Frying pans

[JoeP]

Hello. We've been using teflon frying pans for years, and are getting a little tired of replacing them every 4-5 years. We have a set of cast iron frying pans, but they are a pain because everything sticks to them (yes, we've tried probably a dozen "seasoning" techniques with no success).

I recently dug out a stainless steel frying pan and was able to pan fry some meat with relative ease, and we enjoyed taste from the "fond" that we cannot get on teflon. Seeing as stainless is easy to maintain, we're looking to replace all our frying pans with stainless, except for maybe one non-stick for eggs. This will be an anniversary gift to ourselves, so we're not afraid to spend a bit.

Can anyone recommend a good brand? I am looking at the Vollrath Tribute line, and really like the features you see on this one. About half the price of All-Clad. We'd probably get the 8, 10, 12 inch sizes with lids.

[disneysteve]

We treated ourselves a number of years ago after we got tired of replacing things every few years and we bought a set of Calphalon Commercial Tri-Ply Stainless. It was worth every penny. They still look brand new. They clean up easily. The heat and cook very evenly (this is where the expensive ones outperform the cheaper ones).

We also have a Tools of the Trade stainless pan from Macy's that is excellent as well.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I love our calphalon teflon set we got in 2005. Perfect and we use it daily. Way better than stainless. And we have cast iron too. My mom and MIL every time come over and comment how much they like them but won't buy them for themselves. Seriously, they are how old, make how much, and cooked how often when we grew up but never invested in a set of pots and pans that the handles don't grow hot while cooking.

I find it amazing that people sometimes don't see investing in something like pots and pans that are fun and easy to cook with when that's the biggest money saver over going out to eat. I think my set was $500 and we bought it using wedding gift cards/cash/and some off the registery.

[disneysteve]

I love our calphalon teflon set we got in 2005. Perfect and we use it daily. Way better than stainless. And we have cast iron too. My mom and MIL every time come over and comment how much they like them but won't buy them for themselves. Seriously, they are how old, make how much, and cooked how often when we grew up but never invested in a set of pots and pans that the handles don't grow hot while cooking.

I find it amazing that people sometimes don't see investing in something like pots and pans that are fun and easy to cook with when that's the biggest money saver over going out to eat. I think my set was $500 and we bought it using wedding gift cards/cash/and some off the registery.

I think this is partly a generational thing (and not entirely a bad thing).
One of our kitchen knives cost more than all of the knives my mother owns.
One of our good pans cost more than her whole set.

Despite that, we cook great food and she cooks great food. Tools do matter but only to a certain point. I don't think her food would be any better with better equipment though the job might be easier and clean up would be smoother.

Depression-era folks like my mother couldn't imagine ever spending $100 on a knife or $500 on pots and pans. Of course, I also earn a lot more than my parents ever dreamed of earning so to some degree it's all relative.

[kork13]

I was given (as a college graduation gift 5.5 yrs ago) a nice set of Analon pots/pans, made of non-stick anodized aluminum. I think they cost around $300. They're excellent to work with, and though I normally love the non-stick qualities of the anodized aluminum, I occasionally find myself wishing I had stainless steel, because foods sauté & caramelize better with stainless. The next time I buy pots/pans, they'll be stainless steel, preferably copper-bottomed or copper-cored. But then, given the quality of what I currently have, that probably won't be for at least another 10-20 years... What I've got now is showing almost no wear at all, even though I cook frequently with them. Getting a good-quality set of pots/pans is DEFINITELY a worthwhile investment, even if the initial sticker shock hurts a bit.