(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best saute pans

Don't get a stock pot, the quality on something that's usually full of liquid isn't as critical as a fry pan or saute pan that has to spread more intense heat evenly over a larger area.

If it had to be All Clad I would go for the All Clad CD403 (as long as you don't use an induction cooktop). It's a great do-everything pan.

Alternatively, since she's a foodie, and this is going to be a gift, give her the option of something hand-made, 24cm is the smallest I'd go, wish they had a 26cm to split the rather large price gap between the 24cm and 28cm

That looks like it would ft into my 5 quart saute pan, so I would use that. I have mostly Cuisinart stainless, and I think their lines made in France are worth a look. I also like Tramontina stainless. If I needed to replace my saute pan I would look for a deal on this Tri-Ply Clad Covered Deep Saute Pan.

If I needed a bigger pan this Tramontina 9 qt Dutch Oven would be my choice.

The saute pan is more expensive because it is fully multiclad, so I would look for a deal.

The Dutch oven has a tri ply base which makes it less expensive, but I think it is the better value.

thanks, any thoughts on their performance versus cast iron?

And if I went in that direction, do you think I might be better off with something like this stainless steel casserole?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005G4GSJC/ref=twister_B07FN9NY2F?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I probably use it most for pan-frying(*chicken breast, pork chops, fish) but I feel like I could do more with a saute pan & lid than a fry pan. Also the Sitram Catering saute pan is a little cheaper than the Bourgeat copper fry pan by a bit.

What would be the benefit of the fry pan over the saute pan?
Have you ever had a problem with welded handles (vs riveted ones)?

I apologize for so many questions. None of my friends are cooks so I have to look elsewhere for advice. I really like cooking and want to get more into it (still as a hobby but a more serious hobby).

That's marketing. Take the humble sheet tray, the workhorse of the kitchen. A restaurant supply store has one for $5; Wilton has one for $15.

Which brand have you heard of? How many will you buy in your lifetime? Will you ever need to own 75 of them at once? I think restaurant supply places are priced more competitively because restaurants have a tiny profit margin (under 5% usually) while home cooks who buy name brands are treating themselves.

That isn't to say that the name brand consumer items aren't good. But I have seen the beating that restaurant supply pots and pans will take.

I can recommend these saute pans for home use. My dad got some for Christmas, and since he hand washes them and doesn't use a stainless scrubby they are almost new and perfectly non-stick 18 months later. (They were cheaper at Costco, but I linked to Amazon for ya.)

If it were me, I'd probably go with something like this:

• Cast iron skillet - https://smile.amazon.com/Lodge-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-Skillet/dp/B00006JSUB $20
  
• Nonstick skillet (mostly for eggs and the like) - https://smile.amazon.com/Ozeri-PFOA-Free-Stone-Derived-Non-Stick-Coating/dp/B00GG5FBKW $21
  
• General purpose saucepan - https://smile.amazon.com/Cuisinart-Classic-Stainless-Saucepan-719-16/dp/B00008CM69 $17
  
• Stock pot - https://smile.amazon.com/McSunley-606-Stainless-Stockpot-Metallic/dp/B01CS5C49Y $15
  
• Half-sheet pan - https://smile.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Natural-Aluminum-Commercial/dp/B000G0KJG4 $12
  
  Total: $85, leaving you some headroom for another saucepan or a specialty pan (cake pans, roaster, casserole etc.)
  
  That said, I'd take a good look around thrift stores, craigslist and the like too.

This one.

Folks seem to love Cast Iron here, but I'm not going to be making rice or pasta or roasting a chicken in a cast iron pan, you can do those things and more in a 6-7 qt. stainless saute pan.

How much would you be willing to pay for a replacement pan?

Because you can probably go to TJ Maxx (or Marshall's or some other similar 'name brand over-stock' store) and get a 12" high-sided saucepan like this for about half that, or $40USD. Though even if you pay full price, a pan like that will last you decades if you hand-wash it and scrub the bottom clean from time to time.

I've got a similar 10" (I don't serve as many at home) and I can make rice dishes galore without burning.

You can easily do a pot roast in a 5 1/2 qt saucepan such as this one. Rub your meat down with salt/pepper or something like Montreal Steal Seasoning. Put a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil into your saucepan and sear the roast.

Once the roast is seared, you can shove some veggies of your choice into the pan pour in about 1/2 of a cup of a hearty red wine and some beef bone broth and allow to simmer until it is cooked through. I use the following spices: thyme, bay leaf, oregano, rosemary, and occasionally sage, or a combination thereof depending on what is in my garden. I always cook meats by temperature. I have also been known to throw in a couple of pieces of bacon or sausage to impart their fat and flavor. The veggies that I use are: onions, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and celery root (celeriac).

You can use the same ingredients in the slowcooker. Put the veggies into the slow cooker before the meat. After the meat is seared place it on top of the veggies, put the spices on the meat, and pour in your liquids. If you are using onions, keep in mind that they impart A LOT of water to a slow cooked meal and you may want to reduce the red wine and bone broth. The liquid should only come up an inch of the meat.

