Suggestions on decent saucepans

meritaten

do they have to be from Tesco? or do Tesco do 'Denby' pans? if they do then, they are really good quality pans and should last many years. I have a set I was lucky enough to buy at an 'outlet', of three pans and a frying pan and they cost around £60. that was four years ago and the pans are still like new. (they are not Teflon coated but I clean with a magic sponge and they come up like new. the frying pan is Teflon and it just needs a rinse under the tap and a wipe with kitchen towels).
I tend to look at the weight of the pan (the heavier the better) how strong the handles are and how big the rivets holding the handles on. you CAN get good pans for a reasonable price. reject lightweight pans if the base is too thin you will burn everything and the Teflon will peel off.

Elsewhere

My saucepans are Le Pentole. They are very expensive, but absolutely excellent. I bought my first one (a large frying pan) over 25 years ago and it still looks good as new.

http://www.davidmellordesign.com/acatalog/Le_Pentole_Stainless_Steel.html

I also own one Silit saucepan which I bought in a charity shop for £2. It's good quality but on this particular pan the handles are short and tend to get very hot.

Gigervamp

I've got a couple of heavy based stainless steel saucepans that I bought from Tesco about 17 years ago and they're still going strong. I like stainless steel as it cleans up easily.

securityguy

I have three really good small saucepans (from Spring, bought about twenty years ago and Hackman about fifteen years ago). If you're just boiling water to cook pasta (or whatever) then the pan doesn't matter, but if you're cooking something that might stick, or needs to simmer evenly, you need something better. Which is why buying sets of pans is a mug's game: you probably don't need huge, high quality pans unless you're going to do industrial scale catering, but you need the smaller ones to be much higher quality.

I think replacing my small pans (the largest is a deep 20cm, the other two are shallower 16cm and 14cm) probably wouldn't leave a lot of change out of £250; but as they're as good as new now, I've got every reason to believe they'll last me the rest of my life.

The larger pans are mostly junk from supermarkets. I've got a copper bottomed one which I can't remember buying, which is a bit better, than gets used for stews. And I've got a couple of Le Creuset pans which date back to when they were cheap and fashionable, as opposed to insanely expensive and a cliche. They get used for stews as well, but the enamel interior is getting rougher and more marked after thirty years' use.

LandyAndy

I had circulon for years and found them very good. However a year or so ago I treated myself to some of these.


http://www.lecreuset.co.uk/Product/le-creuset-products/Material-/Toughened-Non-Stick/


And they are soooo much better than circulon.

Marisco

LandyAndy wrote: »

I had circulon for years and found them very good. However a year or so ago I treated myself to some of these.


http://www.lecreuset.co.uk/Product/le-creuset-products/Material-/Toughened-Non-Stick/


And they are soooo much better than circulon.

I can't believe the price on those pans!!!!!! :eek:

LandyAndy

Marisco wrote: »

I can't believe the price on those pans!!!!!! :eek:

Worth it, though.;)

owen_money

I think we have stainless steel ones, not too sure, the kitchen is the wifes department.

Agutka

You never know what will last and what won't. I have bought expensive and had to bin them, I have bought a £2 milk pan and have it years later. I go by the feel of pans. I don't like the ones with metal handles, I like coloured ones, I mostly use one size...

A shop I love is Home Sense (tk max for homeware) and they stock all sorts of expensive stuff at cheap prices. All the pans there will have guarantees and non stickiness and goodness knows what other promises. Get something that feels comfy. xx

barbiedoll

I bought a set of 3 LeCreuset cast iron pans, back in the 1990's, it cost me around £80, they were reduced from £130. I used to look longingly at them in the window when I was waiting for my bus home from work and when I got a tax rebate, I treated myself. I got a matching casserole dish for a tenner when a local supermarket (possibly Safeways?) was closing down, I belive they go for over £100 now! :eek:

They are lovely pans and I still use them every day. They are bloody heavy though, even when empty, if you drop one on your foot, you will need medical attention and possibly a pair of crutches for a while :rotfl::rotfl: