Cookware thread

[Anonymous No.14816825]

Post your cookware. Recommendations, shill, etc. Resources (wikis) are always nice too.

Dad got me a pic-related Staub pot and a really good scale after he cheated on my mother and left for Canada to be with his mistress. Pot holds up better then the marriage. Enameled is god-tier and I use that scale at least twice a week.

Anyone have a recommendation for a quality non-stick that I can hand wash with soap? Budget is under 200 USD. I remember seeing a /ck/ wiki for one but it's been wiped from the web, can't find it anymore.

[Anonymous No.14816865]

Le Creuset Balti, 1.75 qt
Le Creuset Skillet, 10"
Le Creuset Dutch Oven, 9qt (I ordered the 5.5qt but they sent the 9qt and they said I could keep it for the lower price)
All-Clad d3 12" Fry Pan
All-Clad d5 3qt Sauce pot
De Buyers 10" Mineral B

I also have 8"/12" cast iron, tri-ply Calphalon 10" skillet and 6qt Cuisinart sautee pan (I think thats the right name, straight, high walls instead of sloped) but they were what I got when I first moved out, and since I've beefed up my collection I hardly use them.

People always say LC, Staub and All-Clad are memes but I don't believe anyone who says that has actually used them, they're totally worth the money and are solid workhorses.

[Anonymous No.14816895]

>>14816825
Best non-stick there is, can be found at the restaurant supply store. Thick aluminium pan, with non-stick applied. Lasts about 5 years in home service, but do not place in the dishwasher. The sandy dishwasher soap tends to degrade the pan teflon, in the same manner that it tends to dull good knives.

[Anonymous No.14816917]

>>14816895
If you want a simple, cost effective vitreous enameled dutch oven, I can suggest nothing better than the ones generally available at walmart. Yes. Walmart. Their weak point is the shitty knob on the lid. However, you can fix this by replacing it. A nice glass or brass drawer pull for example.

40 bucks vs 400 for the fancier pot. I bought two of the Walmart pots about 10 years ago, do all my bread baking in them, preheated and lids on.

[Anonymous No.14816948]

I live on my own. Do I really need to buy a big pot/Dutch oven for making simple things like spaghetti sauce or can I just get a shallow braiser for that sort of thing? Pic related is le creuset braiser which is 2.8litres deep. Won’t this do the exact same thing as a Dutch oven but on a smaller scale? Obviously I’m not expecting to make stews in this thing

[Anonymous No.14816974]

>>14816948

You can use it just fine, but a Dutch Oven will do more, so look at it like, in 10 years you'll be living with your girlfriend (or boyfriend) and maybe even have a fucking kid, this isn't some T-Fal shit you can toss every 18 months, think of it as a long term investment.

[Anonymous No.14816984]

>>14816974
Yh that’s true. When the time comes, I will invest but that time isn’t here yet and I just can’t justify the price right now. That brisket is £99 whilst a casserole would be from 260-320. I guess I’ll sleep on it. Thanks anyway anon

[Anonymous No.14816988]

>>14816984
>brisket
Fucking auto shit. Braiser*

[Anonymous No.14817046]

I recently moved out, what are some essential cookware in your opinions? And what should they be made of? I pretty much only have 2 inox pan and some shit to put in the oven

[Anonymous No.14817053]

>>14817046
>inox
Stainless steel

[Anonymous No.14817060]

>>14817046

Bare minimum: frying pan, sauce pot, dutch oven. I would say baking dish, but if you have oven safe pan that will generally work just fine. Don't bother with non stick, I'm almost 31 and have never used one in my entire life, just learn your pans and use proper amounts of oil.

[Anonymous No.14817067]

Thinking of buying a Le Creuset wok, but I read somewhere that they're made in chinkland.
Are there any premium utensil brands that are completely based in Europe?

[Anonymous No.14817074]

>>14817067

Made in France.

