Associate
Hi,
After trawling the internet for countless hours and falling into a pithole of contradicting advice and opinions, I thought I'd come to the chaps at OcUK for a bit of insight.
I am looking to refresh my cookware collection, in part because I have a lot of tired pans, but also because I'd like to branch out with the things I cook.
The other half is a veggie so it's quite rare that I cook meat (although I always cook it for guests and what not). I've spent the past many years mainly cooking what you'd call one-pot meals in a big circulon infinite saute pan, anything from risottos and currys to most varieties of tomato sauce/bolognese and casseroles.
I still want to cook that sort of thing but I want to add more - two potential ways of branching out I've looked at are griddling and more oven based dishes (i.e. cast iron casserole).
Anyway, I've got a couple of pans I will want to keep moving forward, a Procook stainless steel stockpot with steamer and a circulon infinite milkpan (used for milk, porridge, eggs and general reheating). I've seen the old stainless vs non-stick debate played out many a time and can say I am pretty confident cooking sauce-based dishes on stainless. I've had a pretty bad time with high-heat frying so I am probably looking to build a hybrid collection depending on the task.
For general saucepans I think I want to settle on one of two ranges, and either get a triple set or the two larger sizes ( 18 and 20cm)
either these oxo pans : http://www.oxouk.com/p-1332-3-piece-set-161820-saucepan-with-lid-set.aspx#
Or these procook pans (will replace the lids with the normal professional series ones) https://www.procook.co.uk/shop/cookware/procook-elite-triply
That being said I have enjoyed cooking with circulon infinite pans, I just find stainless steel is more heat responsive, cooks quicker (and thus retains more moisture) and is easy to manage so long as you pay attention when cooking.
Beyond that, I have spotted a pan on the jungle and if you search for a "GreenPan Michel Roux Collection 20 cm Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Non-Stick Open Saucier" you'll find it pretty quickly. It seems like a pretty versatile option for one pot dishes vs. the saute pan I am coming from. I've also been eyeing up the 26cm deep frying pan from this range http://www.tefal.co.uk/Cookware-%26-Kitchenware/Pots-%26-Pans/Jamie-Oliver-by-Tefal-Cookware/Jamie-Oliver-Hard-Anodised-Induction-Professional-Series/p/R-JO-IHA
Oh and I currently cook on electric and will soon be moving to induction.
And that's about as far as I've got. Any insights, recommendations would be much appreciated, particularly on what to buy as a core set and what to consider for expanding and diversifying what I'm cooking!
Edit & Update:
In case anyone comes looking for ideas/inspiration on what to buy, the suggestions in this thread are excellent. I had a look at most of the pans recommended including those above, procook, stellar, jamie oliver by tefal and le creuset pans and of course the Ikea. I think any level of cook would do well with any of the pans mentioned.
As mentioned I already have a 16cm circulon milkpan (excellent for scrambled eggs, reheating meals) and 20cm Procook professional steel stockpot with steamer, both of which I'd highly recommend.
Here's a run through of what I ended up getting:
This Sautese. Wasn't quite sure how this would be proportioned, it is very much a hybrid of a saute pan and a saucier which makes it incredibly versatile. the sensuell range has a real feel of quality, solid, thick walls, very, very even heat distribution, very quick to heat and excellent thermal control when heat is taken away. The handles are solid and comfortable and sticking is very easy to control, if it happens at all.
This frying pan. As above really.
This lid for the above. Compared it to some universal lids 4-5x price. This has a better thickness and feel of quality, and frankly looks better.
This In pan sets you usually get a 16,18 and 20cm pan. On a conventional hob, you get small and large hob rings that fit the 16 and 20 perfectly. That entails an annoying dilemma with the 18cm pans as to whether to go over or under-sized on the ring. This pan gets around that; it has the capacity of an 18cm, it fits snugly on a small ring and it's thermal properties mean you are waiting about the same time for to heat as if you had used a bigger ring.
This tiny saucepan for boiling small things quickly. Just excellent materials and build, especially the nice, thick, solid glass lid. Handle is a little uncomfortable but if you are handling it extensively just use a pot holder/sleeve. The saucepans in this range are excellent, as is the wok. Wouldn't recommend the saute pan though.
That was my haul from Ikea, though I picked up a range of accessories like the 365+ pot holders and magnetic trivets and some of the utensils with the steel handles, all excellent.
