Moderate priced pots..

[luxflairguy]

Knowing from friends who have box  sets of cookware, there are always one or two pieces that just gather dust!  Why not get out everything you use and like, then go through the stuff you don't use-or like- and go from there.  Are their a couple of frying pans you'd like?  What about a big multi-use pot?  Trust me I have stock pots in 6,8,10,and 20 qt sizes! All of them get used!  A steamer basket of a saucepan?  I've cooked professionally for years and have WAY more cookware than I should, but I have fun rotating it around.  Tonight the saucepans are French copper and a Lodge cast iron skillet for my lamb chops.  

 

While every here keeps talking about going thrifting, no has mentioned going to a restaurant supply store for cookware.  The first cookware I bought out of college was all aluminum commercial cookware.  It was cheap then and now is a good value but the variety and quality has improved vastly.  The 2 stores in Seattle I frequent have everything you can imagine.  Far more fun than a boxed set!  And finally, many cookbook authors of note- Julia Child, Ina Garten often have in the back of their books, a suggestion list of what a well prepared kitchen should have from cookware to knives and gadgets.  Even it seems once a year that the New York Times has a weekly food section devoted to the well equipped kitchen.  and No, I'm not talking about Trumps Penthouse!    Good luck!  Greg

 

[earthling177]

Greg:

Those are excellent points, particularly for the average family.

For my family (only hubby, me and a dog) though, the two sets I mentioned are very practical, which makes them particularly moderate price. I have heard of people who never use the 1 or 2 qt pots, for example, but we use them all the time. I have not bought the Bialetti set because then I'd be repeating items/sizes we already had, so I bought the stuff I didn't have and needed the most as separate pieces, but I mention the price of the set because someone in a similar situation to mine might save a bunch of money by starting from there, because just the bigger frying pan or the dutch oven already costs a significant portion of the entire set, for example.

And yes, I agree that very large sizes are needed too, we have a 12 qt pot (got on sale for a steal at Target) that is pretty good, and would have gone to a restaurant supply store at the time if it weren't for the fact both me and the hubby were busy, we needed induction-compatible pots and pans in January (not the best time to be driving around here), the set was relatively inexpensive and our local restaurant supply stores 3 years ago were not big on induction-compatible pots and pans, I hear that as more and more restaurants around here start having at least a couple of induction burners the supply stores are getting better at stocking the stuff.

And, in case I have not said this often enough already, when you buy new pots and pans, it pays to get the induction-compatible stuff. I grew up with gas stoves and, while I didn't mind using the coil burners, once we switched to induction neither the hubby nor I want to go back to anything else.

Cheers,
-- Paulo.

 

[mattl]

Yes, I'd jump on an induction cooktop if I came across one at an affordable price, of course that would necessitate new cookware. .  I have 3 pots that work on my induction hot plate- you know the one they push on TV all the time.  I picked it up for $25 at Goodwill a few years ago and it's great to take to parties to keep stuff I make warm on the counter top.

 

[norgeway]

I also have

The set of cookware my Aunt Georgie got in 59 when she got married, its Presto Pride,its a tri ply stainless with copper bottoms, HEAVY..and even heating.

 

[joeypete]

Visions

When I was at the Corning factory store a while back they had new sets of Visions...might want to check on their site maybe?

 

[askolover]

I loved my Farberware SS set my grandmother bought for me when I got this house in 98 or 99...but it won't work on my induction.  So I bought a new set of Tramontina at Walmart that is induction friendly.  Works great.  When I build a new house I want a kitchen with a gas range and an induction cooktop...the best of both worlds...along with a proper rack from which to hang all my SS cookware.

 

[cycluxe]

I do most of my cooking in either a 10" Wagner 1891 iron skillet or an 8" Lodge iron skillet. My big 6-quart pot is American Stainless Kitchens Pluramelt, about which I can find little info. If the photo attaches properly, this is the pot filled with Jewish cabbage soup.

 

[joeypete]

The current "vintage" Farberware pots are now induction safe. I'm toying with the idea of getting a set. I was originally set to replace my old ones when they needed it, with All-Clad. So far I have a few skillets...but I soooo like the Farberware.

 

[dermacie]

Pots

I have been using All-Clad pots for the last 17 years and they are some of the best that I have used. But unless you buy seconds which most of mine are I wouldn't consider them moderate priced. A small set at Macy's is probably over 6 or 700 dollars now. They will last many years i'm sure.

 

[joeypete]

All-Clad is great! I've been buying it piece by piece to lighten the cost load a bit. I just used my Discover points to get a 4 qt covered saute pan to replace my old chicken fryer, so it only cost me $15 Others I have bought on sale...like the 11" nonstick french skillet I just ordered from Macy's...got that for $89.

 

[dermacie]

all-clad

I recently picked up the lasagna pan at goodwill for 10 bucks. I bought the small rack on e-bay and used it for my Thanksgiving turkey this year.

 

[vacerator]

Derek,

is it the genuine thing, made in Cannonsburg? Either way, great find.

 

[dermacie]

it is

the real deal.

 

[brisnat81]

Try the corningware outlets. I saw Visions in the one in New Hampshire back in may and the outlets here have a full range of Visions cookware.

 

[xraytech]

All-Clad factory sale

Hans and Greg,

All-Clad factory is located in Canonsburg, PA only 30 minutes from me. Twice a year they hold their factory seconds clearance sale at the Washington County Fair Grounds, which I pass on my way home.
The prices are very good, I once bought a 6 qt LTD2 pot with lid for about $125, and I believe it retailed around $275

The sales are the first Friday-Saturday of June and December each year. In addition to the factory seconds they will often have the complete sets of first quality on sale, in June they had the 7 piece copper set on sale for $699, retail was $999. I prefer the open stock pieces.

If there are things you'd really want I can look for them, and even with shipping them would be cheaper than in a store