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/le-creuset-signature-wok/

[Anonymous No.14817101]

dumb question i just have no idea where else to ask it. how hygienic is food grade plastic actually is? i bought something for cleaning dishes made from food grade plastic and it said on the package to clean it once in a while with dish soap and hot water but how long can i keep doing it before i should throw it to the trash? or can i just keep doing that forever?

[Anonymous No.14817108]

>>14817074
Can't see the link from Europe.

[Anonymous No.14817119]

>>14817060
Thanks
What about pressure cookers? Is it worth getting one?

[Anonymous No.14817122]

>>14817108

[Anonymous No.14817135]

>>14817074
>>14817108
I got you bro. But I'm also wondering if this thing is a stove-top grade wok meant for your home kitchen stoves or can it take the abuse of a restaurant one AND it has the benefit of being properly heated on a home kitchen stove. Because everyone tells me your home kitchen stove can't properly heat those big woks.

I'm asking because I'm thinking of getting one of those outdoor tripod-style wok burners that you hook up with fuel.

[Anonymous No.14817141]

>>14817119

I think so. I have both a stove top one and an InstantPot. Both are great, the benefit of the IP is that it frees up a burner on my stove. Just a warning, it advertises itself as a slow cooker, but its actually the shittiest slow cooker around. Also, while it makes perfectly good rice through the preset Rice button alone, if you have extra money, invest in a Zoji rice cooker as well. /ck/ loves to complain about "derp just learn to cook rice or use a $20 Wal-Mart one" but like Ive said on this board before an initial expensive long term investment will over time actually save you money.

[Anonymous No.14817147]

>>14817119
Get an instant pot if you have money in your budget. You can easily find them on sale year-round, don't overpay because they get cheap as dirt (like less then 40 bucks I've seen). It does pressure cooking in addition to slow cooking, saute (for one pot, fast risotto), yogurt, etc. I use it for perfect, oven-quality rice, risottto and beans in under 30 minutes usually. Great for making your main dish and letting it sit in the back to do your side stuff like White Rice.

Mine's a chink-shit and I've been using it for like a year. No issues.

[Anonymous No.14817156]

>>14817141
Thanks again, money is fine but space is an issue so I'll probably go with a stove one if I end up getting one.

[Anonymous No.14817158]

>>14817122
>>14817135

DIdn't mean that one because I need the handle to toss the rice/noodles.
I meant something like this:
https://www.lecreuset.co.uk/en_GB/p/toughened-non-stick-deep-frying-pan-with-helper-handle/TN51101.html?dwvar_TN51101_color=black&dwvar_TN51101_size=28cm-l3-2
Not technically a wok, but still the next best thing.
They conveniently left out the place of manufacture.

[Anonymous No.14817159]

>>14817135

With a 13" diameter it's barely pushing the limit for a home stove, and yes, woks generally don't benefit from home stoves even with those funnel attachments you can buy. It will work fine on an outdoor wok burner likely. But you can get pic related which I have and will absolutely work fine on your stove. It's about 8.5 inches wide, will work fine for two people, and has the same heat retention of a cast iron (because it is).

[Anonymous No.14817176]

My essential cookware is:
- 10 inch carbon steel, cast iron would work great too
- Small stainless steel pot for rice, grains etc
- Large stainless steel pot for soups, beans, etc

A second frying pan like a stainless steel is nice but I use my carbon steel daily, which does everything my stainless does and more (eggs, fish). Everything here works great in the oven too. I have a cheap teflon too, which you may as well get, but if your carbon steel/cast iron seasoning's good (and don't expect it to be for maybe a month or more of use) you won't need it.

I don't have a dutch oven but I do have a special thing for homemade bread. It's a large investment and my pots do okay for stuff like sweating veggies. Enambled cookware is an investment, otherwise I'd say go for it. Make a list of complete meals you see yourself eating and check if they work with what you've got.

>>14817119
Anything you can do with one you can do without. I'd work without one and get one if I found myself making a lot of stock (bones) and especially dried beans.

[Anonymous No.14817179]

>>14816825
Honestly, any kitchen without a full set of Le Creuset is not a kitchen

[Anonymous No.14817182]

>>14817158

Ah yes, the non stick stuff is all made in China or Thailand.

