Have you got a favorite pot?

We have a set plus extras of clad Farberware and several cast iron pans that could be 75 or 100 years old, but my favorites are a 2.5 qt sauce pan and a cheap, lightweight, no stick frying pan from WalMart.

The sauce pan is a 2.5 qt stainless steel Revereware with a thick, thick copper clad bottom. It has a forged, rivited handle, and a stainless top. It was made in China, and I got it for a buck on closeout. It was the only one left. The frying pan is the perfect size for an omlette, and the non stick coating really works, and has not scratched after several years (I do treat it well)

I have often considered the high end pots that they sell in the mall and the Williams Sonoma catalog. I often wonder, if I did buy them, would my old Revereware pot still be my favorite?

I have an old cheap set of farberware. Received a WONDERFUL set of Emerilware for Christmas. I unpacked it, washed it, looked at it day after day. I finally used the skillet last night to make shrimp creole and must say the farberware skillet will take the back of the cupboard. Now, how long will I look at the other pieces before using them??It's just so darn pretty and shiny!!!!!

Depends on what's available. I use at home more skillets and my favorite is a Berndes med size with glass lid. I've had this Berndes stuff for years and it's still good.

I refuse to answer on the grounds that i may incriminate.......OH---you mean for COOKING!!! Never mind.

Costco sells an 18-piece set of cookware for under $200. I've had mine for over two years, beaten the hell out of it, and it's like new. Unless your name happens to be, say Thomas Keller or Daniel Boulud, you definitely don't need to pay any more than this. Especially considering that last time I looked, a big All-Clad skillet cost more than this entire set.

Mauwie Wauwie

Lodge and Le Creuset

A Farberware 12" non stick skillet that's a very handy 3.5" deep. In addition to the usual handle, it has another gripping handle across form the usual one.

Then there's my all purpose Calphalon 2.5 qt saucepan. It's so heavy that milk boiling for custard does do very fast and with a minimum of stirring.

actually===my favs are my cast iron---three sizes--huge big and small--AND the one with the ridges on the bottom forPan "grilling"--a fabulous "Fish" pan---that an elongated saute pan thats thick copper with a satinless lining and my woks==hamered and old and easy to care for!!! Got a set of way too thin stainless Pots that i want to replace with some good used commercial ones from a restaraunt supply house i just found.

The pot that I use most often is my small Calphalon wok. This is the one that has a handle like a skillet. Although I use all of my pots regularly, this particular one is the most often used.

Now, if you had asked me in, let's say, 1978, I would have had a very different answer--somewhat along the lines of Tiki.

Mine is an enameled cast iron pot called a doufeu made in France by a company called Cousances. It especially designed for braising, but great for just about anything requiring a large pot. pb

Mine is cast iron also. Most are Griswold, Wagner ware and a few Warpack. Some are also made by early local foundries that was common back in the 1800s. Can't beat a good well seasoned cast Iron skillet. I also have a couple of steel saute pans that I would never part with. Chow Jim

I have a set of Calphalone and they are all equally wonderful.
Other than that I have 1 cast iron frying pan that was the first piece of cookware I ever purchased. Also gaining respect is a HUGE cast iron frying pan I bought at a flea market. It was new, still had the tag on it and had "The Cracker Barrel" stamped on the bottom of it. bought it for $4.00.
I hope pans fit this category.

quote:

Originally posted by hatteras04

Mauwie Wauwie

Dude:

You beat me 2 it. Oh well. As long as it "glows in the dark".

I use my big Wagner cast iron for everything. But I have to wrap 3 potholders around the handle to remove it from the oven or I'll burn myself. And, it's heavy. Any suggestions?
The Bear

One time a "friend" came home to find "their" house had been broken into during the day. The perpetrator had broken in through the first floor window in the back of the house, through the pantry where the cookware and some assorted groceries were stored.

Lost was a top-loading VCR, some misc. stereo gear from the living room and after that take, the perp headed to the bedroom and rummaged through the dresser, took some jewelery and a plastic bag filled with a small-to-moderate stash of herb. Apparently satisfied with the take, the perp then made an exit ...

Here is what apparently happened: Upon entering the house in the pantry, the perp had apparently grabbed a sauce pan in the pantry as some level of protection from the eighteen pound dog (who did not prove to be a good watchdog and took a hit from the pan-wielding perp -- but, for the record, survived just fine.)

Our "friends" called the police-officer-station and reported the break-in, detailed the loss (without mentioning the plastic bag) and waited for the patrol car to come and make an official report.

So ... Mr. police-officer-man comes to the house to take a report, he is going through the (pointless) ritual of doing a report, goes through the living room, and then to the bedroom ... looks through the dresser asks about the missing jewelry and then says "What about the pot ???"

"HOW'D HE KNOW ABOUT THAT?"

