Call them pots and pans, or cookware both terms mean the same thing. Either way buying new cookware is not something you do every month or even every year. The last set of cookware we bought has lasted us about 15 years.
I still have the old cast iron set of cookware my mother brought out from Arkansas when she married my dad. About once or twice a year, I will pull down that old cast iron deep dish fry pan. Then I bake a pineapple upside down cake. Afterwards it goes back on display.
I don’t know what criteria goes into your considerations for new cookware. Is it price? For some people that is a big one. Some people must have their cookware the right color, to match the rest of the kitchen. Some are attracted to a particular style. What ever type of cookware excites you it must be functional and last more than just a year or two.
My choice in cookware is on the lines of functionality. I do not want stuff sticking to pan when it should not. I want the cooking experience to be as pleasurable.
When I go out with clients to help them in the purchase of cookware, I find them drawn to color and the name on the box. Paula Deen and Rachael Ray are the two big ones. Then there are the gourmet cooks who want top performance out of their cookware. Like anything else when it comes to buy cookware the emotionally lured by aesthetics and name must be taken out.
Copper cookware is the most expensive but it is the best for even heat. Aluminum, along with copper and to a lesser extent cast iron, do chemically combine with certain foods, and alters the flavor. Then there is consuming unwanted levels of the metal.
Stainless steel is the best choice. It doesn’t react with acidic or alkaline ingredients. However, stainless steel doesn’t conduct heat too well. Thus making necessary to get a set good heat-conducting features like thick aluminum or copper disk at the bottom of the pan.
High-quality non-stick cookware made of good heat conducting, thick gauge aluminum is another good choice. However, non-stick cookware usually doesn’t heat as well as cookware made from other metals.
All-Clad it probably the best you can buy, but it will cost you over $500 for a set.
If you go to WalMart.com, you will find cookware from $800 on down to about $30. I thought it interesting their best sellers were 10-piece sets ranging from $30 to $300 in price.
Bottom-line: If you want more information about buying the right cookware, there is Cooking.com. For those of you who demand more out of your cookware, I recommend you check out GourmetChefCookware.com.
