Help me pick some new cookware (pots and pans mostly)

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I was sick of throwing woks out lol, Ended up buying a tefal one for ~£15 best wok I've ever had, still going strong, non stick still great and I've had it around 3 years.

Do you know which tefal range it's from/which non-stick coating it is specifically?

My other pans are the anolon ones with that old chef blokes face on the box

Poor Raymond Blanc!

I've mainly been using joseph joseph utensils, but despite the high price and seemingly quality I don't think they're worth it tbh

I saw them in person and reached the same conclusion, nice as they are, not worth the premium.

I just bought 2 IKEA 365 frying pans based on you people. If they're awful, I'm coming or you.

If you start using them by the end of the week please come back to the thread and let me us how you get on as I'm heading to IKEA at the weekend (they've convinced me too) :D
 
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Le Creuset is silly money, no reason to spend more than £30.
Again, you're just paying extra for the marketing.
Dunno where you guys shop, but we seem to find all the Ttaskmistress's Le Creuset stuff at pretty sensible money in John Lewis... Usually slightly cheaper than peer brands.

Jamie Oliver... yeeeeeeeeeeeeeees..... I have one of his massive frying pans and, to be fair, it's pretty good. Again, we found a load of his stuff cheap in JL, although this barely fits on our cooker and you can't use the other three hobs.
Wouldn't say I'm a massive fan of his whole range and would never buy, say, the Jamie Oliver egg-spoon set to go with my Jamie Oliver mortar and my Jamie Oliver knife sharperner carry case protector mat lanyard, or anything... but he does have some nice bits still.

Beyond that, we use a mix of Circulon stuff and some bits by this Jasper Conran fella, who's a designer (supposedly of women's fashion?) of cookware for Debenhams.
 

beh

beh

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Le Creuset stuff at pretty sensible money in John Lewis
Really? Define sensible money.

JL do have some good sales but can't imagine them reducing the price by that much. A 2.4L Le Creuset is £145 currently, 3L at ikea is £30!

For any "household" brands, you need to factor in marketing, and both the distributor and retailer taking a cut. Ikea own brand will always be better value, plus they have economies of scale that other companies can only dream of.
 
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Dunno where you guys shop, but we seem to find all the Ttaskmistress's Le Creuset stuff at pretty sensible money in John Lewis... Usually slightly cheaper than peer brands.

Glad you mentioned JL as I am considering getting some bits from JL and some from Ikea. I'll probably compare the saute pan ranges in both - have you used any from JL?

Jamie Oliver... yeeeeeeeeeeeeeees..... I have one of his massive frying pans and, to be fair, it's pretty good.

I am really glad someone has actually mentioned this pan (I hope you mean this one?!). Every time I find it in a shop I am drawn to it. I love the weight, handle and the feel of the finish, I think it just oozes quality. The best part is, I want to hate it because it's Jamie Oliver (so it must be good)! i think I might pick this up (26cm) together with a 20cm IKEA pan recommended earlier in thread; would be interesting to compare the two.

A 2.4L Le Creuset is £145 currently, 3L at ikea is £30!

For any "household" brands, you need to factor in marketing, and both the distributor and retailer taking a cut. Ikea own brand will always be better value, plus they have economies of scale that other companies can only dream of.

I get what you've been saying and especially looking at the 365+ and sensuell ranges the economies of scale makes complete sense - they are clearly manufacturing in the same scale as commercial catering-grade equipment the like of which you see in places like nisbets. However, I just can't see this in the cast iron cookware and, whilst I haven't been able to find anything bad about the aforementioned ranges, a lot of people have complaints about the IKEA cast iron range; even jolteh in this thread suggested it was best avoided.

I don't think I can be dissuaded from investing in le creuset for my casserole, having now seen the results first hand, I feel like cast iron is definitely their domain. I also don't mind putting down that money with the assurance I will never need to replace it in my lifetime if cared for properly, naive as it may be. I gave in to a "deal" at the weekend when I popped into the LC shop in town and picked up a cast iron griddle pan they were phasing out that was £70. The results so far have been spectacular; best steak I've ever cooked at home and cleanup was a doddle :D
 
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Really? Define sensible money.
I have never paid more than £100 for anything Le Creuset and I only ever buy that from JL... usually as Christmas presents.