My "friend's" wife -- knowing about the specific omission in the initial report -- was about to reply something like "How'd you know about that?" when she was interrupted by hubby who replied with a more appropriate "Huh?"

At which point the officer held up the saucepan and said "This pot ... any idea how it got into the bedroom?"

Crisis averted.


The loss: Not very much.

The anecdote: Priceless.

quote:

Originally posted by wheregreggeats.com

One time a "friend" came home to find "their" house had been broken into during the day. The perpetrator had broken in through the first floor window in the back of the house, through the pantry where the cookware and some assorted groceries were stored.

Lost was a top-loading VCR, some misc. stereo gear from the living room and then the perp rummaged through the dresser bedroom and taken some jewelery and a plastic bag filled with a small-to-moderate stash. Apparently satisfied with the take, the perp then made an exit ...

Here is what apparently happened: Upon entering the house in the pantry, the perp had apparently grabbed a sauce pan in the pantry as some level of protection from the eighteen pound dog (who did not prove to be a good watchdog and took a hit from the pan-wielding perp -- but, for the record, survived just fine.)

Our "friends" called the police-officer-station and reported the break-in, detailed the loss (without mentioning the plastic bag) and waited for the patrol car to come and make an official report.

So ... Mr. police-officer-man comes to the house to take a report, he is going through the (pointless) ritual of doing a report, goes through the living room, and then to the bedroom ... looks through the dresser asks about the missing jewelry and then says "What about the pot ???" ... !!!

"HOW'D HE KNOW ABOUT THAT?"

My "friend's" wife -- knowing about the specific omission in the initial report -- was about to reply something like "How'd you know about that?" when she was interrupted by hubby who replied with a more appropriate "Huh?"

At which point the officer held up the saucepan and said "This pot ... any idea how it got into the bedroom?"

Crisis averted.


The loss: Not very much.

The anecdote: Priceless.

quote:

Originally posted by Adjudicator

quote:

Originally posted by hatteras04

Mauwie Wauwie

Dude:

You beat me 2 it. Oh well. As long as it "glows in the dark".

Shucks. You both beat me to it.

quote:

Originally posted by hatteras04

Mauwie Wauwie

LMAOWheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I spent a bunch of money buying Ultrex off of HSN or QVC only to be totally disapointed by it. Took a big loss on it after about 2 years and gave it to one of my kids. Then I spent a lot of money at Costco for a big set about 18 months ago, American something or another, off of 1 of their "Road Shows". My guaranteed skillet which is supposed to be "non-stick" isn't. Even bacon sticks now. If they aren't willing to make this right I'll probably take Costco's extremely generous return policy on.

The question comes out as what to replace it with?

What is my favorite now? I don't have one.

MikeS.

I've seen them hustling the American-what-ever line in the store. The one I was talking about, above, is the Kensington line, their house brand. Believe it was, actually, $149, but that was almost a year again.
Both my son and I have sets and they've been absolutely perfect. Mine is still completely non-stick - I made a couple of cheese omelets two days ago (at 3am, so you can guess...) and it slid out like a charm. And Mrs. Scallion still doesn't remember not to use metal utensils, so they take a beating. Don't know what else to say, except that I just checked and it's not on the Costco website.

My favorite? A Lodge cast iron bean pot, which I paid $30 for at a thrift store. The pot had never been used. If we go through another hurricane season like 2005, it'll be the one pot we take with us.

quote:

Originally posted by Scarlett

Also gaining respect is a HUGE cast iron frying pan I bought at a flea market. It was new, still had the tag on it and had "The Cracker Barrel" stamped on the bottom of it. bought it for $4.00.

A cracker barrel pan! You got a bargain, that's the kind of thing that sells on e-Bay for more than I am willing to spend.

My favorite pan is a Cuisinart 12" stainless saute pan. It cost me around $80 (on sale!) and was worth every penny. You can fry chicken in it, braise meats, make a couple quarts of soup, do a quick saute, make risotto, and you can even use it to roast a pork loin (up to 4-5 pounds) or a chicken.

My second favorite pan is a Desco Ware beanpot that was my great aunt's. Descoware was the Le Creuset of the 40's and 50's. It's that bright red orange color and is identical to one that Julia Child had. Her's is in the Smithsonian, mine sits on my stove at all times. (I use it to make Irish oatmeal.)

Favorite skillet is my Great-Grandmother's Crescent Foundry cast iron skillet. It's easily 100 years old. It never fails. The other one is the same size, but deeper. They never fail.

Pots are 1940s hand hammered Club Aluminum. They are thick with the heat even. The handles are wood and never heat up.

Every new pan I have had, has failed. Even expensive Caliphon was crud. Teflon is the beast -- or I just don't know how to work with them. I tend to fry at high heat.

Griswold cast iron