<p>The combination of thermal properties and cooking surface. </p>
<p>All-Clad has a thick aluminum core, which is the best conductor of heat. However, aluminum is a poor cooking surface because acidic ingredients react with it. All-Clad “clads” or bonds a layer of stainless steel to the aluminum to provide an ideal, indesctructible cooking surface.</p>
<p>Le Creuset takes a similar approach with complete different materials. Cast iron is a poor conductor of heat, but once you get it hot, it holds heat for a very stable cooking temperature – a great thermal mass. But, like aluminum, cast iron is a poor cooking surface because it rusts and acidic ingredients demolish it. With a Lodge cast iron skillet, you “season” it (basically a layer of burned on oil) to apply a cooking surface. Le Creuset uses a special baked-on enamel to provide a non-reactive cooking surface on the cast iron.</p>
<p>Aluminum core is probably better for fast stirfrying (if you have enough burner heat) because it reacts quickly to changes in burner temp. Cast iron is better for slow simmering or something delicate like hollandaise because it holds a very steady temperature. Cast iron is also a fantastic workaround for wimpy electric burners because it holds heat – that’s why the LeCreuset wok works.</p>
<p>Stainless steel cooking surface is more indestructible than enamel, but a good enamel finish is very durable if you avoid metal utensils and abrasive cleaning powders.</p>
<p>On knives, I have Henckels, which I used for years… until someone recommended the Japanese brand Global. Now I am acquiring Global knives and adore them. BUT they have small handles and my husband hates them and still uses the Henckels. My D likes the Global paring knife I got her; my S doesn’t. I think it’s the handles.</p>
<p>As I was reading through this thread, I was thinking that I should recommend Henckel knives, then I got to the posts near the end and saw that several of you agree. I LOVE my knives (and I second the high opinion of the scissors)–be sure to get the 5 star version of you go with Henckels. My daughter has 4-stars from Costco, and the difference in quality is definitely noticeable.</p>
<p>Pots and pans–most of mine are copper-bottom stainless Belgique brand from Macy’s, and I really like them. I don’t remember what the care instructions said, but I’ve been putting them in the dishwasher for at least 10 years, with no problems at all. They are reasonably priced and very frequently on sale for half price.</p>
<p>One other kitchen recommendation I’ll make is to check out IKEA if there is one near you. Especially for menus for two, the small baking dishes, gratins, and the like are great–beautiful colors and some uniquely (but practically) shaped bakeware.</p>
<p>Mollie, Best wishes on your upcoming marriage!</p>
<p>I, also, love All-Clad. I was using Cuisinart cookware for years, and a visiting relative told me that I needed to replace it because food burned too easily. I bought a set of All-Clad stainless, and I couldn’t believe what a difference it made. As someone else mentioned, food does not burn even if you don’t stir as constantly as you should. Sauces (I don’t make many, and they are usually based on chicken broth rather than cream) come out with a different texture somehow - much better. It has made a big difference.</p>
<p>I have one complaint about the All-Clad - it is impossible to pour smoothly from the saucepans because they have a straight edge rather than a lip. Why such expensive pans have this flaw I don’t understand.</p>
<p>I usually keep a large non-stick skillet, but find that they have to be replaced after about a year of hard use, because the coating goes. And I always do research and buy something highly rated. And I never use metal utensils and I clean them gently by hand.</p>
<p>My favorite kitchen tool is this micro-grater:</p>
<p>It’s wonderful for zesting lemons or grating Parmesan. I love using it.</p>
<p>I also love my slow cooker. I’ve found some sources of great recipes. My requirements are that they don’t include things like cream of mushroom soup, and don’t require preliminary steps like browing meat. Everything has to just go in at the start.</p>
<p>Oh, and I get most of my recipes these days online, from either cookinglight.com or allrecipes.com. Both of these sites have ratings/reviews, and they are searchable. </p>
<p>I also love my Zozirushi bread machine. I use the dough cycle and make rolls. It’s easy and takes very little time. I’ve learned the tricks to ensure good results.</p>
<p>Maybe I should say, in light of blucroo’s shower thread, that I get to have two showers (one for the people in MA and one for the people in OH), and I am the only overlapping guest.</p>
<p>One shower was supposed to be a surprise, but hubby-to-be is not very good at keeping secrets. :)</p>
<p>All-Clad is good but Demeyere is great (from Belgium) – the large sauteuse is the best pan I’ve ever used (I’ve owned Calphalon and All-Clad too) – it cleans beautifully too – better than nonstick All-Clad, which I would not recommend because the nonstick surface comes off in washing over the years and it is actually harder to clean than stainless steel (and it sticks…).</p>
<p>Paying All Clad prices for non-stick pans is a horrible value. At those price points, you want the stuff to last longer than you will. Stick to the durable finishes in expensive cookwear: stainless, baked enamel, etc. </p>
<p>Since you know the non-stick stuff will self destruct in a year or two, but it accordingly. In other words, you don’t need 100 year materials and construction to go with a 1 year finish. Only pay All Clad prices for non-stick if you can afford to keep buying it over and over.</p>
<p>I’ve had many different kinds of cookware in my 33 years of marriage. For the past three, I’ve had a set of Calphalon 1 nonstick and I love it, like no other, including the set of Le Creuset which preceeded it. There’s been no issue of it ‘self-destructing’. It looks, and performs, as great today as it did when it was brand new. If you follow the instructions, as given, there is a lifetime warranty. </p>