Searing your meats does nothing for keeping moisture in the meat, it is for flavor. And it is a lovely flavor.

The roast that you didn't sear was tough and dry either because there was too little liquid in the slow cooker, or it cooked for too long. The roast that wouldn't shred wasn't done cooking in the slow cooker, or didn't have enough liquid to cook in. The slow cooker was designed to trap the moisture of whatever is being cooked and use that moisture to continually baste the meat. I always try to go for the low setting with mine, and to use the appropriate bowl (I have this one. It has three bowl sizes. To optimize the functioning of the slow cooker the bowl should be 3/4 of the way full.

With a roast, I will also turn the liquid into a gravy by reduction. Strain the liquid with a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth, put the liquid into a large pan with a big opening at the top, such as the 5 1/2 qt pan that I linked at the top, and boil the hell out of it. The larger surface area of the pan allows for more water to evaporate more quickly. You can also thicken with arrowroot powder, but the gravy will break down quickly and turn runny.

Let me know if you have any other questions or need more information!

edit: I forgot that I also make a gravy with the liquids from the slow cooker and the veggies. I use this to turn the veggies into a thick, flavorful liquid and then bled it with the juices. While I'm doing all of the veggie squishing and blending, I'm roasting veggies in the oven, sauteing, or making a gargantuan salad.

First, kudos to OP.... definitely NYC looking Pastrami. I steam mine by using a 6 inch full hotel steam table insert pan (https://www.amazon.com/Update-International-NJP-1004-Stainless-14-5-Quart/dp/B0036C67U6/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1549419563&sr=8-6&keywords=full+size+6+inch+deep+stainless+steel+steam+table+pan) filled with about 2 inches of water and putting over 2 burners on my stove. Then insert a 4 inch perforated hotel pan ( https://www.amazon.com/Perforated-Stainless-Anti-Jam-Standard-Weight/dp/B07GRHXSZ9/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549419769&sr=8-3&keywords=perforated+steam+table+pans) and lay the pastrami in it and cover with foil. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat and literally let it steam on low for hours, until 205 degrees or fork tender. Top off your water level every 30 or 45 minutes.

Are you talking about French fries?

Appropriate iron thing, wait, not iron, cast-iron (reverso translation)

https://www.amazon.fr/Friteuse-Domestique-Cuisini%C3%A8re-Induction-C%C3%A9ramique/dp/B07H4QVL2D

DOUBLE "moment" in the oil

First time, wait oil drips

Second time, wait again

Eat warm af

=> great fries

It's cast aluminum. It is thicker and heavier than a standard pot/pan, so it will take longer to heat up and take longer to cool down. Everything else is the same, though.

If you're stateside and want to try out a cast aluminum pan, Nordic Ware makes some good ones. They make Dutch ovens, too.

Ok - for the size you quoted earlier you want something in the 7-10 quart size range like this

I use a pan with slightly higher sides like this and dry off my chicken before sticking it in the pan and I don't have problems with splatter other than occasionally on my hand when I'm putting the chicken in the pan.

Either way it looks tasty.

Are these actually any good? The claims seem a bit much. (Ceramic/"diamond" non-stick)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R7RSHH2/ref=ped_c_Landing_19420008011_s-9_1?pf_rd_p=b4871f7c-3747-40e4-a1ef-5d70793340dc&pf_rd_r=2EEF8TT6RGJWEGN9DJX5&th=1&psc=1

Do you really need a set? In the few years that I've been cooking daily I've been entirely happy with:

• A $70 Cusinart high-sided stainless steel pan
  
• A $25 T-Fal 12" Non stick pan
  
• A $15 Lodge cast iron skillet
  
• A $60 Lodge enameled cast iron dutch oven
  
• A $40 Cusinart sauce pan
  
• Some $20 random crappy large-ish pot I use for pasta and haven't bothered to replace yet
  
  Those have covered 100% of my cooking needs without me ever feeling like I've compromised in some way.

WOLL are my pans of choice: http://www.amazon.com/Woll-Titanium-11-Inch-Detachable-Handle/dp/B0045NKURQ/

Seems the Germans are good at making pans.

I'd make a strong recommendation for PFOA and PFTE free cookware if you're going non-stick. I've been using this pan from WearEver and it works fine for something inexpensive, though in the future I'll probably upgrade to something with a heaver base at some point.

Stainless steal and cast iron are naturally PFOA free, though I've personally struggled with them even with a well-seasoned iron pan.

Here's why PFOA's are bad (video, or see slide 12).

A saucepan, preferably a Windsor pan like this...maybe find a cheaper one though.

May I suggest Earth pans, they are made in Germany.
I've had this one for over three years, and it is used several times a week.
[Stone Earth Frying Pan by Ozeri, with 100% APEO & PFOA-Free ]
(https://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-PFOA-Free-Stone-Derived-Non-Stick-Coating/dp/B00GG5FBKW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511636424&sr=8-1&keywords=earth+pan)