Poll: what type of cookware do you use?

[texaschickmama]

I'm ashamed of my pots and pans. They are cheaper than cheap quality and I don't even have a matching set.

I deserve so much more

HMMMM Valentines is coming, oh wait, he would never think of that. My parents have Celphonan or something like that, they are amazing. They cook so good and easy clean, I don't like the price tag that comes with it too.

 

[MissPrissy]

Like cast iron, a good set of high quality cookware will last you a life time. Then your kids will squabble over who gets momma's frying pan and who gets the dutch oven.

 

[hencackle]

I've had the ultra-cheap stuff before. Went through 2 sets (wedding gifts) that fell apart. I started buying the high-quality stuff for myself--not the whole set--just the pieces that I felt I would actually use the most. There's just not enough storage space in my tiny kitchen for stuff that doesn't get used.

texaschickenmama--I've asked DH for cookware before. Got it too! I made it easy for him...made a wish list with the website, item # and price. He hates to shop for me unless I have something specific in mind (cause I'm so gosh-darn picky!) Everybody's happy this way. I got what I want and he gets to eat!

 

[EweSheep]

Cast iron and stoneware cookwares for me!

Now I need more stoneware recipes besides pizzas, breads and chicken nuggets LOL!

 

[ole-crone]

While we're talking cookware - a warning.

A friend had a set of stainless steel that had the extra attached aluminium bottom. If you have some like it, you'll know what I'm talking about.

She was boiling up some potatoes and had to run get some kids from school. I guess she took longer than she expected and when she got home the pot had boiled dry and the potatoes were starting to burn. She could hear the smoke detector going off.

She didn't bother to get the kids out of their carseats and ran in the house to turn it off. She grabbed the pot, picked it up and the bottom fell off !!! The aluminium inside had turned to liquid from the high heat and it flew everywhere and poured down into her shoe.

Her foot horribly burned, the aluminum solidified to its shape. She was so glad that she'd left the kids in the car because their little faces would have been just at the height of the flinging aluminum.

Needless to say, she never used that type of cookware again and tells everyone she knows about the problem. We have some but are very careful with it and will replace it as we have the $$$ needed to buy what we want.

She almost lost her foot but eventually it healed. She kept the piece of aluminium that took on the shape of her foot as it cooled.

Lastly, years ago, I thought the teflon hype was just another internet fear but the more research I did about it the more I realized it wasn't. Certain health problems stopped - headaches and common sore throats stopped when we got rid of it. BUT we also own an expensive parrot and who wants to run the risk of having him drop dead. Avoiding teflon was the least we could do.

 

[Scrambled Egg]

That's terrible Crone, so sorry.

I love my cast iron pan, in fact, it took me years to get it seasoned with that nice black patina all over. I also have a nice enamel coated dutch oven that I use all the time. Other than that, I have a bunch of mixed matched junky pots, lol! I am really dependent on my crock pot though!!! Gotta have that!!

 

[eggzettera]

Ole-Crone OMG!

Not going to say anything against teflon again, just going to say that last time I looked Iron is a daily requirement to our diet........

 

[SeaChick]

Miss Pressy is totally right about good cookware, IMHO. We have a set of Calphalon (NOT the non-stick kind!) that we got as a wedding gift over 12 years ago. We do not take any special care of it, but it's all nearly as good as new. Cooking in it is a joy, it heats more evenly than the cheap stuff. It certainly will last to be passed down. In my opinion for something like that its better to spend $300 once than to keep buying cheapo stuff, which just contributes to resource wasting and landfills and may make you sick (if cheap materials). My vote for good cookware!!!!!

 

[hsm5grls]

Cast iron here. I use mostly cast iron even my pots are cast iron. They are heavy but I like them.

 

[Morgaine]

Quote:
I had something similar happen. We were given a set of stainless, but they had a seperate bottom of something else, can't remember what it was. I was boiling water, forgot about it, and it boiled all out. When I went to pick it up the bottom fell off. Luckly for me, there wasn't anything in it. That same set also had three pots where the handles fell off. I trashed the rest of the set becaue I was scared that the other's handles would fall off when I lifted them up with food in them. I got a great set from Sam's that I love although I am looking into getting some cast iron.