I have an assortment of cookware brand names. The only complete set I bought was when I got my first apartment at 19. I can only say that once I starting thrifting I found better quality pieces and thought that was great. Now that my husband destroys one every now and then I'm very glad that I don't spend a lot of money on cookware. But just out of curiousity, what is your favorite cookware brand?
My favorite cookware is the skillet HANDS-DOWN! Some of my favorite things to make are grilled-cheese sandwiches, pancakes, and bacon. Two of those things are pretty much impossible to make without a skillet, and bacon just taste better when it's made on a skillet.
My mother had a set of copper-bottomed Revere Ware when I was growing up. they were heavy duty stainless steel pots and pans, and to me that is the ultimate in cookware. Even though I like the newer non-stick pans, I still prefer the stainless steel. I actually found a 10" Revere Ware skillet at the thrift store, and I used that for several years; but lost it in a move. I have an electric stainless steel frying pan that is a deep dish because it has a high domed lid. Although I got it at a yard sale for about $10, it was worth almost $300 when I looked it up online; so I am very pleased with that and love to cook with it.
There's this 'Imusa' brand that is cheap yet of great quality, although somewhat bland in the aesthetic sense. Normally stuff like pots are around $12, and the pressure cooker I bought from them required like $25.
I would stay far from Ikea cookware. I got a moderate priced dish set to simply hold me over for two months while my stuff was away , and it was terrible. They had a stockpot which gave out a horrible odor and I was simply bubbling water to cook pasta. The odor was offensive to the point that we needed to open all the windows and consume out and stay out till the scent went away.there was nothing adhered to the base of the container to think something got blazed.. However it was a terrible experience. I mostly use ceramics now and a pressure cooker type made by a local factory.
I know what you mean about Ikea. While I've never tried their cookware, I find their other products to be cheaply made (at least the ones that I've used.) For a lot of my cooking, I like to use a good old fashioned cast iron skillet. They cook evenly and are pretty low maintenance. If only they weren't so heavy.
It's skillet for me as well, it can be used for frying, boiling soup, making ramen noodles, grilling, cooking rice. It's pretty much everything in one cookware. When I was in college, I only had one skillet, one plate, and a couple of silverware for making dinner and I don't think I ever needed anything else. One of the staple food for college students are Mac and Cheese, ramen noodles, egg over rice, and spaghetti. All of them can be cooked with one simple skillet.
I don't really have a favorite brand. I like cooking with earthenware pots. Usually I buy my pots directly from local craftspeople. I also enjoy glass and stainless steel cooking equipment. I can't abide any pots that have plastic or aluminium parts. Also, I would never cook in anything that has got a teflon coating.
