Thread: Help: Recommendations from Chefs?

Originally Posted by 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

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

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

I have all clad cook ware and wustof knives and both have served me well but if moneys an issue I have found that nothing beats cast iron for all around cooking. when seasoned properly it is non stick, conducts heat well, and will work stove top or in the oven equally well. Just another option!

Hey Ivo, don't know if you want to get too into different pots and pans and all, but check out Le Creuset's cast irons. They are very heavy, but can withstand a LOT. They can also go from the stovetop straight into the oven and are enameled so I don't think they need conditioning like regular cast iron. They are workhorses. Check them out at least.

Originally Posted by Philadelph

Hey Ivo, don't know if you want to get too into different pots and pans and all, but check out Le Creuset's cast irons. They are very heavy, but can withstand a LOT. They can also go from the stovetop straight into the oven and are enameled so I don't think they need conditioning like regular cast iron. They are workhorses. Check them out at least.

I have to agree with you. I've bought two different sizes for my wife and she loves them. I cook with them on occasion. Well seasoned cast iron is hard to beat, and you certainly can't go wrong with All Clad.

Wustof knives receive great reviews. I have some JA Henckels I picked up ten years ago and they're still the best knives I've owned. The super high-end ones are where it's at -- stay away from the cheap models. I've heard the handles have been redesigned in the past few years and many folks don't like them as well. Find something that fits you hand. Try lots of stuff. I use an 8" chef's knife for nearly everything. My wife likes her Santoku knife, and it does a great job just in a different way than a chef's knife.

Originally Posted by sensei_kyle

I have some JA Henckels I picked up ten years ago and they're still the best knives I've owned.

10 years ago is a good time to have picked up J.A. Henckels. IIRC, Within the past 5 years they've moved their blade production facility for cheaper labor costs and the quality of blades has suffered because of it. In fact, the designers of their older blades had a fall-out with the rest because of the changes and split off into their own company. Blades from the new company are at least as nice as the old Henckels and are balanced better (more centered than handle-heavy). I'll have to try to track down the name of the new company as I don't remember it right now.

ETA:
There is another Cutlery company that produces some very fine blades is Global. They're a brand made by Yoshikin. They have a very nice balance and are made out of a single piece of molybdenum/vanadium stainless. Their blades also tend to be shaper and hold their hone better than others as they are ground to a narrower angle and non-beveled. They're supposed to be a pain to hone (really hard steel). My sister has a set of them, and they're a pleasure to work with. Oh, and best of all, they're a good deal less expensive than Henckels and Wusthof.

Not a chef but I like to cook.

These are the knives I bought sometime ago, and I like them a lot:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=19262
I prefer 6" knives to 8".

For pans, well we use tefal which are great to work with.
They can't stand years of intensive use, so you need to replace them after 5-7 years. Otoh they are cheap.

We have a cast iron stir frying pan from Le Creuset, and it is great.
The shape is nice, and it comes with ears instead of a long handle, so it is easy to put on the table. It weighs a lot, but otoh once it is hot it stays hot, which is nice.

If cash is in short supply, I'd go for a quality chef's knife as that's probably the most useful knife. Personally my favourite from my collection is an old carbon steel 8" Sabatier, followed by a similar size Wusthof. Japanese blades are amazing but the chef's knife styles tend to have thinner blades that are more suited to slicing. The Sabs and Wusthof will hack through most things without the fear of breaking the blade edge.

Quality carbon steel Sabatiers are available in Britain if you know where to look. Don't know about the States. I bought one recently from Axminster though they seem to be out of stock at the mo.

As for Global, been there, sold them on. The handles just hurt my hands! YMMV of course. Handle them first. They are thinner blades as well.

After that, if you are still short on cash for pots and pans, I'd just get an El Cheapo set (I paid about £4.50 from Ikea!) and replace them bit by bit when the good stuff comes up in sales. That's what I did, worked fine. I use the Ikea set for camping now so the 4.50 wasn't wasted!

Gareth