Cookware

Moving into first apartment soon. When buying cookware, should I get a set or just certain pots and pans? Looking for the most cost efficient way to do things.

Other urls found in this thread:

amazon.com/Slip-Stone-Cookware-Non-Stick/dp/B00O28SUQW/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1470345692&sr=1-3&keywords=slip stone pan
amazon.com/gp/product/B012OIVV1C/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
amazon.com/gp/product/B00Z4TSGDK/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
amazon.com/gp/product/B00G2XGC88/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
amazon.com/T-fal-Signature-Thermo-Spot-Indicator-Dishwasher/dp/B001167VIQ
amazon.com/T-fal-Resistant-Thermo-Spot-Indicator-Dishwasher/dp/B004WULC56/ref=sr_1_11?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1470346533&sr=1-11&keywords=t-fal professional non-stick
amazon.com/gp/product/B0052Y5B08/ref=crt_ewc_title_huc_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1TIWYJ5GQYV9G
amazon.com/gp/product/B002C83DOI/ref=crt_ewc_title_huc_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AGTROPKNECHYZ
twitter.com/SFWRedditImages

Depends on the budget.
3 x pots in different sizes, cast iron skillet, nonstick pan.
If there's a thrift-shop nearby, it'll probably be cheapest.

Sets are usually marked down in price compared to buying individual pots and pans.

The problem, IMHO is that sets tend to include odd sizes or items you don't need. Also, most sets are rarely very good for everything. Different brands make different pots/pans better than others.

My advice is to pick what pans you actually need and then buy those from the ideal maker of each type.

didn't think of the thrift store. is the cookware generally any good?

Don't buy a set. You're going to either find something that fits your budget and ends up being crap, or spend a fortune.

What do you want to cook? It's important to know when providing an answer.

My "must haves" are a rice cooker, 4 qt. pot with removable steamer basket (I like the kind that folds), a wok, a non-stick skillet (strictly for eggs), and a charcoal grill. Amazingly one of the best grills on the market (Weber) is only $99.99. You'll need charcoal, a chimney, tongs, and something to scrape the grates (don't buy a brush) which adds to the price, admittedly. But I'll be damned if it ain't worth its weight in gold.

Come home to the smell of rice in the air, throw some vegetables into the steamer, grab marinated chicken out of the fridge, slap it on the grill, and in a few minutes, dinner is served. Rinse out the rice cooker and pot, let the charcoal burn out, and the next time you light it up, scrape all the junk off. God-tier meals with little effort.

It varies a lot. Sometimes it's crap. Sometimes you can score really nice stuff for a good price.

In regards of the cast iron skillet, it's hunk of iron. If you're lucky you'll find an old Wagner, but beware some of them has a ring on the bottom of them, probably making them unsuitable for ceramic of induction stovetops.

My advice is to think of the things you want to cook and buy the gear necessary to cook them. Chances are that the set will include superfluous items.

just based on that image, we see
>two small pots
(really only need one small pot for cooking rice or warming sauces)
>2 pans
(you definitely need a pan, but do you really need another slightly smaller one?)
>a ~casserole pot/saute pan
(fair utility, but how much you use it will depend on your cooking style)
>a couple of matching utensils
(one fish spatula, one slotted spoon. are you really gonna want to be doing your cooking with these, or are you more likely to get some tongs and a wooden spoon?)

Most cost efficient way is to determine your needs and buy decent quality. Pro tip: you don't have to buy teflon/non-stick, these are rarely of any use outside of say cooking eggs. You might consider your local restaurant supply for pots and pans, maybe even goodwill or garage sales if you're that type.

Don't listen to Veeky Forums when it comes to cookware, we're a bunch of poorfags who harbor ridiculous superstitions like cast iron skillets being a universal do-everything tool (no such thing, only "do a shitty job at most things if you put enough effort into it)

Hit up century life for some good suggestions based on facts and not trying to justify mistakes by tricking anons into doing the same thing

Unless you already are a decent cook just go to a thrift store to get your cookware as you will just end up destroying nice things by sheer ignorance at first.

>we're a bunch of poorfags
You maybe a poorfag but that isnt true of everyone here.

>implying copper is good for anything but cook sauces

you look like a poorfag with a credit card m8

>shitty cabinets
>diamond steel flooring
>bare walls

You must have taken that picture in your place of work when you had a break from.pot washing.

>baww how dare someone point out that not everyone is poverty stricken like I am.

