4 ms·

Just a note about the pots and pans. All-Clad is nice, but also very expensive. After seeing a few recommendations on reddit, I picked up a Tramontina set fro

Just a note about the pots and pans. All-Clad is nice, but also very expensive. After seeing a few recommendations on reddit, I picked up a Tramontina set from walmart.com (weird, I know). I love them. They're stainless steel, high quality, TryPly-clad pans, and you can pick up an 8-piece (5 total pans + lids) set for ~$130.

tptacek 14y ago
This is something I'd go look to Cooks Illustrated for. My only real issue is, don't buy the sets. The pots & pans you need are specific. You definitely don't need 8 of them. Cooks Illustrated doesn't like Tramontina; they claim they heat unevenly and require more oil. They "Recommend it with reservations". The "budget" brand Cooks Illustrated likes is Cuisinart.
- jerhinesmith 14y ago
  Agreed. In this case, it's not actually 8 pans, since they're including the lids in the count. It's actually two sauce pans, two saute pans, and a dutch oven - which is perfect for me.
  - tptacek 14y ago
    So here I'd just point out that if you're going to have a dutch oven, it should be enameled cast iron.
    - jerhinesmith 14y ago
      Oh, agreed. I use the tramontina one primarily for boiling pasta. I have a cast iron dutch oven for things that actually require a dutch oven.
    - mechanical_fish 14y ago
      I have learned this the hard way. I have a non-enameled Lodge dutch oven. Its main role in my kitchen is: Demonstrating the terrible effect that years of neglect has on a well-seasoned iron surface.
- mattmaroon 14y ago
  Cooks Illustrated is uneven about liking Tramontina, probably because Tramontina's product lineup is uneven. It's the top recommendation in their moderately priced 12 inch skillets from a month ago, for instance. Numerous other products of theirs are "recommended with reservations".
DArcMattr 14y ago
I've found some good pans in the second-run stores, like the Marshall's and TJ Maxx family. They may have some cosmetic defects, like a scratch on the outer surface. The problem with these stores is they have inconsistent stock, which changes all the time depending on what the other stores have shoved off on them.

tptacek 14y ago

This is something I'd go look to Cooks Illustrated for. My only real issue is, don't buy the sets. The pots & pans you need are specific. You definitely don't need 8 of them. Cooks Illustrated doesn't like Tramontina; they claim they heat unevenly and require more oil. They "Recommend it with reservations". The "budget" brand Cooks Illustrated likes is Cuisinart.

jerhinesmith 14y ago
Agreed. In this case, it's not actually 8 pans, since they're including the lids in the count. It's actually two sauce pans, two saute pans, and a dutch oven - which is perfect for me.
- tptacek 14y ago
  So here I'd just point out that if you're going to have a dutch oven, it should be enameled cast iron.
  - jerhinesmith 14y ago
    Oh, agreed. I use the tramontina one primarily for boiling pasta. I have a cast iron dutch oven for things that actually require a dutch oven.
  - mechanical_fish 14y ago
    I have learned this the hard way. I have a non-enameled Lodge dutch oven. Its main role in my kitchen is: Demonstrating the terrible effect that years of neglect has on a well-seasoned iron surface.
mattmaroon 14y ago
Cooks Illustrated is uneven about liking Tramontina, probably because Tramontina's product lineup is uneven. It's the top recommendation in their moderately priced 12 inch skillets from a month ago, for instance. Numerous other products of theirs are "recommended with reservations".

DArcMattr 14y ago

I've found some good pans in the second-run stores, like the Marshall's and TJ Maxx family. They may have some cosmetic defects, like a scratch on the outer surface. The problem with these stores is they have inconsistent stock, which changes all the time depending on what the other stores have shoved off on them.