This cast iron grill pan. Actually not this one, the previous generation in satin black (distinction is the 'helper handle' at the back does not have a hollowed-out centre so isn't really a handle, doesn't really bother me. I love this pan. Yes there are cheaper ones out there, however, the one big difference is that Le Creuset is the only one I could find that is enamelled inside out. This was a key requirement for me as although it makes the BEST meat ever (I wouldn't use anything for steaks, fish, duck breast, chicken breast, etc) I also want to cook things for the vegetarian SO and being able to wash out the meat juices isn't possible if you are building a seasoning/patina on an uncoated cast iron pan. Cleans up really well too. If you look soon enough the previous gen is going for about £60 a pan in some places which I think is well worthwhile.
Finally on the non-stick I looked Ikea first (those recommended) and didn't like them due to the discomfort of the handle and the light weight. No qualms on quality though. I then looked at the Jamie Oliver and the Circulon symmetry ranges. If you are looking at Circulon, stick with the infinite range. I find even the infinite range frying pans can feel a bit too light for me (oddly enough the saucepans have a really good weight to them), the symmetry are flimsy, the bases thinner, the handles look cheap in person; real shame. The Jamie Oliver pan I would recommend highly but I thought with the high sides and the smallest being a 26cm it was just not versatile enough. If anything I'd have a deeper small frying pan and a wider large frying pan.
I also happened to look at the le creuset toughened non-stick pans which I really, really liked. I liked the weight especially, the comfort of the handles and the nice thick bases. Also, the range of sizes and the fact you could go deep or shallow, and the quality of the lids as well. However, there is the price.
So I mulled up getting a combination of le creuset and circulon infinite, or one or the other. In the end I went with neither. I stumbled upon another range, which included this set. Took a while to find as you can't get that particular set in the UK (but it is worth buying from the states online and paying the shipping). I went and saw some other pans in the range in a cook shop in town. Really good weight, nice thick bases and good handles and have the same autograph 2 coating as Circulon. So I am waiting for these to arrive. If they are the best thing ever/terrible I will update in due course!
Finally I just wanted to say a huge thanks to all the input and suggestions I got in this thread. Mixed advice, but I think on balance no one perspective is wrong and it really helped inform my decision as you can see with the hybrid cookware collection I ended up with.
After trawling the internet for countless hours and falling into a pithole of contradicting advice and opinions, I thought I'd come to the chaps at OcUK for a bit of insight.
I am looking to refresh my cookware collection, in part because I have a lot of tired pans, but also because I'd like to branch out with the things I cook.
The other half is a veggie so it's quite rare that I cook meat (although I always cook it for guests and what not). I've spent the past many years mainly cooking what you'd call one-pot meals in a big circulon infinite saute pan, anything from risottos and currys to most varieties of tomato sauce/bolognese and casseroles.
I still want to cook that sort of thing but I want to add more - two potential ways of branching out I've looked at are griddling and more oven based dishes (i.e. cast iron casserole).
Anyway, I've got a couple of pans I will want to keep moving forward, a Procook stainless steel stockpot with steamer and a circulon infinite milkpan (used for milk, porridge, eggs and general reheating). I've seen the old stainless vs non-stick debate played out many a time and can say I am pretty confident cooking sauce-based dishes on stainless. I've had a pretty bad time with high-heat frying so I am probably looking to build a hybrid collection depending on the task.
For general saucepans I think I want to settle on one of two ranges, and either get a triple set or the two larger sizes ( 18 and 20cm)
either these oxo pans : http://www.oxouk.com/p-1332-3-piece-set-161820-saucepan-with-lid-set.aspx#
Or these procook pans (will replace the lids with the normal professional series ones) https://www.procook.co.uk/shop/cookware/procook-elite-triply
That being said I have enjoyed cooking with circulon infinite pans, I just find stainless steel is more heat responsive, cooks quicker (and thus retains more moisture) and is easy to manage so long as you pay attention when cooking.
Beyond that, I have spotted a pan on the jungle and if you search for a "GreenPan Michel Roux Collection 20 cm Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Non-Stick Open Saucier" you'll find it pretty quickly. It seems like a pretty versatile option for one pot dishes vs. the saute pan I am coming from. I've also been eyeing up the 26cm deep frying pan from this range http://www.tefal.co.uk/Cookware-%26-Kitchenware/Pots-%26-Pans/Jamie-Oliver-by-Tefal-Cookware/Jamie-Oliver-Hard-Anodised-Induction-Professional-Series/p/R-JO-IHA
Oh and I currently cook on electric and will soon be moving to induction.