That photo is about 5 years gold now, it is the only picture I have of my cookware. The steel flooring as you so say is a spiral staircase going to the basement and there are no cabinets in that picture idiot. I have since bought two different homes in different parts of the US, because why limit yourself to just one climate?

>implying

Write down the 10 dishes you are most likely to cook. Go out and buy what you need for those. Then pick up other pieces as you go along

>a wok
U wot. Woks are only worthwhile if you have a gas stovetop or grill.
If its common apartment all you'd need is a saucepan, dutch oven, fry pan/skillet, steamer basket/strainer and a rice cooker.

If that's m150 you're still poor

nigga i am trailer trash but atleast i will admit it. Now fuck off with your apartment and credit card you fuck stick

Sorry to hijack this thread a bit, but what types of pans and pots are absolutely necessary? I make lots of pasta and soups, as well as sauteed vegetables, omelets, and pan-fried stuff.

Small pot, big pot, small pan, big pan, really big pan

That's going to depend a LOT based on the type of cooking you're doing. But given the things you listed:

-skillet or fry pan for your fried stuff, omelets, and sauteed veg

-a large pot with a lid for making stock, soup, and boiling pasta

-a saucepan for cooking the sauce to go with your pasta.

And what materials should they be made of?
I was told by someone else that I need a stainless steel pan, a cast iron pan, a nonstick pan, and a stainless steel pot.
For the saucepan, copper is generally the best choice because it's non-reactive, right?

M250 actually.

>how dare someone have more than me!
Dont forget to vote democrat, so you can have some of my pie.

atleast its not a poverty tier apartment m8y

Don't worry Kris, we'll ban guns and then you'll have to compete with the Mexicans to mop the floor at wall mart

I live here now.

what part of the world is fucking sideways m8

also congrats you are middle class barely

bet you only put up those solar meme panels for a tax break you cuck

>also congrats you are middle class barely
I didnt know that middle class was owning one 300k home in the country and then another half a million dollar home in Sedona. When did that happen?

Nah, I put them up to power my home, the only time I dont sell power back to the grid is during winter when I dont live there because its cold and snowy.

>I was told by someone else that I need a stainless steel pan, a cast iron pan, a nonstick pan, and a stainless steel pot.

That's a good selection.

>For the saucepan, copper is generally the best choice because it's non-reactive, right?

No, copper is highly reactive. That's why it's always coated with something else where it contacts the food. Copper is used for two reasons
-it has that old school look which some people care about
-it reacts to temperature changes very quickly, which is handy for certain delicate sauces that can easily "break". But that isn't really relevant for a home cook. Copper is expensive and requires a lot of care. It's not dishwasher safe. It's silly to buy it unless you want to show off or if you're a serious fucking cook who often makes hollandaise, bernaise, etc.

>300k for that

holy shit nigga you got ripped the fuck off

>sedona
who gives a fuck if its not the USA fucking poorfag euros get off my Veeky Forums

Yeah I only started really getting into cooking this year. I make lots of soups, pasta dishes, fried stuff like chicken cutlets, sauteed dishes, and so on. Nothing super advanced yet.

What should the saucepan be then?

Just what kind of "care" do you think copper requires other than washing? Unless you're a sperg who polishes his cookware for a hobby it's no harder to maintain than alu or enameled iron

>holy shit nigga you got ripped the fuck off
There are two homes in that picture, one is a cabin that is over a century old and the other is a home that I had built. The high contractor fees were due to the fact that there are no bridges in the area that had over a 15 ton weight limit so it took many truckloads to get all the building materials there. I see you know nothing about getting homes built.

>he doesnt even know where Sedona is
American education.

enjoy your tarnish and corrosion from not polishing like a pleb desu

why do you retarded millenials think you can just have everything in life on a silver platter to angelic chorus with Jesus himself kissing your ass?

the sheer laziness astounds me

>WAAAHHHH THIRTY SECONDS TO WIPE DOWN A PAN SO TUFF

Most cookware can be tossed in the dishwasher.

Copper requires hand-washing, and yes, I was referring to the polishing aspect. And eventually it will need to be retinned. If you have electroplate copper that will happen fairly fast. If you have the old-school type that was tinned by hand it lasts a lot longer. (And then there's the stainless clad copper, which doesn't require tinning but defeats the point of buying copper in the first place--except for the looks, of course)

Copper is pretty God tier if you don't get ripped off on "copper core" shit or "copper clad" or the decorative crap they sell to unsuspecting rubes

When it comes to copper and aluminum you always have to consider the construction, it's no less important than the base material. There's tin lined, stainless lined, and nickel lined, they each have their appeal. Don't listen to anyone who makes generalizations about construction based on the mere fact of a pan being copper, because it's a sure sign they have no idea what they're talking about

Jesus just stfu, who the fuck sticks a tinned pan in the dishwasher

You're exactly what I warned op about here

>Jesus just stfu, who the fuck sticks a tinned pan in the dishwasher

Nobody. That was my whole damn point.
MOST cookware can go in the dishwasher. Copper cannot. That's why it's more work to maintain then other options.

>>You're exactly what I warned op about here

I agree with that post 100%. What exactly is it that you think I'm telling OP that's wrong?

Here are the pans and pot I am considering getting:
Nonstick:
amazon.com/Slip-Stone-Cookware-Non-Stick/dp/B00O28SUQW/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1470345692&sr=1-3&keywords=slip stone pan
Stainless steel pot:
amazon.com/gp/product/B012OIVV1C/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Stainless steel pan:
amazon.com/gp/product/B00Z4TSGDK/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Cast Iron pan:
amazon.com/gp/product/B00G2XGC88/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Are these good buys?

>MOST cookware can go in the dishwasher.
Anything that is teflon coated cannot go into one, anything that is made of different materials cannot go in one and anything with rivets cannot go in one.

That is nearly all cookware, what kind of cookware can go into a dishwasher you lazy fuck?

>slip stone pan
Utter shit. They're very thin, the handle is plastic so the pan can't go into the oven, and that stupid "space saving handle" is a failure (and potential accident) waiting to happen.

If you're on a budget get a T-fal. If you can spend a little more, get an Eagleware or Tramontina.

The stainless steel stuff has plastic on the handles. Get "Update international" instead. It's cheap.

>>cast iron
That's fine

>Anything that is teflon coated cannot go into one

Sure it can, so long as you're not a retard and put it up against something that might rub through the coating. Teflon can easily survive the temperatures and the chemicals inside a dishwasher.

>>anything that is made of different materials cannot go in one and anything with rivets cannot go in one.

Then why are my all-clad and Demyere cookware listed as dishwasher safe from the manufacturer?

The only things that cannot go in the dishwasher are copper, cast iron, and carbon steel.

could one avoid buying a nonstick frying pan by just getting an electric griddle? I feel like they get the same thing done kinda.

What are Veeky Forums's thoughts on this set?

amazon.com/T-fal-Signature-Thermo-Spot-Indicator-Dishwasher/dp/B001167VIQ

While I would not need everything it has to offer like is saying or know exactly what I would like to cook, I'm wondering if I would need to make a list of things I would like to cook, short or long, and purchase cookware individually to meet those needs. As it is, I have used what cookware I have already and play around with it. I didn't know I would be cooking the things I ended up cooking when I had purchased them.

Instead, I wanted to give myself some options. I have recently started to cook a wider variety of meals and play around with what I do have, but I am finding myself restricted. A quick search online shows I could purchase items individually but that while buying a set would be more expensive, an individual item seems to have its own mark up. This is all new, amazon/in-store products.

This would essentially be a beginning's set, so quality is not the highest priority. But, at least with this brand, which my current non-stick frying pan was made by, seems to last longer than the lowest price Walmart pans that started to flake or warp after only a year of use. I would be happy if this set lasted me 5 years, but preferably something closer to 10.

So, this is primarily something I'm looking to grow into as my cooking grows, since the cookware I currently have is having some trouble keeping up with my ambitions. I am wondering if something like this would be a good next step, even if some items are redundant. I am no skilled cook so specialized cookware doesn't seem appropriate.

Why would you want to do that, though? Assuming they are both nonstick, it's cheaper to replace a pan when it wears out than the griddle. Also, the pan on a rangetop has more power than a plug-in electric griddle does.

The only thing I'd consider an electric griddle for is if you don't have or can't use a range for some reason.

>Then why are my all-clad and Demyere cookware listed as dishwasher safe from the manufacturer?
Are they made up of different materials with different rates of expansion? If so then they are not actually dishwasher safe.

>clear out a large space around your teflon pan to wash them in the dishwasher because spending two min to do it by hand is hard.
How much microwaved food do you consume?

My minimum pot/pan setup:
>nonstick pan at least 12 inches wide
>large stainless pot, at least enough for a pound of pasta + water
>large ceramic oven-safe dutch oven

I can pretty much get by with these 3 things on a regular basis.