For any "household" brands, you need to factor in marketing, and both the distributor and retailer taking a cut. Ikea own brand will always be better value, plus they have economies of scale that other companies can only dream of.
If Ikea sold Le Creuset notably cheaper, I'd go there.
As is, a £30 cast iron casserole from Ikea will need replacing within a year as the enamel is prone to cracking and chipping even from light bumps and dings... People are still using Le Creuset stuff that is 50 years old. It's a real investment.
I get lectured by chefs on my choice of kitchen kit so regularly it's enough to turn me Sweeny Todd!!

Glad you mentioned JL as I am considering getting some bits from JL and some from Ikea. I'll probably compare the saute pan ranges in both - have you used any from JL?
JL are my preferred retailer for fancy gifts like this.

I am really glad someone has actually mentioned this pan (I hope you mean this one?!). Every time I find it in a shop I am drawn to it. I love the weight, handle and the feel of the finish, I think it just oozes quality. The best part is, I want to hate it because it's Jamie Oliver (so it must be good)! i think I might pick this up (26cm) together with a 20cm IKEA pan recommended earlier in thread; would be interesting to compare the two.
Ours is the same range, but wider and shallower.
Very good, particularly when the Circulon's raised ridges aren't suitable and you need a flat surface... I just wish to hell she'd bought a smaller one so I can use the rest of the cooker at the same time!! :D

Jamie does do some good stuff, but out of principle I won't line his pockets in furnishing my own kitchen! I also find his cook shows more likeable than Gordon Ramsay's, yet find Ramsay's recipes seem to work better for me than Oliver's... weird, huh!

However, I just can't see this in the cast iron cookware
With the exception of stews (for which we have a massive Signature casserole that weighs a ton, but still gets almost daily use), I don't actually use much of the cast iron stuff myself very often. That's more the Mrs's domain and her obssession with life in a country cottage. I really like their stoneware though and it's always in the perfect sizes for stuff - Even their little 'petit casserole' 3-set gets far more use than you'd ever expect!

I gave in to a "deal" at the weekend when I popped into the LC shop in town and picked up a cast iron griddle pan they were phasing out that was £70. The results so far have been spectacular; best steak I've ever cooked at home and cleanup was a doddle :D
Yeah, we have an old one that was passed down to us, too - Bloody fantastic, those things!!!

Biggest issue with buying Le Creuset for us is getting it in plain black to match the older stuff we already have.
 
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I have never paid more than £100 for anything Le Creuset and I only ever buy that from JL... usually as Christmas presents.
Even the casseroles?!
I get lectured by chefs on my choice of kitchen kit so regularly it's enough to turn me Sweeny Todd!!
:rolleyes:
I really like their stoneware though and it's always in the perfect sizes for stuff - Even their little 'petit casserole' 3-set gets far more use than you'd ever expect!
Definitely going to check out their stoneware, looks attractive and functional online.
Biggest issue with buying Le Creuset for us is getting it in plain black to match the older stuff we already have.
Exactly the range I am starting in. If you like on the jungle they are usually cheaper than the colours too!
(Jamie Oliver pans are) Very good, particularly when the Circulon's raised ridges aren't suitable and you need a flat surface....
This brings me on to my latest dilemma. Having used circulon pans for a while now and been reading into how they work, the circle design has some real benefits. caramelising is a struggle on nonstick and the circles allow liquids to stick and begin to burn on to create the effect, which makes circulon unique in offering non-stick with caramelising properties. I therefore think what I'd like to do is get a circulon pan and a jamie oliver pan. I am not sure what to get though. I could either get a small and large frying pan (one from each range), a small pan and large saute, or large pan and medium saute pan. Trying to figure out which combination will give me the best versatility so any thoughts fully appreciated.

Jamie does do some good stuff, but out of principle I won't line his pockets in furnishing my own kitchen! I also find his cook shows more likeable than Gordon Ramsay's, yet find Ramsay's recipes seem to work better for me than Oliver's... weird, huh!

Simple really - Jamie is an entrepeneur first and a cook second, Gordon is the opposite way round. Try any Gordon Ramsay merchandise; it's usually terrible and a big part of why so many are now wary of chef-endorsed products. Jamie on the over hand seems to thoroughly research and get behind some good lines (although he's not short of blunders too) but like you I always find Gordon's recipes come out much better at home.
 
