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RamblingRose

(1,030 posts)
Mon May 17, 2021, 10:46 AM May 2021

What 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. I’ve never had any luck with cast iron skillets. I’m sure it’s user error.

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hlthe2b

(101,730 posts)
1. Nothing fancy. A few decent stainless or Calphalon pans, but
Mon May 17, 2021, 11:06 AM
May 2021

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.

jimfields33

(15,473 posts)
3. I bought rachel ray baking pans
Mon May 17, 2021, 11:57 AM
May 2021

They were inexpensive and are awesome. They have rubber handles that don’t get hot even after baking for an hour.

Pobeka

(4,999 posts)
4. Stainless steel belgique pans.
Mon May 17, 2021, 12:36 PM
May 2021

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)
5. RE: Cookware
Mon May 17, 2021, 01:32 PM
May 2021

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)
6. Pyrex...
Mon May 17, 2021, 01:44 PM
May 2021

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)
7. My list:
Mon May 17, 2021, 02:12 PM
May 2021

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)
8. I use the cheap stuff for baking
Mon May 17, 2021, 02:16 PM
May 2021

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)
9. I have 50+ years of cooking for my birth family, my family after marriage, and
Mon May 17, 2021, 05:24 PM
May 2021

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.

rsdsharp

(9,042 posts)
11. Most things are Calphalon. If I had it to do over, I'd go with All Clad.
Mon May 17, 2021, 08:59 PM
May 2021

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. We’ve added many pieces over the years.

We’ve 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.

rsdsharp

(9,042 posts)
13. I agree. As I said, if I had it to do over. . .
Tue May 18, 2021, 01:42 PM
May 2021

But I don’t. 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)
15. If you're within driving distance of western Pennsylvania...
Wed May 19, 2021, 06:04 PM
May 2021

During normal, non-pandemic times, All Clad has a factory sale at the Washington County Fairgrounds the first weekend of June and December. I’m lucky enough to live nearby, but it’s totally worth a trip. I don’t think they have one this June, but will surely be up and running by December.

rsdsharp

(9,042 posts)
16. Thanks, but I'm in Iowa. Even with the sale, it would be cost prohibitive to replace this stuff
Wed May 19, 2021, 08:17 PM
May 2021

We’ve 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 isn’t up to All Clad quality, it ain’t too bad.

spinbaby

(15,073 posts)
14. Depends on what I'm doing
Wed May 19, 2021, 04:55 PM
May 2021

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 can’t imagine paying full retail for All Clad. I also have some ancient cast iron, which I like but don’t use that often because it’s heavy and I’m old. I have a carbon steel wok I got at an Asian grocery for $6 years ago, but don’t use all that often.

Nonstick is something I haven’t quite mastered—I understand you need to replace it from time to time, but I’m 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 won’t fit.

dem in texas

(2,672 posts)
17. Assortment - some modern, some family family hand-me-downs and estate sale finds
Thu May 20, 2021, 10:09 PM
May 2021

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.

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