Bakeware/Kitchenware Advice

The_One_Who

Bit of a lurker on this board, but think this is the most appropriate place for this thread.

I am looking to purchase all-new bakeware/kitchenware, things like baking trays, casserole dishes, frying pans, wooden spoons, etc. I can get basic stuff in the supermarkets for a few pounds, but do they last? I am willing to pay a bit more if they will last (and withstand almost daily use), but don't really know where to start!

Any ideas? Am I best just to go to the local supermarket and pick up what I can cheaply?

Fen1

It really does depend on how much you are willing to spend;how often you are going to use a particular piece of equipment; how you are going to wash and care for the equipment.

Spend as much as you can afford on a heavy frying pan. I have a Stellar 7000. I am very happy with it - cooks well, retains heat, and cleans easily. However, I wouldnt go for stellar's cheaper range.
I am deeply unimpressed by Tefal. I've had 2. Never again. They warp in the heat and the nonstick isn't that brilliant.


Your second big spend should be on knives. They make a huge difference to preparation. A good knife is crucial. Warning- the more you spend on a knife, the more you have to look after it. It must be kept in a proper block or roll. It must be washed by hand. It must be sharpened properly. A good knife demands respect.
I would recommend going to a proper cooking shop and trying their knives. Different brands are balanced differently, their weight and size differ. A small woman's hand requires a different knife from a big man's.

For bakeware ranges have a look at Lakeland. They have different types to suit your style of baking. I've also found some good stuff in TKMaxx, but it totally depends on what they've got in that week.

I would go to several cooking shops and a Lakeland shop. See what is available, handle the equipment, then review what you've seen. You are then in a better position to go to the supermarket and decide on what you want to spend your money on.

The_One_Who

Thanks. Do you/anyone else have any ideas of brands to look out for/avoid?

I'm really looking for bakeware, roasting and casserole dishes especially.

snoozer

Try TK Maxx - they often have Le Creuset stuff and other god makes. Lakeland is good but expensive imho. In bakeware I don't look at the brand I look out for good quality heavy pieces that are less likely to warp or rust (I've had brand name pieces that have done these things).

Callie22

I have some Le Creuset stoneware dishes that I picked up in TK Maxx. They're really good and anything I cook in them cooks beautifully, and they're total breeze to wash. Their cast-iron casseroles are also brilliant, but they are very pricy. Denby do some nice cast-iron casseroles that are also good and are a fair bit cheaper (and are often on offer).

I also really rate the Sainsbury's bakeware - not the really cheap stuff, but their 'cooks range'. It's often on offer at 1/3 off and it's really solid and hardwearing. You don't get that awful boingy bang that you can get with thinner stuff, when you put the cold tray in a hot oven and it warps!

For wooden spoons and things like that I tend to go to Wilkos and places like that. I do have some dearer fancy-pants silicone ones but tbh, I like wooden ones and I replace these fairly frequently as they get dyed various colours and start to retain smells. Wilkos are also surprisingly good for mixing bowls etc, if you like plain glass ones. If you're a keen baker, the things I would invest in are a fairly decent pair of scales, a set of cup measures, a set of measuring spoons and a Pyrex measuring jug. Everything else doesn't need to be that expensive - a bowl is a bowl and a sieve is a sieve!

Islandmaid

I,ve been collecting Falcon Enamel ware - cheap, cleans well and lasts for ages - I had a casserole enamel casserole dish given to me which is about 50 years old looks as good as new

I second Sainsbo's decent bakwear too

MrsAtobe

We love our Circulon pans, all picked up as and when I see them in TK Maxx. Best pans we've ever had. Most utensils I've picked up the same way, but I do like a wooden spoon with a point, and these seem to be quite rare in shops, so I get the last lot from Amazon.

I tend to go for as heavy a baking tray as I can find, and then use a Teflon baking sheet to line it with.

Callie22

Islandmaid wrote: »

I,ve been collecting Falcon Enamel ware - cheap, cleans well and lasts for ages - I had a casserole enamel casserole dish given to me which is about 50 years old looks as good as new

I second Sainsbo's decent bakwear too

Oh yes, Falcon enamelware is great too, I love my chicken roaster and dishes.

camelot1001

I agree with Sainsbobs bakeware. I have also bought some cast iron casserole dishes from there when they have been on a half price offer, they are really good.

The_One_Who

There seems to be a lot of love for Sainsbury's, so I will pop in to my local one to see what they have. Thanks everyone!

Callie22

The_One_Who wrote: »

There seems to be a lot of love for Sainsbury's, so I will pop in to my local one to see what they have. Thanks everyone!

I was in Sainsbury's earlier this week and noticed that they had some of the trays on offer. If you've missed those then just wait, they seem to come back on offer every couple of months with 25-30% off and I'll bet there'll be some sales in the new year.