My good friend and cooking video partner (culinary video tutorial series TBA), Michelle S., asked me recently about pots and pans I recommend – and I have gotten questions like that before, so here, a blog post about it! (As a newly minted Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on Amazon, but not (yet) from Williams Sonoma, Sur La Table, or any other vendors. I am trying to convince them all because I love their products!)
Question:
Can you please tell me what cooking pots/pans I should buy? I don’t need chef quality. But something that won’t poison us and that are very functional and good quality to last. I don’t want to spend a huge fortune, but am willing to spend more than I would on cheap cookware. Any recommendations that I can order online?
Answer:
- For the lowest price, best quality cast iron, you can go with cast iron from the American company Lodge for skillets! They are made in a few sizes, and they even have colorful enameled Dutch ovens with a lid that are more affordable in the US than the French brands! Lodge cast iron products are heavy, but well-made and inexpensive. Great value for your American-made product! No Teflon, or externally exposed, cheap aluminum – these are not ancestral.
- For Dutch ovens – cast iron pots with lids, my two favorite French companies are STAUB and LE CREUSET at Williams Sonoma. They have every size and color imaginable. Remember that these last several lifetimes, so choose your color, style, and size wisely.
- For stainless steel pots and pans, I use the Belgian brand Demeyere Proline that has seven layers (on Amazon – paid link)and no bolts inside the pan, which makes for easier cleaning. The handle is fused to the outside of the pan, a much cleaner design. The seven layers protect the food from burning easily and distribute the heat.
- Demeyere has a stainless exterior with aluminum core or aluminum encapsulated base – so no aluminum touches the food, it just conducts the heat. Demeyere Atlantis7 proline saucepans/pots, called “saucier” can be used literally to make and melt sauces (and chocolate) without a double boiler, the sides and bottom are so thick. But you pay for this “professional level.” They have a 5-ply version as well, somewhat less expensive, called Industry5. I prefer the rounded-bottom pots, but that’s a personal choice. Think of one of these pots as a one-time investment that will last you long enough to pass it down to your kids, for the cost of a night in a boutique hotel.
- There are other brands like the French brand “de Buyer,” and Cuisinart makes decent ones. My sauce pans are thick enough to melt chocolate in and make sauces. You don’t even need a double boiler, I guess that’s why they are called sauce pans. That should get you started.
Question:
What kind of utensils do you use with cast iron and stainless steel pots and pans?
Answer:
- No plastic, just wooden utensils, silicone spatulas, and/or stainless steel, not aluminum.
- Silicone handles and grips (paid links on Amazon) for the iron pans are helpful. I also use glass Pyrex dishes for storage, just don’t allow the food to touch the plastic lids. (Tip: Allow hot food to cool first before placing the lid on the container. These containers are great for freezing food.) I also use splatter guards because I cook in a lot of tallow and butter.
Watch for my upcoming post on other favorite kitchenware!
