New Pans Needed

I recommend getting a carbon steel Wok if you'll be using it to stir fry. You can get them dirt cheap at Chinese supermarkets. They do take a bit of upkeep though.

panthro said:
I had a decent non stick pan that my housemate ruined by using a metal potato masher in it. I forgave him though as the meal was excellent.

I'm after some new pans too but cant decide between non stick and SS.

What does a copper bottomed pan do better than other pans?
Click to expand...

As other posts have said, Copper conducts heat better but the thing you should really look for is how the metal, whether it's copper or any other metal, is integrated into the pan. There are two main types of pans that use more than one metal for the base. Disk and 3-ply/fully clad. What you want (if you can afford/find one) is a 3-ply/clad type pan where the internal metal, such as aluminium, extends all the way up the side of the pan. Disk based pans only have the conductive layer on the bottom which results in a temperature difference around the sides of the pan. Hot spots, cold spots and uneven heat... mind you, a quality disk bottomed pan is better that a non disk/clad pan.

~Divine~Wind~ said:
Copper is a better conductor than steel I think?
Ive alays used Non stick pans tbh, is there a huge difference between that and SS?
Click to expand...

The big difference you can develop a "fond" with stainless steal. "Fond" is the brown stuff left on the bottom of the pan after cooking. Deglaze the fond with some wine after cooking and you've got yourself the beginnings of a brilliant gravy.


One final thing. The better the quality of the stainless steel pan, the less problems you'll have with sticking and cleaning it afterwards. I have an All-Clad pan that I've never had to use anything other than a dish cloth* and the slightest of effort to clean. Oh, and use Bar Keepers Friend every once in a while when cleaning the pan... it's magic, no two ways about it. Use the powder variety though, as the paste is rubbish.

*Using even a soft sponge on stainless steel will leave marks.
 
Last edited:
~Divine~Wind~ said:
Those raymond blanc ones are 90 in the debenhams sale, gonna see if i can find a voucher too lol
Click to expand...

Bare in mind that the Debenhams set is 4 piece and doesn't have the Milk Pan, so for an extra £5 (and there is 4% cashback available) the 5 piece set with Milk Pan is probably worth it. Milk Pan is £20-30 on its own. I'm still using the pans I had at Uni 5 years ago and a larger saucepan I picked up in Ikea to tide me over. I think I might go for these Raymond Blanc ones, although I prefered the style of them pre-Blanc.


I really like the look of these but they're hellaexpensive.

http://www.swissdiamond.com/uk/home/ (as used on Saturday Kitchen I believe)

How do people get on with the glass lids? I'd prefer metal but the deal is good.
 
Last edited:
maccapacca said:
Stellar pans are very good

http://www.menarys.com/Models.aspx?...le&utm_medium=Shopping&utm_name=UnitedKingdom

We had Le Creuset but they are overrated and expensive, we sold all ours, too heavy and too fussy to clean.
Click to expand...

I have a single stellar saucepan and it's fantastic. Looks new as the day it was unwrapped.

Le Creuset stuff is beautiful an performs very well I've found. They do tend to discolour on the inside after a while and I've come to accept that with mine (although it is very minor). I don't have any of
Their non stick or saucepans mind you.

I wish I could remember the make I my other saucepans as these are much less pricey than the stellar ones and have performed admirably.
 
Doctor McNinja said:
The big difference you can develop a "fond" with stainless steal. "Fond" is the brown stuff left on the bottom of the pan after cooking. Deglaze the fond with some wine after cooking and you've got yourself the beginnings of a brilliant gravy.
Click to expand...
You get that with any pan - it's got as much to do with what you cook and how you cook it than the pan you use to cook it in.

There's no arguing that a fond forms faster in a stainless steel pan, but that's not to say a non-stick pan won't get there eventually - technique plays a healthy part in this too.

And it's also easier to deglaze a non-stick pan, so in a way it's horses for courses on the 'fond' front.

bsoltan said:
How do people get on with the glass lids? I'd prefer metal but the deal is good.
Click to expand...
Never liked them on the RB pans - they steam up in seconds, never seemed to seal tightly and retained the heat for what seemed like hours.

Much prefer the metal lids of the Circulon Infinite pans.
 
glitch said:
Never liked them on the RB pans - they steam up in seconds, never seemed to seal tightly and retained the heat for what seemed like hours.

Much prefer the metal lids of the Circulon Infinite pans.
Click to expand...

Good to know, thanks.

Hmmm....

Circulon Infinite Hard Anodised Cookware Set, 5-Piece - £110 on Amazon.
Comprised of 20 cm/3.8 litre saucepan, 18 cm/2.8 litre saucepan, 16 cm/1.9 litre saucepan, 24 cm frypan and 20 cm frypan

Circulon Infinite hard anodised non stick 4 piece pan set = £75 at Debenhams
Same as above, just less the 20cm frying pan.
Which is only £18 at Debenhams so even if you buy it separate that is the better deal. +3% cashback.
 
Last edited:
bsoltan said:
Hmmm....

Circulon Infinite hard anodised non stick 4 piece pan set = £75 at Debenhams
Same as above, just less the 20cm frying pan.
Which is only £18 at Debenhams so even if you buy it separate that is the better deal. +3% cashback.
Click to expand...
I'd recommend the Circulon set over the RB set any day of the week. I was a RB fan until I started cooking on induction hobs more regularly, which prompted the switch.

The Circulon pans have heavier bases, thicker walls and the non-stick seems much more resilient - mine get plenty of stick and just take everything I throw their way.

The one thing that the RB range have on them is the milkpan, but I can just about live without that.
 
Ahleckz said:
Raymond Blanc, get involved.
Click to expand...

Lol, never think you for that link before. So, thank you.

I've given the medium one to my sister as I already have a non stick one very similar to design to the Raymond Blanc so kept the small, large pan and the skillett.
 
TheDean said:
http://www.pots-and-pans.co.uk/acatalog/Raymond_Blanc_Anolon_Professional_5_Piece_Pan_Set.html

We got those as a wedding gift, and they're very good indeed. Would certainly reccomend them. We did think about stainless steel, but cleaning them is a nightmare - especially scrambled egg! We never used to have it, because cleaning it off a stainless steel pan bottom was an utter nightmare!
Click to expand...

We have the previous versions of these pans and whilst they are very good, the non stick coating isn't that durable. Three years on and the coating is coming off on the bottom of our most used pans, we don't ever use metal implements, don't put them in the dishwasher and use a non stick friendly sponge.

Might be worth paying for something a bit better.
 
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom