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Regarding pots and pans, I'm curious how these things hold up over time. Is a high-quality 15 year old pan (appearances aside) function as well as it did when i

by ssharp 14y ago

Regarding pots and pans, I'm curious how these things hold up over time. Is a high-quality 15 year old pan (appearances aside) function as well as it did when it was new? The reason I ask is because I see what I assume to be quality SS cookware at restaurant auctions all the time and they usually go for a fraction of what they're worth new. When I wanted to get a huge kettle (compared to my 20 quart canning pot) for brewing, I was able to get a 10-gallon SS pot for $30 at one an auction. For boiling water, it works perfectly. I'm just not sure about more delicate applications of heat and food.

wiredfool 14y ago
If it's something like all-clad, aluminum bonded to stainless, then it should hold up forever unless it's been overheated to the point of melting. I've got some that are going on 10 years, and they're essentially new, except for baked on oils on the (outside) bottom. Cheaper stuff tends to show wear more, anodized aluminum exteriors wear through, nonstick fades after a few years, thin stainless dents. I like restaurant supply stuff, I'd go there more often if I was closer to a store. I'd generally have no problem with used stainless stuff from a restaurant.
sarah2079 14y ago
If you want another option for buying good quality stuff at a reasonable price, check out a restaurant supply store. I bought some of my pots at one, and really good quality SS 2-quart pot with a heavy bottom was about $25 new. I have never had any problems with cream sauces or other finicky items where uneven cooking would be apparent. My local restaurant supply store has a 10-gallon SS pot for $165. A 15 year old item going for 18% at auction seems pretty reasonable to me. Things are cheap at auctions, and people will pay a big premium for a new item. http://catalog.sefa.com/category_product_list.php?dealer_id=10103&product_list_id=10310&category_id=6&subcategory_id=10435&product_line_id=3187 http://catalog.sefa.com/category_product_list.php?dealer_id=...

by ssharp 14y ago

wiredfool 14y ago

If it's something like all-clad, aluminum bonded to stainless, then it should hold up forever unless it's been overheated to the point of melting. I've got some that are going on 10 years, and they're essentially new, except for baked on oils on the (outside) bottom. Cheaper stuff tends to show wear more, anodized aluminum exteriors wear through, nonstick fades after a few years, thin stainless dents. I like restaurant supply stuff, I'd go there more often if I was closer to a store. I'd generally have no problem with used stainless stuff from a restaurant.

sarah2079 14y ago

If you want another option for buying good quality stuff at a reasonable price, check out a restaurant supply store. I bought some of my pots at one, and really good quality SS 2-quart pot with a heavy bottom was about $25 new. I have never had any problems with cream sauces or other finicky items where uneven cooking would be apparent. My local restaurant supply store has a 10-gallon SS pot for $165. A 15 year old item going for 18% at auction seems pretty reasonable to me. Things are cheap at auctions, and people will pay a big premium for a new item. http://catalog.sefa.com/category_product_list.php?dealer_id=10103&product_list_id=10310&category_id=6&subcategory_id=10435&product_line_id=3187 http://catalog.sefa.com/category_product_list.php?dealer_id=...