For all the chefs and cooking enthusasists in this forum I need some help. I am looking for a decent cookware set, preferably stainless steel or non-stick. The main pots/pans I am looking for a large and small sauce pan for pasta and sauce. A 8-10 inch skillet is good. Other than that, nothing else really matters.

Who makes good knifes? I need some a sharp knife set.

For the cookware set, Im looking to spend around 150 and the knife set 50-60. If anyone can help, thanks.

 

Get german

 

I swear by Circulon cookware. For knives, I use Globals. Do a search on EBay and it will give you an idea of what is out there and price...

 

all-clad is the best, but expensive. Calphalon is also good, but it's all non-stick cookware. it all depends on what you want. For sauces(italian) non stick can change the flavor, so I would go with something from all clad. But I have alot of calphalon stuff and it's great for every day stuff. It depends on how serious you are. Go to any kitchen supply store( macy's, bed bath and beyond) and they'll be able to help you out.

 

also, for my knifes, I use lamson - sharp. They aren't as well known, but just as good if not better than henkels.

 

Try here.

If your looking at knives, I've been using Wustof Classic since day one.

 

If you have the budget go all clad. I like Calphalon but for my dorm room i got cuisin art which is surprisingly good. heavy stainless steel, cleaning it is so easy.

 

Buy in a set. SOOOOOO much cheaper when you get the whole set. Get a good non-anodized (or is it annozided???) teflon cookware set. Get a good knife set that doesn't rust or need sharpening.

You should be able to get a good cookware set for under $250 and a good knife set for around $100. I'm not taking top of line but good useable set that doesn't rust or get messed up and can take use and dishwasher.

 

I agree with most of the others. All Clad is the best. Check out the sets at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They usually have the best prices. Here is a nice ste for under 200. http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...=-1&SKU=101093 It is not SS, but they are nice and easy to use.

Be careful with full SS. If you are not used to it, you will have some food stick and burn to it, unlike non stick. All Clad does make some SS, with non stick interiors. I prefer the full out SS though. Once you get used to it, it is the best.

For knives---I use Henckles. They are, IMO, the best out there. But you probably will not find a set around 50-60.

 

Calphalon and All-Clad seem to be recommended choices whenever this topic comes up.

I'm a cheap bastard, so when I decided to get rid of my hand me down set, I bought a cheap Faberware set. My Mom recommended them to me.

If I ever get serious about cooking, I might switch to something more expensive, but for now, the cheap stuff works fine for me (I need a couple more skillets and saucepans)...

Here's the set I've got:

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...3151911&RN=397

 

My wife and I have All-Clad that we purchased 20 years ago and is still in excellent condition with two decades of daily use. We purchased the anondized exterior becasue we liked the way it looked, but in retrospect, I might have preferred the brushed finish. The polished finish is way too difficult to keep up.

There are starter sets of various configurations all over the internet, and an hour spent doing comparitive shopping should get you a good deal, either from a discount wholesaler or Ebay. Teflon or not is your personal choice, we have a mix of both.

As for knives, most people are fanatic about their choices, and we picked Wustof.... Again, a starter set of three or four basic knives will hold you for a long time unless you get into exotic cooking, at which point, your needs will dictate more acquisitions. We have about twelve knives in our knife drawer, carefully buffered from each other in a wood holding case, never dishwashed, and carefully hand dried. As with All-clad, an internet search will reveal dozens of "starter kit" prices.

If your cooking consists of limited prep, then basic cookware will do the trick. But if you have any intention of getting into cooking for the fun of it, having decent pots and pans is essential. All-Clad, Calphalon, Cuisinart, etc, all have heavy bases that carry heat evenly and effectively so that cooking turns out to be an art, not a gamble with heat. If you have a limited budget, buy fewer pans at first, and then let your menu planning dictate your future purchases. We started with two skillets, one no-stick, and a saucepan. Over the years, have added a great many more, the most recent being a crepe pan.......

Once you get this stuff, make sure you get the proper cleaning stuff for it. there are soft pads that can remove stuck foodstuffs, and there are teflon cleaner/restorer cleaners out there as well. We have an aging wok that we are giving a few more years of life to with careful tending after each use.

 

All-Clad ownz ju. I have 2 small saute pans, a large saute, and a couple sauce pans. It is expensive and if you don't cook as much as my wife does, then don't invest in it. Cutco cutlery is good stuff and we have some of that as well since my step mother used to work there and got good deals.

 

I too have Calphalon and All-Clad.

For the record, Calphalon != non-stick. High-end calphalon is not teflon coated.

My Calphalon (few years old) is pure anondized aluminum. The newer high end Calphalon, however, has a non-stick FEATURE of being INFUSED through some process that embeds non-stick polymers in the aluminum itself.

It's nothing like "non-stick" like the pans that have a teflon coating (that makes it hard to brown/sear/etc).

Calphalon also makes pure stainless like All-Clad.


PERSONALLY, I prefer my anondized alumnium calphalon for gentle/long cooking... and I prefer the stainless all-clad for high temp searing/burning.


Calphalon also makes very good knives, for the record. I have Henckles, some Wusthof. I hope to get some Globals, and I want to own one of Calphalon's Katana series.

 

All-Clad. Check out www.chefscatalog.com for great deals on all kinds of brands.

 

Calphalon ownz me. I have the anodized aluminum and love it. It is pricy and you have to hand wash all the pricy cookware (all-clad included).

Wustof is my preference, although you need to buy for durability and comfort. Pick up the knife set if you plan on using it often and see how it fits your hand. Henkels are good knives, but they uncomfortable to me, and Wustof was very comfortable.

Consider some of the ceramic knoves if you are looking for durability (careful, they are brittle, but hold an edge much longer than the traditional seel and stainless blades)

 

You should have been on ebay on friday. They had $400 sets on sale for $149 and $119 for aluminum and stainless steel. High quality calphalon. Maybe still good.