mrs aa wants some new pots and pans for the kitchen as she's fed up with the no non stick aspect of ours. She not fussed about price (i am, i want a fat bike), wants handles that dont get hot.
Whats recommended guys?
Ta
sainsburys stainless steel jobbies are excellent, even better when they are on sale.
Without a doubt Le Creuset, buy now and still have 'em 20-30 years time. Money well spent.
Big heavy beasts though, can be slow to warm through but of course hold heat brilliantly. Look fantastic.
Sainburys copper bottom ones are outstanding and yes look for their sale on them probably one due.
And non stick pans are the work of the devil, tell her to stop burning stuff.
Swift 12 Inch Heavy Gauge Carbon Wok. Far better than a frying pan.
Note: this is without those non-stick poisonousness coating.
Get one with flat bottom so you can use it on the hobs.
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£10 - £13 @ TK Maxx.
You can use it for so many things including using it to hammer someone.
🙂
Flat bottomed Wok? No just no that's a frying pan with high sides.
Drac - ModeratorFlat bottomed Wok? No just no that's a frying pan with high sides.
Please let Dear Leader step on you!
No, it's not a high sides frying pan! The centre of the wok is a bit flat that's all. Proper wok users don't use this design in the far east but here you have to because most people don't really know how to use a wok use it like frying pan ... a bit like for the political correct wok market users in the west.
I have no choice because I cannot have turbo gas hobs in my flat ... they assume I was going burn down the place with turbo gas hobs. 🙄
P/s: So far Swift is the one with best quality ... I say so because I have 6 woks ... Yes, Dear Leader fry you alive.
Also don't get wok with stainless steel as they are rubbish. Mine is only used as a steamer. It must be carbon steel.
Ken Hom 12" Professional Carbon Steel Wok is also fine.
Analon. And use a mitt, best cookware.
If you insist on frying pans then use this carbon steel ones ... I have the smaller one.
[url= http://havekniveswillcook.com/2010/05/27/carbon-steel-fry-pans-oh-yes-i-do/ ]Like this ... [/url]
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[url= http://www.robertopiecollection.com/Application/Products/cuisine/french-frypan-GB.asp ]Buy from here .. cheap cheap.[/url]
What's wrong with non-stick?
I've got all my Woks from the Chinese supermarkets cheap as hell and work excellent. And yes no flat bottoms as they're not frying pans.
Drac - ModeratorI've got all my Woks from the Chinese supermarkets cheap as hell and work excellent. And yes no flat bottoms as they're not frying pans.
Those from Chinese supermarkets are fine like this one with round bottom (meant for turbo killer fire hobs only) but their flat bottom ones are not so good because of the slightly thin carbon steel. i.e. Their flat bottom ones tend to have uneven contact on the hobs ...
I bet it is similar to this design. Yes, got one too ...
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😉
Circulon come with a lifetime guarantee, and Le Cruset as was said above they last forever. They both get hot if you put them in the oven though so mit required.
Gweilo - MemberThey both get hot if you put them in the oven though so mit required.
Why put the frying pan in the oven I don't know except the bad habit pick up from celebrities chef ...
Cougar - MemberWhat's wrong with non-stick?
Because the non-stick substance get peel off and you digest it ... yammmy ... I doubt I want to ingest them.
Go to TK Maxx, they often have mid-level stuff pretty cheap. Tefal is ok for non-stick, their coatings seem to last the longest.
For once chewkw is correct...any decent ss stuff from TKs, they often have Le Creuset too, though mine is no better than my stainless stuff.
I'd love to know what REAL difference a non-flat bottom wok makes - if it's significant why do chinese supermarkets sell them?
+1 for Analon. Wifes brother-in-law who used to be a chef bought us some for our wedding, wife seems happy with them, so that's good enough for me 🙂
cynic-al - MemberI'd love to know what REAL difference a non-flat bottom wok makes - if it's significant why do chinese supermarkets sell them?
Round bottom wok - heat concentrate in the middle so easy to move food around.
Flat bottom wok - need more heat and the contact surface must be even.
It's how they transfer the heat, they were designed to heat quicker by being oval. I tried a flat bottom one years ago and it just wasn't the same so it went the journey. Used nothing but oval ones since on gas hobs and they've all been excellent.
Le Creuset, the stainless 'sandwich' ones, good heat transfer and nice and tough.
[url= http://skk-cookware.com/products/titanium_2000/t_2000_top.htm ]SKK[/url] best pans we've ever had, my experiences with le cruset have been awful.
We used Le Creuset cast iron for about 15 years, and yes they last, but are very heavy: Mrs S really struggled to lift the larger pots safely. We changed to their stainless steel range and have found them to be excellent. Wait 'til they are on sale though - we got a set of 3 from Richmond Cookshop around 5 years ago and are very happy with them. Since added a large soup pot from one of their outlet stores.
Circulon frying pans - avoid steel implements & be sensible & they should last well. We've just replaced our 1st one - had it over 12 years, which we thought pretty good.
Because the non-stick substance get peel off and you digest it
None of mine ever have.
Round bottom wok - heat concentrate in the middle so easy to move food around.Flat bottom wok - need more heat and the contact surface must be even.
I always thought round = gas hob, flat = electric hob, n'est-ce pas?
Cougar - Member
I always thought round = gas hob, flat = electric hob, n'est-ce pas?
Yes, round = gas hob and better.