[Anonymous No.14817199]

>>14817182
Is it still worth buying them, though, or are there other restaurant-quality brands I can look into?

[Anonymous No.14817217]

>>14817199
I wouldn't buy an expensive teflon, cast iron, etc. Triple clad stainless, enameled cast iron, and copper are the only materials I'd put down >$100 for, in order of price.

[Anonymous No.14817229]

>>14817217

Can you give an example of a good deep frying pan for stir fry and general use?

[Anonymous No.14817245]

>>14817229

For the same price, get this. it's try-ply meaning it alternates stainless, aluminum core, stainless, and is 4qts. You could buy the d5, but I have both the 3 layered and 5 layered ones, and the difference is minimal.

https://www.amazon.com/All-Clad-440465-Stainless-Cookware-4-Quart/dp/B00BLA4Z4K/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=all+clad+d3&qid=1601408865&sr=8-6

[Anonymous No.14817248]

>>14817229
Real stir fry at home is hard. You can get a wok for stuff, but like others in this thread mentioned it's not easy.
https://youtu.be/JepMyy4uahg
Kenji uses his wok a ton, indoors and out, and is writing a book on wok cooking for at-home cooks. Otherwise you can stir fry with a normal frying pan, it just won't taste as good.

For deep frying, a deep pot works, but most of the time I'll try to shallow fry instead in my stainless steel pan. This works for me for falafels, for example. I don't deep fry a lot though, so ymmv.

[Anonymous No.14817296]

>>14817245

Amazon.de has that for 230€ with shipping, but I can't get it devlivered to where I live.
Guess it's Tefal for me after all.

[Anonymous No.14817319]

>>14817296

Just google "[Nearest German City] cookware store" and go there. Thats actually better since you can pick up and feel the display models.

[Anonymous No.14817391]

What's wrong with tefal anyway?

[Anonymous No.14817408]

>>14817391

It works fine for non stick, but over time the coating wears off, meaning it has a very limited lifespan, and at roughly $30 a piece, over time its less expensive to pay $140 or so for a good, solid pan that will last forever, or even a $70 carbon steel that you can make non-stick after a bit of seasoning.

[Anonymous No.14817412]

>>14817391
Real problems:
Heat distribution/ability to sear is worse than other materials, teflon wears out so you have to store it carefully and not use metal utensils on them. Making them hurts the environment sometimes.
Fake problems: can hurt you at higher temps.
Realest problem: not sexy at all.

[Anonymous No.14817549]

>>14817101
You can do it for a long time, but cleaning glass, ceramic or steel is infinitely easier.
Generally, the cheaper the plastic, the harder it would be to care for it.
I threw out most of plastic stuff i had, but my grandmother had the same plastic dishes for a long time.

[Anonymous No.14817575]

>>14816917
Those are made in China, enjoy your progressive lead poisoning.

[Anonymous No.14818208]

>>14817179
>Describes pretty much every commercial kitchen in existence.

Not a kitchen?

[Anonymous No.14818219]

>>14817575
Of course. You enjoy paying 400 bucks for a pot made with old brake rotors and apartment radiators.

[Anonymous No.14818305]

>>14818219

Im more than happy with all my Le Creuset as well as its warranty. The only people defending cheap shit and non stick are the poors.

[Anonymous No.14819987]

I like cooking, but I don't want to spend too much time on maintenance and extensive cleaning.
Should I just go with non-stick pans and get new ones when the coating wears off if I can afford it?

[Anonymous No.14819993]

>>14818219
Whatever, Zhang, anything to keep you fed at night.

[Anonymous No.14820001]

>>14817147
Aren’t these a reddit meme ? I always though so, so I never got one even when I had money. Plus I already have a pot. Maybe I should reconsider

[Anonymous No.14820266]

>>14818219
As long as my pots and pans aren’t made by a chink, I’m happy

[Anonymous No.14820411]

>>14816984
If you're not in a hurry, keep an eye out for sales on the Staub in OP. They used to come up for sale for around $90 fairly often.

