Cookware Question

[LivingAlmostLarge]

What knife set do you have? Do you like it? How much was it? What bake ware do you have? Cost? Pros? Cons? I love my calphalon cook set and after 8 years it's easily gotten it's moneys worth. I use it daily and never have had to replace it. Love it.

Now I'm lusting after new cookie sheets and a knife set. Stuff I have is cheap but I am debating investing in the good stuff.

[humandraydel]

Most knife sets suck unless you pay a lot. I have a Calphalon knife set which is ok I guess. I also have a single 6" Wusthof knife which I use 99% of the time. Really the only thing I use the Calphalon for is the serrated bread knife.

[bUU]

We used to be very happy with our Chicago Cutlery knives, but it has become almost impossible to find a reasonably-priced professional to maintain them, and we have never had any success, despite trying "everything" with sharpening them ourselves. Honing them religiously has kept them quite usable for years, but eventually honing simply isn't enough.

We recently bought a couple of reasonably priced Kyocera knives, and I regret not doing so years ago. They are literally the best thing since sliced bread. They reportedly hold their edge for years (based on our use) and then there's a clear (though pricey) process for keeping them maintained. They are wicked sharp, even months later, and (therefore) we have found them so much easier to use.

We have two: A smaller "tomato" knife, and a larger "chef's" knife. The "tomato" knife has a micro-serrated edge that grabs hold of the food like no metal knife ever has and so never slips off the food (onto your fingers). While it is perfect for tomatoes, of course, it is even better for onions. The chef's knife is great for other typical uses.

A few notes: They do not completely replace metal knives. You still need a metal utility knife, and if you eat meat (we do not) then you'll need metal knives for going through bones and such. The Kyocera knives are sharp and strong, but their strength also makes them brittle if used as a meat cleaver. They're for slicing and straight chopping - not for twisting through food - they shouldn't be wracked or twisted up against anything hard.

It is a matter of the right tool for the job, and no longer is a metal knife always the right tool for every job in the kitchen, afaic.

[JoeP]

We have a Carico set that is probably 20 years old and still cuts great. I sharpen them myself and they are scary sharp.

[disneysteve]

We started our adult lives with cheap hand-me-downs and some half-decent quality stuff received as wedding presents. Most of that stuff wore out or broke within a few years and we have gradually upgraded as our budget allowed. I have to tell you that there is an outrageous difference between the cheap stuff and the good stuff. I think we went through 4 or 5 sets of pots and pans before we splurged and bought the Calphalon tri-ply stainless set that we use now. It is 5 or 6 years old and still looks brand new. Food cooks evenly. Stuff doesn't stick much. And it cleans up in a snap no matter what we do to it.

As for knives, same story. First was the cheap hand-me-down stuff. Then we got a set of Eversharp knives as a wedding present and we were thrilled. They were the best knives either of us had ever owned. It didn't take long, however, to realize that they still weren't all that great. One by one, we replaced them with Wusthoff knives. They aren't cheap but they are so well worth it.

Cookie sheets? Yep. Been there, done that too. We had the run of the mill Target/Wal-Mart level at first. You know the kind that twist in the oven when they heat up. I finally went out and bought a professional quality cookie sheet and later bought a 2nd one. They are higher gauge better quality steel. They eat more evenly, stay flat, cookies don't burn around the edges, etc. They are well worth the investment.

I think the key is that you don't need to get everything at once. Don't buy a knife set. Buy one good knife - a chef or utility knife is really the main one you need. Later when the budget permits, you can pick up a paring knife and maybe a serrated knife for bread. Don't necessarily buy a set of cookware. Buy one saute pan, one sauce pan, and maybe a stock pot. Fill in pieces as needed.

[Caoineag]

Only own a cheap knife set, since I just need those for eating steak. My 2 knives for actual cooking and chopping are from Victorinox, one for veggies, one for everthing else. $40 each and I have had one since 2008 and one since 2009. They are both as sharp as the day I got them (course we maintain them ourselves). I love them. I had tried cutting an uncooked squash or watermelon with other knives and that is a good way of getting hurt. These suckers cut through everything and as finely as needed.

I see no reason why I would ever need another knife.

[JoeP]

Only own a cheap knife set, since I just need those for eating steak. My 2 knives for actual cooking and chopping are from Victorinox, one for veggies, one for everthing else. $40 each and I have had one since 2008 and one since 2009. They are both as sharp as the day I got them (course we maintain them ourselves). I love them. I had tried cutting an uncooked squash or watermelon with other knives and that is a good way of getting hurt. These suckers cut through everything and as finely as needed.

I see no reason why I would ever need another knife.

