Help: Recommendations from Chefs?

[izlat]

Hi guys,

I know there are some pros here so I need advice (will be moving to a new place) on top quality but lots of bang for buck

1. Best couple of knives (prefer something carbon and very versatile, hopefully on sale) in the most useful sizes - guess will be cutting meat and some chopping
2. pan (e.g. is Calphalon good, what's better) I guess 10" or so: T-Fal or what? durability, heat distribution, etc.
3. some pot for soups - afraid I'll break a glass top but maybe they are better?

I do enjoy some cooking but won't have much time so I need decent sizes so I can cook only once every several days

Thanks!
Ivo

[kaptain_zero]

Not a chef, but do plenty of cooking at home.

Knives? I don't use carbon blades, I'm happy with Wusthof and Victorinox. Size is pretty personal, I like an 8" Chefs knife but often reach for a slightly longer slicing knife ( A Henkels, found discarded after being used for gardening of all things! Fixed the broken tip and honed it up... good as new except for looks!).

Cookware? Hands down All Clad stainless. Crappy handles (they can get hot but I always use a towel when I pick up a pan) but the best heat distribution out there, so if you can afford it, buy it. Need to save money? I'd look at Cusineart.

Regards

Christian

[Wildtim]

I like my Wustof knives, and my Caphalon cookware. I like the combination of a chefs knife and a boning knife for all around utility, the chefs for cutting vegies and the boning does a number on meat. The only improvment I would make to my cookwear would be to have gotten the teflon coated rather than the plain, I leave them sit to often after using them and the teflon would certainly help with cleanup.

[izlat]

Thanks!

All-Clad: I am flirting with the idea but really not that much of a cook

Calphalon and Ciusinart seem more reasonable, considering my hodge-podges

Cheers
Ivo

[kaptain_zero]

Thanks!

All-Clad: I am flirting with the idea but really not that much of a cook

Calphalon and Ciusinart seem more reasonable, considering my hodge-podges

Cheers
Ivo

Well Ivo, it's usually the cheapest to buy your last set of pans first. That said, I can't say I've been impressed with the Calphalon pans I've seen but I haven't seen them all. They seem to be more of a boutique brand... nothing really special but hey, we have a quirky name and we put the word Professional on the box. Ditto for most of the celebrity chef branded stuff, some are downright dreadful. Cusinart stainless is good bang for buck, you're not going to tell the difference in the taste of your food between it and All Clad and with their lighter weight are probably better suited for home cooking, being lighter and easier to handle.

Don't be afraid to mix and match either, All quality cookware is sold open stock, pick and choose what you think might suit you best.

Regards

Christian

[izlat]

Hi Christian -

I'm with you that ideally I can only afford the best but right now it's not the time to spend several hundred

Probably would buy some Cuisinart stainless for starters (pot + pan), then later I'll try to get an All Clad 10" pan. For my soups, I really can't see how I need All Clad - pretty much any pot would do alright, and for other meals I have very nice special clayware stuff, etc. but it won't be moving with me (for the time being). I just need a minimal set to be able to cook some food for a while

Thanks again
Ivo

ps I liked Calphahon because it's heavy gauge, seems solid and I expected good heat distribution at a very reasonable price

[Shaveboy]

General Rules of the Road for Equipment;
In seach of a good knife I would say the two most important points are :
1) Is it solid tang (is the knife one piece from point to the back of the handle?) You can always find some one to rehandle your knife; I'm inheritiing my mothers 40 year old 14 inch carbon steel Sabatier and I'm having a friend redo the handle.
I also had the privaledge of destorying my hand with a Chicago cutlery chefs knife one night, one that didn't have a full tang. Well needless to say I wasn't using dictionary english when the blister on my hand burst as I was hand salting a steak. Yes, full tang is better.
2) How does the knife feel in your hand as you cut with it ? I have handled many Wustof's and they all are not comfortable to me, hence my preference for Henckles. So handle as many as you can, I do know that the Martin Yan collection from Wustof is Very good and if your going to own an all purpose knife a Santuko is the SUV of the kitchen you'll want to have.

Consider looking in old restaurant supply places and in department stores that look like they are closing down. I got a brand new Henckels paring knife for 80% off because the store was closing the department. Nicest $10 I spent for a long long time.
I also found a web site www.wildfirecutlery.com that MAKES knifes to spec; you fax him an outline of a knife you like, he makes you a carbon steel version of your tracing. He does have some standard stuff he sells yet he ONLY deals in Carbon steel, so if you're not neurotic or OCD about knife care (like I am), stick to stainless.

Regarding cookware; thicker is better for stockpots and sautoirs (low rider dutch ovens) and unless you have access to copper your not really going to do much better. Though if you ever cook over an open fire then you may want to experiment with the cast iron. Use cast iron for outdoor or direct cooking over woodfires. Cast iron takes longer to heat up but will really hold heat once it gets going. I saw Julia Child teach how to do a proper french omelette and she by passed every pan and went right for the cast iron, made the most fluffiest omelette I ever saw, no additives!

Frying pans - Old Calphalon was always nice. I'm not keen about All Clad and that boutique Rachel Ray stuff has just got to GO! When looking remember metal handles attached with metal rivets to the pan anything less and you'll replace the pan after about 4 years of moderate to heavy use. Viking has some really good stuff but not if your on a budget. Never to forget to look in Goodwill, antique and second hand stores. I live in South Florida and we have TJ maxx, Macy's and other assorted general stores. If you know what your looking for you might get lucky, I got a Calphalon Sauce pot with lid for $21.00 with tax and they even threw a bottle of Williams & Sonoma italian seasoning for free. It was the good Calphalon, the thick grey anodized 1.5 quart sauce pan. If your an equipment hound think about reading Cooks Magazine (see a local Barnes & Nobles or Borders for recent issues) they don't accept advertising, so they can be honest with the equipment evaluations (sometimes brutally honest) and they are usually dead on.
I'm talking from a professionals view here, but it comes down to making it as practical for YOU as you can make it. Oh and one more thing buying cheap is not always the best way. Buy the best you can AFFORD at that time, it goes further. Though you can hedge your bets, I always have two really cheap saute (egg) pans I leave around so my guests can destroy those, instead of damaging my good stuff. [I have family come to visit and they like to sometimes cook without me]

[PetersCreek]

I was enthusiastic about my Calphalon when I first got it but it just didn't stand the test of time. The bottom half of the insides of my stock pot and large sauce pan are practically bare aluminum now. I was scrupulous about cleaning per the manufacturer's directions so I tend to attribute it to acidic sauces.

I've picked up a little All-Clad open stock here and there and so far, it's a joy to cook with. I'll be buying a 15-pc set this fall.

Knives...I pieced together my block of Zwilling Vier Sterne knives (mostly) while living in Germany. Today, I'd buy something different but I can't justify ditching the 4 Stars when they're doing so well after all these years.

[murph]

One of my favourite knives, far from the most expensive I own but still in the hundreds of dollars price range, is a Shigefusa. It's very well finished and is wonderfully balanced.

If you're on the lookout for a board now theboardsmith.com makes some nice ones. A decent end grain one should last you for years and will be kinder to your knife than other types of board.

[LX_Emergency]

I bought some Henckels 5 star kitchen knives a while ago. I love them to death. They're my favorite thing in the kitchen.