Pots & Pans - brand/material advice?

[4LovesMom]

I'm just starting to save for a new set of pots and pans. We got our current set for our wedding 7 years ago - it's teflon Farberware and the teflon is destroyed. Do you have advice/input regarding what is good - aluminum, stainless steel, a different brand using Teflon? If you have something you love, tell me the brand, and what you like about it!!! Thanks!

[Iansmama]

We LOVE cast iron pans....some of mine are old hand-me-downs and some are Lodge brand.

[Havilah]

I have lots of fancy cookware because my MIL loooves the Home Shopping Network. She gets so excited about the Fabulous Deals that she buys some for each of us :mrgreen Really, though, I prefer my ordinary Revere Ware classic copper bottom saucepans and my cast iron skillets. It took me a while to get the hang of seasoning cast iron, but now I :heart them. Plus, I just feel like the salt of the earth when I use them :cool

I know this is bad, but I do like to keep one teflon skillet for pancakes. I never have really figured them out with the cast iron and I got tired of scraping :rolleyes I figure we won't die from once-a-month teflon pancakes :O

[AmyDoll]

I have Calphalon - I :heart it!! You can sometimes find it at TJ Maxx etc.
A great website for finding deals it fat wallet (http://www.fatwallet.com)

http://re2.mm-b.yimg.com/image/1230945670

Amy :nak

[Punkie]

We threw out all of our non-stick pans a while back and switched to cast iron and I am totally in love! They are really well-seasoned now, so they're even better than non-stick, plus you don't have to deal with the dangers of the non-stick stuff :)

I also love that the cast iron can be used almost like a crockpot, it can go in the oven, it is OK to use knives and forks in it, etc, etc. Plus I get an arm workout whenever I cook :lol

We still have 2 pots that are stainless steel or something like that. We use them for cooking noodles and stuff, but I'll probably get rid of them pretty soon too...

[katiekind]

It's funny to read this thread. I am coming back to cast iron too. I had gotten away from it, had gone through a bunch of teflon skillets with the teflon always ending up being a disappointment. My 14 year old gave me a small cast iron skillet for Christmas. Now that it is seasoned, it cleans like teflon only cleans when it is brand new. And it will go on cleaning up like that forever. Wow. Now I'm just waiting for my teflon skillets to finish wearing out and I'll replace them with cast iron.

[Forgiven]

I don't have cast iron but have always wanted to give them a try. I do use stainless steel revere ware WITHOUT the alumnimum core. I am allergic/sensitive to alumnimum and if I eat things cooked in alumnimum pans I will get physically ill---those disposable pans baking pans always make me feel ill. So I don't have any links on the dangers of Teflon and alumnimum but; sorry about that but I know I have read somewhere that you should refrain from cooking with both of those.

[mandyrberry]

I have revere ware that is stainless and it is good for pots but i have ruined all the pans. DH bought me a Le Creuset bot and i am in LOVE with it! it is awesome. I was given some cast iron but dont know how to use it so i guess i need to ask . I also have a set of Calphalon that we got as a wedding gift. It is great but easy to ruin.

[AmyDoll]

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Amy

[Garnet]

My favorite kind is called scan pan. It has a stainless stell outer, and a baked on coating, not teflon but similar inside. if anything happens, such as the handle comes off, or the coating flakes, you return it for a full product refund. It doesn't matter how long you've had it.

http://www.thecountrygourmet.com/cookware/scanpan/index.html

it is expensive, but well worth it.

[RealLifeMama]

If I could afford it, I'd definitely get the waterless cookware.
Several brands make it. Saladmaster is one, I am not sure of others.

[Iarwain]

I am also a stainless and cast iron fan. I like that they have no coatings to wear off and with care last virtually forever. I have a set of Revere with the copper bottoms that we got for a wedding present and my cast iron skillets are the ones my mom got for her wedding 32 years ago. :)

[aahree]

My hubby gave me $200 last year to spend on new pots and pans, and instead of getting a whole set, I just got one pot and one pan. :) I have All Clad, which is professional grade stainless steel. I love it! As we're able to afford it, I plan to get more pieces. But we actually do fine right now with our one pot and one pan, and I love knowing it's going to last forever and never need to be replaced. I would like to get a few pieces of cast iron, though, because I've heard that they're a great way to get more iron in your diet!