Buying a stockpot (quality, but best value)

blizeH

Thank you very much guys, it's between the Meyer and the Circulon right now then, I'm very tempted by the Circulon based on the 5 star reviews but one of them does mention that it's very heavy - would be interesting to lift that and a Meyer one to compare!

(apparently the Meyer is 2.3kg, and the Circulon is 3.6kg, quite a difference!)

Possession

I have Le Creuset casseroles and I rarely use them - they're too heavy.
I have 2 stockpots - one cheapy one I don't even know the make of, and one Tesco Finest bargain with a copper base. Both are good as new after a few years' use.

hotcookie101

Circulon pans are REALLY heavy too. I have a set of the infinite, and if the large pan (or even the medium-2.8L) is full of potatoes or stock and I have to drain it, it is hard to lift.
I have a large (7-8l, not sure, don't use it often) stainless steel stock pot. It is heavy, but there is no way I would be able to lift the equivalent circulon pan.
I love my le creuset, and used to use my large (28cm) one to make stock if I had 2-3 carcasses, but I had to use tongs to take the carcasses out and a ladle to remove most of the stock before I could lift in both hands to drain it. (and I am pretty strong!)

joedenise

Mayflower10cat wrote: »

Denise, would you recommend it? I'm really keen to buy one but have to convince DH that it's worth it!

Absolutely. All my saucepans are Meyer stainless steel. Only thing I wouldn't recommend is the frying pan, find it sticks quite badly - but that may be because my DH used to fry bacon it it; only ever grill it these days.

Denise

Slinky_Malinky

When I make stock I ether do it in the slow cooker overnight or use my pressure cooker - I can make stock under pressure or else I have a standard lid for it.

You may want to look at Ikea pans, I hear very good things about them....

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/00101160/

SM

daska

If you have a good independent cookshop or catering outlet near you try looking there rather than at the purely domestic, high street shops. (You could do worse than look at what Nisbets have to offer). Also, look at pans and lids separately. I have a huge s/s stockpot (from when I was regularly feeding 8-10 every day) which came from a catering shop teamed with a vented lid that my mother found in Steamer Trading.

LouLou

You've probably seen these on your travels but these are cheaper options:

This one comes in other sizes (Good reviews, £24.99): http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8616142/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CKitchen+and+laundry%7C14418476/c_2/2%7C14418476%7CCookware%7C14418537.htm

Linea, half price at £30: http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Linea+Red+21cm+round+cast+iron+casserole/132869431,default,pd.html

I have a Linea cast iron griddle pan and it's fantastic. The Tesco Professional copper bottomed pans are great too, got my sister the set of 3..they're 18/10 heavy gauge stainless steel and have rave reviews. Those ones have a 25 year guarantee on the box.

http://www.tesco.com/direct/professional-stockpot-24cm/201-9806.prd Saw it on ebay cheaper not too long ago.

Edit: Some of the Cookworks cast iron items are Half Price or less, might be useful to someone: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/searchTerms/COOKWORKS+SIGNATURE+CAST+IRON.htm

PipneyJane

I have lots of Le Creuset. Wonderful stuff. Love it to bits. However, my stock pot is a 10L stainless steel one I bought in Ikea. It was cheap bac then (IIRC £14 but that was 12 years ago). It is large enough to take the remains of a turkey or a goose.

A quick check on their website brings up this one. It's £35. Not an exact match to mine.

LouLou

Funnily enough, my brother sent his wedding list today and this was on it (the Denby teal rectangular dish, not as much of a reduction as the Linea or Argos ones I mentioned.): http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Navigate?ps=default&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&txt=DENBY+AZUre&x=0&y=0#catalogId=10001&lid=//productsuniverse/en_GB/product_online%3DY/insearch%3D1/%24s%3Ddenby%5Cu0020azure&pn=2&pns=y&ps=default&storeId=10001

Argos has teal stoneware cookpots too, much cheaper.

So I had to tell him, erm, I've already got you a casserole dish: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0000C69LV/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1/276-4687722-9254806?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_r=1VMRXMEBKSFX9ZVZDBJ8&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_i=B00004SBIA Not a bargain at all but a treat for the eyes! There's a cast iron version, too, obviously.

The House Of Fraser and Debenhams links are worth watching, as they'll no doubt be further reduced.

Pink.

Hi blizeH,

As your thread has fallen down the Old Style board I've moved it over to the I wanna board to see if you can get more replies.

Pink