I feel the same way. I get the whole "you get what you pay for" mindset, but if my 20 year old knives that go in the dishwasher and get sharpened by me twice a year still work great, why should I change? It's not like that tomato is going to cut any differently or taste better.

I sometimes get the feeling that sales of high-end knives are partly due to prestige, and partly due to the fact that most people don't know how to sharpen them and opt for the sharpening service.

[FrugalFish]

Knives are basics. My favorite is an 8" chicago cutlery bought 20+ years ago. It looks it's age in all ways We own a handful of other inexpensive knives too. Some of my favorites (can't think of the name) are these lovely little colored knives with plastic handles and sheaths for the blades. They go in the dishwasher and I just love that.

We use a lot of cast iron cookware here. There's a running joke that if someone doesn't get some lodgeware for Christmas, something must be wrong. We have some old revereware too, as well as some heavy bottomed stockpots purchased from Target not too long back.

Bakeware, we use some pyrex, but mostly I swear by aluminum cookie sheets and bread pans purchased at a restaurant supply store. Great quality, great price. A friend of mine has purchased a number of less expensive knives at the restaurant supply place, and those seem surprisingly nice as well.

[97guns]

i have kitchen knifes that range from dollar store to semi custom $300 knives. 90% of my usage is the cheepie stuff, you have to touch them up with a steel very often though. the steel is better the more you pay and with better steel you get better edge holding qualities.

[disneysteve]

I feel the same way. I get the whole "you get what you pay for" mindset, but if my 20 year old knives that go in the dishwasher and get sharpened by me twice a year still work great, why should I change? It's not like that tomato is going to cut any differently or taste better.

I sometimes get the feeling that sales of high-end knives are partly due to prestige, and partly due to the fact that most people don't know how to sharpen them and opt for the sharpening service.

Have you ever used a good quality knife? You can immediately feel the difference.
At the very least, stop putting your knives in the dishwasher.

the steel is better the more you pay and with better steel you get better edge holding qualities.

Exactly. A cheap knife may work okay when you get it but it doesn't last and there is only so much you can help it by sharpening it because it is low quality metal to begin with. There is a distinct difference between pressed blades and drop forged blades.

[ua_guy]

All Clad aluminum cookware. Anolon forged knives, very good quality forged steel. There is a marked difference between a cheap knife and a good knife, and the set I've got was absolutely worth the purchase price ($350-ish?). Cheap knives will do, and they work fine. It's irritating short most cheap knives hold a sharpening, though, and there's value for me in the weight and feel of a good quality steel knife. For a lot of things, I like meats and vegetables sliced thin, and it takes a good quality knife to do that consistently without becoming a safety hazard like a cheap knife. You'll cut or nick yourself as they dull.

I'm not a fantastic chef, but I make the things that I like, fairly well. We acquired a used Wolf gas range for super cheap, so between the cookware, cutlery, and range, cooking at home is quick and pleasurable, with consistent results. Cookware snobbery aside, it saves us money by enticing us to eat at home and make our own food.

[disneysteve]

it takes a good quality knife to do that consistently without becoming a safety hazard like a cheap knife.

This really can't be overstated. Cheap knives are more dangerous. The blades are flimsier so they bend and twist more. They can even snap when too much pressure is applied. And just using a dull blade can result in the knife slipping more easily.

I would much rather have one good quality chef than a drawer full of dollar store knives. In fact, I rarely use anything but my chef knife and I do a lot of cooking.

[JoeP]

Have you ever used a good quality knife? You can immediately feel the difference.

I don't know if I have or not! Besides dullness, they all work the same for me.

[snafu]

I prefer buying item by item, don't need a 'set.' Excellent quality knives regularly go on sale and are worth buying one-by-one. I've a couple of Wusthof which are more than 20 y/o expecting they will last my lifetime and who ever gets them next! Don't waste $$ on Target junk. This spring I got a Victorinox fish spatula [never had one] and it's the gift I'll buy every bride it's so terrific. Since it's considered bad luck, I just won't buy knives as a wedding/bridal shower gift. Next on my list is a Kocera ceramic knife, for vegetables.

I like the baking sheets from the restaurant supply outlet. Favorite pots are Le Creuset but I've several different types including my mom's mid century Stainless and a silicone meatloaf pan that turns out a pretty product.

[sarah]

Stainless Steel Pans

I bought a set of heavy duty stainless steel professional grade pans and I hate them. I was so disappointed. I cook quite a bit and these pans are hard to clean and don't cook any better than cheapie pans. I would agree though that professional quality knives are worth it, if and only if you keep them sharp. It is also probably true that unless you are a professional chef or a very serious amateur they are probably not worth the hassle. Good Luck