Redpill me on cookware...

Redpill me on cookware. What's my best value bang for my buck first big boy apartment cookware set that won't make me look like a scrub, will get the job done, and won't make me take out more student loans?

just look up kenji's food lab article about starting cookware, has recommendations on pans and shit

Falk is functional and has a high qpr

>classic image.jpg

carbon steel pans are best bang for buck

if you have a gas stove look into getting a cast iron skillet. they could scratch or even crack a glass-top, i'm pretty sure they don't work on that other coil kind, but theyre dirt cheap and work great on a gas stove.

This. You can get a god-tier Matfer Bourgeat 12" carbon steel pan for like $50 and as long as you keep it oiled so the steel doesn't rust it is practically indestructible

>they could scratch or even crack a glass-top,
We've used cast iron on a the same glass top stove for 20 years. It is all scratched up, but it's all cosmetic. No cracks.

you might lose your security deposit for that if youre renting (which I know you aren't if youve been using it for 20 years, but "you" in general).

I heard copper cookware is ruined/gets discolored when using too high temperatures. Is that true?

It looks so fucking stylish

>ruined
Yes, this is true. Within weeks of buying my copper pans the outside developed a deep matte brown finish, like an old penny. I had to throw them out and buy new ones.

Don't buy copper, guys. It's too easy to ruin.

Your best value is don't get a whole fucking set of cookware, just get what you need.

Silverware cutlery, Y/N?

I have no patience for polishing, so that won't happen.

no, cheap efficient and durable stainless steel is better

>falling for the cast iron meme

I have some from a garage sale that I just threw in the office's silverware drawer. It's a nice heavy weight, nobody polishes it, and it's developed an interesting patina. I wouldn't do that to something that I bought brand new.

Does it still feel fresh after getting a patina?

I have inherited some so it's really just a matter if I should sell them cheaply/throw them away or use them (but without bothering to polish).

>I inherited some silver dinnerware
>I'm a lazy fuck and I might just throw them out because I'm a piece of shit
Fuck you, I'll buy them off you

IDK what your deal is but in my country their basically given away at second hand stores because of a massive supply and limited demand (lots of old people perishing, leaving behind silverwear the younger generations have no desire or patience for).

Yeah, this stuff feels fine to eat with.

What country is that? I'd like to go on vacation there.

I found silverware at an MCC thrift shop here in canada. it was beat to shit and required a lot of tlc but they shined again eventually

Sweden
Come for the silverware stay for the food

Let's be clear here: are you talking about silver plated flatware or 92.5/sterling flatware?

in my case silver plated dunno about the swede

I have some family in that general part of the world, I may well do that. I've been meaning to go for some time now.

But just to be clear you do mean 92.5 silver is readily available for next to nothing in second hand stores?

cast iron is no meme, friend.

No no, silver plated. Sorry to disappoint you

It's a meme, but it became a meme mostly on its own merits.

Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set

It's awesome and very affordable.

>very affordable
>Made in China

Gee, I wonder why.

these 3 pans for $55, buy?

10", 8", 6"

Ah yes the classic pringles and wheelbarrow pans perfect for cooking mounds of dirt

>portuguese garbage
buyer's remorse: the image

>Redpill me

a man with such apparent taste in fedoras deserves the best. go for All-Clad

>asks about cookware because new to cooking
>OP clearly states that he is new and not well informed on this topic
>2nd post in user uses a fucking acronym

wtf is qpr?

For pans get a 12 inch carbon steel an 8 inch cast iron and a 6 inch Teflon a single 2 quart sauce pan and 1 large stockpot a 8 inch lid and a 12 inch lid this should cover just about any situation cooking wise. As for knives you only need a boning knife a paring knife and a chef knife.

Quality to price ratio

If you're in the States lurk your regional TJMaxx & Marshals for a Le Cruset Dutch oven and All Clad skillet (8 & 10"), sauce pan, pot. Take your time building up your set of cookware and only purchase high quality; remember, they're tools, and if you spend the cash up front and take good care of them they'll last you the rest of your life. Hell, I have my great grandmothers cast iron that's over a hundred years old.

& most copper is shit and designed to be decorative btw

It's dirt cheap in the us

Do Chinese have different manufacturing techniques?

Because I'm pretty certain they are they exact same

what makes it better than stainless or cast iron?

I need a set of pots. Can somebody recommend me one? I moved out and realized I had been using my previous roomie's pots for the past year.

Also need a sauce pan, for what it's worth.

Any recommendations? I'm a college fag so I'm not swimming in dosh or anything, but I DO have a birthday coming up.

Soy Turkiye silver line

You can not depend on their quality control and sourcing of materials unless you have a westerner continually checking everything they do.

They'll just melt the sterling obviously.

Carbon steel is lighter than cast iron but it seasons the same. Stainless steel pretty much doesn't hold seasoning, unless you treat with kid gloves and only use it with eggs.

Rusts the same too.

You mean like cuisinart does?

Still can't outperform thicker copper. I would understand if they made those pans 3mm+ but they only do 2.5

>i'm pretty sure they don't work on that other coil kind

As much as I fucking hate my electric coil stove, cast iron works fine on it.

I should have said I meant i'm looking for stainless steel. (imo the most useful for pots)

look up reviews for all-clad and they'll probably suggest pans of equal quality for less money or of better quality for the same money. or if you don't feel like researching that much just go with all-clad. part of their price is for the name, but the pans are all american made, if that matters to you.

Noted. Really I'm just looking for a set of 3 pots. Didn't really wanna spring for something like All-Clad personally, but I'm not opposed to it.

Cheers user.

it gives as good a sear as cast iron but it's incredibly lightweight. it's all metal too so there's no problem putting it in the oven etc. they're very popular in restaurant cooking.

Best general-purpose cookware is clad steel. Easy maintenance, decent all around. The layering of various metals mean they have superior thermal properties (more even heating, better response to temperature changes) than just stainless steel, but require less looking after and hold more energy than, say, aluminum.

Best for sauteing is carbon steel. Non-stick like cast iron but thinner and lighter. There's a reason they're pretty much the standard in commercial kitchens.

Best for heavy-duty searing, pan roasting, and other heavy-duty tasks is cast iron. Nonstick, and their combination of huge mass and thermal properties mean that they can hold a shitload of energy and maintain a high temperature with ease.

Best for super delicate work and fine temperature control is steel or tin lined copper. Copper responds fast to temperature changes and heats super evenly, which makes it easily the best choice for things like candy/pastry work where exact temperature management is crucial. However, copper is also reactive, so lining the interior with something else is the way to go. Copper cookware tends to be REALLY expensive, so I wouldn't bother with it unless you've got money to burn or you plan on doing a lot of cooking that really needs fine temperature management.

If you're just setting up, I'd say get a set of clad steel cookware for the pots and pans and such, and go buy one or two carbon steel skillets from a restaurant supply store or something. You can get them really cheap if you look around. The fact that they combine nonstick with the ability to sear well and handle high heat makes them pretty godly.

> the best choice for things like candy/pastry work where exact temperature management is crucial. However, copper is also reactive, so lining the interior with something else is the way to go.

actually, unlined copper is preferred over any other material for certain tasks (pic related), and nobody in a first world country sells unlined copper without a fair amount of labeling to the effect that you should be careful

the only relatively common use for unlined copper outside of candymaking is carnitas and if you're buying a cazo you presumably know what you're doing