And that's about as far as I've got. Any insights, recommendations would be much appreciated, particularly on what to buy as a core set and what to consider for expanding and diversifying what I'm cooking!
Edit & Update:
In case anyone comes looking for ideas/inspiration on what to buy, the suggestions in this thread are excellent. I had a look at most of the pans recommended including those above, procook, stellar, jamie oliver by tefal and le creuset pans and of course the Ikea. I think any level of cook would do well with any of the pans mentioned.
As mentioned I already have a 16cm circulon milkpan (excellent for scrambled eggs, reheating meals) and 20cm Procook professional steel stockpot with steamer, both of which I'd highly recommend.
Here's a run through of what I ended up getting:
This Sautese. Wasn't quite sure how this would be proportioned, it is very much a hybrid of a saute pan and a saucier which makes it incredibly versatile. the sensuell range has a real feel of quality, solid, thick walls, very, very even heat distribution, very quick to heat and excellent thermal control when heat is taken away. The handles are solid and comfortable and sticking is very easy to control, if it happens at all.
This frying pan. As above really.
This lid for the above. Compared it to some universal lids 4-5x price. This has a better thickness and feel of quality, and frankly looks better.
This In pan sets you usually get a 16,18 and 20cm pan. On a conventional hob, you get small and large hob rings that fit the 16 and 20 perfectly. That entails an annoying dilemma with the 18cm pans as to whether to go over or under-sized on the ring. This pan gets around that; it has the capacity of an 18cm, it fits snugly on a small ring and it's thermal properties mean you are waiting about the same time for to heat as if you had used a bigger ring.
This tiny saucepan for boiling small things quickly. Just excellent materials and build, especially the nice, thick, solid glass lid. Handle is a little uncomfortable but if you are handling it extensively just use a pot holder/sleeve. The saucepans in this range are excellent, as is the wok. Wouldn't recommend the saute pan though.
That was my haul from Ikea, though I picked up a range of accessories like the 365+ pot holders and magnetic trivets and some of the utensils with the steel handles, all excellent.
This cast iron grill pan. Actually not this one, the previous generation in satin black (distinction is the 'helper handle' at the back does not have a hollowed-out centre so isn't really a handle, doesn't really bother me. I love this pan. Yes there are cheaper ones out there, however, the one big difference is that Le Creuset is the only one I could find that is enamelled inside out. This was a key requirement for me as although it makes the BEST meat ever (I wouldn't use anything for steaks, fish, duck breast, chicken breast, etc) I also want to cook things for the vegetarian SO and being able to wash out the meat juices isn't possible if you are building a seasoning/patina on an uncoated cast iron pan. Cleans up really well too. If you look soon enough the previous gen is going for about £60 a pan in some places which I think is well worthwhile.
Finally on the non-stick I looked Ikea first (those recommended) and didn't like them due to the discomfort of the handle and the light weight. No qualms on quality though. I then looked at the Jamie Oliver and the Circulon symmetry ranges. If you are looking at Circulon, stick with the infinite range. I find even the infinite range frying pans can feel a bit too light for me (oddly enough the saucepans have a really good weight to them), the symmetry are flimsy, the bases thinner, the handles look cheap in person; real shame. The Jamie Oliver pan I would recommend highly but I thought with the high sides and the smallest being a 26cm it was just not versatile enough. If anything I'd have a deeper small frying pan and a wider large frying pan.
I also happened to look at the le creuset toughened non-stick pans which I really, really liked. I liked the weight especially, the comfort of the handles and the nice thick bases. Also, the range of sizes and the fact you could go deep or shallow, and the quality of the lids as well. However, there is the price.
So I mulled up getting a combination of le creuset and circulon infinite, or one or the other. In the end I went with neither. I stumbled upon another range, which included this set. Took a while to find as you can't get that particular set in the UK (but it is worth buying from the states online and paying the shipping). I went and saw some other pans in the range in a cook shop in town. Really good weight, nice thick bases and good handles and have the same autograph 2 coating as Circulon. So I am waiting for these to arrive. If they are the best thing ever/terrible I will update in due course!
Finally I just wanted to say a huge thanks to all the input and suggestions I got in this thread. Mixed advice, but I think on balance no one perspective is wrong and it really helped inform my decision as you can see with the hybrid cookware collection I ended up with.
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