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Even the casseroles?!
Le Creuset stuff is for the Mrs - She can't understand why I'd drop over a grand on a gaming machine, so I can't understand why she'd drop over a ton on a cooking pot... and I like finding the deals!

Seems the lower the class of place they've worked, the more than me they claim to know... or the more they feel the need to tell me, anyway.

Trying to figure out which combination will give me the best versatility so any thoughts fully appreciated.
I'd personally get the largest Circulon saute you can manage and a medium Jamie pan. His big one is just too big (fnar fnar), but the saute gets used for so much more, especially in my "weird foreign recipes".
 
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Le Creuset stuff is for the Mrs - She can't understand why I'd drop over a grand on a gaming machine, so I can't understand why she'd drop over a ton on a cooking pot... and I like finding the deals!
I on the other hand can understand both :D
Seems the lower the class of place they've worked, the more than me they claim to know... or the more they feel the need to tell me, anyway.
The 'experts'/'critics' in glass houses always have the most to say..
I'd personally get the largest Circulon saute you can manage and a medium Jamie pan. His big one is just too big (fnar fnar), but the saute gets used for so much more, especially in my "weird foreign recipes".
I can understand your logic. I am FINALLY getting myself to IKEA and subsequently JL tomorrow, so I will see what I make of the IKEA pans and buy what I like and whatever voids I have will be filled with stuff from JL. Chances are I may like the sautese at IKEA in which case I won't really need a Saute pan, we'll see. I am sure everyone is wetting their pants with excitement to know what I actually buy, since I am the one who started this thread and it's taken me so long to get out and check out the big recommendations that people have been and gone and even bought some cookware themselves (I think I should get a commission).

Edit: Look at the first post of the thread for the final list of what I got.
 
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Holy thread revival...

Walking around ikea this evening looked at the pans for some reason.... Sensual set £90 odd quid eeek decide to walk away. I always have wander around the bargains and holy moly same set 50%, memory kicks in and I am sure there was a post about these on ocuk hit Google and bingo third result same thread :)

Owner of new pans :)
 
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They look nice, just need to live near an Ikea now.

Looking at the Ikea 365+ wok recommendation back down this thread this looked as though it was non-stick (and ikea site did not seem to elaborate)
my temperatures on a wok running on gas would I have thought exceed 230C /440F so I think I would destroy such a coating, not sure if induction would drive it to that temp though.
 
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another issue - whilst watching video next on from that posted on the Nandos thread they have an interesting skillet.

Anyone know what it is /where to get one ? it might be form over function but looks nice, and maybe has some specific plate for induction

griddle_zpsst6yw0mv.jpg~original
 
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Just reviving this, are Sensuell still the go to IKEA range, I've got a few 365 items and really happy but moving to Induction, so need a few new pans and a wok. Was looking at the 4 piece kit, then adding 2.5l pot and the induction wok. (forget the range)
 

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I would like to ask a question too; new induction hob means our raymond pans are useless. Anyone know any good ones for induction hobs?

I've some de Buyer carbon steel pans that are highly rated and good for induction apparently. They're pretty heavy, be warned!

Being carbon steel you can stick them in the oven too :)

https://www.knivesandtools.co.uk/en/ct/de-buyer-acier-carbone-pans.htm

oKzIiXXl.png.jpg

^ they're totally black now that I've seasoned them though which is a shame, shiny is nice :).
 
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Popped into Ikea last night to grab the Sensuell set, picked up a magnetic base, splatter guard and 2 steamer inserts to go with them. Was contemplating buying a couple more smaller pots, but thought I'd settle with this and see how I get on. May pick up another Sautesse as I can see this being used for pretty much everything, so would be good to have another available rather than buying a specific pot.

Got a great weight to them, just looking forward to giving them a run out over the next few days.
 
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go ook through https://www.youtube.com/user/americastestkitchen/videos
they have many videos on there about pans and frying pans etc.
they released one about large saucepans the other day


if nothing else they gve you a great clue about what to look out.
imo i like hard anodised for the bulk, but its best if you have a range of different types, like cast iron for very high heat.

I would like to ask a question too; new induction hob means our raymond pans are useless. Anyone know any good ones for induction hobs?
if you like them, then the updated raymond pans are induction. Although they now have rubber handles that are only good to 180c :( which is pathetic and a massive step backwards imo.
 
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