>Are they made up of different materials with different rates of expansion? If so then they are not actually dishwasher safe.

Yes, they are. And your objection makes no logical sense at all. Why would different rates of thermal expansion matter in this case? If the pans can handle hundreds of degrees on the range top, then why would a dishwasher, which operates at lower than boiling temperatures, harm them?

>>clear out a large space around your teflon pan to wash them in the dishwasher because spending two min to do it by hand is hard.

Who needs to "clear out a large space"? Doesn't your dishwasher have prongs to keep the cookware in place?

And for what it's worth, I don't wash my Teflon pans in the dishwasher. I just rinse them out under the tap and wipe them clean while they're still warm from cooking.

The point is that if you wanted to you could just chuck 'em in the dishwasher. That's not an option for copper.

>>microwaved food
I don't own a microwave.

was honestly just enticed by the amount of food I could cook on it at once. could make eggs and bacon/sausage for guests and none of it would get cold

So get a big frying pan.

I was never talking about the handles. If your pans are made up of different materials with different rates of expansion than the heating and cooling cycle of a washing machine will severely reduce this life span. This is different than the heating and cooling cycles on most ranges as they typically just stay on instead of someone repeated turning the heat on and off while spraying it with water. This is basic materials science.

I guess my dishwasher does have prongs for it but I never use them, I wash all my cookware by hand after it has cooled down enough to not fuck with it to expose it to water.

Realistically chucking anything in the dishwasher made of different materials or with rivets is just a bad idea and that sort of behavior should be discouraged early on in the learning process so you dont do it to something nicer out of habit.

Yeah, I only considered it because it's cheap as fuck.

How about this one for nonstick then:
amazon.com/T-fal-Resistant-Thermo-Spot-Indicator-Dishwasher/dp/B004WULC56/ref=sr_1_11?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1470346533&sr=1-11&keywords=t-fal professional non-stick

Also here are my picks for stainless steel now:
Pot: amazon.com/gp/product/B0052Y5B08/ref=crt_ewc_title_huc_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1TIWYJ5GQYV9G
Pan: amazon.com/gp/product/B002C83DOI/ref=crt_ewc_title_huc_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AGTROPKNECHYZ

If you have the time try walking around bazaars, thrift stores and garage sales to find a Creuset.
It's one of my most treasured possessions and it's become an essential part of my kitchen.

>This is basic materials science.

No, it's you having a massive misunderstanding of materials science.

A run in the dishwasher is exactly one cycle: heat up for the wash cycle, then the rinse. That's exactly the same as putting it on the stove, heating it up gently (to a point below that of boiling water--not very hot at all for a pan), and then cooling it down again. Many cooking methods are far worse: putting a cool steak in a hot pan to sear it. Deglazing a hot pan with wine, and so on. Not to mention the fact that the cookware can clearly handle that kind of shock given that the manufacturer states it's dishwasher safe and warranties it forever.

You're paranoid.

uneven heating

Those are all good budget choices.

What, you don't have gas?

Welder here.
You guys are really really overstating the sensitivity of metals again.

>tfw I make shit loads of money but still live like a poor retard.

It's really just one guy, user. the fool who says that no cookware can go in the dishwasher because the heat cycles somehow damage the metal.

cheapo apartment

electric range

There's always a shitstorm regarding that in cookware threads, I wonder if that's a few misinformed/paranoid anons or just one autist that gets triggered about a single subject like I see a lot on other boards.

Yeah, how long should they last me then? I just want safe stuff that isn't laced with fucking chemicals that chip off in my food, and can cook what I like.

I've been living in my own apartment for almost a year now and I wish I would have gone to the local save-mart and grabbed a set of ceramic pots/pans.

I eat rice religiously so that's the only single-use appliance I have. I would enjoy a pasta maker, though.

>only picture I have

Well take another one. I know you have nothing better to do since you are shitposting from one of your parents rentals.

>rich
>can't afford to have his house cleaned properly

Any particular bran of spatula, ladle, wooden spoon, or stirring spook recommended?

honestly the best cookware I've ever bought was 2 years ago and i've still got is an orgreenic or green life ceramic non stick pans, they last forever because if the ceramic stuff cracks its just cast iron underneath that you can season and use and its still really good.

And it would all be overcooked.

>30 seconds of wiping to undo a chemical reaction
Nocopper poorfag spotted

A saucepan, a frying pan, a boiler. That's all I require for cooking by myself.