[Anonymous No.14820413]

>>14819987
No. Just get cast iron

[Anonymous No.14820474]

>>14816825
https://www.greenpan.us/why-greenpan

i got a set of these, easy to clean, nothing sticks.

[Anonymous No.14820490]

>>14820413

Hand wash only and requires maintenance.
Not what I'm looking for.

[Anonymous No.14820549]

>>14817248
>uses a blowtorch for that char flavor

Kenji, a home cook is not going to do that bullshit. He should just leave the food in the wok a little longer without stirring like most normal people. Also, he confuses lo mein with chow mein. I don't have confidence in his new book.

[Anonymous No.14820603]

Don't get cast iron pans. No only is it heavy as fuck but the surface is pebbly. Get carbon steel instead. The only shitty things about it are the handles (it's not rounded) and that you can't cook a lot of acidic things with it. Get a silicon grip (of course don't put the pan in the oven with the grip on). After a couple of seasoning, it's virtually non-stick. Matfer Bourgeat is still made in Europe (although for some reason they don't actually list the country of origin just Europe) and is pretty affordable.

[Anonymous No.14820609]

>Leave nonstick pan on burner too long
>Starts smoking while empty
>generally paranoid to use it now
So, recommendations for nonstick pans that aren't cast iron? How are ceramic/stone/meme pans? Is enameled cast iron any better?

[Anonymous No.14820626]

>>14820549
Also, anybody notice that he cut raw chicken, washed his hands with water and then proceeded to touch everything?

[Anonymous No.14820686]

>>14819987

If you spend $150 on one decent pan, either enameled or multiply stainless steel, its a far smarter purchase than non stick. I made burgers in my tri-ply last night, let it soak while I ate, and 30 minutes later a bit of soap and a sponge took everything off. The good part about stainless is that things stick, so its great for gathering fond and reducing to make a nice sauce.

[Anonymous No.14820789]

>>14820686

I'm mostly making pasta and stir fry dishes.
Are stainless steel pans/woks good for that as well? What about eggs?

[Anonymous No.14820854]

>>14820789

For pasta and stir fry, absolutely, although you may want to look at one with higher edges like pic related for holding the pasta water. It has great heat retention so its perfect for stir fry. For eggs, not so much, I cook mine on my carbon steel or Le Creuset. Like I said, one of the appeal of stainless is that proteins DO stick and brown very well.

[Anonymous No.14820859]

>>14820854

Fugg I forgot the pic.

[Anonymous No.14820865]

https://youtu.be/3kqdk86cogw

Just get a wok.

[Anonymous No.14821098]

>>14820854
>>14820865

Do you think this would be a good buy?
https://www.finnishdesignshop.com/kitchenware-cookware-frying-pans-norden-steel-wok-p-21242.html

[Anonymous No.14821205]

>>14821098

I don't know the brand, but it's tri-ply and oven safe so it looks fine, just try to find a lid that fits.

[Anonymous No.14821245]

>>14820490
You don't wash it anon

[Anonymous No.14821941]

>>14817067
there are very few companies left that still produce everything in Europe.
Most premium brands (Le Creuset, WMF, Fissler, Zwilling, Scanpan, Lagostina...) have their less expensive series or even the mid priced ones manufactured somewhere elsewhere (usually China)
as far as I know, these are still made in the EU:
De Buyer (at least pots and pans)
Demeyere (Belgium)
Ballarini (Italy)
Barazzoni (Italy)
Moneta (Italy)
even Staub, I think

[Anonymous No.14821989]

get on the email list and wait for staub sales.
pic related is this giant fucking staub cocette i use for stews and whatnot.
i never have to add any water too because the lid is so insane.
i let french onion soup, bone broth, and stuff like pic related with water just cook forever in this thing because i can.

[Anonymous No.14821996]

>>14821989
*i mean i add water initially but i don't have to add any water as it cooks because the lid retains it all