Flat = adapted for western users ... yes because most people want those fancy electric hobs ...
... speak English (with Little Britain's accent) 😆n'est-ce pas
Pourquoi?
Cougar - MemberPourquoi?
Because Little Britain says so ... 😆
... and they use frying pans like celebrity chefs ...
Yup flat bottomed for electric, that's why I switched to the high sided frying pan when we moved house. Once we had gas fitted we got a wok again.
Drac - Moderator
Once we had gas fitted we got a wok again.
Dear Leader approves your bravery for cooking properly using a wok and perhaps good turbo burner. 😈
I want this ... turbo burner ...
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Yeah I'd love one of those, the wife wants an extension on the house for the kitchen that may be my part of the deal.
Buy bourgeat pans, you can buy in the shops, try Nisbets online, it's what I've used in professional kitchens for the last 20 years, I've only their pans at home as well, designed to last, throw the pans in the oven without a worry.
for pans:
greenpan
non stick ceramic..
really really pleased with these, we have the stockholm range.
for pots:
le creuset..
we have red ones, they are very very heavy so they must be good.
I've got a bunch of this stuff and really like it.
http://www.denby.co.uk/cookshop/hard-anodised-pans/icat/hardanodisedpans/
Thick-walled anodized aluminium - when I bought the first ones I wasn't sure how well that'd work but actually it's great. Heats up as quickly as a thin steel pan and cooks roughly like a cast iron pan. Best of both worlds, it turns out. The non-stick is very effective, too.
Drac - ModeratorYeah I'd love one of those, the wife wants an extension on the house for the kitchen that may be my part of the deal.
If you can have one of those turbo burner your cooking/stir-fry time will be drastically reduced, and the only time consuming part is preparing the ingredients. 
Tesco professional range seems OK to me, some are non-stick some aren't. I prefer the non-stick ones but then I'm not Gordan Ramsey. They are just saucepans after all, no need to get pretentious about them like some people on here seem to be...
For our cooking, we are delighted with Le Creuset. Quite a few years old and just getting into their stride.
le creuset if you want to pay 300% more than you need to.
for a brand name on a pan.
would go well with a bmw mtb.
I sent all my Le Creuset to a charity shop a few years ago. Smashed my hand to bits and now have v poor grip strength only 50% use of right hand after some NHS surgery, and couldn't pick the bloody things up any more. They are very heavy, even before you put food in them. Hard work if you cook every day, fine if it's just a poncy dinner party once a month.
I have a set a friend gave me for housewarming 10 years ago, Prestige is the brand, all on half price offer at House of Fraser. Have seen them used in a few cooking shows so must be the real deal. Non-stick and nice and light. Still going strong.
It's not cool but I like my entry-level Tefal nonstick stuff.
. a bit like for the political correct wok market users in the west
What the...?
ta everyone.
la creuset is too heavy for the little flower that is mrs aa.
the skk one's look excelent, will go seek them in a shops. I will also send the mrs down to tk's (though i have no idea where the nearest one is!) 😀
I like stainless [url= http://www.bourgeat.fr/us/produit/batterie_f.htm ]Bourgeat[/url] pans
We picked up one of the Sainsburys Cooks Collection saute pans a few months ago when they were on half price. Stainless with copper bottom, non-stick inside and glass lid. So far pretty impressed and looks good. Handle doesnt get too hot despite being metal.
Rest of our pans are just cheap M&S stainless ones that we regard as disposable until we move but they have actually been pretty damn good (double bottom with glass lids). They are a bit thin though and the Sainsburys one is much better at retaining heat being thicker all round.
edit: looks lime M&S don't do them anymore. They were a bargain for all stainless pans and great as a back up for Xmas etc. They have some nice looking other stuff though.
fwiw Delia uses SKK too 😉
I have loads of le cresuet and highly rate it except the non stick cast iron frying pans, the non-stick is crap, I am on my second and won't buy another. The rest has lasted 10 years of abuse.
llama - MemberI like stainless Bourgeat pans
There are some at TK Maxx at the moment like this ...
[url= http://www.bourgeat.fr/us/produit/batterie_cuivre.htm ]Copper ones[/url]
I like this [url= http://www.bourgeat.fr/us/produit/batterie_tole.htm ]Black Iron[/url]
sainsburys stainless steel jobbies are excellent, even better when they are on sale.
Yep - we've got several, frying pans & saucepans. Copper bottom, really nice to handle. The non-stick on the frying pans is super solid, as it is on the milk pan.
Something like this
[url= http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/sol/shop/home_and_garden/cookware/122030507_cooks_collection_18cm_copper_bottom_saucepan.html?hnav=4294966965 ][img] http://sainsburys.scene7.com/is/image/sainsburys/122030494_1?$large240$ [/img][/url]
is half price so £13 in the post-xmas sales - when we buy more to replace older crap pans.
Le Creuset. Shonky product. They only last about 35 years. I want my money back!
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8192/8076839785_ebec940b1f.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/fruitoftheforest/8076839785/ ]The Pan died (1)[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/fruitoftheforest/ ]The fruit of the Forest[/url], on Flickr
Those Sainsbury's ones look identical to the Tesco ones
Steller 1000 range.
We've had ours for over 15 years now and they will be with us for at least another 15 years.
[url= http://www.stellarcookware.co.uk/Products/Cookware/Stellar-1000.html ]Steller 1000[/url]
We haven't bother with the non-stick pan versions.