I am not an expert by any means. But, I recently replaced my old pots and pans with new ones and did quite a bit of research before settling on what to buy. Just wanted to share what I found for anyone else who might find themselves in that position and doesn’t feel like digging through articles and reviews.
My requirements… I didn’t want to spend a ton of money but I didn’t want to just get a cheap set. I figure, if I can get 5-10 years (or more?) out of my pots and pans, that’s awesome but I’m not expecting them to last forever (so I don’t want to pay a TON of money for them). I wanted them to be easy to clean so that’s why I decided on non-stick. I wanted them to be durable and distribute heat evenly. I have an electric glass top stove so that also was a factor (if you have a gas stove you may want something else). I wanted them to still look nice after years of wear (so that’s why I went with dark grey over a color).
Best nonstick skillets: OXO Good Grips (I bought the 8″ and the 12″) $27 and $40 respectively. I happened to catch them on sale and got both for $50 total.
On Amazon
Best cast iron skillet: Lodge – I use this for cooking burgers or anything on high heat that I want ‘blackened’ (which saves me from ruining my nonstick skillets). I bought the silicon cover that goes on handle (lifesaver) Both on amazon HERE 10″ pan is $19.00
Link to article on America’s Test Kitchen
Pots … I bought individual pieces of the Calphalon Contemporary Hard-Anodized Aluminum Nonstick Cookware. I read a lot of articles and reviews and settled on these pots. I knew I wanted non-stick because it’s just easier to clean. I know people usually have strong opinions one way or the other.
I found all of my pots on sale (a couple on Williams Sonoma) and then a couple of the pots I bought at Home Sense/Home Goods/TJ Maxx for like 60-70% off! I just kept looking every time I went to a store. I didn’t buy a ‘set’ because I didn’t need ALL those pieces and I have limited storage. There were five specific pieces I was looking for (the 1 1/2- and 2 1/2-Quart Sauce Pans With Lids, the 8-Quart Stock Pot With Lid, 13″ deep skillet with cover, and the 3.5-quart pour and strain sauce pan)
The Analon brand set also got a lot of good reviews.
I read a lot of reviews on how best to care for the nonstick pots/pans and some things I knew but some things were new to me…
-don’t use non stick spray on them (those nonstick sprays have a residue that they leave behind on pans)
-buy your own pump spray can if you want to spray oil ($10 on amazon)
-use cold pressed avocado oil (Costco sells it for the best price – or Walmart) it’s got a high heat point (vs. olive oil that has a low heat point and goes rancid beyond a certain temp) Great article on that HERE
-use silicone cooking utensils (so you don’t scratch the pans)
-let your pots and pans cool down to room temp before washing them or submerging them in water (if you do it when they are still hot this will wreck them…they warp or it will ruin the finish)
-I don’t put my pots and pans in the dishwasher (basically exposing them to extreme temps will shorten their lifespan)
-use a non-abrasive sponge to clean them
What about you? Do you have pots and pans you love? Or don’t love? What advice would you give based on your experience?
