Any good frying pan recommendations?
 

I bought my husband this set of Cuisinart pots and pans for his birthday earlier this year. They need to be replaced because they are complete crap.

http://www.cuisinart.com/products/co...ccs/77-17.html

Any recommendations for something not too expensive but not elcheapo either? I don't need a whole set, just one or two good pans, preferably something that you can cook bacon in without it stuck on the pan. Yes, they are that bad.

I have two choices for frying pans in the house, and I love them both.

1) Calphalon Anadonized pans. We get them at the outlets like Williams and Sonoma when they are on sale. Love these pans, the downside is they should not go in the dishwasher, and you can't use cooking spray on them. They come in just about every size you would need, if you treat them well, they will do the same, if you don't, they will last a few months.

2) Cast Iron. For many years it was a simple cast iron skillet, when we redid the kitchen it could not be used on the new stove, so we got another one (enameled) that can be used on the stove. For bacon I would always reach for the cast iron.


We also have a no name non stick large fry pan from a restaurant supply house, no brand name, made in Korea, non stick over aluminum. I want to say twelve years or so now, and it's still in great shape.

If you have a choice, the professional pans usually do a much better job if you stove can handle them.

Calphalon is probably my next choice. We are one of those rare households without a dishwasher due to space constraints, so no problems there. A cast iron skillet is on the wishlist! It might just have to wait until we move. We just do not have space anywhere in our teeny postage stamp house for things that do not get used everyday. :(

Apparently cordelli & I live in the same home & I've never realized it. :) I'd give the same answer.

For serious cooking , I am dedicated to my Le Creuset pots and pans. I love them. My favorite every day frying pans are a set I found at Costco a few years ago. I was dismayed that they were only available as a set, but they have been great. They conduct heat well, are non-stick and come in practical sizes. Just checked the brand name on a couple of pans and they are "Bialetti." I don't know if this is an every day item. If you see them, grab them. Excellent for every day use.
p.s. agree that Cuisinart pots and pans are total crap. I also hate All Clad. God help the one trying to remove egg yolk which sticks to an All-Clad Frying pan. Utterly hopeless.

Bialetti is the widely known brand in Italy for espresso machines and cookware. It's not an every day item here in the US, probably because they charge a fortune for people who want the brand name, but in parts of Europe, they are in pretty much every home. Great steal.

Another vote for Calphalon and cast iron skillets. The cast iron is heavy...but conducts heat perfectly! Treat it well, it will actually improve over the years. The Calphalon is perfect for everyday cooking.

Also another no vote on All-Clad, and its evil twin T-Fal. Both are cheap pieces of utter dog poo.

Not a suggestion you might expect - but I have long given up buying retail pans and buy from a catering supplier. In the UK the supplier I use is nisbets. Their basic range is always being used by chefs when there's a TV programme and to my surprise although they are a fraction of the cost of the brands they are better' last longer and offer a wider size range and offer some really great sizes. I had planned to replace them more often - but they have lasted much longer than I had expected. Obviously professional kitchens are harder on pans - so they are pretty robust.

I suggest you have a look at proper catering suppliers for their core pans.

Count me as another fan of cast iron.

I love my cast iron frying pans/skillets. I prefer them over my non-stick cookware.

I've seen them for sale at my local Costco for the past few years.

I too use cast iron 99% of the time. I am however in the market for a small, quality non-stick pan just the size for 2 fried eggs that is shaped so I can do the no-spatula flip. About 5 inch diameter I imagine. I'm having a heck of a time finding one online.

I too like the cast iron pan.

The other pan that I love is the Steka $2.99 non stick aluminum pan from IKEA.

It does the job, lasts about a year or so, and when the non-stick starts getting beat up, I can recycle it and not worry about the cost. Not the most enviro friendly option, but it's worked for me. However, now I may head out to the restaurant supply shop and pick up something a little more robust.

