calphalon because we lucked into a phenomenal deal. A regional department store ran periodic 20% off sales. We found a ten piece set marked at $99.95, so with the discount we got the set for $80.00. To be honest, I think someone (not me) switched price stickers, but we got the benefit. Weve added many pieces over the years.
Weve also had a few pieces replaced under their guarantee due to worn finishes on the aluminum. We also have a couple of pieces of Analon. I think their nonstick finish holds up better than Calphalon.
We also have some Lodge cast iron, and carbon steel, which are being used more often in recent days.
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)Worth every penny
rsdsharp
(9,042 posts)But I dont. We have about 15-20 pieces of Calphalon, plus lids. They were collected over probably 15 years. Trying to replace that with All Clad at this point would break the bank (and me, when my wife found out).
spinbaby
(15,073 posts)During normal, non-pandemic times, All Clad has a factory sale at the Washington County Fairgrounds the first weekend of June and December. Im lucky enough to live nearby, but its totally worth a trip. I dont think they have one this June, but will surely be up and running by December.
rsdsharp
(9,042 posts)Weve got a LOT of Calphalon:
1 8 qt stock pot w/lid.
2 1 1/2 qt sauce pans w/lids.
1 4 1/2 qt sauce pan w/lid.
1 2 1/2 qt saucier w/lid.
1 3 qt saucier w/lid.
1 12 inch omelet pan.
1 10 inch omelet pan.
1 10 inch everyday pan.
1 2 1/2 qt sauté pan w/lid.
1 3 qt sauteuse w/lid.
1 10 inch grill pan.
1 griddle.
1 crepe pan.
1 fish pan.
1 15 inch paella pan w/lid.
1 roasting pan.
Plus a couple of Analon pieces, and some cast iron and carbon steel.
Fortunately, while Calphalon isnt up to All Clad quality, it aint too bad.
spinbaby
(15,073 posts)There are steel baking pans called USA Pan that really are American made and quite good, although available in limited sizes. Nordic Ware is my preference for fancy pans. My half sheet pans are heavy aluminum, I think from Costco.
In cookware, I prefer All Clad, but I live near the factory and attend their factory sales. I cant imagine paying full retail for All Clad. I also have some ancient cast iron, which I like but dont use that often because its heavy and Im old. I have a carbon steel wok I got at an Asian grocery for $6 years ago, but dont use all that often.
Nonstick is something I havent quite masteredI understand you need to replace it from time to time, but Im always in way unhappy unhappy with my latest nonstick pans. My latest are Misen, and has a nice cooking surface, but comes with instructions not to put it in the dishwasher and has a removable silicone-sleeve kind of handle that traps water if you wash the pan with handle on. Also, Misen skillets are slightly larger than the equivalent pans in other brands, which means the lids you already have wont fit.
dem in texas
(2,672 posts)I like glass glass baking dishes for casseroles and glass loaf pans for breads. When I want to show off, I'll make a fruit cobbler in a large French white porcelain casserole dish. It makes every thing baked in the dish look impressive.
I bake my pizza on an old aluminum pan that was used in a catered luncheon at my office about 20 years ago, Puts a great crust on the pizza. Also have a yellow metal porcelain pizza pan that was my mother's that I use when I am making more than one pizza, it also puts a nice crust on the pizza.
I have old metal muffin pans I like to use (estate sale find). I love those old silver aluminum half pans (the old kind of aluminum that turns dark if you put in the dishwasher). I found mine at estate sales. My sauce pans and soup pot are modern stainless steel with extra heavy bottoms. Don't fry much anymore, so don't use my cast iron skillets very often. I have one small iron skillet that I use most often to bake cornbread in.