I'm in the market for a stainless steel cookware set. I just have a couple of steel boilers and my grandmother's cast iron skillet. I lost a lot of cookware when I moved. I really don't know what happened to it. Anyway, does anyone have a recommendation? Also, I have never used cookware with a cooper bottom. What are the benefits of using a cooper bottom?
I usually go with Calphalon when buying new cookware. It's just a habit as I have bought other brands and they do just as well and one teflon pan may have done better. All of that is how you treat your stuff. But, one of the things with a copper bottom is how quickly it heats up and is supposed to hold the heat. You will hae to learn how to cook again with it, especially for frying. I have liked most of the stainless steel that I have bought, though. I'm sure that iron skillet is perfectly seasoned, isn't it? I cannot get my skillets right. I keep screwing something up. Oh yeah, Macy's is a great place to buy Calphalon or any brand for that matter. Never, ever go by the price on the item. Always scan it it at those scanners on the wall. The Macy's I used to go to had a habit of not labeling them correctly and I've bought things that people put down in front of me thinking it was too expensive. And I mean stuff that was labeled $80, but scanning for $20.
I also use Calphalon for my basic set and Kitchen Aid also has a great set. I purchase specialty items such pasta pots, Dutch ovens and bakeware just to name a few, separately depending on reviews and manufacturing. The best tip I can offer you is make sure they have heavy bottoms. Cast iron is the best! I have my grandmothers skillets and soup pot. Wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. As far as purchasing, unless you it lucky like another member did at Macy's, or find a terrific deal in stores, online all the way. Shop around, I got my newest set for 47.99, and it was 165.00 price tag in stores.
Kitchen Aid does make some good cookware. I've had a few pans from them. I can be hard on a pan. Macy's actually has a store brand that I can't recall the name of, but they aren't bad either. Parker, you can also look in Target as they carry the major brands and the pricing should be okay.
Yes, that skillet is perfectly seasoned. It's around 85-90 years old. I absolutely love and would be devastated if I lost it. I would cry for months! I haven't checked Macy's yet. I live very close to a Macy's so it's no problem. I hope to find some deals like you found!
I have been looking for cast iron cookware. It's very, very hard to find in stores. I want to look and hold the cookware before I buy it online. That's my first preference. Most of the stores carry non-stick stuff and I'm not interested in it. That's a darn good price, $47.99, for a set of stainless cookware. I saw a set of Emeril's Cookware for $199. It looked well made and had copper bottoms. It's probably cheaper online. I am going to checkout Calphalon too. I saw Cuisinart cookware. Cuisinart makes wonderful food processor, but I'm not sure about their cookware.
I've never done anything with Cuisinart cookware. I didn't even know they made any. I'd try Martha Stewart before Cusinart. You can find cast iron cookware in stores, you will just have to season them to your standards. That's been my issue, I mean other than me somehow screwing it up, you still have to season them. Lodge makes good cast iron cookware and I know that Emeril has a line out. Absolutely go in and touch, feel and lift the cookware before you buy. If they are comfortable to cook with, it's pointless. In regards to Macy's, you will also find major coupons for them, so it's really about timing and that wall scanner with Macy's.
I bought a beautiful Kitchen Aid set from Macy's and absolutely love it. It's pretty, you get a lot of pieces and their so durable that they are worth the price. Look for coupons in the paper or buy it when they have the Macy's one day sale to get a great deal on it.
I went Macy's last night. They only had two cast iron items. They were apart of Emeril's cookware line. The skillet was so heavy that I needed to hands to pick it up! They only had two stainless steel cookware sets. Everything else was non-stick. The Cuisinart cookware was really nice, but I want to have a few more options. I want to avoid the high-end places like Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel. But I'm sure they carry both stainless steel and cast iron cookware. There's also a smallish Costco type store that caters to the restaurant industry, but is open to the public. I'm almost positive they carry cookware. In the meantime, I think I going to bribe my family members who live in the South to pick up a few pieces for me.
You can try Target as they have a rather extensive aisle or two dedicated to cookware. Also, try Sears for the Lodge cast iron, I'm not too sure about Kmart. I have never looked in WalMart for cookware, but I'm trying to think of stores that I know are around your way. But, yeah, I do recall Emeril being kind of heavy. I wouldn't get anything more than 8 or 10" from him due to that. That would just be the pan I tried to get to the point where the eggs are sliding off and maybe some bacon.
