My personal set of pots and pans are:
- 12 piece Kirkland brand stainless steel $160 a decade ago
- Joyce Chen Carbon steel wok $50 Amazon a year ago
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven (gift. They're like $250.. which is insanely expensive IMO. I bet a $50-60 one Amazon Basics one would suffice)
- Stock pot $20 at Winners
- Cast iron pan $25 Amazon
I sous vide quite frequently, so I often only need to end off my cook with a quick sear. I love the stainless steel because I can abuse them and then chuck them into the dishwasher if I'm lazy.
My wife uses the Kirkland stainless steel pots, but prefers non-stick pans because they're lighter for flipping and whatnot. We literally throw away a non-stick pan 1-2 times ever 2 years (warping, scratching, non-stick fails etc.). I think she has like some 6", 8" pan and some 10" stew pot for non-stick stuff? I'm getting sick of that crap, so I think I may consider a ceramic coated pan to see if it lasts longer if I have to replace those pans again.
To reduce things sticking on stainless steel and carbon steel, I've always been taught to let the metal heat up a bit first before adding oil to cook. Adding oil to a cold pot/pan often causes food to stick.
The other major thing is that to avoid warping, avoid extremely quick temperature changes. Don't use water to cool pans off. Metal will warp more readily if you do that and glassware is more likely to shatter.
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