Reddit mentions of Calphalon 1767952 Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 8-Piece Cookware Set, Silver

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, I sometimes work 14 hour days several days in a row, so yeah.

Anyway, I'll offer you three recommendations, all available on amazon, because I'm really not sure what the selection is like across the pond.

First, this is what I have. I like Calphalon, it holds up and they have good warranty service. It is a bit expensive for what it is, but I like the design.

These pans are a good, less expensive version of the Calpahlons. They will perform just as well, and ought to last just as long. The handles are a nice addition.

Finally, If you're feeling spendy, you can go with these all-clad pans. They will last forever, they heat evenly and beautifully, but its up to you to decide if you will be able to utilize the advantages they offer over the previous two. Don't buy a Ferrari if you never drive faster than 80kmh, know what I mean?

Here's something fun to do with your new pans, also, it'll knock your girlfriend's socks off.

You'll need the following:

2 Chicken legs with thighs attached, skin-on, bone-in

2# of Yukon Gold potatoes

1 cup of small green peas (fresh is best, canned is really not so bad, don't get frozen)

1/2 cup of King Trumpet mushrooms (look around for them, it's worth it over crimini)

1/4 cup pearl onions

1/4 cup clarified butter

1/2 cup white wine

fresh marjoram and thyme

3 T regular butter

2 T creme

2 T creme fraiche

---------------------------------


Do the following the day before you plan to serve this:

1. peel the potatoes and submerge them in water, refrigerate them.
   
   
2. pick a few leaves of the marjoram and tuck them, gently, under the skin of the chicken. You'll have to pull
   the skin away from the muscle a bit to achieve this, but try to do as little damage as possible.
   
   
3. sprinkle the chicken liberally with kosher salt and put it into the fridge uncovered
   
   
4. put some thyme in with the white wine. put in a solid sprig so you can pull it out later and not have to strain the wine
   
   **
   
   Okay, day of here's what happens.
   
   First put on some water to boil, salt it heavily. Like seawater salty. This is to boil your potatoes in
   
   Now you'll want to pull your chicken out of the fridge. Wipe off as much salt as you can and rinse briefly under gently running water to get the rest. Pat the skin dry, and let it air dry while you do the rest.
   
   Next, start peeling the pearl onions. It's a pain in the ass, but you'll live.
   
   Your water will probably be up by now, blanch the onions until they are only still just a little bit crunchy in the middle, about 3-4 minutes. Pull them out and shock them in ice water to halt the cooking process. Pull them out and set them aside to dry.
   
   Next, blanch the peas, again, not quite all the way. Shock in ice water and set them aside as well.
   
   Put the potatoes in the water and let them boil until they are completely soft, then drain them and mash 'em up. Add in the butter and cream to whatever consistency you like. Adjust the salt. Don't worry if they are a bit chunky, it's rustic and shit. While the potatoes are boiling, preheat your oven to 450.
   
   Now is the fun part, hard searing with a pan sauce. Heat a large frying pan to about 350-400 degrees, and put in about an ounce of clarified butter. Give it about 30 seconds and put the chicken legs on, skin down, carefully. DO NOT PUT WET CHICKEN LEGS INTO HOT OIL, MAKE SURE THEY ARE FAIRLY DRY OR TERRIBLE THINGS WILL HAPPEN IN ALL CAPS.
   
   Now, press them down a bit with some tongs to make sure they ar getting good contact with the pan, and them put another pan on top of them for weight. Nothing too heavy - it ruins the meat, you're just trying to make sure that as much of that delicious skin is in contact with the hot oil as possible. Let this scene do its thing for about 3-4 minutes, and check to see that the skin is sufficiently browned, if it is, flip them and toss the whole thin - pan and all - into the oven for another, maybe 7-8 minutes. Ideally you want to pull the chicken out when its internal temperature is like 51.5C and then let it rest (not in the hot pan) for 10 minutes.
   
   Pull the Thyme out of the wine and pour the hot oil out of the chicken pan. CAREFULLY pour in the wine, wait ten seconds and turn the flame on medium high. Work it over with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon to scrape up all the goodness and then add in the mushrooms, onions, and peas in that order, waiting about a minute between each. You should get hot cooked veggies with a nicely reduced sauce.
   
   Now to plate put a pile of potatoes in the middle of the plate, smack the chicken leg into the middle of it, and pour the veggies and pan sauce over the top of the whole godawful mess. Eat it with your face and dance a dance of joy.
   
   Good luck on your culinary adventures and holla if you have any questions, I can always make time for a fellow redditor.
   
   Edited for formatting. It is super hard to format recipes on reddit.

From Season 10: Who Wants Pasta?

> Overview:
We’ve never liked cookware sets. Most bundle together a lot of pans we don’t need and not enough of the ones we do—the five or six hardworking multitaskers that we turn to every day. Besides pans in impractical sizes (1-quart saucepans good for little more than melting butter or 8-inch skillets that are only useful if you’re cooking for one), these sets typically feature limited-use “specialty” cookware. Why clog your cabinets with sauté pans (skillets with high, straight sides), sauciers (rounded saucepans with wide rims), or “chef’s” pans (saucepans shaped like woks with domed lids) if you’ve already got a Dutch oven and other basic pans that can do anything they can do and more? And if you think you’ve found an incredible deal on a “14-piece” assortment, beware: Manufacturers count each lid and anything else that isn’t riveted on as a separate piece.

>That said, buying pieces one by one gets expensive—particularly with high-end brands. If we could find a set that was a truly good value for the money, offering durable, high-quality construction and a selection on a par with our needs, we’d happily recommend it.


TESTING NOTES

WINNER:
All-Clad Stainless Steel Cookware Set, 10 piece - $799.95

> This set came closest to our ideal and includes winning pans from previous testings in sizes we’ve identified as the most useful. The fry pans have low, flaring sides and broad cooking surfaces; the saucepans are sturdy and hefty for slow, steady cooking; the stockpot is roomy enough for most big cooking jobs.

Pros: Superb construction; proven winner; plenty of pans to add

Cons: Expensive; available only at Williams-Sonoma NOT! ~OP

Best Buy:

Tramontina 18/10 Stainless Steel TriPly-Clad Cookware Set, 8-piece - $144.97

> This fully clad cookware set is an amazing bargain, with performance, design, and construction comparable to All-Clad cookware (though cooking surfaces are slightly smaller). Sturdy and moderately heavy, with riveted handles and slow, steady heating.
Pros: Well designed; performance comparable to All-Clad
Cons: Small pans; limited supply; available only at Wal-Mart

Also RECOMMENDED:

• Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware Set, 8-piece - $299.99
  
  > A strong performer at less than half the price of the top-ranked All-Clad set. Wide, low saucepans made it easy to see the food inside; fry pans with low, angled sides encouraged evaporation during simmering. We only wish that instead of glass, the lids were stainless steel, which is more durable and heatproof at any temperature.
  Pros: Solid performers; stable supply of additional pans
  Cons: Stockpot and fry pans are small; glass lids
  
  2 others were RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS:
  
  
• KitchenAid Gourmet Reserved Brushed Stainless Cookware Set, 10-piece - $179.99
  
• Kenmore Stainless Steel Cookware Set, 10-piece - $159.99
  
  
  
  NOT RECOMMENDED:
  
  
• Rachael Ray Stainless Steel Cookware Set, 10-piece