In case anyone in the UK is interested Vogue range by Nisbets is currently on sale from £5.99. Best pans I have used and used in professional kitchens.

http://www.nisbets.co.uk/product_images/detail/S341.jpg

There isn't such a thing as an all-purpose, high-quality, inexpensive pan. We've got several sizes of cast iron and absolutely love them for a great number of things, but they are inappropriate for acidic foods, sauces that require slow development, and a variety of other things. For certain foods you need to develop a good fond, and nothing works for this like stainless. Many years ago, we bought a set of Cuisinart based Consumer Report recommendations. They weren't crap, but were not nearly as good as we wanted, so we wound up giving them to our daughter. We bought a set of All Clad as soon as we saw a great price online. These have been terrific. For most of our non-stick, we have a set of Calphalon commercial (I don't think these are available any more) - excellent quality. We've got a large dutch oven from Le Creuset, and it is very versatile, but the enameled surface has held up less well than our Calphalon non-stick.

If economy is the object in your frying pan search, cast iron certainly fills the bill and will serve you well if you properly maintain it and know its limitations. I'd look for sales on All Clad stainless. They frequently have a 10 or 12 inch frying pan for well under $100 in special promotions. You could supplement that with a $12 Lodge cast iron from World Market or Target.

I like to go to Ross or other cheap local stores for specialty pans that probably won't see too much use otherwise. For $5 or less you can get some fantastic steals. I can't speak for the longevity of the pans, but what do you really expect for $5?

Second the All Clad recommendation. They are not the cheapest but they will last forever, properly cared for. As my grandma used to say, good is cheap. You might spend $75 on a frying pan but it'll be the last one you buy.

Ross or TJ Maxx has what you want. Get the heaviest and most expensive 8" model there - about $12.99. Buy two, they don't always have good quality ones, and you definitely don't want the really cheap ones. I bought a really small one, perhaps 4-5" because it was cute, but it's too small to flip or turn two eggs. Sunny-side up it does very well.

BTW, realizing how cheap these are (I have about 6 in various sizes and condition) I started putting them in the dishwasher and after about 6 months there have been no problems at all.

The All-Clad never leaves the cupboard on my watch. Same for the inherited Revere Ware. And the too-heavy cast iron doesn't work on new stove.

I'm a die-hard fan of All-Clad Stainless. Started switching out my Calphalon Commerical Anodized a few years ago, and have never looked back. I'm up to about 9-10 pieces so far, and have gotten rid of all but one anodized pan! Durable, beautiful, versatile (not ruined by high-BTU ranges, great in the oven, induction compatible, dishwasher safe), made in the USA and a lifetime warranty. Well worth the cost provided you stick with the USA-made standard cookware, and avoid most of the bakeware and specialty items, most of which are not necessarily "clad" or "ply" construction, often made in Asia. Read the labels before buying these items!

Mauviel's stainless line is also very good, but even more costly than AC.

That said, if you're looking for a very high quality product that is surprisingly inexpensive, check out Tramontina. Their better product lines are on a par with All-Clad, including the lifetime warranty. I don't think they make this product any longer, I picked up a 5-qt copper-core multi-ply sauté pan at Costco about four or five years ago for less than $50 (an AC copper-core would have run 5x that). It weighs a ton, works beautifully, and looks like it's just another one of my AC stainless pieces. I also have a 12-in nonstick aluminum skillet by Tramontina that has only just recently begun to wear out after about five years of heavy use and abuse.

A professional chef turned me on to Tramontina -- apparently it's popular in commercial kitchens for its durability, affordability and NSF rating. You may have to search for it, but it's usually available at good resto supply stores. I've seen it at Walmart, too, but not consistently.

~mrs

Bit suprised at some of the posts and it makes me wish I was marketing expensive pans! For example, some use of language is either unwittingly imprecise or denotes a lack of experience and knowledge in these things as saying that "There isn't such a thing as an all-purpose, high-quality, inexpensive pan" is simply incorrect. I have dozens of high qaulity inexpensive all purpose pans.