<p>mollie, I’d second the suggestion to go into a store that carries many lines and have a close look at several. Pick them up and handle them, think about what kind of cooking you do, what you’re likely to use regularly, what line has been around long enough (and is likely to continue!) for you to add to, if you can’t get everything you want/need initialy. Check with your friends and family members to see what type they have so maybe you could have a trial run at actually using a few different types.</p>
<p>What they are doing now with expensive non-stick is using a microscopically rough surface with little peaks and valleys. They know the non-stick will abrade off the peaks, but count on the valleys protecting at least part of the surface.</p>
<p>The fundamental problem is that the non-stick finishes can’t take high heat, so something as ubiquitous as flash searing a piece of fish or browning meat or proper stir-frying degrades the surface.</p>
<p>There’s a place for non-stick skillets. I’m just suggesting that, if you want to drop a fortune into high-end cookware, buy the stuff that is going to last for 50 years.</p>
<p>This doesn’t even address the issue that one of the most basic cooking techniques requires heating food until it DOES stick and then deglazing with stock or other liquid. A non-stick pan rules out this technique.</p>
<p>mollie–One caveat: Le Creuset is very heavy as well as very expensive; I like my old enameled iron casseroles, still in use after more than 30 years, but sometimes I appreciate the convenience of Pyrex. Maybe not expensive enough to register for, but worth having some on hand. Similarly, I’ve been very happy with my Farberware pots and pans–not gourmet cookware but serviceable and sturdy. I almost never use my enameled skillet because it is hard to maneuver and also very shallow but I use my Farberware stuff just about every day. I would register for the special things, including some Le Creuset items, but would also research lower-priced stuff–take a look at Consumer Reports, for example, and visit some good cookware stores. But keep your guests’ budgets in mind and make sure there are items on the registry that can be purchased by people of more limited means as well as lavish pocketbooks. Or two or three can share in the purchase of more expensive things of course.)</p>
<p>I’ve yet to have the full non-stick properties last more than a year. Then, you enter a middle stage where the pan is really no more non-stick than a seasoned cast iron skillet. By, three years, the finish is pretty much shot. Then, you’ve got a problem because you can’t resort to the kind of cleaning measures that you could with stainless steel (copper pad and barkeepers friend), but the pan no longer wipes clean with a sponge.</p>
<p>IMO, that’s not good enough for a $100 skillet. For that kind of money, I expect something that will be identical to new after 25 years (allowing for the dents and dings of heavy use). Figured in that is the fact that you ARE going to leave an empty pan on a hot burner at least once every 10 years. I’m talking about spending serious money for lifetime cooking utensils.</p>
Most definitely. I would say the median price of the stuff on our registry is about $30! We have lots of cute, silly stuff, like a jungle-themed set of bath coordinates and colorful kitchen storage containers.</p>
<p>The pots and pans are probably the most expensive things on our registry – we’re not registering for fine china or fine flatware because each of us has seen exactly how often that sort of thing gets used. I think the only thing more expensive than pots and pans is the bright blue Kitchenaid mixer, which I think perhaps no wedding registry should be without.</p>
<p>This thread makes me feel far more inferior than anything ever posted on the college pages! I plan on using this list as an excuse why we have to eat out tonight. I don’t have any of this, so how I can possibly cook?</p>
<p>Well, I do have Henckels - but I’m not sure they’re a good thing: My sister got married last year and got two sets, so she gave me one. So the one I have has been gifted twice - so I’m in for double trouble, I guess.</p>
<p>I took my copper bottomed pots to Germany and never used them. They’re big on the flat-topped ceramic electric stoves over there, and light weight cookware just didn’t do well. Fortunately, I had heavier pots, too. But I’m glad to be back to my gas stove top.</p>
<p>My biggest kitchen requirement is the microwave. And coffee pot.</p>
<p>Amen. And if you might indulge me in an Andy Rooney moment…what the heck is up with coffee pots? Braun had the drip coffee maker perfected 30 years ago and now, nobody in the world can make one that isn’t a royal pain in the butt.</p>
<p>The carafes will NOT pour without dribbling coffee across the counter. To fill the water resevoir with water, you now have to flip a lid and aim for a spot about the size of a postage stamp – BEFORE YOUR FIRST CUP OF COFFEE IN THE MORNING.</p>
<p>In order to tidy up the appearance, they now put the coffee filter grinds under the same lid as the water well. So if you ever screw up (again before the first cup of coffee) and overflow the filter by forgeting to put the carafe in place, not only do you have a kinghell of a mess to clean up, but the grinds disappear down into the water well, plug up the heating coils, and destroy a perfectly good coffee maker.</p>
<p>And, now the latest. We finally found one that addresses some of these issues (that were not problems on a 1980 Braun). We start using it and keep finding water all over the counter. What the…?</p>
<p>Turns out, that if you add more than exactly 12 cups of water (again, having to hit the 12 cup mark on the carafe with precision before the first cup of coffee), the coffee maker protects itself against overfilling with an overfill tube that…yep…you guessed it…dumps the excess water out the back of the coffee maker onto the counter. What WERE they thinking? I can see if I’m overfilling it above the top edge. I can’t see the hidden overfill vent buried down in a crevace an inch below the top! In 30 years, I’ve never overfilled a coffee maker, but now I have to deal with this nonsense.</p>
There’s been no issue of it ‘self-destructing’. It looks, and performs, as great today as it did when it was brand new. If you follow the instructions, as given, there is a lifetime warranty. </p>