Saucepans?

Counting_Pennies_2

Can anyone help?

I have some saucepans that are just 7 years old, but the non stick inner has started flaking, and I read somewhere it is bad for you.

So I am looking to buy a set of Stainless Steel pans, so I don't have this worry about non stick surfaces.

Can anyone advise? I am on the John Lewis website and trying to work out what good value pans I can get. To be honest the sets are few and far between, and not much choice, but then I am bamboozled (if that is right!) by the choice.

18/10 stainless steel
Stainless steel
Anodised
etc.

Help, can anyone give me a short description, I thought it would be straight forward and now I am confused!

Thanks

BitterAndTwisted

I'm not a lover of non-stick pans. I just don't understand the need for them, a good soak is all any of mine have ever needed.

I'm not sure that there's a lot of difference between pans when you're considering the materials, to my mind what's important is the weight of them and maybe that's what the numbers 18/10 denote. Anodising relates to a coating but it depends on what material that coating is. I like pans with a good, heavy bottom, that way they conduct the heat evenly and you shouldn't burn the contents. If I were you I'd go and have a look at them in the store and give them a good heft and then make your choice. If I had plenty of money, which I don't, I'd be fantasising about those lovely Le Creuset cast-iron enamelled ones.

Pitlanepiglet

I love my cast iron casseroles but I don't like the Le Creuset saucepan set that my Dad has!

We have lots of odd saucepans, most of the stainless steel came from Tesco's finest range about 7 years ago and it's still going strong.

I do covet a beautifully hard anodised set in Costco but I've no idea what the difference is, but it looks very pretty!

SunnyGirl

I don't get on with non stick pans either apart from the egg pan that is very carefully looked after

I have a set of 3 stainless steel copper bottomed saucepans that I got as a wedding present in 1988 and they are still going strong, look good and go in the dishwasher with no problems. It's definitely worth paying a bit more for quality that lasts :T I'd love Le Cruest too if I had the money

Little_miss_sunshine_2

I recently bought some from Lakeland- I think they are anodised and much heavier that my previous non-stick ones. They are easy to clean- I just put them in the dishwasher. They were't too expensive.

rachbc

if you want steel pans then you'll need something with a different metal (usually copper) in the base as steel is not a good conductor of heat.

One of the few times I wouldn't buy online tbh - you need to lift them, check how they feel in your hands, how the handles are attached etc

Anodised pans are usually aluminium which conducts heat well- its treatment of the metal I have one and really like it though its not dw proof

Bronnie

There is a handy guide to the different types and terminologies here

http://www.meyergroup.co.uk/cookware/meyercookwareguide.html

I bought some Meyer stainless steel saucepans and a frying pan easily 20 years ago. They are still going strong. The handles need the occasional tightening of the screw, but they have been superb VFM.

I don't know that very expensive finishes on all your saucepans are worth paying extra for, if mostly they'll be used for boiling/stewing.

Maybe better to mix and match your pans and buy a small, more expensive-finish pan for making sauces or cooking eggs or frying if you wish .........as per your personal cooking requirements........... and just buy straightforward good-quality stainless steel pans for general use.

csarina

I have several Myers saucepans and they are excellent. I have recently bought an omelette pan, a frying pan and a couple of baking tins from a company on the internet, they are adonised and brilliant, you do not need to use any fat to fry eggs or cook omelettes and you just wipe them out with a damp cloth when you have finished using them. The company is called Pro-cook, they often have special offers on and have next day delivery by courier. They are not cheap but excellent pans. Just now they have special offers on 3,4,5, and 7 piece sets.

ivyleaf

I've been replacing my non-stick pans with s/steel ones one at a time. I agree with what others have said, that it's important to try them in the store to make sure the handle's comfortable for you and that they aren't too heavy, and too see how thick the base is. My biggest one came from John Lewis a couple of years ago. It's the second-to largest size, because the largest one was too heavy for my wrists to cope with. More recently I've got one from Debenham's - it's a Meyer one, with a pouring lip on two sides, and straining holes in the lid. The last one is from the Lakeland "My Kitchen" range. I'm very pleased with all three. They don't "match" but I don't mind that

I have a non-stick pant for things like porridge or scrambled eggs, though, and a non-stick omelette pan which came from BHS.

BexInLondon

One of my favourite pans was a tenner in an Asian supermarket in east London. It's big enough to make a week's worth of soup! It's stainless steel (I assume so anyway, as I couldn't read the Bengali label!) and though things might stick once in a blue moon, a squirt of ecover and a 10 minute soak deal with everything.

Bronnie

csarina wrote: »

I have several Myers saucepans and they are excellent. I have recently bought an omelette pan, a frying pan and a couple of baking tins from a company on the internet, they are adonised and brilliant, you do not need to use any fat to fry eggs or cook omelettes and you just wipe them out with a damp cloth when you have finished using them. The company is called Pro-cook, they often have special offers on and have next day delivery by courier. They are not cheap but excellent pans. Just now they have special offers on 3,4,5, and 7 piece sets.

I've got a new Prestige Advance small frying pan, (Tesco) and it's brilliant as you say. I love scrambled egg and this pan just wipes clean so easily!!