For an enthusiatic cook there's every reason to invest in good quality knives which sadly normally means spending a chunk of cash. Knives can be a life long investment and to me there is a real relationship between price and quality. Many highly branded pans give a sense to the owner of proximity to a revered chef and some are pieces of elegance that confer a pride of ownership. Some pans are a work of art! And in the days when they were hand crafted or when made of copper they were something that were "passed down". But today machines make wonderful pans even if it takes a craftsman to make a knife. A pan simply needs a good thick heat dispursant base, a good non-stick hard-wearing cooking surface and a safe handle. And most people don't know how to look after them ie keeping some pans back that are not allowed anywhere near soap and are kept permanently "conditioned", and ensure they are never stacked without say old tea-towels used as seperators to protect the surface.

However the pans that most chefs actually use and bash around in real kitchens that are not generally available in retail shops but are available to restuarants from catering suppliers are what chefs choose to use day in and day out in pursuit of their profession. They are not objects of desire or elegance - they have to be hard working. But they are 100% functional. I'm fortunate enough to have more than one kitchen! I have a couple of dozen Nisbets sourced Vogue pans that I had bought with the idea of replacing them every year or two, but the buggers are black underneath but still have a prestine surface. I have often been dissapointed with expensive pans I previously bought. But with the Vogue pans the only one's that are needing replacing after 3 or 4 years or so are the enormous ones I use in wok mode on my 6kw wok burner. But they aren't quite ready for replacement yet and I can't bring myself to replace them simply because I like shiney new things.

I wouldn't make any adverse judgment about people that choose to spend their hard-earned cash on expensive brands but don't knock what the professionals use every day in their kitchens unless you have first hand knowledge of them!

Yes, I suppose an 8" would work better as long as the flat bottom portion was only 4 - 4.5 inches. I want the 2 eggs to come out in a perfect round shape without excessively thin edges. I never go to Ross or TJ, but I will check them out.

I love my Emeril 8in frying pan. It is perfect pan for eggs. It has an easy slope in the pan which is great for flipping eggs. I got it at the WS outlet for a little over $12.

http://www.amazon.com/Emeril-Anodize.../dp/B00284B9QK

I have had it for about 3 years and make eggs every Saturday morning and nothing ever sticks in these pans!

My 8" pans have 6" flat spots. making two medium eggs not perfectly round. Two jumbos might be just right. The smallest pan, Baccarat, is 6" with 4" bottom. You would have to flip very carefully :) It is also heavy enough that it stays in contact with the stove top despite it's normal size handle. Think it was $5.99, never use it. http://www.baccarat.com.au/frypans/n...02483_1001304/

Regarding brand names at Target and Wal-mart be aware that mfgrs often make more than one line of cookware under the similar names. Kitchen Essentials by Calphalon are perfectly fine for my use, but not the Calphalon you are thinking of. Be sure you are comparing apples to apples.

Thanks for the recommendations. I was looking into replacing the cheap T-Fal pans I had with something more substantial, so some Calphalon Hard Anodized pans will go on to my Christmas wish list. :)

For eggs, I just buy a TFal at Target and replace it when needed. No point in spending $$ on an expensive Teflon pan as it WILL wear out within 10 years.

I have All Clad Stainless 5 piece set (bought w/ AmEx points) and a few Calphalon Andonized for other purposes.

These get my vote, too. And the advice (treat them well, and they will you), is spot on.

For bacon and such, I use our rather large frying pan that we purchased at Sam's Club 3 years ago or so. It's heavy-duty, non-stick, has a lid that goes with it, and is very large. I have to use the large dual burner on the stove when using it. It's still in great shape. It was probably $30, if that, and it was made in the US. I also use it for grilled cheese sandwiches and such, and can fit about 4 sandwiches in it at one time.

For Calphalon, be careful of the sets you and buy at Target and other similar stores, they are a lower end product and won't perform or last we well.

We bought most of our calphalon piece by piece from Bloomingdale's during a period where they seemed to have something on sale for like $29 bucks each week. We quickly had the pieces we needed.

Our most recent purchase was a giant roasting pan that we got for a steal at one of Calphalon's outlet stores.

My pots and pans never, ever, see the inside of my dishwasher, and the omelet pan never sees soap/water, just a quick wipe down.

+1 on the All-Clad recommendations. I converted from T-Fal to All-Clad four years ago and haven't looked back. And the thing still looks brand-new.

I use this for pretty much a lot of egg cookery...http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...p?SKU=13015392 I love all these people talking up cast iron...it's a pain to clean/wash and keep...you have to keep oiling it up after you wash it...it's annoying for my set I have this: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/prod...p?SKU=16619191 plus another 10 inch frying pan

I used to have a similar square griddle. Now I use this: https://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefro...idProduct=3943 It stays pretty much permanently on top of half of the range, used every day at least once. I rarely ever have to oil any of my cast iron. Once or twice a year, usually because I needed to use soap on it. Every 3 years or so, I use a large propane torch to burn off the carbon buildup, then vinegar wash and re-season with oil in the oven at 500.

If you're willing to put up with the hassle of developing a good patina, a steel pan (they're traditionally French) is a real joy to use. All the perks of cast iron and a quarter of the weight.

I've got a couple of Calphalon pans, a 10 inch and a 12inch. Couldn't tell you which 'edition' but they are department store not professional and look a lot like the ones in the post 2 up. I'm really happy with them - I bought a couple of really expensive non stick pans, but someone always seems to end up using a metal knife or fork and trashing them, so I went cheaper this time, and they work just as well as the more expensive ones (although the bottoms are perma-charred!) had them about 5 years and still doing well.

Instressing. Though I generally stick to cast iron, I've never had a moment's frying trouble with my All-Clad. Technique matters though.

Costco in So Cal has the Bialetti set mentioned upthread. $99 for 8 or so pieces, looked pretty nice for the price. (But they didn;'t have AA gift cards on display :eek:)

Consider Vollrath Tribute line
 

Vollrath makes restaurant equipment, but you can find it online. Their Tribute line is a 3-ply heavy-duty line of excellent quality, and about 1/2 the price of All-Clad. Try Ka-Tom restaurant supply.

I intend to replace all of my cookware with Vollrath, and have been very happy with the items I already have. Superior quality.

I have one All-Clad pan and, while I know it's all personal preference, I don't love it. The weight doesn't feel right in my hand and I don't love the stainless surface of the exterior. Frankly, it seems to be less than "stainless", and I'm pretty retentive about keeping stuff clean. The coating on the interior hasn't held up all that well, though I will, sadly, attribute most of the blame on that front to my wife and mother-in-law, who I don't think get the concept of using silicone or other non-scratch utensils on the teflon.

Cordelli's wisdom applies as usual. There are some foods for which cast iron is indispensable, even on an electric range(top). Additionally, they last forever. We're still using two, an 8" and a 12" inherited from one of my grandmothers, back when we married in 1964 (along with a cast iron Dutch Oven), and they were certainly preWWII, maybe preWWI. We've run a range of non-sticks since their intro, and the Calphalon anodized seem the best (if pricey), although they too have a predictable eventual loss of surface, even with careful chice of pot scrubbers.

So is it teflon or stainless cooking surface?

Exterior is stainless. Cooking surface is teflon-coated.

Another vote here for cast iron; I use them as much as possible. I'm also an all-Clad acolyte, especially the LTDs. Even after almost 15 years, they still clean up really easily. For non-stick, my T-Fal has been surprisingly durable- scratch-free even after several years. I only use it for eggs and reheating grains (pasta, couscous, rice).